indeedsir_backup | Mabel the waitress (Reply)

Her "understanding" with Jeeves is such a mystery to me. After reading "Jeeves in the Springtime" again, I'm still not sure exactly what was going on. That story sure raises a lot of questions. Do you think Jeeves really had an understanding with her, or did he just make that up, and if so, why?

Apparently we're supposed to conclude that Jeeves was trying to get Mabel to stop going out with Bingo so he could have her for himself. But then why did Jeeves ask only Bingo to buy tickets to the subscription dance? If he wasn't already seeing Mabel, why not ask Bertie to buy tickets as well? His asking Bingo alone makes me think he wanted to unload her like he did Miss Watson and hoped she'd hit it off with Bingo (which she did), and he didn't want to risk Bertie falling for her too.

Was Jeeves really trying to help Bingo with the scheme for him to read to his uncle? Or was he trying to sabotage Bingo's chances with Mabel? His plans aren't always successful the first time around, and Mr Little Sr. was certainly wealthy enough both to afford a wife and to raise Bingo's allowance, so I don't know what to think there.

Assuming that the understanding with Mabel was real, why does nothing ever come of it? Bertie mentions her a few times in later stories, but always in connection with Bingo - he never refers to her as "Jeeves's former fiancée" or anything like that. Did he learn that her engagement to Jeeves was a ruse?

Oh, and what about that horseshoe tie? Did Jeeves have Mabel give it to Bingo to try to scare him off with her bad taste, or was that gift entirely her own idea?