Пелам Гренвилл Вудхаус (P. G. Wodehouse)Project Gutenberg's Jill the Reckless, by P. G. (Pelham Grenville) Wodehouse
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Title: Jill the Reckless
Author: P. G. (Pelham Grenville) Wodehouse
Release Date: February 6, 2007 [EBook #20533]
[Last updated: November 10, 2011]
Language: English
Produced by Sankar Viswanathan and the Online Distributed
Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
JILL THE RECKLESS
BY
P. G. WODEHOUSE
HERBERT JENKINS LIMITED
3 DUKE OF YORK STREET
ST. JAMES'S, LONDON, S.W. 1
TO
MY WIFE BLESS HER
| CHAPTER | PAGE | |
| I. | The Family Curse | 9 |
| II. | The First Night at the Leicester | 34 |
| III. | Jill and the Unknown Escape | 45 |
| IV. | The Last of the Rookes Takes a Hand | 51 |
| V. | Lady Underhill Receives a Shock | 68 |
| VI. | Uncle Chris Bangs the Table | 82 |
| VII. | Jill Catches the 10.10 | 106 |
| VIII. | The Dry-Salters Wing Derek | 119 |
| IX. | Jill in Search of an Uncle | 131 |
| X. | Jill Ignores Authority | 142 |
| XI. | Mr. Pilkington's Love Light | 151 |
| XII. | Uncle Chris Borrows a Flat | 168 |
| XIII. | The Ambassador Arrives | 180 |
| XIV. | Mr. Goble Makes the Big Noise | 193 |
| XV. | Jill Explains | 218 |
| XVI. | Mr. Goble Plays with Fate | 230 |
| XVII. | The Cost of a Row | 252 |
| XVIII. | Jill Receives Notice | 260 |
| XIX. | Mrs. Peagrim Burns Incense | 278 |
| XX. | Derek Loses One Bird and Secures Another | 287 |
| XXI. | Wally Mason Learns a New Exercise | 308 |
JILL THE RECKLESS
CHAPTER I
THE FAMILY CURSE
I
Freddie Rooke gazed coldly at the breakfast-table. Through a gleaming eye-glass he inspected the revolting object which Barker, his faithful man, had placed on a plate before him.
"Barker!" His voice had a ring of pain.
"Sir"
"What's this?"
"Poached egg, sir."
Freddie averted his eyes with a silent shudder.
"It looks just like an old aunt of mine," he said. "Remove it!"
He got up, and, wrapping his dressing-gown about his long legs, took up a stand in front of the fireplace. From this position he surveyed the room, his shoulders against the mantelpiece, his calves pressing the club fender. It was a cheerful oasis in a chill and foggy world, a typical London bachelor's breakfast-room. The walls were a restful grey, and the table, set for two, a comfortable arrangement in white and silver.
"Eggs, Barker," said Freddie solemnly, "are the acid test!"
"Yes, sir?"
"If, on the morning after, you can tackle a poached egg, you are all right. If not, not. And don't let anybody tell you otherwise."
"No, sir."
Freddie pressed the palm of his hand to his brow, and sighed.
"It would seem, then, that I must have revelled a trifle whole-heartedly last night. I was possibly a little blotto. Not whiffled, perhaps, but indisputably blotto. Did I make much noise coming in?"