A Pelican at Blandings by Sir P G Wodehouse Read Free Book Online Page B

time I see you. Nag, nag,
nag. Who do you want me to marry now?'
    'Vanessa Polk.'
    'That American female you've brought along? Who is she?
One of your New York friends?'
    'No, I met her on the boat. I had an attack of neuralgia, and
she was very good to me. I was obliged to spend two days in
bed, and she came and sat with me and looked after me.'
    'Probably working up to a touch.'
    'Don't be ridiculous.'
    'Has she tried to borrow money?'
    'Of course she has not. She's much richer than I am. At
least, her father is.'
    'How do you know that?'
    'She told me. She is J. B. Polk's daughter. You must have
heard of J. B. Polk.'
    'I seem to know the name.'
    'Of course you do. He's a financial emperor. Controls all
sorts of businesses . . . banks, railroads, mines, everything.'
    ' Does he?' said the Duke.
    'Nobody could call James a pauper, but he feels like one
when he compares himself with J. B. Polk. And he has a very
high blood pressure.'
    'James has?'
    'Polk has. He might die of apoplexy at any moment, and
Vanessa would become one of the wealthiest women in
America.'
    'Would she?' said the Duke thoughtfully. ' Would she?'
    The gleam which had come into his prominent eyes did not
escape Lady Constance's notice, nor did it surprise her. She
had expected her words to create a powerful reaction. Revolted
though she would have been had someone informed her that
her views on anything could coincide with those of her brother
Galahad, on the subject of the Duke's affection for money they
were identical. This partiality of his for coin of the realm had
been drawn to her attention twenty years ago, when he had
informed her that their engagement was at an end because her
father refused to meet his terms in the matter of dowry, and
she could never be sufficiently grateful to her late parent for his
parsimony. She was fond of Alaric in a sisterly way, but her
intelligence told her that for one of her impatient temperament
marriage with him would have been a disaster. Vanessa
was different. Her cheerful equable nature would enable her to
cope even with an Alaric.
    'She would be ideal for you,' she said.
    'Seems nice,' the Duke agreed.
    'And of course it would be a wonderful match for her.'
    'Of course.'
    'She went to the library after breakfast. Why don't you go
there and talk to her?'
    'I will.'
    'She will be delighted to see you.'
    'I suppose so. I'll go at once. And I don't want you coming
along, Connie, so buzz off.'
2
    Gally had had to change his plans. He had not been able to
fulfil his intention of showing Linda Gilpin the beauties of the
yew alley, for after the briefest of conversations on the way
there they had parted, she to return to the house, he to go to
the Empress's sty, where he knew Lord Emsworth was to be
found. As the result of his talk with the moon of his godson's
delight he was feeling perplexed and bewildered, and he had a
faint hope that Clarence might have something constructive to
suggest. Such a miracle was not of course likely, for Clarence
in the course of a longish life had never suggested anything
constructive to anybody on any subject whatsoever, but it often
happens that talking something over with someone has the
effect of clarifying one's thoughts, even if that someone merely
gapes at one like a goldfish.
    He found Lord Emsworth, as usual, draped like a wet sock
over the rail of the Empress's G.H.Q. with a large potato in his
hand, and came immediately to the point.
    'Clarence,' he said, 'I'm worried.'
    'I am sorry to hear that, Galahad,' said Lord Emsworth,
courteously transferring to him the attention monopolized till
then by the silver medallist, who was busying herself among
the proteins and carbohydrates with a gusto which would have
drawn a smile of approval from Wolff-Lehman. 'Is it Connie?'
he asked, seizing on what he thought the obvious explanation
for anyone's mental disturbance at Blandings Castle.
    'No, not Connie. It's about a godson of mine.'
    'I did not know you had a godson.'
    'I have several.