The Code of the Woosters / Фамильная честь Вустеров

A few months before, while celebrating Boat Race[9 - Boat Race – лодочные гонки] night, I had fallen into the clutches of the Law for trying to separate a policeman from his helmet, and I had been fined. A fiver[10 - fiver – пятёрка, банкнота в пять фунтов]! The magistrate who had inflicted this monstrous sentence was none other than old Bassett, father of Gussie’s bride-to-be.

I was one of his last clients, for a couple of weeks later he inherited a pot of money from a distant relative and retired to the country. That, at least, was the story. My own view was that he had got the stuff by sticking like glue to the fines. Five quid here, five quid there—a lot of money, eh?

“You have not forgotten that man of wrath, Jeeves? Eh?”

“Possibly Sir Watkyn is less formidable in private life, sir.”

“I doubt it. A hellhound is always a hellhound. But enough of this Bassett. Any letters today?”

“No, sir.”

“Telephone communications?”

“One, sir. From Mrs Travers[11 - Travers – Трэверс].”

“Aunt Dahlia[12 - Dahlia – Далия]? She’s back in town, then?”

“Yes, sir. She expressed a desire that you would ring her up at your earliest convenience.”

“I will do even better,” I said cordially. “I will call in person.[13 - I will call in person. – Лично навещу.]”

And half an hour later I was near the steps of her residence. I did not know that I was to become involved in an imbroglio that would test the Wooster soul as it had seldom been tested before. The story was connected with Gussie Fink-Nottle, Madeline Bassett, old Pop Bassett, Stiffy Byng[14 - Stiffy Byng – Стиффи Бинг], the Rev. H. P. (“Stinker”) Pinker[15 - Rev. H. P. (“Stinker”) Pinker – Преподобный Г. П. («Мерзавец, Вонючка») Пинкер], the eighteenth-century cow-creamer[16 - cow-creamer – кувшинчик для сливок] and the small, brown, leather-covered notebook.

* * *

But I was looking forward with bright anticipation to the coming reunion with Dahlia—she, being my good and deserving aunt, not to be confused with Aunt Agatha[17 - Agatha – Агата], who eats broken bottles and wears barbed wire[18 - barbed wire – колючая проволока] next to the skin.