I’ve often thought how interesting it must be to be one of those animal-trainer blokes⁠—to stimulate the dawning intelligence and all that. Well, this was every bit as exciting. Some days success seemed to be staring us in the eyeball, and the kid got out the line as if he had been an old professional. And then he would go all to pieces again. And time was flying.

“We must hurry up, Jeeves,” I said. “The kid’s uncle may arrive any day now and take him away.”

“Exactly, sir.”

“And we have no understudy.”

“Very true, sir.”

“We must work! I must say this child is a bit discouraging at times. I should have thought a deaf-mute would have learned his part by now.”