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sort of broader and more sympathetic outlook. It helps you to understand other peopleā€™s misfortunes if youā€™ve been through the same thing yourself.

As I stood in my lonely bedroom at the hotel, trying to tie my white tie myself, it struck me for the first time that there must be whole squads of chappies in the world who had to get along without a man to look after them. Iā€™d always thought of Jeeves as a kind of natural phenomenon; but, by Jove! of course, when you come to think of it, there must be quite a lot of fellows who have to press their own clothes themselves and havenā€™t got anybody to bring them tea in the morning, and so on. It was rather a solemn thought, donā€™t you know. I mean to say, ever since then Iā€™ve been able to appreciate the frightful privations the poor have to stick.

I got dressed somehow. Jeeves hadnā€™t forgotten a thing in his packing. Everything was there, down to the final stud. Iā€™m not sure this didnā€™t make me feel worse. It kind of deepened the pathos. It was like what somebody or other wrote about the touch of a vanished hand.

I had a bit of dinner somewhere and went to a show of some kind; but nothing seemed to make any difference. I simply hadnā€™t the heart to go on to supper anywhere. I just sucked down a whisky-and-soda in the hotel smoking room and went straight up to bed. I donā€™t know when Iā€™ve felt so rotten. Somehow I found myself moving about the room softly, as if there had been a death in the family. If I had anybody to talk to I should have talked in a whisper; in fact, when the telephone-bell rang I answered in such a sad, hushed voice that the fellow at the other end of the wire said ā€œHalloa!ā€ five times, thinking he hadnā€™t got me.

It was Rocky. The poor old scout was deeply agitated.

ā€œBertie! Is that you, Bertie! Oh, gosh? Iā€™m having a time!ā€

ā€œWhere are you speaking from?ā€

ā€œThe Midnight Revels. Weā€™ve been here an hour, and I think weā€™re a fixture for the night. Iā€™ve told Aunt Isabel Iā€™ve gone out to call up a friend to join us. Sheā€™s glued to a chair, with this-is-the-life written all over her, taking it in through the pores. She loves it, and Iā€™m nearly crazy.ā€

ā€œTell me all, old top,ā€ I said.

ā€œA little more of this,ā€ he said, ā€œand I shall sneak quietly off to the river and end it all. Do you mean to say you go through this sort of thing every night, Bertie, and enjoy it? Itā€™s simply infernal! I was just snatching a wink of sleep behind the bill of fare just now when about a million yelling girls swooped down, with toy balloons. There are two orchestras here, each trying to see if it canā€™t play louder than the other. Iā€™m a mental and physical wreck. When your telegram arrived I was just lying down for a quiet pipe, with a sense of absolute peace stealing over me. I had to get dressed and sprint two miles to catch the train. It nearly gave me heart-failure; and on top of that I almost got brain fever inventing lies to tell Aunt Isabel. And then I had to cram myself into these confounded evening clothes of yours.ā€

I gave a sharp wail of agony. It hadnā€™t struck me till then that Rocky was depending on my wardrobe to see him through.

ā€œYouā€™ll ruin them!ā€

ā€œI hope so,ā€ said Rocky, in the most unpleasant way. His troubles seemed to have had the worst effect on his character. ā€œI should like to get back at them somehow; theyā€™ve given me a bad enough time. Theyā€™re about three sizes too small, and somethingā€™s apt to give at any moment. I wish to goodness it would, and give me a chance to breathe. I havenā€™t breathed since half-past seven. Thank Heaven, Jeeves managed to get out and buy me a collar that fitted, or I should be a strangled corpse by now! It was touch and go till the stud broke. Bertie, this is pure Hades! Aunt Isabel keeps on urging me to dance. How on earth can I dance when I donā€™t know a soul to dance with? And how the deuce could I, even if I knew every girl in the place? Itā€™s taking big chances even to move in these trousers. I had to tell her Iā€™ve hurt my ankle. She keeps asking me when Cohan and Stone are going to turn up; and itā€™s simply a question of time before she discovers that Stone is sitting two tables away. Somethingā€™s got to be done, Bertie! Youā€™ve got to think up some way of getting me out of this mess. It was you who got me into it.ā€

ā€œMe! What do you mean?ā€

ā€œWell, Jeeves, then. Itā€™s all the same. It was you who suggested leaving it to Jeeves. It was those letters I wrote from his notes that did the mischief. I made them too good! My auntā€™s just been telling me about it. She says she had resigned herself to ending her life where she was, and then my letters began to arrive, describing the joys of New York; and they stimulated her to such an extent that she pulled herself together and made the trip. She seems to think sheā€™s had some miraculous kind of faith cure. I tell you I canā€™t stand it, Bertie! Itā€™s got to end!ā€

ā€œCanā€™t Jeeves think of anything?ā€

ā€œNo. He just hangs round saying: ā€˜Most disturbing, sir!ā€™ A fat lot of help that is!ā€

ā€œWell, old lad,ā€ I said, ā€œafter all, itā€™s far worse for me than it is for you. Youā€™ve got a comfortable home and Jeeves. And youā€™re saving a lot of money.ā€

ā€œSaving money? What do you meanā ā€”saving money?ā€

ā€œWhy, the allowance your aunt was giving you. I suppose sheā€™s paying all the expenses now, isnā€™t she?ā€

ā€œCertainly she is; but

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