Leave it to Psmith (22 page)

Psmith forbore to follow her into this region of speculation, and they walked past the bushes in silence.

Some little distance farther on, however, Miss Peavey seemed to relent.

‘You
are
looking tired, Mr McTodd,’ she said anxiously. ‘I am afraid you really have been overtaxing your strength. Perhaps after all you had better go back and lie down.’

‘You think so?’

‘I am sure of it. I will just stroll on to the gates and see if the car is in sight.’

‘I feel that I am deserting you.’

‘Oh, please!’ said Miss Peavey deprecatingly.

With something of the feelings of a long-sentence convict unexpectedly released immediately on his arrival in jail, Psmith retraced his steps. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw that Miss Peavey had disappeared round a bend in the drive; and he paused to light a cigarette. He had just thrown away the match and was walking on, well content with life, when a voice behind him said ‘Hey!’ and the well-remembered form of Mr Edward Cootes stepped out of the bushes.

‘See this?’ said Mr Cootes, exhibiting his revolver.

‘I do indeed, Comrade Cootes,’ replied Psmith. ‘And, if it is not an untimely question, what is the idea?’

‘That,’ said Mr Cootes, ‘is just in case you try any funny business.’ And, replacing the weapon in a handy pocket, he proceeded to slap vigorously at the region between his shoulder blades. He also wriggled with not a little animation.

Psmith watched these manoeuvres gravely.

‘You did not stop me at the pistol’s point merely to watch you go through your Swedish exercises?’ he said.

Mr Cootes paused for an instant.

‘Got a beetle or something down my back,’ he explained curtly.

Ah? Then, as you will naturally wish to be alone in such a sad moment, I will be bidding you a cordial good evening and strolling on.’

‘No, you don’t!’

‘Don’t I?’ said Psmith resignedly. ‘Perhaps you are right, perhaps you are right.’ Mr Cootes replaced the revolver once more. ‘I take it, then, Comrade Cootes, that you would have speech with me. Carry on, old friend, and get it off your diaphragm. What seems to be on your mind?’

A lucky blow appeared to have stunned Mr Cootes’s beetle, and he was able to give his full attention to the matter in hand. He stared at Psmith with considerable distaste.

‘I’m on to you, Bill!’ he said.

‘My name is not Bill,’ said Psmith.

‘No,’ snapped Mr Cootes, his annoyance by this time very manifest. ‘And it’s not McTodd.’

Psmith looked at his companion thoughtfully. This was an unforeseen complication, and for the moment he would readily have admitted that he saw no way of overcoming it. That the other was in no genial frame of mind towards him the expression on his face would have showed, even if his actions had not been sufficient indication of the fact. Mr Cootes, having disposed of his beetle and being now at leisure to concentrate his whole attention on Psmith, was eyeing that immaculate young man with a dislike which he did not attempt to conceal.

‘Shall we be strolling on?’ suggested Psmith. ‘Walking may assist thought. At the moment I am free to confess that you have opened up a subject which causes me some perplexity. I think, Comrade Cootes, having given the position of affairs a careful examination, that we may say that the next move is with you. What do you propose to do about it?’

‘I’d like,’ said Mr Cootes with asperity, ‘to beat your block off.’

‘No doubt. But . . .’

‘I’d like to knock you for a goal!’

Psmith discouraged these Utopian dreams with a deprecating wave of the hand.

‘I can readily understand it,’ he said courteously. ‘But, to keep within the sphere of practical politics, what is the actual move which you contemplate? You could expose me, no doubt, to my host, but I cannot see how that would profit you.’

‘I know that. But you can remember I’ve got that up my sleeve in case you try any funny business.’

‘You persist in harping on that possibility, Comrade Cootes. The idea seems to be an obsession with you. I can assure you that I contemplate no such thing. What, to return to the point, do you intend to do?’

They had reached the broad expanse opposite the front door, where the drive, from being a river, spread out into a lake of gravel. Psmith stopped.

‘You’ve got to get me into this joint,’ said Mr Cootes.

‘I feared that that was what you were about to suggest. In my peculiar position I have naturally no choice but to endeavour to carry out your wishes. Any attempt not to do so would, I imagine, infallibly strike so keen a critic as yourself as “funny business”. But how can I get you into what you breezily describe as “this joint”?’

‘You can say I’m a friend of yours and ask them to invite me.’

Psmith shook his head gently.

‘Not one of your brightest suggestions, Comrade Cootes. Tactfully refraining from stressing the point that an instant lowering of my prestige would inevitably ensue should it be supposed that you were a friend of mine, I will merely mention that, being myself merely a guest in this stately home of England, I can hardly go about inviting my chums here for indefinite visits. No, we must find another way. . . . You’re sure you want to stay? Quite so, quite so, I merely asked. . . . Now, let us think.’

Through the belt of rhododendrons which jutted out from one side of the castle a portly form at this point made itself visible, moving high and disposedly in the direction of the back premises. It was Beach, the butler, returning from the pleasant ramble in which he had indulged himself on the departure of his employer and the rest of the party. Revived by some gracious hours in the open air, Beach was returning to duty. And with the sight of him there came to Psmith a neat solution of the problem confronting him.

‘Oh, Beach,’ he called.

‘Sir?’ responded a fruity voice. There was a brief pause while the butler navigated into the open. He removed the straw hat which he had donned for his excursion, and enfolded Psmith in a pop-eyed but not unkindly gaze. A thoughtful critic of country-house humanity, he had long since decided that he approved of Psmith. Since Lady Constance had first begun to offer the hospitality of the castle to the literary and artistic world, he had been profoundly shocked by some of the rare and curious specimens who had nodded their disordered locks and flaunted their ill-cut evening clothes at the dinner-table over which he presided; and Psmith had come as a pleasant surprise.

‘Sorry to trouble you, Beach.’

‘Not at all, sir.’

‘This,’ said Psmith, indicating Mr Cootes, who was viewing the scene with a wary and suspicious eye, an eye obviously alert for any signs of funny business, ‘is my man. My valet, you know. He has just arrived from town. I had to leave him behind to attend the bedside of a sick aunt. Your aunt was better when you came away, Cootes?’ he inquired graciously.

Mr Cootes correctly interpreted this question as a feeler with regard to his views on this new development, and decided to accept the situation. True, he had hoped to enter the castle in a slightly higher capacity than that of a gentleman’s personal gentleman, but he was an old campaigner. Once in, as he put it to himself with admirable common sense, he would be in.

‘Yes, sir,’ he replied.

‘Capital,’ said Psmith. ‘Capital. Then will you look after Cootes, Beach?’

‘Very good, sir,’ said the butler in a voice of cordial approval. The only point he had found to cavil at in Psmith had been removed; for it had hitherto pained him a little that a gentleman with so nice a taste in clothes as that dignified guest should have embarked on a visit to such a place as Blandings Castle without a personal attendant. Now all was explained and, as far as Beach was concerned, forgiven. He proceeded to escort Mr Cootes to the rear. They disappeared behind the rhododendrons.

They had hardly gone when a sudden thought came to Psmith as he sat once more in the coolness of the hall. He pressed the bell. Strange, he reflected, how one overlooked these obvious things. That was how generals lost battles.

‘Sir?’ said Beach, appearing through the green baize door.

‘Sorry to trouble you again, Beach.’

‘Not at all, sir.’

‘I hope you will make Cootes comfortable. I think you will like him. His, when you get to know him, is a very winning personality.’

‘He seems a nice young fellow, sir.’

‘Oh, by the way, Beach. You might ask him if he brought my revolver from town with him.’

‘Yes, sir,’ said Beach, who would have scorned to betray emotion if it had been a Lewis gun.

‘I think I saw it sticking out of his pocket. You might bring it to me, will you?’

‘Very good, sir.’

Beach retired, to return a moment later. On the silver salver which he carried the lethal weapon was duly reposing.

‘Your revolver, sir,’ said Beach.

‘Thank you,’said Psmith.

§ 6

For some moments after the butler had withdrawn in his stately pigeon-toed way through the green-baize door, Psmith lay back in his chair with the feeling that something attempted, something done, had earned a night’s repose. He was not so sanguine as to suppose that he had actually checkmated an adversary of Mr Cootes’s strenuousness by the simple act of removing a revolver from his possession; but there was no denying the fact that the feel of the thing in his pocket engendered a certain cosy satisfaction. The little he had seen of Mr Cootes had been enough to convince him that the other was a man who was far better off without an automatic pistol. There was an impulsiveness about his character which did not go well with the possession of fire-arms.

Psmith’s meditations had taken him thus far when they were interrupted by an imperative voice.

‘Hey!’

Only one person of Psmith’s acquaintance was in the habit of opening his remarks in this manner. It was consequently no surprise to him to find Mr Edward Cootes standing at his elbow.

‘Hey!’

‘All right, Comrade Cootes,’ said Psmith with a touch of austerity, ‘I heard you the first time. And may I remind you that this habit of yours of popping out from unexpected places and saying “Hey!” is one which should be overcome. Valets are supposed to wait till rung for. At least, I think so. I must confess that until this moment I have never had a valet.’

‘And you wouldn’t have one now if I could help it,’ responded Mr Cootes.

Psmith raised his eyebrows.

‘Why,’ he inquired, surprised, ‘this peevishness? Don’t you like being a valet?’

‘No, I don’t.’

‘You astonish me. I should have thought you would have gone singing about the house. Have you considered that the tenancy of such a position throws you into the constant society of Comrade Beach, than whom it would be difficult to imagine a more delightful companion?’

‘Old stiff!’ said Mr Cootes sourly. ‘If there’s one thing that makes me tired, it’s a guy that talks about his darned stomach all the time.’

‘I beg your pardon?’

‘The Beach gook,’ explained Mr Cootes, ‘has got something wrong with the lining of his stomach, and if I hadn’t made my getaway he’d be talking about it yet.’

‘If you fail to find entertainment and uplift in first-hand information about Comrade Beach’s stomach, you must indeed be hard to please. I am to take it, then, that you came snorting out here, interrupting my daydreams, merely in order to seek my sympathy?’

Mr Cootes gazed upon him with a smouldering eye.

‘I came to tell you I suppose you think you’re darned smart.’

‘And very nice of you, too,’ said Psmith, touched. A pretty compliment, for which I am not ungrateful.’

‘You got that gun away from me mighty smoothly, didn’t you?’

‘Since you mention it, yes.’

‘And now I suppose you think you’re going to slip in ahead of me and get away with that necklace? Well, say, listen, lemme tell you it’ll take someone better than a half-baked string-bean like you to put one over on me.’

‘I seem,’ said Psmith, pained, ‘to detect a certain animus creeping into your tone. Surely we can be trade rivals without this spirit of hostility. My attitude towards you is one of kindly tolerance.’

‘Even if you get it, where do you think you’re going to hide it? And, believe me, it’ll take some hiding. Say, lemme tell you something. I’m your valet, ain’t I? Well, then, I can come into your room and be tidying up whenever I darn please, can’t I? Sure I can. I’ll tell the world I can do just that little thing. And you take it from me, Bill . . .’

‘You persist in the delusion that my name is William . . .’

‘You take it from me, Bill, that if ever that necklace disappears and it isn’t me that’s done the disappearing, you’ll find me tidying up in a way that’ll make you dizzy. I’ll go through that room of yours with a fine-tooth comb. So chew on that, will you?’

And Edward Cootes, moving sombrely across the hall, made a sinister exit. The mood of cool reflection was still to come, when he would realise that, in his desire to administer what he would have described as a hot one, he had acted a little rashly in putting his enemy on his guard. All he was thinking now was that his brief sketch of the position of affairs would have the effect of diminishing Psmith’s complacency a trifle. He had, he flattered himself, slipped over something that could be classed as a jolt.

Nor was he unjustified in this view. The aspect of the matter on which he had touched was one that had not previously presented itself to Psmith: and, musing on it as he resettled himself in his chair, he could see that it afforded food for thought. As regarded the disposal of the necklace, should it ever come into his possession, he had formed no definite plan. He had assumed that he would conceal it somewhere until the first excitement of the chase slackened, and it was only now that he realised the difficulty of finding a suitable hiding-place outside his bedroom. Yes, it was certainly a matter on which, as Mr Cootes had suggested, he would do well to chew. For ten minutes, accordingly, he did so. And – it being practically impossible to keep a good man down – at the end of that period he was rewarded with an idea. He rose from his chair and pressed the bell.