Service with a Smile
| Company type | Novel |
|---|---|
| Industry | Literature |
| Founded | 1961-10-15 |
| Founder | P. G. Wodehouse |
| Headquarters | New York / London , United States / United Kingdom |
| Products | Novel |
Service with a Smile is a novel authored by P. G. Wodehouse, initially released in the United States on 15 October 1961 by Simon & Schuster, Inc. in New York, followed by its UK publication on 17 August 1962 through Herbert Jenkins in London. A shortened adaptation was featured in two installments within the Toronto Star Weekly issues dated 26 August and 2 September 1961.
This work marks the eighth full-length narrative set at Blandings Castle and showcases the indomitable Uncle Fred in his fourth and concluding role.
Plot summary
Myra Schoonmaker is residing at Blandings Castle after her London season is abruptly ended by Connie, who disapproves of Myra’s plan to marry Bill Bailey, a financially struggling East End curate. Lord Emsworth finds himself frustrated with his sister, his newly appointed secretary Lavender Briggs, and their visitor, the Duke of Dunstable. The situation is further complicated when Connie invites a group of Church Lads to camp by the lake, who proceed to mock Emsworth.
During Connie’s absence in Shrewsbury, Myra arranges a registry office wedding with Bailey. Bailey arrives at the location accompanied by his friend Pongo Twistleton and Pongo’s Uncle Fred, but Myra does not show up. Uncle Fred, an old acquaintance of Myra’s family who supports Bailey, encounters Emsworth in London during the State Opening of Parliament and promptly invites himself to Blandings to aid the despondent earl. He introduces Bailey under the pseudonym "Cuthbert Meriweather," portraying him as an old friend recently returned from Brazil.
Back at Blandings, Bailey and Myra reunite after realizing they had gone to different registry offices. The Church Lads deceive Emsworth into diving into the lake to rescue one of them—actually just a log—leading Duke Dunstable to question Emsworth’s mental state, particularly regarding his prized pig. Following Fred’s suggestion, Emsworth retaliates by cutting the tent ropes of the Church Lads during the night.
Dunstable schemes to steal Emsworth’s cherished pig and sell it for £2000 to Lord Tilbury. Lavender Briggs offers to carry out the theft for £500 but demands a verbal agreement since Dunstable refuses to sign any contract. She recruits pig man Wellbeloved and another accomplice before traveling to London to cash the cheque.
Myra informs Uncle Fred that Briggs is coercing Bailey—whom she recognizes—into participating in the pig theft under blackmail. Before Fred can intervene, Bailey confesses everything to Emsworth, who promptly dismisses both Briggs and Wellbeloved. Emsworth then discloses all details to Connie, including Meriweather’s real identity. Connie orders Fred and Bailey to leave; however, they remain after Fred threatens to expose Butler Sebastian Beach for cutting the tent ropes, which would cause embarrassment.
Following her failed matchmaking efforts, Connie calls upon James Schoonmaker from New York for assistance.
George Threepwood informs Dunstable that he possesses photographs of his grandfather cutting the tent ropes. Realizing Briggs has become expendable, Dunstable plans to blackmail Emsworth with these photos in exchange for releasing the pig. At The Emsworth Arms, Lavender Briggs overhears Dunstable canceling her cheque after he raises Tilbury’s price for the pig to £3000. Briggs then offers Tilbury a lower price herself; he agrees and pays her. Upon leaving, she encounters Uncle Fred, who reveals she has been dismissed and advises her to deposit Tilbury’s cheque in London—funds she intends to use to establish her own secretarial business.
Schoonmaker arrives as summoned by Connie but is intercepted by Fred at the station and taken to The Emsworth Arms, where they reconnect. Fred updates Schoonmaker about Myra's engagement to Archie Gilpin (following her breakup with Bailey). Schoonmaker admits his love for Connie but lacks the courage to propose; Fred encourages him by revealing Connie’s feelings toward him. Gilpin confides that he is simultaneously engaged to Millicent Rigby and Myra and requires £1000 to invest in his cousin Ricky's onion-soup venture and support his prospective wife. Fred advises Archie to end his engagement with Myra.
Fred deceives Dunstable into believing Schoonmaker is financially ruined and convinces him to pay £1000 to release Archie from his commitment with Myra, arguing that Bill Bailey is a more suitable match for her. Connie is touched when Myra becomes engaged to Bailey, giving Schoonmaker confidence to propose marriage. With Lavender Briggs’ assistance, Fred plays a recorded tape of Dunstable plotting the pig theft; in return for keeping silent, Dunstable hands over compromising photographs of Emsworth. Fred retains this tape as leverage against Dunstable canceling Archie’s cheque.
As Bill and Myra prepare for their wedding, Archie reunites with Millicent and launches his business; Connie becomes engaged to Schoonmaker; and Dunstable’s plans are foiled—Uncle Fred reflects on having successfully resolved matters for everyone involved.
Characters
- Lord Emsworth, the absent-minded proprietor of Blandings Castle
- Lady Constance Keeble, Emsworth's authoritative sister
- George Threepwood, the grandson of Emsworth
- Lavender Briggs, the capable secretary to Emsworth
- Empress of Blandings, the cherished pig owned by Emsworth
- George Cyril Wellbeloved, caretaker of the Empress
- Frederick Twistleton, 5th Earl of Ickenham, a close friend and guardian to Emsworth
- Pongo Twistleton, the often beleaguered nephew of Fred
- James Schoonmaker, an American millionaire and ally to Fred and Connie
- Myra Schoonmaker, daughter of James
- Reverend Cuthbert "Bill" Bailey, curate engaged to Myra
- Myra Schoonmaker, daughter of James
- Alaric, Duke of Dunstable, a grumpy nobleman
- Archie Gilpin, the artistic nephew of Dunstable
- George Alexander Pyke, Lord Tilbury, a publishing tycoon and enthusiast of pigs
- Millicent Rigby, Tilbury’s secretary and Archie’s love interest
- Beach, the butler at Blandings Castle
Publication history
The dust jacket for the initial US edition was designed by Paul Bacon.
A passage from the book was included in the 1984 anthology The World of Wodehouse Clergy, released by Hutchinson in London.
See also
Dunstable and Uncle Fred make earlier appearances at Blandings Castle in Uncle Fred in the Springtime (1939), whereas Tilbury is featured in Heavy Weather (1933) along with other stories outside the Blandings setting.
References
- Notes
- Sources
External links
- The Russian Wodehouse Society's page, containing a character list
- Fantastic Fiction's page, featuring edition information and cover images