14 Psmith in the City

Psmith shot an inquiring glance at him, but said nothing. This restlessness of Mike’s was causing him a good deal of inconvenience, which he bore in patient silence, hoping for better times. With Mike obviously discontented and out of tune with all the world, there was but little amusement to be extracted from the evenings now. Mike did his best to be cheerful, but he could not shake off the caged feeling which made him restless.

‘What rot it all is!’ went on Mike, sitting down again. ‘What’s the good of it all? You go and sweat all day at a desk, day after day, for about twopence a year. And when you’re about eighty-five, you retire. It isn’t living at all. It’s simply being a bally vegetable.’

‘You aren’t hankering, by any chance, to be a pirate of the Spanish main, or anything like that, are you?’ inquired Psmith.

‘And all this rot about going out East,’ continued Mike. ‘What’s the good of going out East?’

‘I gather from casual chit-chat in the office that one becomes something of a blood when one goes out East,’ said Psmith. ‘Have a dozen native clerks under you, all looking up to you as the Last Word in magnificence, and end by marrying the Governor’s daughter.’

‘End by getting some foul sort of fever, more likely, and being booted out as no further use to the bank.’

‘You look on the gloomy side, Comrade Jackson. I seem to see you sitting in an armchair, fanned by devoted coolies, telling some Eastern potentate that you can give him five minutes. I understand that being in a bank in the Far East is one of the world’s softest jobs. Millions of natives hang on your lightest word. Enthusiastic rajahs draw you aside and press jewels into your hand as a token of respect and esteem. When on an elephant’s back you pass, somebody beats on a booming brass gong! The Banker of Bhong! Isn’t your generous young heart stirred to any extent by the prospect? I am given to understand—’

‘I’ve a jolly good mind to chuck up the whole thing and become a pro. I’ve got a birth qualification for Surrey. It’s about the only thing I could do any good at.’

Psmith’s manner became fatherly.

‘You’re all right,’ he said. ‘The hot weather has given you that tired feeling. What you want is a change of air. We will pop down together hand in hand this weekend to some seaside resort. You shall build sand castles, while I lie on the beach and read the paper. In the evening we will listen to the band, or stroll on the esplanade, not so much because we want to, as to give the natives a treat. Possibly, if the weather continues warm, we may even paddle. A vastly exhilarating pastime, I am led to believe, and so strengthening for the ankles. And on Monday morning we will return, bronzed and bursting with health, to our toil once more.’

‘I’m going to bed,’ said Mike, rising.

Psmith watched him lounge from the room, and shook his head sadly. All was not well with his confidential secretary and adviser.

The next day, which was a Thursday, found Mike no more reconciled to the prospect of spending from ten till five in the company of Mr Gregory and the ledgers. He was silent at breakfast, and Psmith, seeing that things were still wrong, abstained from conversation. Mike propped the Sportsman up against the hot-water jug, and read the cricket news. His county, captained by brother Joe, had, as he had learned already from yesterday’s evening paper, beaten Sussex by five wickets at Brighton. Today they were due to play Middlesex at Lord’s. Mike thought that he would try to get off early, and go and see some of the first day’s play.

As events turned out, he got off a good deal earlier, and saw a good deal more of the first day’s play than he had anticipated.

He had just finished the preliminary stages of the morning’s work, which consisted mostly of washing his hands, changing his coat, and eating a section of a penholder, when William, the messenger, approached.

‘You’re wanted on the ‘phone, Mr Jackson.’

The New Asiatic Bank, unlike the majority of London banks, was on the telephone, a fact which Psmith found a great convenience when securing seats at the theatre. Mike went to the box and took up the receiver.

‘Hullo!’ he said.

‘Who’s that?’ said an agitated voice. ‘Is that you, Mike? I’m Joe.’

‘Hullo, Joe,’ said Mike. ‘What’s up? I’m coming to see you this evening. I’m going to try and get off early.’

‘Look here, Mike, are you busy at the bank just now?’

‘Not at the moment. There’s never anything much going on before eleven.’

‘I mean, are you busy today? Could you possibly manage to get off and play for us against Middlesex?’

Mike nearly dropped the receiver.

‘What?’ he cried.

‘There’s been the dickens of a mix-up. We’re one short, and you’re our only hope. We can’t possibly get another man in the time. We start in half an hour. Can you play?’

For the space of, perhaps, one minute, Mike thought.

‘Well?’ said Joe’s voice.

The sudden vision of Lord’s ground, all green and cool in the morning sunlight, was too much for Mike’s resolution, sapped as it was by days of restlessness. The feeling surged over him that whatever happened afterwards, the joy of the match in perfect weather on a perfect wicket would make it worth while. What did it matter what happened afterwards?

‘All right, Joe,’ he said. ‘I’ll hop into a cab now, and go and get my things.’

‘Good man,’ said Joe, hugely relieved.

26. Breaking The News

Dashing away from the call-box, Mike nearly cannoned into Psmith, who was making his way pensively to the telephone with the object of ringing up the box office of the Haymarket Theatre.