THE DUCHESS OF KIMBERLEY (Ruby), a svelte aquiline-nosed woman of some
forty summers, with green hair and two aigrettes. She has been a widow
for a lonely decade.
THE EARL OF JOBURG, her son Guy, aged thirteen, who is about to go to a
public school, where he will be kidnapped for ransom.
LORD ARTHUR BOOBITRAPP, his uncle, who discusses the question of the
school with the Duchess. Lord Arthur is in favour of Eton, as he wishes
Guy to be a wet Bob and captain the cricket eleven; whereas the Duchess,
having a penchant for yellow stockings, favours Christ's Hospital. In
the end they compromise, and the boy is sent to a small private school
in Bermondsey, where the chief usher is
JOSEPH LATE, a superb creature with a wonderful personality. Joseph not
only ushes the school but loves the Duchess with a consuming love, and a
year after Guy has been at the school and defied all efforts to kidnap
him he tells the Duchess of the inflamed state of his cardiac penumbra.
No sooner has he done this than he trembles all over at the presumption
of a poor usher thus daring to address a Duchess; but the Duchess falls
in his arms, for beneath her aigrettes she is woman too.
MR. VERTIGO applies for the post of science master at the school, and,
having seen Late kill a man many years before and escape punishment,
gets it. Every time you see Vertigo's name you may expect trouble.
DICK BOOBITRAPP is a kidnapper and a confederate of Vertigo.
DR. SAUNDERSON is a kidnapper under the guise of a writer of
prescriptions.
In spite of all precautions, such as employing only detectives as
servants of the school, Guy is kidnapped. The Duchess and Joseph Late
hurry to Spain to seek him, not because they know him to be there, but
because Spain is a likely romantic country.
* * * * *