a bit about it:
Returning from Cannes after several weeks with his Aunt Dahlia Travers, her daughter Angela, and Angela's friend Madeline Bassett, Bertie is informed that Gussie Fink-Nottle has been a frequent caller. And not for Bertie's company, it turns out -- rather, to consult with Jeeves in matters of the heart.
Gussie is in love with Madeline and has decamped from Hampshire to the metrop to court her. Jeeves advises him to accept her invitation to a fancy-dress ball, wearing a Mephistopheles costume. When Gussie muddles it by forgetting the address, his cabfare, and his latchkey, Bertie decides that Jeeves has lost his form, and takes on Gussie's case.
Meanwhile, Bertie's aunt summons Bertie down to Brinkley Court to fill in for an ailing curate and distribute the prizes at Market Snodsbury Grammar School. He demurs, and finding that Madeline will be one of a house party there, sends Gussie in his stead. But when Aunt Dahlia tells him that Angela has broken off her engagement to Bertie's old school friend Tuppy Glossop, he realises that his place is at her side, and goes to Brinkley.
Jeeves has advised the young master that the way to reconcile the young couples is to ring the fire bell in the night, on the theory that the men will rush to rescue their beloveds, and tearful apologies will naturally follow. Bertie (and Dahlia too) take this as a further sign of Jeeves losing his grip. Instead, Bertie instructs Gussie to lay off the breakfast meats in order to convince Madeline that he pines for her. Seizing on this idea, he also instructs Tuppy to push away his plate untasted at dinner to similarly convince Angela, and as well Dahlia (to soften up Uncle Tom for a touch to make up what she lost on the roulette wheel at Cannes). Unfortunately, the stream of untouched plates returning to the kitchen sends Anatole into a rage, and he gives his notice.
Undaunted, Bertie attempts to address Gussie's inability to propose to Madeline, as well as his terror at the prospect of speaking a few short words at the prize-giving. He discovers that Gussie never takes anything stronger than orange juice, and devises a scheme to spike his beverage with something that will give him courage. Unfortunately, when the hour comes, Gussie has already inflicted the same cure on himself. Bertie's plenty, on top of a dose administered by Jeeves and the ill-advised cargo already sloshing around in that brilliantly lit man's interior, affects Gussie in a spectacular fashion. He proposes to Madeline, ticks off Tom Travers properly, and delivers the speech to end all speeches at prize-giving, which ends in a nasty scene.
After his shameful performance, Madeline promptly returns Gussie to store, and he responds by immediately proposing to -- and being accepted by -- Angela. Tuppy, having been suspicious that another man had misappropriated Angela's affections, now has confirmation, and sets off to disembowel Gussie with his bare hands.








