The Reverent Wooing of Archibald by P. G. Wodehouse
"The Reverent Wooing of Archibald" is a humorous short story by P. G. Wodehouse, featuring the character Archibald, who seeks to win the affection of the captivating Aurelia Cammarleigh. Set in early 20th-century England, the narrative unfolds in a frame story format, as Wilfred Mulliner recounts how his nephew navigates the challenges of courtship. Archibald, initially intimidated by Aurelia's charm and sophistication, adopts a pretentious persona, pretending to be well-versed in literature and social niceties, particularly regarding Sir Francis Bacon's theories on Shakespeare.
However, as he attempts to impress Aurelia and her eccentric aunt, he finds himself tongue-tied and frustrated. The story highlights the comedic misunderstandings and societal expectations of courtship, ultimately revealing that Aurelia is more attracted to Archibald's authentic self than to the facade he presents. The narrative culminates in a moment of self-discovery for Archibald, where he embraces his quirky charm, leading to a lighthearted resolution. Wodehouse’s clever use of wit and satire captures the essence of romantic pursuits, making the story an engaging exploration of identity and affection.
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The Reverent Wooing of Archibald by P. G. Wodehouse
First published: 1928
Type of plot: Satire, wit and humor, frame story
Time of work: 1928
Locale: London and Sussex, England
Principal Characters:
Mr. Wilfred Mulliner , an English gentleman and narratorArchibald Mulliner , his nephewAurelia Cammarleigh , the woman Archibald pursues
The Story
Mr. Wilfred Mulliner, in the bar parlor of the Angler's Roost, relates how one of his nephews, Archibald, wooed Aurelia Cammarleigh.
From a window of London's Drones Club, Archibald espies a beautiful girl waiting for a taxi. He gets her name from Algy Wymondham-Wymondham, who suggests that Archibald introduce himself to her at Ascot. She lives with her dotty aunt, who believes that Sir Francis Bacon wrote William Shakespeare's plays. What, Archibald wonders, could he offer to impress someone like Aurelia? He is renowned for his imitation of a hen laying an egg, but that is all. Such coarse buffoonery must be far beneath her.
When Archibald meets her at Ascot, she asks about his egg-laying imitation, but he sternly denies it. She allows him to call on her. Realizing that he will have to get past the aunt before seeing Aurelia, he gets a few books so he can look into these Shakespeare and Bacon fellows. Pretending to be a nonsmoker, teetotaler, and Bacon admirer, he is invited for a long visit to the aunt's country house in Sussex. This fails to cheer him, though, because Aurelia's presence makes him tongue-tied and he dumbly pines for her.
After dressing for dinner in the country house, he finds that the younger guests have gone out, leaving him alone with the aunt, who inflates her lungs and launches into the remarkable Baconian discovery made by applying the plain cipher to Milton's well-known epitaph on Shakespeare. Archibald gamely and deftly parries the conversation, but not before midnight does he manage to escape to his room. Climbing wearily into his bed, he finds it short-sheeted, an "apple-pie bed." Although normally quite the trickster himself, in this depressed mood, he is not appreciative; he just rips out the sheets and sleeps between the blankets.
A few hours later, a thunderous snoring awakens him. Armed with a cake of soap for the blighter's mouth, he heads out his French windows. Through the other room's curtains, he hears Aurelia and another girl discussing first her snoring bulldog, then Archibald. Ignobly, he keeps listening. Aurelia says the odds are against she and he becoming a couple, and his heart sinks. She says that she did like him at Ascot and was intrigued by Algy's tales of the egg-laying imitation, but Archibald denied that ability. Then, observing him with her aunt, she found him to be anything but the bonhomous old bean of his reputation. She adds that she is sick of being looked at reverently, as he is so wont to do. What she really wants is a sprightly trickster who enjoys life. The other girl says she made the apple-pie bed, and Aurelia replies that she wishes she had thought of it herself, adding that she now plans to drop the snoring dog in Archibald's window. The eavesdropping Archibald quickly returns to his room, and when he hears footsteps outside his room, he begins his celebrated hen imitation.
As the imagined egg is laid, he sees the lovely face of his dreams, peering through the curtains with a look of worship. He pleases her further by performing four hopping and clucking encores, then goes on to dispel the rest of the aunt-inspired false persona, after which the couple head off hand in hand to put the snoring dog in the butler's pantry.