The Wooster Papers

Books

Jeeves in the Offing

1960. 21 chapters, 39 scenes.

Chapter 1

  1. Over breakfast with Kipper Herring, Bertie takes a phone call from Aunt Dahlia inviting him to Brinkley, and learns to his horror that Bobbie Wickham and Aubrey Upjohn are among the guests.Chapters 1–2, Bertie's flat

Chapter 2

  1. Over breakfast with Kipper Herring, Bertie takes a phone call from Aunt Dahlia inviting him to Brinkley, and learns to his horror that Bobbie Wickham and Aubrey Upjohn are among the guests.Continued from chapter 1
  2. Jeeves, leaving on holiday, tells Bertie that Wilbert Cream is the notorious New York playboy Broadway Willie, and Bertie nearly cries off Brinkley until he remembers Anatole's cooking.Chapter 2, Bertie's flat
  3. A sobbing Lady Wickham phones about news in The Times and faints, and Bertie finds the paper announcing his engagement to Bobbie.Chapters 2–3, Bertie's flat

Chapter 3

  1. A sobbing Lady Wickham phones about news in The Times and faints, and Bertie finds the paper announcing his engagement to Bobbie.Continued from chapter 2
  2. Arriving at Brinkley to find Bobbie, Bertie stumbles on Wilbert Cream reading poetry to Phyllis Mills, is befriended by Poppet the dachshund, and is sent off to the lake.Chapter 3, the leafy glade
  3. Bobbie, fishing at the lake, explains that she announced her engagement to Bertie so that her mother, relieved to escape him, will welcome Kipper Herring, whom she loves.Chapter 3, the lake
  4. Musing on Bobbie's choice of Kipper, Bertie walks slap into Aubrey Upjohn and finds his dreaded old headmaster shrunk to a moustached shrimp.Chapter 3, Brinkley Court
  5. At tea on the lawn the butler brings out the fruit, and he is Sir Roderick Glossop.Chapters 3–4, the lawn

Chapter 4

  1. At tea on the lawn the butler brings out the fruit, and he is Sir Roderick Glossop.Continued from chapter 3

Chapter 5

  1. Bertie breaks up Wilbert Cream's tender moment with Phyllis by announcing tea, and Wilbert stalks off with the dachshund Poppet, plainly loathing him.Chapter 5, the leafy glade
  2. Over tea Mrs Cream declares the butler Swordfish (really Sir Roderick Glossop) a crook after Uncle Tom's silver, Bobbie refuses to let Bertie flee Brinkley, and Bertie resolves to wire Aunt Dahlia at Eastbourne.Chapter 5, the lawn

Chapter 6

  1. Bertie frets over Ma Cream's suspicions and Wilbert's ardour for Phyllis, and when Wilbert goes off walking Poppet he dozes off on the lawn over one of Ma Cream's novels.Chapter 6, Brinkley Court
  2. On the telephone Aunt Dahlia waves aside Ma Cream's suspicions, forbids Bertie to fight Wilbert, and jumps at his idea of inviting Kipper Herring to shadow Wilbert instead.Chapter 6, Brinkley Court
  3. Glossop, answering the bell as butler, says he is still undecided about Wilbert's sanity, then brings a letter from Jeeves revealing Wilbert is a kleptomaniac, and they hurry to check the silver.Chapter 6, Brinkley Court
  4. Bertie and Glossop reach the collection room and find the cow-creamer gone.Chapters 6–7, the collection room

Chapter 7

  1. Bertie and Glossop reach the collection room and find the cow-creamer gone.Continued from chapter 6
  2. Bertie enters Wilbert's room, finds a housemaid there with Augustus the cat hunting a mouse, and gets rid of her by claiming Augustus has traumatic symplegia.Chapters 7–8, the Blue Room

Chapter 8

  1. Bertie enters Wilbert's room, finds a housemaid there with Augustus the cat hunting a mouse, and gets rid of her by claiming Augustus has traumatic symplegia.Continued from chapter 7
  2. Bertie tells Bobbie he is through, but she talks him into a second search, promising to stand guard and sing if Mrs. Cream approaches so he can escape by the balcony and water pipe.Chapter 8, the lawn
  3. With Bobbie supposedly on watch, Bertie searches again, finds nothing on the armoire, and is caught under the dressing-table by Mrs. Cream, who decides he has a mouse-fixation and urges him to see Sir Roderick Glossop.Chapter 8, the Blue Room
  4. Bertie finds Bobbie in her car at the front door; she explains she was called to the phone by her mother, who thinks him a nincompoop, and drives off home.Chapter 8, the front door
  5. Bertie dozes off over Mrs. Cream's novel, wakes and telephones his overdue wire inviting Kipper Herring, and then sees Kipper arriving in his car.Chapters 8–10, the lawn

Chapter 9

  1. Bertie dozes off over Mrs. Cream's novel, wakes and telephones his overdue wire inviting Kipper Herring, and then sees Kipper arriving in his car.Continued from chapter 8

Chapter 10

  1. Bertie dozes off over Mrs. Cream's novel, wakes and telephones his overdue wire inviting Kipper Herring, and then sees Kipper arriving in his car.Continued from chapter 9
  2. In the pantry Bertie tells Glossop of being caught in Wilbert's room, and Glossop, his blood up, resolves to search the room for the cow-creamer himself; bonding over stolen school biscuits, they become Bertie and Roddy.Chapter 10, the butler's pantry
  3. Kipper bursts into Aunt Dahlia's boudoir to confess that Bobbie has read the stinking letter he wrote her and now says she will marry Bertie, who leaps up to drive to Jeeves at Herne Bay.Chapter 10, Aunt Dahlia's den

Chapter 11

  1. After missing Jeeves at Herne Bay, Bertie tells him the whole Bobbie–Kipper disaster over the telephone at the Drones, and Jeeves agrees to break off his holiday and come to Brinkley.Chapter 11, the Drones Club
  2. Driving down to Brinkley, Bertie briefs Jeeves on Bobbie's haughty spirit and on Poppet the dachshund, then spots Bobbie's roadster outside a wayside inn and stops.Chapter 11
  3. At the Fox and Goose Bobbie tells a relieved Bertie she never meant what she said to Kipper and is off to throw herself into his arms, so there will be no wedding bells for Bertie.Chapter 11, the Fox and Goose
  4. Bertie sees Bobbie off and, back in the car, tells Jeeves, who has been reading Spinoza, that the rift is mended, before starting on the tale of Wilbert and the cow-creamer.Chapter 11, the Fox and Goose

Chapter 12

  1. Back at Brinkley, Bertie learns from Aunt Dahlia that Uncle Tom sold Wilbert the cow-creamer, then Bobbie icily cuts Kipper, who confesses he got engaged to Phyllis as a ruse against Wilbert and was caught kissing her.Chapters 12–14, Aunt Dahlia's den

Chapter 13

  1. Back at Brinkley, Bertie learns from Aunt Dahlia that Uncle Tom sold Wilbert the cow-creamer, then Bobbie icily cuts Kipper, who confesses he got engaged to Phyllis as a ruse against Wilbert and was caught kissing her.Continued from chapter 12

Chapter 14

  1. Back at Brinkley, Bertie learns from Aunt Dahlia that Uncle Tom sold Wilbert the cow-creamer, then Bobbie icily cuts Kipper, who confesses he got engaged to Phyllis as a ruse against Wilbert and was caught kissing her.Continued from chapter 13
  2. Over port in his pantry, Glossop hears of Kipper's plight and suggests pushing Upjohn into the lake so Kipper can rescue him.Chapter 14, the butler's pantry
  3. Bertie gives Kipper and Bobbie the lake plan, which they embrace, and Kipper finds it peculiar that a butler thought of it.Chapter 14, the lawn

Chapter 15

  1. Bertie outlines Operation Upjohn to Jeeves, who calls it ill-advised and quotes Burns on best laid plans, and Bertie puts his coolness down to jealousy of Glossop.Chapter 15, Brinkley Court
  2. While Kipper waits behind his tree, Wilbert Cream tells Bertie the cow-creamer has vanished from his bureau, and Bertie realises Glossop has pinched it and talks Wilbert out of telling Mrs. Travers.Chapter 15, the lake
  3. Phyllis calls Upjohn away to the telephone just as Bobbie gives the cue, then Augustus spits at Poppet, who knocks Bertie into the lake, and Kipper dives in and rescues Bertie instead.Chapter 15, the lake

Chapter 16

  1. Squelching back from the lake, Bertie and Bobbie meet Aunt Dahlia, who wants to know why everyone but Upjohn is soaked.Chapter 16, the herbaceous border
  2. Bobbie and Kipper tell Bertie of Aunt Dahlia's new plan: Bertie is to abuse Upjohn to his face so that Kipper can burst in, defend him and get the libel suit dropped, and Bertie, bound by the code of the Woosters, agrees.Chapter 16, Bertie's room at Brinkley
  3. Bertie goes into Uncle Tom's study to insult Upjohn but gets no further than small talk about moustaches and Kipper before Phyllis bursts in and Upjohn dismisses him.Chapter 16, the study
  4. Outside the french window Bobbie accuses Bertie of losing his nerve, and with Phyllis closeted with Upjohn the attempt is called off for now.Chapter 16, Brinkley Court
  5. A distraught Aunt Dahlia tells Bertie that Phyllis has got engaged to Wilbert Cream.Chapters 16–18, Brinkley Court

Chapter 17

  1. A distraught Aunt Dahlia tells Bertie that Phyllis has got engaged to Wilbert Cream.Continued from chapter 16

Chapter 18

  1. A distraught Aunt Dahlia tells Bertie that Phyllis has got engaged to Wilbert Cream.Continued from chapter 17
  2. Aunt Dahlia rings for the butler, gets Jeeves instead, has him pack Upjohn's things and orders Bertie to drive Upjohn to Market Snodsbury.Chapter 18, the study

Chapter 19

  1. Bertie drives a grim, silent Upjohn to the Bull and Bush in Market Snodsbury and heads home, despairing of Kipper's chances.Chapter 19
  2. Jeeves has pinched Upjohn's speech while packing, and after Bertie fumbles the telephone call Bobbie seizes the receiver and forces Upjohn to drop his libel suit against Kipper in writing.Chapters 19–20, Aunt Dahlia's den

Chapter 20

  1. Jeeves has pinched Upjohn's speech while packing, and after Bertie fumbles the telephone call Bobbie seizes the receiver and forces Upjohn to drop his libel suit against Kipper in writing.Continued from chapter 19

Chapter 21

  1. Back from a fruitless hunt for Glossop, Bertie learns that Jeeves saved the day by having Glossop say he was there to observe the potty Bertie, who stole the cow-creamer, and is softened only when Jeeves reminds him it was all for Uncle Tom.Chapter 21, the Brinkley drawing-room