Company for Henry

Last updated

Company for Henry
ThePurloinedPaperweight.jpg
First edition (US)
Author P. G. Wodehouse
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Genre Comic novel
Publisher Simon & Schuster, Inc. (US)
Barrie & Jenkins (UK)
Publication date
12 May 1967 (US)
26 October 1967 (UK)
Media typePrint

Company For Henry is a novel by P. G. Wodehouse, first published in the United States on 12 May 1967 by Simon & Schuster, Inc., New York, under the title The Purloined Paperweight, and in the United Kingdom on 26 October 1967 by Barrie & Jenkins, London. [1]

Contents

The story is a light-hearted tale of romance and intrigue among impoverished aristocrats, former musical performers, and American millionaires, set at a country house, Ashby Hall.

The heroine Jane Martyn's brother Algy had previously appeared in Jill the Reckless (1920), and her fiancé Lionel Green and his business partner Orlo Tarvin in Money in the Bank (1942). The butler at Ashby Hall, Ferris, appears to be the same Ferris in The Small Bachelor (1927).

Plot

Henry Paradene, a retired musical comedy actor, has inherited a large country house he can hardly afford to maintain, Ashby Hall near the town of Ashby Paradene in Sussex. Henry's niece Jane Martyn, a secretary for the UK office of Newsweek , is spending the summer with him. Jane's brother Algernon “Algy” Martyn does not work and spends his time coming up with money-making schemes. Henry does not allow Algy at Ashby Hall (since Algy is eager to ask Henry for loans), so Algy lives off his friend Thomas “Bill” Hardy in Valley Fields. On her way to see Algy, Jane asks Bill to help a cat out of a tree, and Bill falls in love with her. Later, Jane has lunch with her fiancé Lionel Green, an interior decorator and antique furniture salesman, after six months of being apart, but Lionel is not enthusiastic to see her and annoys her by bringing his business partner Orlo Tarvin to join them.

A wealthy American named J. Wendell Stickney lives in New York with his widowed aunt by marriage, former chorus girl Kelly Stickney. A distant relative of Henry Paradene, Wendell takes pride in being part of the Paradene family. Henry hopes to sell his house to Wendell, and has Wendell and Kelly visit. Algy is visited by a broker's man named Clarence Binstead who works for the firm Duff and Trotter (a company from Quick Service and Money in the Bank). Algy owes the company for alcoholic drinks, and Binstead's presence puts pressure on Algy to pay his debt. Bill goes to Ashby Paradene in the hope of seeing Jane and meets her again; she learns that, under the pen name Adela Bristow, he wrote a thriller novel both she and her uncle enjoyed reading, Deadly Ernest.

Wendell, a collector of French eighteenth-century paperweights, covets one such paperweight kept in Ashby Hall. Henry would like to sell it but legally cannot, since it is an entailed family heirloom (though it seems Henry can legally sell Ashby Hall). Kelly suggests Wendell buy the paperweight from Bill and have Bill pretend it was stolen. She takes the paperweight and gives it to Wendell to mail to New York, but Wendell fears being caught as a thief when he sees Bill, mistakenly believing that Bill is a detective for the trustees ("some legal firm or other", according to Henry) of the entail. Wendell is too nervous to mail the paperweight, but fears Henry will change his mind about selling it, and so will not let anyone else mail it for him. Henry wants to marry Kelly; he eventually tells her that he wishes to sell the house to Wendell in order to have enough money to marry her, and she agrees to marry him anyway. Algy wants money to buy a house in Valley Fields and sell it to a company that desires the land for a block of flats, and decides to seek a loan from Wendell. Bill is disheartened to learn that Jane is engaged; however, this engagement ends, as Jane learns from Orlo Tarvin that Lionel is engaged to a millionaire's daughter and did not have the nerve to tell her.

Jane has discovered the paperweight is missing and believes Wendell stole it; hoping to get near Wendell to ask for a loan, Algy offers to steal the paperweight back for her (though this does not occur, as Henry later admits the scheme to Algy). Algy also tells Jane that Bill loves her. Bill gets a letter from his New York literary agent saying that Deadly Earnest has become successful and suggests Bill go to New York for his career. Wendell decides to put the paperweight in a safe deposit box at his bank, but he sees Bill again and loses his nerve. Like Algy, Henry owes money to Duff and Trotter, and the company's broker's man Binstead is sent to Ashby Hall. An ex-fiancée of Binstead's works at the house, so he agrees, at Algy's suggestion, to have Bill, who wants an excuse to be near Jane, go in his place and pretend to be the broker's man. Wendell finally puts the paperweight in a safe deposit box in his bank, and, still thinking Bill is a detective, pays him a bribe through Algy. Algy now has the money he needs to invest in the Valley Fields house. Wendell plans to buy Ashby Hall, and Bill and Jane get engaged and intend to live in America.

Publication history

A condensed version of the story was published in two parts in the Canadian magazine Star Weekly , a weekend supplement of the Toronto Star , under the title The Purloined Paperweight. The first part was published on 29 April 1967, and the second on 6 May 1967. [2]

Wodehouse dedicated the US edition: "To Peter Schwed, best of publishers". [2] Peter Schwed worked for the book's US publishers, Simon & Schuster.

Related Research Articles

<i>Ring for Jeeves</i> 1953 novel by P. G. Wodehouse

Ring for Jeeves is a novel by P. G. Wodehouse, first published in the United Kingdom on 22 April 1953 by Herbert Jenkins, London and in the United States on 15 April 1954 by Simon & Schuster, New York, under the title The Return of Jeeves.

<i>Much Obliged, Jeeves</i> 1971 novel by P. G. Wodehouse

Much Obliged, Jeeves is a comic novel by P. G. Wodehouse, published in the United Kingdom by Barrie & Jenkins, London, and in the United States by Simon & Schuster, Inc., New York under the name Jeeves and the Tie That Binds. Both editions were published on the same day, 15 October 1971, which was Wodehouse's 90th birthday.

<i>Plum Pie</i> 1966 short story collection by P. G. Wodehouse

Plum Pie is a collection of nine short stories by P. G. Wodehouse, first published in the United Kingdom on 22 September 1966 by Barrie & Jenkins, and in the United States on 1 December 1967 by Simon & Schuster, Inc., New York. The collection's title is derived from P. G. Wodehouse's nickname, Plum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A Few Quick Ones</span> 1959 short story collection by P. G. Wodehouse

A Few Quick Ones is a collection of ten short stories by P. G. Wodehouse. It was first published in the United States on 13 April 1959 by Simon & Schuster, New York, and in the United Kingdom on 26 June 1959 by Herbert Jenkins, London. The first US edition dust jacket was designed by Paul Bacon. The book's title comes from the informal phrase "a quick one", which is British slang for an alcoholic drink consumed quickly.

<i>Eggs, Beans and Crumpets</i> 1940 short story collection by P. G. Wodehouse

Eggs, Beans and Crumpets is a collection of short stories by P. G. Wodehouse, first published in the United Kingdom on April 26, 1940 by Herbert Jenkins, London, then with a slightly different content in the United States on May 10, 1940 by Doubleday, Doran, New York.

<i>Mr Mulliner Speaking</i> 1929 short story collection by P. G. Wodehouse

Mr Mulliner Speaking is a collection of nine short stories by P. G. Wodehouse. It was first published in the United Kingdom on April 30, 1929 by Herbert Jenkins, and in the United States on February 21, 1930 by Doubleday, Doran. The stories were originally published in magazines in the UK and the US between 1924 and 1929.

<i>Meet Mr Mulliner</i> 1927 short story collection by P. G. Wodehouse

Meet Mr. Mulliner is a collection of short stories by P. G. Wodehouse. First published in the United Kingdom on 27 September 1927 by Herbert Jenkins, and in the United States on 2 March 1928 by Doubleday, Doran. The short stories were originally published in magazines, mainly The Strand Magazine in the UK and Liberty in the US.

<i>Uneasy Money</i> (novel) 1917 novel by P. G. Wodehouse

Uneasy Money is a novel by P. G. Wodehouse, first published in the United States on 17 March 1916 by D. Appleton & Company, New York, and in the United Kingdom on 4 October 1917 by Methuen & Co., London. The story had earlier been serialised in the U.S in the Saturday Evening Post from December 1915, and in the UK in the Strand Magazine starting December 1916.

<i>Bill the Conqueror</i> 1924 novel by P. G. Wodehouse

Bill the Conqueror is a novel by P. G. Wodehouse, first published in the United Kingdom on 13 November 1924 by Methuen & Co., London, and in the United States on 20 February 1925 by George H. Doran, New York, the story having previously been serialised in The Saturday Evening Post from 24 May to 12 July 1924.

<i>The Small Bachelor</i> 1927 novel by P. G. Wodehouse

The Small Bachelor is a novel by P. G. Wodehouse, first published in the United Kingdom on 28 April 1927 by Methuen & Co., London, and in the United States on 17 June 1927 by George H. Doran, New York.

<i>Doctor Sally</i> 1932 novel by P. G. Wodehouse

Doctor Sally is a short novel by P. G. Wodehouse, first published in the United Kingdom on 7 April 1932 by Methuen & Co., London. In the United States, it was serialised in Collier's Weekly from 4 July to 1 August 1931 under the title The Medicine Girl, and was included under that name in the US collection The Crime Wave at Blandings (1937).

<i>Quick Service</i> 1940 novel by P. G. Wodehouse

Quick Service is a novel by P. G. Wodehouse, first published in the United Kingdom on 4 October 1940 by Herbert Jenkins, London and in the United States on 27 December 1940 by Doubleday, Doran, New York.

<i>Money in the Bank</i> (novel) 1942 novel by P. G. Wodehouse

Money in the Bank is a novel by P. G. Wodehouse, first published in the United States on 9 January 1942 by Doubleday, Doran, New York, and in the United Kingdom on 27 May 1946 by Herbert Jenkins, London. UK publication was delayed while Wodehouse was under suspicion of collaboration during the Second World War. The book was published in English in Germany in August 1949 by Tauchnitz.

<i>Barmy in Wonderland</i> 1952 novel by P. G. Wodehouse

Barmy in Wonderland is a novel by P. G. Wodehouse, first published in the United Kingdom on 21 April 1952 by Herbert Jenkins, London, and in the United States on 8 May 1952 by Doubleday & Company, New York, under the title Angel Cake. The novel may be considered part of the expanded Drones Club canon, since the main character Barmy Fotheringay-Phipps is a member of the club.

<i>Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit</i> 1954 novel by P. G. Wodehouse

Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit is a comic novel by P. G. Wodehouse, first published in the United Kingdom on 15 October 1954 by Herbert Jenkins, London and in the United States on 23 February 1955 by Simon & Schuster, Inc., New York, under the title Bertie Wooster Sees It Through. It is the seventh novel featuring Bertie Wooster and his valet Jeeves.

<i>Something Fishy</i> 1957 novel by P. G. Wodehouse

Something Fishy is a novel by P. G. Wodehouse, first published in the United Kingdom on 18 January 1957 by Herbert Jenkins, London and in the United States on 28 January 1957 by Simon & Schuster, Inc., New York, under the title The Butler Did It.

<i>Frozen Assets</i> (novel) 1964 novel by P. G. Wodehouse

Frozen Assets is a novel by P. G. Wodehouse, first published in the United States on 14 July 1964 by Simon & Schuster, Inc., New York under the title Biffen's Millions, and in the United Kingdom on 14 August 1964 by Herbert Jenkins, London.

<i>The Girl in Blue</i> 1970 novel by P. G. Wodehouse

The Girl in Blue is a novel by P. G. Wodehouse. It was first published in the United Kingdom on 29 October 1970 by Barrie & Jenkins, London, and in the United States on 22 February 1971 by Simon & Schuster, Inc., New York.

<i>Bachelors Anonymous</i> 1973 novel by P. G. Wodehouse

Bachelors Anonymous is a novel by P. G. Wodehouse, first published in the United Kingdom on 15 October 1973 by Barrie & Jenkins, London and in the United States on 28 August 1974 by Simon & Schuster, Inc., New York.

References

  1. McIlvaine, E., Sherby, L.S. and Heineman, J.H. (1990) P. G. Wodehouse: A comprehensive bibliography and checklist. New York: James H. Heineman, p. 100. ISBN   087008125X
  2. 1 2 "Bibliographic Notes". Madame Eulalie. 21 June 2019. Retrieved 21 June 2019.