Welcome to the final installment of our latest Tale for Our Time - P G Wodehouse's adventure into media and mobsters in pre-Great War New York, Psmith, Journalist.
After last night's accompanying illustration, Steyn Clubber Martha, from the beautiful British Columbian capital of Victoria, found herself wondering:
Is that pppppptarmigan mocking Biden and his orthopaedic boot?
Very much enjoying Psmith's adventures. Thank you Mark.!
We trust no dreary contemporary political resonances can be drawn from tonight's photograph, Martha. Thank you for your kind words, but, alas, all good things must end. Tonight's concluding episode of Psmith, Journalist begins with the final showdown between our hero and a graft-addicted New York Alderman-to-be:
There was a knock at the door, and Master Maloney entered with a card.
"Guy's waiting outside," he said.
"Mr. Stewart Waring," read Psmith. "Comrade Maloney, do you know what Mahomet did when the mountain would not come to him?"
"Search me," said the office-boy indifferently.
"He went to the mountain. It was a wise thing to do. As a general rule in life you can't beat it. Remember that, Comrade Maloney."
"Sure," said Pugsy. "Shall I send the guy in?"
It's a long time since I heard anyone use the old if-the-mountain-won't-come-to-Mohammed line. I wonder if people are eschewing it for some or other reason. Be that as it may, members of The Mark Steyn Club can hear me read the conclusion of Psmith, Journalist simply by clicking here and logging-in. Earlier episodes can be found here.
Thank you so much for your compliments about Tales for Our Time during this time of lockdown and 'lections. Some like the ripping yarns for boys, some the more genteel social comedy for girls, and some of you even enjoyed our summer whimsy from yours truly. But of the tales in totality all seem to be in favor. Thank you too for your continued kind words about our Covid-spawned audio edition of The Mark Steyn Show, and its various features such as Last Call and The Hundred Years Ago Show.
If you enjoyed our time with Wodehouse in a darkish Gotham, I hope you'll join me next week for our annual Tales for Our Time Yuletide season. And, if you've yet to hear any of our Tales, you can enjoy the first three-and-a-half years' worth of audio adventures - by Conan Doyle, Kafka, Conrad, Gogol, Dickens, Baroness Orczy, Jack London, Louisa May Alcott, Robert Louis Stevenson and more - by joining The Mark Steyn Club. For details on membership, see here - and, if you're seeking the perfect Christmas present for a fellow fan of classic fiction, don't forget our Steyn Club Gift Membership. Sign up a pal today!
