20. Concerning a Cheque


Things never happen quite as one expects them to. Mike came to the
office next morning prepared for a repetition of the previous day. He
was amazed to find the cashier not merely cheerful, but even
exuberantly cheerful. Edward, it appeared, had rallied in the
afternoon, and, when his father had got home, had been out of danger.
He was now going along excellently, and had stumped Ada, who was
nursing him, with a question about the Thirty Years' War, only a few
minutes before his father had left to catch his train. The cashier was
overflowing with happiness and goodwill towards his species. He greeted
customers with bright remarks on the weather, and snappy views on the
leading events of the day: the former tinged with optimism, the latter
full of a gentle spirit of toleration. His attitude towards the latest
actions of His Majesty's Government was that of one who felt that,
after all, there was probably some good even in the vilest of his
fellow creatures, if one could only find it.

Altogether, the cloud had lifted from the Cash Department. All was joy,
jollity, and song.

'The attitude of Comrade Waller,' said Psmith, on being informed of the
change, 'is reassuring. I may now think of my own troubles. Comrade
Bristow has blown into the office today in patent leather boots with
white kid uppers, as I believe the technical term is. Add to that the