Дживс, вы – гений! / Thank you, Jeeves!

”

“What do you mean?”

“He happened to be in New York at the time, and to urge old Stoker to give me the push. The whole thing didn’t last more than forty-eight hours.”

“You swear that?”

“Certainly.”

“Only forty-eight hours?”

“Less.”

“And there’s nothing between you now?”

“Nothing.”

“You’re sure?”

“Nothing whatever. So, Chuffy, old man,” I said, patting his shoulder, “fear nothing. The girl is in love with you.”

“Who told you that?”

“She did.

“Herself?”

“In person.”

“She does really love me?”

“Passionately.”

A look of relief came into his face.

“Well, that’s all right, then. You know, when a fellow’s just got engaged to a girl, it’s rather strange to find that she was engaged to somebody else about two months before.”

I was astounded.

“Are you engaged? Since when?”

“Since shortly after lunch.”

“But how about Wotwotleigh?”

“Who told you about Wotwotleigh?”

“Jeeves.

“Jeeves talks too much. Immediately before I talked to Pauline, old Stoker told me he had decided to buy the house.”

“Really!”

“Absolutely. I think it was the wine that did it. My best wine.”

“You couldn’t have done a wiser thing. Your own idea?”

“No. Jeeves’s.”

I could not restrain a wistful sigh.

“Jeeves is a wonder.

“A marvel.”

“What a brain! He eats a lot of fish. What a pity he does not like good music,” I said. “Well, this is fine, I hope you will be very, very happy. I can honestly say that I always look on Pauline as one of the nicest girls I was ever engaged to.”

“I’m trying to forget that you ever were engaged to her. I wonder what made her accept you?”

This had puzzled me too.

“I once consulted a knowledgeable pal,” I said, “and his theory was that the sight of me hanging about like a sheep awoke the maternal instinct in woman.

“Possibly,” agreed Chuffy. “Well, I’ll be off. I suppose Stoker will want to talk to me about the house. You are coming?”

“No, thanks. I could stand your Aunt Myrtle. I could even stand little Seabury. But add Stoker and Glossop, this is too much for Bertram. I shall take a stroll about the estate.