Page:The Strand Magazine (Volume 70).djvu/64

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WITHOUT THE OPTION by P. G. WODEHOUSE

Illustrated by A. Wallis Mills

Copyright, 1925, by P. G. Wodehouse.

THE evidence was all in. The machinery of the Law had worked without a hitch. And the beak, having adjusted a pair of pincenez which looked as though they were going to do a nose-dive any moment, coughed like a pained sheep and slipped us the bad news.

"The prisoner Wooster," he said—and who can paint the shame and agony of Bertram at hearing himself so described?—"will pay a fine of five pounds."

"Oh, rather," I said. "Absolutely. Like a shot."

I was dashed glad to get the thing settled at such a reasonable figure. I gazed across what they call the sea of faces till I picked up Jeeves, sitting at the back. Stout fellow, he had come to see the young master through his hour of trial.

"I say, Jeeves," I sang out, "have you got a fiver? I'm a bit short."

"Silence!" bellowed some officious blighter.

"It's all right," I said. "Just arranging the financial details. Got the stuff, Jeeves?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good egg!'

"Are you a friend of the prisoner?" asked the beak.

"I am in Mr. Wooster's employment, your worship, in the capacity of gentleman's personal gentleman."

"Then pay the fine to the clerk."

"Very good, your worship."

The beak gave a coldish nod in my direction, as much as to say that they might now strike the fetters from my wrists; and, having hitched up the pince-nez once more, proceeded to hand poor old Sippy one of the nastiest looks ever seen in Bosher Street police-court.

"The case of the prisoner Leon Trotsky—which," he said, giving Sippy the eye again, "I am strongly inclined to think an assumed and fictitious name—is more serious