Этот неподражаемый Дживс! / The Inimitable Jeeves

The only thing to complain was his throat which was beginning to show signs of cracking under the strain. He was looking his symptoms in a medical dictionary, and he thought he had got “clergyman’s throat[29 - clergyman's throat – воспаление голосовых связок].” But I was not sorry for him, because his aim was near, and also after the evening’s reading he always stayed on to dinner; and the dinners, as he told me, by old Little’s cook were excellent. There were tears in his eyes when he was talking about the clear soup[30 - clear soup – бульон].

Old Little wasn’t able to take part in these banquets, but Bingo said that he came to the table and had his arrowroot[31 - arrowroot – аррорут (крахмал, изготовленный из маранты, тропического растения из Южной Америки)], and sniffed the dishes, and told stories of entrées[32 - entrées – первые блюда (франц.)] he had had in the past.

“We make progress, Jeeves,” I said.

“That is very satisfactory, sir.”

“Mr Little tells me that when he came to the big scene[33 - big scene – главный эпизод] in Only a Factory Girl, his uncle was crying like a baby.”

“Indeed, sir?”

“Where Lord Claude[34 - Claude – Клод] takes the girl in his arms, you know, and says—”

“I am familiar with the passage, sir.

“I think we’re on the right track.”

“It seems so, sir.”

“In fact, this looks like another success of yours. I’ve always said, and I always shall say, that you are a sage, Jeeves. All the other great thinkers of the age are nothing.”

“Thank you very much, sir. You can always rely on me.”

About a week after this, Bingo told the news that his uncle’s gout had ceased to trouble him, and that he would be back at the table with a knife and a fork as before.

“And, by the way,” said Bingo, “he wants you to lunch with him tomorrow.”

“Me? Why me? He doesn’t know I exist.”

“Oh, yes, he does. I’ve told him about you.”

“What have you told him?”

“Oh, various things. Anyhow, he wants to meet you. And take my tip, you’ll go! I think the lunch tomorrow will be something special.