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

I did not think, old man, when I bestowed a brotherly kiss on Pauline Stoker by way of congratulating her on your engagement, that it would make all this trouble.”

“Brotherly? Hm!”

“Essentially brotherly.”

A struggle was going on in the old boy’s bosom. Then he became calmer.

“Well, all right,” he said. “But in future if you want sisters, seek them elsewhere.”

“Just so. Then you still intend to marry this Pauline?

“Intend to marry her? Of course I intend to marry her.

I’d look a silly ass not marrying a girl like that, wouldn’t I?”

“But Stoker is not going to buy the Hall, is he?”

“Bertie,” he said, “don’t remind me of a time when I must have been absolutely stupid. I can’t imagine how I ever felt like that. My views have changed. I don’t care now if I haven’t a bean and she’s got millions.”

“Fine.”

“What does money matter?”

“Quite.”

“I mean, love’s love.”

“You never spoke a truer word.

If I were you, I’d write her a letter embodying those views.”

“I will. And, by Lord!”

“What?”

“Jeeves shall take it to her. I should have told you that Stoker wanted Jeeves to leave me and enter his service. Now I am all for it. Jeeves shall go to him.”

“I see what you mean. Under the Stoker banner, he will be free to come and go.”

“Exactly.”

“He can take a letter from you to her and then one from her to you and then one from you to her and then one from her to you and then one from you to her and then one—”

“Yes, yes.

You’ve got the idea. And in the course of this correspondence we can fix up some scheme for meeting. Have you any idea how long it takes to organize a wedding?”

“I’m not sure. I believe, if you get a special license, you can do it like a flash.”

“I’ll get a special license. I feel a new man. I’ll go and tell Jeeves at once. He can be on that yacht this evening.

”

At this point he suddenly stopped.

“I suppose she really does love me?”

“Dash it, old man, didn’t she say so?”

“She said so, yes. Yes, she said so. But can you believe what a girl says?”

“My dear chap!”

“Well, she may have been fooling me.”

“Stop it, laddie.”

He had left me. It had been a strenuous day. I felt restless.

“I shall dine out, Brinkley,” I said.