FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142  
143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   >>   >|  
eated beside them asked me for my autograph. "Let me tell you a story about Bertie Wooster." A Wooster can stand a good deal, but he cannot stand having his name bandied in a public place. Picking my feet up softly, I was in the very process of executing a quiet sneak for the door, when I perceived that the bearded bloke had at last decided to apply the closure. Why he hadn't done so before is beyond me. Spell-bound, I take it. And, of course, when a chap is going like a breeze with the public, as Gussie had been, it's not so dashed easy to chip in. However, the prospect of hearing another of Gussie's anecdotes seemed to have done the trick. Rising rather as I had risen from my bench at the beginning of that painful scene with Tuppy in the twilight, he made a leap for the table, snatched up a book and came bearing down on the speaker. He touched Gussie on the arm, and Gussie, turning sharply and seeing a large bloke with a beard apparently about to bean him with a book, sprang back in an attitude of self-defence. "Perhaps, as time is getting on, Mr. Fink-Nottle, we had better----" "Oh, ah," said Gussie, getting the trend. He relaxed. "The prizes, eh? Of course, yes. Right-ho. Yes, might as well be shoving along with it. What's this one?" "Spelling and dictation--P.K. Purvis," announced the bearded bloke. "Spelling and dictation--P.K. Purvis," echoed Gussie, as if he were calling coals. "Forward, P.K. Purvis." Now that the whistle had been blown on his speech, it seemed to me that there was no longer any need for the strategic retreat which I had been planning. I had no wish to tear myself away unless I had to. I mean, I had told Jeeves that this binge would be fraught with interest, and it was fraught with interest. There was a fascination about Gussie's methods which gripped and made one reluctant to pass the thing up provided personal innuendoes were steered clear of. I decided, accordingly, to remain, and presently there was a musical squeaking and P.K. Purvis climbed the platform. The spelling-and-dictation champ was about three foot six in his squeaking shoes, with a pink face and sandy hair. Gussie patted his hair. He seemed to have taken an immediate fancy to the lad. "You P.K. Purvis?" "Sir, yes, sir." "It's a beautiful world, P.K. Purvis." "Sir, yes, sir." "Ah, you've noticed it, have you? Good. You married, by any chance?" "Sir, no, sir." "Get married, P.K. Purvis," said
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142  
143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Gussie
 

Purvis

 

dictation

 

interest

 

fraught

 
Spelling
 
squeaking
 

bearded

 
Wooster
 

married


public

 

decided

 
patted
 

announced

 
echoed
 

longer

 
calling
 
speech
 

whistle

 

Forward


chance

 

shoving

 

beautiful

 

noticed

 

strategic

 

reluctant

 

gripped

 

spelling

 

methods

 

provided


personal

 
climbed
 

remain

 

presently

 

platform

 
innuendoes
 

steered

 
fascination
 

planning

 
musical

retreat
 

Jeeves

 
closure
 
perceived
 

breeze

 

dashed

 
executing
 

process

 
Bertie
 

autograph