Carry On, Jeeves
Categories: [ Books/Wodehouse ]
Published in 1925.
Jeeves Takes Charge Bertie hires Jeeves. Engaged to Florence Craye, the latter forces Bertie to steal a manuscript written by her uncle Willoughby the content of which reveals the agitated youth of, among other prominent figures, her father. Jeeves saves Bertie by removing the parcel, hidden in his master's room, before the uncle searches it, and forwarding it to the publisher, causing Florence to break her engagement to Bertie.
The Artistic Career of Corky Bertie fled to New York to avoid meeting his Aunt Agatha. There, his artist friend Corky seeks Bertie's help to find a way to present Muriel Singer, the actress to whom he's engaged to Alexander Worple, his uncle, a bird specialist who also gives him a regular allowance. Jeeves suggests Muriel to write a children's book about birds, where she would abundently quote Worple's books on birds. Muriel eventually marries old Worple and gives birth to a child, depriving Corky from his inheritance. When Worple asks him to paint a portrait of the baby, the result is quite cartoonish and the uncle hates it, but it is the beginning of Corky's career as a regular cartoonist.
Jeeves and the Unbidden Guest Lady Malvern, a friend of Aunt Agatha's, drops her son at Bertie's before touring the American prisons for her new book. Her son Motty is supposed to be of the quiet kind, but actually spends quite a dissolute life in New York, ending up in prison. Her mother sees him there and accuses Bertie of having neglected his duty as a guardian, but Jeeves saves the day by making her believe that Motty went to prison voluntarily in order to help her mother with her work.
Jeeves and the Hard-Boiled Egg Bertie's friend Bicky is in trouble, since he's supposed to be a businessman in New York, while he's actually idle, living from his uncle's allowance. Said uncle just arrives in New York; Jeeves suggests Bertie to lend him his flat, since Bicky is supposedly rich. But this only makes the uncle cut off his allowance. Bicky then decides to start a chicken farm business, but needs some starting cash. Jeeves manages to find a bunch of americans who would pay to shake hands with the uncle (who's the Duke of Chiswick). The plot is discovered, but Jeeves manages to blackmail the uncle into finding him a place as a secretary, against not telling the press (that the uncle hates) about the incident.
The Aunt and the Sluggard Rockmetteller Todd the poet, yet another friend of Bertie's, lives in the country on Long Island and hates the big city. When his aunt promises him a large allowance against his frequent written account of his supposedly tepidant life in New York, he turns to Jeeves who suggest that himself could have the trepidant life and forward some notes Rocky could use to write his reports to his aunt. One day, the aunt, who is supposed to hate traveling, appears on Bertie's door (Rocky is supposedly writing from there) and wants to live herself the excitement of the city. After several excruciating days for Rocky, Jeeves manages to take the aunt to a religious meeting where the orator accuses the city of all the sins. The aunt then decides to return home and “forces” her nephew to retire to the country.
The Rummy Affair of Old Biffy While in Paris, Bertie is told by his friend Biffy that he met a girl and got engaged on a ship to New York, but being a real chump all he remembers of her is her name, Mabel. He is desperate to find her again. Back in London, Biffy gets engaged to Honoria Glossop, and Jeeves seems unable to help him. Bertie suggest him to make a fool of himself during a lunch with Honoria's father, but he fails at it. While visiting an exhibition in Wembley with Bertie and Jeeves, the former tells the latter what Biffy had revealed in Paris. Jeeves suddenly suggests Biffy to visit a pavillion where live mannequins are dressed as women from all over the world. Biffy recognizes Mabel. Jeeves then explained that Mabel is his niece and he thought Biffy only toyed with her feelings.
Without the Option To cheer up his friend Sippy, Bertie suggests him to steal a policeman's helmet, but Sippy end up in prison under a false name. Depending on his aunt's allowance, he doesn't want her to know his situation, but since he has promised her to stay in Cambridge at her friend's place, he cannot fail to show up. Jeeves suggests that Bertie shoild take his place, since they haven't seen Sippy since he was ten. The family is terrible, the daughter is a cousin of Honoria Glossop, and even looks and behaves like her. Bertie's cover is blown the day Honoria's father comes to visit and recognizes him. He manages to escape, and Jeeves suggests him to go and tell the truth to Sippy's aunt. She laughs at what her nephew has done, because Jeeve's cousin, being the policeman of the aunt's village, had started some weeks before to force her to actually pay for offences (given her temper, it wasn't the case before).
Fixing it for Freddie Freddie's fiancee Elizabeth has suddenly broken their engagement. To cheer him up, Bertie takes him to the coast, but Elizabeth happens to live in the same village. Bertie then decides to kidnap a kid who seems to be Elizabeth's nephew so that Freddie could be a hero by returning the missing child, but Elzabeth does not actually know him, she was just playing with him on the beach. Bertie enventually finds the child's family, but since they all got the mumps, they ask him to take care of him until his uncle arrives from London. Jeeves then suggests to teach the kid to say “Kiss Freddie” in Elizabeth's presence when given a candy in order to soften her. The plot fails when Elizabeth discovers the child has been trained, but somehow Freddie and her are engaged again.
Clustering Round Young Bingo Bingo asks Bertie to steal an article his wife wrote for Aunt Dahlia's magazine, which would make all Bingo's friends laugh at him. Bertie fails, but Jeeves manages to arrange for Bingo's cook to be hired by Agatha (being the only cook who can soothe Uncle Tom's stomach, therefore putting him in a good mood that allows Dahlia to ask him for money) in exchanged for the article not to be published.
Bertie Changes his Mind (The story is told by Jeeves) Bertie decides he doesn't want to be a bachelor anymore and wants to buy a house and live with his sister and her children. Jeeves does not like the prospect. While driving to Brighton they meet a twelve-years old girl whom they drive back to her school. Jeeves convinces the headmistress to ask Bertie to make a speech in front of all the girls. The experience his terrible for poor Bertie who decides to stay a bachelor after all.