TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE * Italics are denoted by underscores as in _italics_. * Obvious printer errors have been silently corrected. * Original spelling was kept, but variant spellings were made consistent when a predominant usage was found. * Ellipses are shown spaced (“. . .” instead of “...”), as in the printed original. LEAVE IT TO PSMITH WHAT THIS STORY IS ABOUT Freddie Threepwood and his uncle are in difficulties. Freddie wants a thousand pounds to start a bookmaker’s business and to marry Eve, while his uncle wants to raise three thousand pounds, unbeknown to his wife, to help a runaway daughter. Freddie persuades his uncle to steal his wife’s necklace and sees Psmith’s advertisement in a daily paper. Freddie enlists the services of Psmith to steal the necklace. There are plots and counterplots. Psmith is not successful in stealing the necklace but succeeds in stealing the affections of Eve. _BOOKS BY THE SAME AUTHOR_ THE HEART OF A GOOF 7s. 6d. net CARRY ON, JEEVES 3s. 6d. net UKRIDGE 3s. 6d. net THE INIMITABLE JEEVES 2s. 6d. net THE GIRL ON THE BOAT 2s. 6d. net JILL THE RECKLESS 2s. 6d. net A DAMSEL IN DISTRESS 2s. 6d. net LOVE AMONG THE CHICKENS 2s. 6d. net A GENTLEMAN OF LEISURE 2s. 6d. net INDISCRETIONS OF ARCHIE 2s. 6d. net PICCADILLY JIM 2s. 6d. net ADVENTURES OF SALLY 2s. 6d. net THE CLICKING OF CUTHBERT 2s. 6d. net THE COMING OF BILL 2s. 6d. net LEAVE IT TO PSMITH BY P. G. WODEHOUSE HERBERT JENKINS LIMITED 3 YORK STREET LONDON S.W.1 [Illustration: A HERBERT JENKINS’ BOOK] _Printed in Great Britain by Wyman & Sons Ltd., London, Reading and Fakenham_ CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I DARK PLOTTINGS AT BLANDINGS CASTLE 7 II ENTER PSMITH 38 III EVE BORROWS AN UMBRELLA 59 IV PAINFUL SCENE AT THE DRONES CLUB 66 V PSMITH APPLIES FOR EMPLOYMENT 70 VI LORD EMSWORTH MEETS A POET 80 VII BAXTER SUSPECTS 112 VIII CONFIDENCES ON THE LAKE 135 IX PSMITH ENGAGES A VALET 167 X SENSATIONAL OCCURRENCE AT A POETRY READING 206 XI ALMOST ENTIRELY ABOUT FLOWER-POTS 239 XII MORE ON THE FLOWER-POT THEME 270 XIII PSMITH RECEIVES GUESTS 282 XIV PSMITH ACCEPTS EMPLOYMENT 313 TO MY DAUGHTER LEONORA, QUEEN OF HER SPECIES. LEAVE IT TO PSMITH CHAPTER I DARK PLOTTINGS AT BLANDINGS CASTLE § 1