"The dickens of a problem," I said. "Insoluble, I should call it.
Better not bother about it any more."
"On the contrary, I have arrived at a solution, and one which I think
is the only feasible solution. I am convinced that my boat was set
adrift by the boy Thomas, my hostess's son."
"Oh, I say, no! Why?"
"He had a grudge against me. And it is the sort of thing only a boy or
one who is practically an imbecile would have thought of doing."
He legged it for the house, and I turned to Jeeves, aghast. Yes, you
might say aghast.
"You heard, Jeeves?"
"Yes, sir."
"What's to be done?"
"Perhaps Mr. Filmer, on thinking the matter over, will decide that his
suspicions are unjust."
"But they aren't unjust."
"No, sir."
"Then what's to be done?"
"I could not say, sir."
* * * * *
I pushed off rather smartly to the house and reported to Aunt Agatha
that the Right Hon. had been saved; and then I toddled upstairs to have
a hot bath, being considerably soaked from stem to stern as the result
of my rambles. While I was enjoying the grateful warmth, a knock came
at the door.
It was Purvis, Aunt Agatha's butler.
"Mrs. Gregson desires me to say, sir, that she would be glad to see you
as soon as you are ready."
"But she has seen me."
"I gather that she wishes to see you again, sir."
"Oh, right ho."
I lay beneath the surface for another few minutes, then, having dried
the frame, went along the corridor to my room. Jeeves was there,
fiddling about with underclothing.
"Oh, Jeeves," I said, "I've just been thinking. Oughtn't somebody to go
and give Mr. Filmer a spot of quinine or something? Errand of mercy,
what?"
"I have already done so, sir."
"Good. I wouldn't say I liked the man frightfully, but I don't want him
to get a cold in the head." I shoved on a sock. "Jeeves," I said, "I
suppose you know that we've got to think of something pretty quick? I
mean to say, you realize the position? Mr. Filmer suspects young Thomas
of doing exactly what he did do, and if he brings home the charge Aunt
Agatha will undoubtedly fire Mr. Little, and then Mrs. Little will find
out what Mr. Little has been up to, and what will be the upshot and
outcome, Jeeves? I will tell you. It will mean that Mrs. Little will
secure the goods on Mr. Little to an extent to which, though only a
bachelor myself, I should say that no wife ought to secure the goods on
her husband if the proper give-and-take of married life--what you might
call the essential balance, as it were--is to be preserved. Women
bring these things up, Jeeves. They do not forget and forgive."
"Very true, sir."
"Then how about it?"
"I have already attended to the matter, sir."
"You have?"
"Yes, sir. I had scarcely left you when the solution of the affair
presented itself to me. It was a remark of Mr. Filmer's that gave me
the idea."
"Jeeves, you're a marvel!"
"Thank you very much, sir."
"What was the solution?"
"I conceived the notion of going to Mr. Filmer and saying that it was
you who had stolen his boat, sir."
The man flickered before me. I clutched a sock in a feverish grip.
"Saying--what?"
"At first Mr. Filmer was reluctant to credit my statement. But I
pointed out to him that you had certainly known that he was on the
island--a fact which he agreed was highly significant. I pointed out,
furthermore, that you were a light-hearted young gentleman, sir, who
might well do such a thing as a practical joke. I left him quite
convinced, and there is now no danger of his attributing the action to
Master Thomas."