Этот неподражаемый Дживс! / The Inimitable Jeeves

It’s pretty bad for me, of course, while he’s away. But nothing to do; and he usually manages to find a decent fellow to look after me in his absence.

Well, the time had come again, and Jeeves was in the kitchen giving a new servant few tips about his duties. I was looking for a stamp or something, and I wanted to ask him for it. The silly ass had left the kitchen door open, and I heard his voice.

“You will find Mr Wooster,” he was saying to the new servant, “an exceedingly pleasant and amiable young gentleman, but not intelligent.

By no means intelligent. Mentally he is negligible—quite negligible.”

Well, I mean to say, what!

I called for my hat and stick and went out. But I have good memory, if you know what I mean. We Woosters do not forget anything. At least, we do—appointments, and people’s birthdays, and letters to post, and all that—but not an absolute insult like the above.

I dropped in at the oyster-bar at Buck’s[79 - oyster-bar at Buck's – устричный бар у Бака].

I needed something strong at the moment, because I was on my way to lunch with Aunt Agatha. A frightful ordeal, believe me or believe me not, even though I thought that after what had happened at Roville she would be in a subdued and amiable mood. Suddenly a muffled voice hailed me from the north-east, and, turning round, I saw young Bingo Little propped up in a corner, eating a huge chunk of bread and cheese.

“Hallo-allo-allo!” I said. “Haven’t seen you for ages.

You’ve not been in here lately, have you?”

“No. I’ve been living out in the country.”

“Eh?” I said, for Bingo’s hatred for the country was well known. “And where?”

“Down in Hampshire, at a place called Ditteredge[80 - Ditteredge – Диттеридж].”

“No, really? I know some people who’ve got a house there. The Glossops[81 - the Glossops – Глоссопы]. Have you met them?”

“Why, that’s where I’m staying!” said young Bingo.

“I’m tutoring the Glossop kid.”

“What for?” I said. I couldn’t see young Bingo as a tutor. Though, of course, he got a degree at Oxford.

“What for? For money, of course! An absolute champion came last in the second race at Haydock Park[82 - Haydock Park – Хэйдокский парк],” said young Bingo, with some bitterness, “and I dropped my entire month’s allowance. I went to the agents and got a job. I’ve been down there three weeks.