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| Leave It to Psmith
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Main page / Bibliography / Leave It to Psmith
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First published in UK: November 30 1923 by Herbert Jenkins, London
First published in US: March 14 1924 by George H. Doran, New York
 Russian translation
- Polozhites' na Psmita by I. Gurova 1994, 1999, 1999, 2000, 2004, 2005, 2005,
2007, 2007, 2007, 2008,
2009, 2009, 2009, 2021, 2022
The Hon. Freddie Threepwood is to make his debut as a jewel thief, but is not alone. Blandings
is brimming with criminals and imposters, all intent on stealing Aunt Constance's diamond
necklace. It is left to the debonair Psmith, with his usual aplomb, to discover the identities of
one and all.
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Click for enlarge book cover
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Characters
Lord Emsworth — Fluffy-minded wealthy peer with excellent
health who loves flowers
Hon. Freddie Threepwood — Lord Emsworth's younger son
who loves movies and mystery novels and has a scheme to
steal Aunt Connie's necklace. Wants to get into the bookie
business and marry Eve.
Beach — Butler at Blandings who has trouble with his stomach
Angus McAllister — Head gardner at Blandings
Rupert Baxter — Spectacled, efficient secretary to Lord
Emsworth whose former employer was the American
millionaire, Horace Jevons. Finally gets the sack at Blandings
and goes back to Jevons.
Lady Constance Keeble — Lord Emsworth's sister in her mid-40's who
dominates both Lord Emsworth and her husband Joe
Ralston McTodd — Canadian poet whom Lord Emsworth offends at the
Senior Conservative Club
Aileen Peavy — Young American poetress who is also known in
the underworld as Smooth Lizzie. Loves Ed.
Eve Halliday — Tall, gay and slim school friend of Phyllis' who
goes to Blandings to catalog its library and falls in love with
Psmith
Joseph Keeble — Elderly husband of Lady Constance who
amassed a fortune in South Africa
Phyllis Jackson — Joe Keeble's small and fragile step-daughter
who married Mike Jackson
Ronald Eustace Psmith — Champion talker and school friend of
Mike's. Left his uncle's fish business to start on his own.
Loves and wins Eve. He believes in practical socialism and
calls everyone "Comrade."
Mike Jackson — Formerly Psmith's father's estate agent.
Currently a Master at a school while wanting to buy a farm in
Lincolnshire. Married Phyllis.
Ada Clarkson — Ex-English mistress at Wayland House who
taught Phyllis and Eve. Now runs an employment agency.
Jane — Phyllis' maid
Cynthia McTodd — Ralston's wife and school chum of Phyllis
and Eve
Hon. Hugo Walderwick — Member of Drones Club whose
umbrella Psmith takes to give to Eve
George Willard — Rose-growing friend and neighbor to Lord
Emsworth
Susan — Lady detective named Simmons posing as a housemaid
at Blandings who had been hired by Baxter
Edward Cootes — Young American professional card sharper
who is in love with Aileen. Poses as Psmith's valet and wants
to steal the Keeble necklace.
Jno. Banks — Hairdresser in the High Street at Market Blandings
Thomas — Footman at Blandings
Stokes — Footman at Blandings
Lord Bosham — Lord Emsworth's eldest son
Rollo Mountford (*)
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 Synopsis
Psmith's father has died and the estate has been broken up. Mike Jackson,
married to Phyllis, step-daughter of Joe Keeble, husband of Lady Constance
of Blandings, is a schoolmaster and not liking it. Lady Constance had
wanted Phyllis to marry rich Rollo Mountford, with 'horrid swimmy eyes',
but she had eloped with Mike. Mike wants to buy a farm in Lincolnshire.
Psmith advertises himself to go anywhere, do anything, and Freddie
Threepwood asks him to come to Blandings Castle to help him help Joe Keeble
to steal Connie's £20,000 diamond necklace. Freddie wants, as a reward from
Uncle Joe, money to set himself up in a bookmaking business. Psmith goes
after the reward in order to help Mike. He goes down to Blandings Castle
pretending to be Ralston McTodd, Canadian poet, author of Songs of Squalor.
Cataloguing the Library at Blandings Castle is Eve Halliday. Psmith pursues
her for marriage, and succeeds. Freddie has been pursuing Eve too. A crook,
Eddie Cootes, turns up intending to pass himself off as Ralston McTodd.
There is some minor gun-play. The necklace is stolen successfully and
hidden - by whom? The efficient Baxter is locked out of the castle in his
pyjamas, throws flowerpots at Lord Emsworth's windows and is sacked. Connie
will get another nice necklace (she and Joe have a joint bank account: she
won't mind seeing £20,000 on the debit side for a new necklace - but she
has refused to have Joe spend money helping Phyllis Jackson). Mike Jackson
gets the money for his farm. Eddie Cootes finds his old card-sharping
partner, Aileen Peavey, at Blandings Castle and they are going to team up
again. Psmith will marry Eve Halliday and take the job of Lord Emsworth's
secretary.
This is the first of many times that Wodehouse uses the husband-and-wife
joint bank account as a way to stop even a millionaire (Joe Keeble) from
writing a £3,000 cheque when his wife says No.
Source: Richard Usborne. Plum Sauce. A P G Wodehouse Companion.
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