Psmith in the CityWodehouse, P. G. (Pelham Grenville)
General
Psmith in the City
Wodehouse, P. G. (Pelham Grenville)
Humorous stories
'You put the case with admirable clearness, Comrade Jackson,' said
Psmith approvingly. 'At the hard-headed, common-sense business you
sneak the biscuit every time with ridiculous ease. But you do not know
all. I do not propose to do a thing in the bank except work. I shall be
a model as far as work goes. I shall be flawless. I shall bound to do
Comrade Rossiter's bidding like a highly trained performing dog. It is
outside the bank, when I have staggered away dazed with toil, that I
shall resume my attention to the education of Comrade Bickersdyke.'
'But, dash it all, how can you? You won't see him. He'll go off home,
or to his club, or--'
Psmith tapped him earnestly on the chest.
'There, Comrade Jackson,' he said, 'you have hit the bull's-eye, rung
the bell, and gathered in the cigar or cocoanut according to choice. He
_will_ go off to his club. And I shall do precisely the same.'
'How do you mean?'
'It is this way. My father, as you may have noticed during your stay at
our stately home of England, is a man of a warm, impulsive character.
He does not always do things as other people would do them. He has his
own methods. Thus, he has sent me into the City to do the hard-working,
bank-clerk act, but at the same time he is allowing me just as large an
allowance as he would have given me if I had gone to the 'Varsity.
Moreover, while I was still at Eton he put my name up for his clubs,
the Senior Conservative among others. My pater belongs to four
clubs altogether, and in course of time, when my name comes up for
election, I shall do the same. Meanwhile, I belong to one, the Senior
Conservative. It is a bigger club than the others, and your name comes
up for election sooner. About the middle of last month a great yell of
joy made the West End of London shake like a jelly. The three thousand
members of the Senior Conservative had just learned that I had been
elected.'
Psmith paused, and ate some porridge.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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