Psmith in the City

es, to secure the cooperation of some friendly native. You may remember that at Sedleigh it was partly the sympathetic cooperation of that record blitherer, Comrade Jellicoe, which enabled us to

evote my attention whole-heartedly to the moral reformation of Comrade Bickersdyke, that man of blood. I look on Comrade Bickersdyke as a bargee of the most p

ve done. By Jove, Smith, thi

homestead. Pictures, and so on. It will be by no means un-snug when they are up. Meanwhile, I can rough it. We are old campaigners, we Psmiths. Give us a

pretty tough job turning him into a friendly na

d him with a b

case of Comrade Outwood, at Sedleigh? How did we corra

y joining the Archa

either postage stamps, dried seaweed, or Hall Caine. I shall endeavour to find out today. A few casual questions, and the thing is done. Shall

the stamps and petty cash. While he was engaged on this

ning,' sa

icks with a bundle of letters which lay on his desk. '

it does with distant portions of the globe, a philatelist would have excellent opportunities

Mr Rossiter. 'I should advise you, if you mean to get

t once. Dried s

th your wo

tired to

have drawn blank. The papers bring out posters, "Psmith Baffled." I must try again

Mike began to see that Psmith had reason in his assumption that the way to every man's heart was through his hobby. Mike made a firm friend of William, the messenger, by displaying an interest and a certain knowledge of roses. At the same time the conversation had the bad effect of leading to an acute relapse in the matter of homes

smith stil

received with the Impatient Frown rather than the Glad Eye. He was in the middle of adding up a rather tricky column of figures, and my remarks caused him to drop a stitch. So f

embers of other departments came with letters, among them Bann

ting on?' said B

right,' s

uble with Ro

not m

un you in to

N

chums,' said Psmith courteously, 'but I happened to overh

mewhat startled. Mi

at school with. This is Bannister, Smi

partment?'

es

dge will be invaluable to us. I have no doubt that, during your stay in this excell

ter with a laugh. 'He saw to that. He was alwa

little restive,' agreed Psmith. 'W

I to talk t

hich you have alluded, how did you

d to do all the t

s tie, and clicked his

Bannister, it is this way. In the course of my professional duties,

do,' said

apparently happened in your case, in keeping up his end of the dialogue. The subject of my shortcomi

was a bit of a change

however restful it may be to myself, it does not enable me

r Rossiter has any hobby of any kind. He thinks,

erest, much as a father would listen to his child prattli

he Near Eastern Question, or anything like that? I have tried him with postage-stamps (which you'd think, as head of a postage department, he ought to be interested in), and dried seaweed, Hall

ss it's football. I saw him once watc

r team? I mean, have you ever heard him, in the intervals of business worries, stamping on his desk and yelling, "Buck up Cottagers!" or "Lay 'em out, Pensioners!" or anything like th

ester

er, I should say, w

ieve h

nchester United. My dear Holmes, how--! Elementary, my dear

counter-door, and, observing the conversational group a

overlooked the matter once, as I did not wish to get you into trouble so s

eld up h

rit to deposit a letter with Comrade Jackson. I engaged him in conversation on the subject of the Football Leagu

should waste the bank's time in this way. The bank pay

st so,' murm

uch talking in

you ar

s non

hat Manchester United were by far

th your wo

f to his desk, where h

id at the end

ool, and made his way d

fool,' snappe

ught,' sa

fool. He

orrowfully, as who shou

aying today to touch

I said to Comr

ou know somet

all,' said Psmith, 'has be

no time to di

sir. Work befo

her time

less busy.

ed back to

in the bouillon; but it was in a good cause. I fancy we have won through. Half an hour's thoughtful perusal of the "Footballers' Who's Who", just to find out some elementa