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Portsmouth Road, with nothing to distract the attention, I got down to it.

CHAPTER 6
    ‘ S o you and Boko are planning to leap in among the orange blossoms?’ I said. ‘I had the news from Stilton yesterday, and was much stirred.’
    ‘I hope you approve?’
    ‘Thoroughly. Nice work, in my opinion. I think you’re both on to a good thing, and would be well advised to push it along with the utmost energy. I have always considered you an extremely sound young potato.’
    She thanked me for these kind words, and I assured her that the tribute was well deserved.
    ‘As for Boko,’ I proceeded, ‘one of the best, of course. I could tell you things about Boko which would drive it well into your nut that you have picked a winner.’
    ‘You don’t have to.’
    Her voice was soft and tender, like that of a hen crooning over its egg, and it was easy to see that, as far as she was concerned, Cupid’s dart had done its stuff. I gave the wheel a twiddle, to avoid a casual dog, and went into my questionnaire. I always like to know all the facts on these occasions.
    ‘When did you arrange this match?’
    ‘About a week ago.’
    ‘But you felt it coming on before that, I take it?’
    ‘Oh, yes. Directly we met.’
    ‘When was that?’
    ‘At the end of May.’
    ‘It was love at first sight, was it?’
    ‘It was.’
    ‘On his side, also?’
    ‘On his side, also.’
    Well, I could readily understand Boko falling in love at first sight with Nobby, of course, for she is a girl liberally endowed with oomph. But how she could have fallen in love at first sight with Boko beat me. The first sight of Boko reveals to the beholder an object with a face like an intellectual parrot. Furthermore, as is the case with so many of the younger literati, he dresses like a tramp cyclist, affecting turtleneck sweaters and grey flannel bags with a patch on the knee and conveying a sort of general suggestion of having been left out in the rain overnight in an ash can. The only occasion on which I have ever seen Jeeves really rattled was when he met Boko for the first time. He winced visibly and tottered off to the kitchen, no doubt to pull himself together with cooking sherry.
    I mentioned this to Nobby, and she said she knew what I meant.
    ‘You would think he was the sort of man who would have to grow on a girl – gradually, as it were – wouldn’t you? But no. There was one startled moment when I wondered if I was seeing things, and then – bang – like a thunderbolt.’
    ‘As quick as that, was it?’
    ‘Yes.’
    And his reactions were similar?’
    ‘Yes.’
    ‘Well, here’s something I don’t understand. You say you met in May, and we are now in July. Why did he take such a dickens of a time wooing you?’
    ‘He didn’t exactly woo me.’
    ‘How do you mean, not exactly? A man either woos or he does not woo. There can be no middle course.’
    ‘There were reasons why he couldn’t let himself go.’
    ‘You speak in riddles, young Nobby. Still, so long as he got round to it eventually. And when are the bells going to ring out in the little village church?’
    ‘I don’t know if they ever are.’
    ‘Eh?’
    ‘Uncle Percy doesn’t seem to think so.’
    ‘What do you mean?’
    ‘He disapproves of the match.’
    ‘What!’
    I was astounded. It seemed to me for an instant that she must be pulling the Wooster leg. Then, scrutinizing her closely, I noted that the lips were tight and the brow clouded. This young Hopwood is a blue-eyed little half portion with, normally, an animated dial. The dial to which I refer was now contorted with anguish, as if she had just swallowed a bad oyster.
    You don’t mean that?’
    ‘I do.’
    ‘Egad!’ I said.
    For this was serious. Nobby, you see, was peculiarly situated. As often occurs, I believe, when Girl A becomes the ward of Bloke B, a clause had been inserted in the contract to the effect that there must be no rot about her marrying without the big chief’s consent till she was