The Test Case

"The Test Case"
Author P. G. Wodehouse
Country United Kingdom
Language English
Series Reggie Pepper
Genre(s) Comedy
Publisher Pearson's Magazine
Media type Print (Magazine)
Publication date December 1915

"The Test Case" is a short story by English comic writer P. G. Wodehouse. The last of seven stories featuring the fictional character Reggie Pepper, it was published in the UK in Pearson's Magazine in December 1915, and in the US in Illustrated Sunday Magazine on 12 December 1915.[1]

In the story, Reggie intends to prove his intelligence to the woman he wants to marry, Ann Selby. He hopes to accomplish this by healing a rift between Ann's sister Hilda and Hilda's husband Harold, who spends too much time talking about his first wife Amelia.

Plot

Reggie states that he was once in love with Ann Selby. Though he is now glad that she refused him, he feels that she did not treat him fairly. He then recounts the following story. Not for the first time, Reggie proposes to Ann Selby. Instead of refusing him as usual, she says that Reggie seems brainless but might have potential. However, she is hesitant about marriage because of what is happening between her sister Hilda and Hilda's husband, Reggie's friend Harold Bodkin. Harold often praises his deceased first wife Amelia, and every evening he goes into the studio room at the top of their house to meditate on Amelia's memory and lay flowers in front of her portrait. Hilda feels unappreciated, but pretends not to mind. Reggie assures Ann that he is not like Harold. Ann agrees to marry Reggie if Reggie does something to prove his intelligence.

It wasn’t as if he minded talking about Amelia, which was his first wife’s name. The difficulty was to get him to talk of anything else. I began to understand what Ann meant by saying it was rough on Hilda.

— Reggie, about talking to Harold[2]

To prove himself and to help a friend, Reggie decides to address the situation with Harold and Hilda. He plans to make Harold overdo his meditations on Amelia so that Harold will get tired of it. Reggie talks to Harold, who is oblivious that Hilda is upset, and persuades Harold to postpone dinner in order to spend more time with Amelia's portrait each evening. This displeases Harold's butler Ponsonby since he needs to work longer. Reggie also gets Harold to invite Amelia's ill-mannered brother Percy to the house. Lastly, Reggie intends to use a wedge to jam the studio room door and trap Harold there for a few hours.

After hearing someone enter the studio room, Reggie jams the door shut with a wedge and then dines out, returning a few hours later. He sees Ann, who says that Hilda, fed up with Harold's latest actions, announced she would leave Harold. Reggie explains that he suggested Harold lengthen his meditations and invite Percy as part of a larger plan. Ann disapproves, but notes that Hilda's actions prompted Harold to change. Earlier that day, Harold called Ponsonby and told him to take down Amelia's portrait. Harold then appears and says that he cannot find Ponsonby. Reggie, realizing where Ponsonby is, is struck speechless.

Harold finds the studio door locked and hears Ponsonby's voice. Harold lets him out, and Ponsonby gives notice before heading to the pantry to eat. Admitting that he shut Ponsonby in the room, Reggie explains that he was trying to trap Harold. Ann thinks that Reggie is a practical joker and denounces him. Reggie tries to defend himself to Ann, but is unsuccessful.

Publication history

In the original British edition, the story is set in England, and Harold and Hilda live in Hertfordshire. In the American edition, the story takes place in America, and Harold and Hilda live in Long Island.

"The Test Case" was illustrated by Lewis Baumer in Pearson's Magazine and by F. Foster Lincoln in Illustrated Sunday Magazine.[3][4]

The story was published in the collection The Uncollected Wodehouse, published in 1976 by Seabury Press.[5] The British edition of "The Test Case" was included in Enter Jeeves, a 1997 collection published by Dover Publications, featuring all the Reggie Pepper stories and eight early Jeeves stories.[6]

References

Notes
  1. ↑ McIlvaine (1990), p. 150, D34.1, and p. 172, D97.1
  2. ↑ Wodehouse (1997), chapter 15, p. 224.
  3. ↑ Wodehouse, P. G. (December 1915). "The Test Case". Madame Eulalie. Retrieved 12 February 2018. British edition.
  4. ↑ Wodehouse, P. G. (12 December 1915). "The Test Case". Madame Eulalie. Retrieved 12 February 2018. American edition.
  5. ↑ McIlvaine (1990), p. 106, A99.
  6. ↑ Wodehouse (1997), pp. ii-v.
Bibliography
  • McIlvaine, Eileen; Sherby, Louise S.; Heineman, James H. (1990). P. G. Wodehouse: A Comprehensive Bibliography and Checklist. New York: James H. Heineman Inc. ISBN 978-0-87008-125-5.
  • Wodehouse, P. G. (1997). Enter Jeeves. New York: Dover Publications. ISBN 978-0-486-29717-0.
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