Thank You, Jeeves

" Ah 1 " I said, following the reasoning and finding it sound. "So he is, no doubt. But where? Quite possibly he's in London by now." " Why London ? " " Why not ? " " Was he planning to go to London ? " " He may have been." " What's his address in London ? " " I don't know." " Don't any of you know ? " " I don't," said Pauline. " I don't," said Chuffy. "

A lot of use you are to a man," said old Stoker severely. " Get out!

We're busy." The remark was addressed to Jeeves, who had come floating in again. It's one of this man's most remarkable properties, that now you see him and now you don't. Or, rather, now you don't see him and now you do. You're talking of this and that and you suddenly sense a presence, so to speak, and there he is. " I beg your pardon, sir," said Jeeves. " I was desirous of speaking to his lordship for a moment."

Chuffy waved a hand. Distrait. " Later on, Jeeves." " Very good, m'lord." " We're a little busy just now." " Just so, m'lord." " Well, it's not going to be so hard to locate a man of Sir Roderick's eminence," said old

Stoker, resuming. " His address would be in Who's Who. Have you got a Who's Who ? " " No," said Chuffy. Old Stoker flung the hands skyward. "

Good God I " Jeeves coughed. " If you will pardon me for intruding the observation, sir, I think I can tell you where Sir Roderick is. If I am right in supposing that it is Sir Roderick Glossop that you are anxious to find ? " " Of course it is. How many Sir Rodericks do you think I know ? Where is he, then ? " " In the garden, sir." " This garden, do you mean ? " " Yes, sir." " Then go and ask him to come here at once.

Say that Mr. Stoker wishes to see him immediately on a matter of the utmost importance.No, stop. Don't you go. I'll go myself. Whereabouts in the garden did you see him ? " " I did not see him, sir. I was merely informedthat he was there." Old Stoker clicked the tongue a bit. " Well, damn it, whereabouts in the garden did whoever merely informed you that he was in the garden merely inform you that he was ? " " In the potting-shed, sir." " The potting-shed ? " ' " Yes, sir." " What's he doing in the potting-shed ? " " Sitting, sir, I imagine. As I say, I do not

speak from first-hand observation. My informant is Constable Dobson."

"Eh? What? Constable Dobson ? Who's he?" " The police officer who arrested Sir Roderick last night, sir." He bowed slightly from the hips and left the room.

CHAPTER XXI JEEVES FINDS THE WAY

"JEEVES!" bellowed Chuffy. " Jeeves I " screamed Pauline. " Jeeves 1 "

I shouted. " Hey I " yelled old Stoker. The door had closed, and I'll swear it hadn't opened again. Nevertheless, there was the man in our midst once more, an expression of courteous inquiry on his face. "

Jeeves I " cried Chuffy. " M'lord ? " €< Jeeves I " shrieked Pauline. "

Miss ? " " Jeeves I " I vociferated. " Sir ? " " Hey, you I " boomed old Stoker. Whether Jeeves liked being called " Hey, you 1 " I could not say. His well-moulded face betrayed no resentment. " Sir ? " he said. "

What do you mean by going off like that ? " " I was under the impression that his lordship,occupied with more vital matters, was not at-

leisure to attend to the communication I desired to make, sir. I planned to return later, sir." " Well, stay put for a second, won't you ? "

" Certainly, sir. Had I been aware that you were desirous of speaking to me, sir, I would not have withdrawn from the room. It was merely the apprehension lest I might be intruding at a moment when my presence was not desired . . ." " All right, all right, all right! " I noted, not for the first time, that there was something about Jeeves's conversational methods that seemed to jar upon old Stoker. " Never mind all that." "

Your presence is of the essence, Jeeves," I said. " Thank you, sir."

Chuffy took the floor, Stoker being occupied for the nonce with making a noise like a wounded buffalo. " Jeeves." " M'lord ? " " Did you say that Sir Roderick Glossop had been arrested ? " " Yes, m'lord. It was on that point that I wished to speak to your lordship. I came to inform you that Sir Roderick had been apprehendedby Constable Dobson last night and placed in the potting-shed in the Hall grounds, the constable remaining on guard at the door. The larger potting-shed, m'lord, not the smaller one. The potting-shed to which I allude is the potting-shed on the right as you enter the kitchen garden. It has a red-tiled roof, in contradistinction to the smaller potting-shed, the roof of which is constructed of . . ." I had never been, as you might say, fright

fully fond of J. Washburn Stoker, but it seemed only neighbourly at this moment to try to save him from apoplexy. " Jeeves," I said. " Sir ? " "