ake a suggestion, madam."

I am not saying that in the course of our long association I have always
found myself able to view Jeeves with approval. There are aspects of his
character which have frequently caused coldnesses to arise between us. He
is one of those fellows who, if you give them a thingummy, take a
what-d'you-call-it. His work is often raw, and he has been known to allude
to me as "mentally negligible". More than once, as I have shown, it has
been my painful task to squelch in him a tendency to get uppish and treat
the young master as a serf or peon.

These are grave defects.

But one thing I have never failed to hand the man. He is magnetic. There
is about him something that seems to soothe and hypnotize. To the best of
my knowledge, he has never encountered a charging rhinoceros, but should
this contingency occur, I have no doubt that the animal, meeting his eye,
would check itself in mid-stride, roll over and lie purring with its legs
in the air.

At any rate he calmed down Aunt Dahlia, the nearest thing to a charging
rhinoceros, in under five seconds. He just stood there looking
respectful, and though I didn't time the thing--not having a stop-watch
on me--I should say it wasn't more than three seconds and a quarter
before her whole manner underwent an astounding change for the better.
She melted before one's eyes.

"Jeeves! You haven't got an idea?"

"Yes, madam."

"That great brain of yours has really clicked as ever in the hour of
need?"

"Yes, madam."

"Jeeves," said Aunt Dahlia in a shaking voice, "I am sorry I spoke so
abruptly. I was not myself. I might have known that you would not come
simply trying to make conversation. Tell us this idea of yours, Jeeves.
Join our little group of thinkers and let us hear what you have to say.
Make yourself at home, Jeeves, and give us the good word. Can you really
get us out of this mess?"

"Yes, madam, if one of the gentlemen would be willing to ride a bicycle."

"A bicycle?"

"There is a bicycle in the gardener's shed in the kitchen garden, madam.
Possibly one of the gentlemen might feel disposed to ride over to Kingham
Manor and procure the back-door key from Mr. Seppings."

"Splendid, Jeeves!"

"Thank you, madam."

"Wonderful!"

"Thank you, madam."

"Attila!" said Aunt Dahlia, turning and speaking in a quiet,
authoritative manner.

I had been expecting it. From the very moment those ill-judged words had
passed the fellow's lips, I