‘And when Ginger got up, I suppose her lot booed him? ‘
‘No doubt they would have done so, had it not been for the tone of his address. His appearance was greeted with a certain modicum of hostility, but he had scarcely begun to speak when he was rapturously received.’
‘By the opposition ? ‘
‘Yes, sir.
‘Strange.’
‘Yes, sir.’
‘Can you elucidate?’
‘Yes, sir. If I might consult my notes for a moment. Ah, yes. Mr. Winship’s opening words were “Ladies and gentlemen, I come before you a changed man”. A Voice: “That’s good news”. A second Voice: “Shut up, you bleeder”. A third Voice…’
‘I think we might pass lightly over the Voices, Jeeves.’
‘Very good, sir. Mr. Winship then said “I should like to begin with a word to the gentleman in the turtleneck sweater in that seat over there who kept calling my opponent a silly old geezer. If he will kindly step on to this platform, I shall be happy to knock his ugly block off. Mrs McCorkadale is not a silly old geezer”. A Voice… Excuse me, sir, I was forgetting. “Mrs. McCorkadale is not a silly old geezer,” Mr. Winship said, “but a lady of the greatest intelligence and grasp of affairs. I admire her intensely. Listening to her this evening has changed my political views completely. She has converted me to hers, and I propose, when the polls are opened, to cast my vote for her. I advise all of you to do the same. Thank you.” He then resumed his seat.’
‘Good Lord, Jeeves! ‘
‘Yes, sir.
‘ ‘He really said that ? ‘
‘Yes, sir.’
‘No wonder his engagement’s off.’
‘I must confess it occasioned me no surprise, sir.’
I continued amazed. It seemed incredible that Ginger, whose long suit was muscle rather than brain, should have had the ingenuity and know-how to think up such a scheme for freeing himself from Florence’s clutches without forfeiting his standing as a fairly preux chevalier. It seemed to reveal him as possessed of snakiness of a high order, and I was just thinking that you never can tell about a fellow’s hidden depths, when one of those sudden thoughts of mine came popping to the surface.
‘Was this you, Jeeves?’
‘Sir?’
‘Did you put Ginger up to doing it?’
‘It is conceivable that Mr. Winship may have been influenced by something I said, sir. He was very much exercised with regard to his matrimonial entanglements and he did me the honour of consulting me. It is quite possible that I may have let fall some careless remark that turned his thoughts in the direction they took.’
‘In other words, you told him to go to it? ‘
‘Yes, sir.’
I was silent for a space. I was thinking how jolly it would be if he could dish up something equally effective with regard to me and M. Bassett. The thought also occurred to me that what had happened, while excellent for Ginger, wasn’t so good for his backers and supporters and the Conservative cause in general. I mentioned this.
‘Tough on the fellows who betted on him.’
‘Into each life some rain must fall, sir.’
‘Though possibly a good thing. A warning to them in future to keep their money in the old oak chest and not risk it on wagers. May prove a turning point in their lives. What really saddens one is the thought that Bingley will now clean up. He’ll make a packet.’
‘He told me this afternoon that he’ was expecting to do so.’
‘You mean you’ve seen him?’
‘He came here at about five o’clock, sir.’
‘Stockish, hard and full of rage, I suppose?’
‘On the contrary, sir, extremely friendly. He made no allusion to the past. I gave him a cup of tea, and we chatted for perhaps half an hour.’
‘Strange.’
‘Yes, sir. I wondered if he might not have had an ulterior motive in approaching me.’
‘Such as?’
‘I must confess I cannot think of one. Unless he entertained some hope of inducing me to part with the club book, but that is hardly likely. Would there be anything further, sir.’
‘You want to get back to the stricken parlourmaid?’