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| A Gentleman of Leisure (The Intrusion of Jimmy)
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Main page / Bibliography / A Gentleman of Leisure (The Intrusion of Jimmy)
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US Title: The Intrusion of Jimmy
First published in US: May 11 1910 by W.J.Watt and Co., New York
UK Title: A Gentleman of Leisure
First published in UK: November 15 1910 by Alston Rivers, Ltd., London
E-text (397K)
 Russian translations
- Lyubov' so vzlomom by I. Gurova: 2006, 2012 2024
- Dzhentl'men bez opredelennykh zanyatij by M. Lakhuti: 2006
Jimmy Pitt, rich, generous, popular American bachelor, has fallen in love with an unknown girl
on a transatlantic liner. He bets a friend at the Strollers Club in New York that he can break
into a house. Unfortunately he selects the house of Police Captain McEachern.
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Click for enlarge book cover
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Characters
Arthur Mifflin — Young leading actor who went to college with
Pitt. Member of the Strollers'.
Willett — Musical comedy actor, member of the Strollers'
Raikes — Character actor and member of the Strollers'
James Willoughby Pitt — Hero who went to Yale, is expert in
jewels, ex-reporter for the News, amateur boxer and road
company actor. Loves Molly.
Sutton — Owner of the Majestic Theater and member of the
Strollers'
John McEachern — A corrupt Captain of the New York City
police force who is a widower with a daughter Molly
Molly McEachern — Heroine daughter of John, engaged to Lord
Dreever but loves Jimmy
Rastus and Tommy — Molly's bulldogs
Spike Mullins — Burglar from the bowery, friend, follower and
valet of Jimmy's
(Spennie) Hildebrand Spencer Poynt de Burgh John Hannasyde Coombe-Crombie —
12th Earl of Dreever, 24 year old Drone under the thumb of his aunt and uncle
Sir Thomas Blunt — Spennie's uncle and chairman of Blunt's
Stores Ltd. Millionaire afraid of his wife.
Lady Julia Blunt — Sir Thomas' wife and Spennie's aunt with a forceful manner
Saunders — Butler at Dreever Castle
Hargate — Professional crooked billiard player and cardsharp
Charteris — Playwright, organizer and director of amateur
theatricals at Dreever Castle
Samuel Galer — Detective sent by McEachern, posing as his
friend from New York
Katie — Spennie's girlfriend whom he wishes to marry.
Dixon (*)
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 Synopsis
Jimmy Pitt, rich, generous, popular American bachelor, has fallen in love
with an unknown girl on a transatlantic liner. He bets a friend at the
Strollers Club in New York that he can break into a house like any Raffles.
He does so and it happens to be the apartment of a crooked New York
policeman (English originally, sacked from Eton, and has now changed his
name: a bad hat), John McEachern, whose daughter is/was the girl on the
boat. The scene changes to Dreever Castle in Shropshire, where 'Spennie',
Earl of Dreever, is bossed around by his self-made millionaire uncle, Sir
Thomas Blunt, MP. Lady Julia Blunt has a £20,000 'diamond' necklace (it
proves to be valueless white jargoon). Spennie is being sharked at
billiards, poker and picquet by one of the house party. Among the guests
are John McEachern, who has made his pile by New York graft and spends it
bringing his beloved daughter into good English society. He now hopes to
marry her to the 12th Earl of Dreever. Spennie's uncle and aunt also hope
this will be a match because they think Moily McEachern is an heiress.
Jimmy Pitt is of the house party too. He wins the love and hand of Molly.
Dreever Castle, a massive grey pile in Shropshire, built against raiders
looming over the Welsh border, is a forerunner of Blandings, and perhaps
Lady Julia and her 'diamonds' are forerunners of Lady Constanee and her
diamonds in Leave it to Psmith.
Source: Richard Usborne. Plum Sauce. A P G Wodehouse Companion.
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