Jeeves and the Unbidden Guest

"Jeeves and the Unbidden Guest"
1917 Strand illustration by Alfred Leete
Author	P. G. Wodehouse
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Series	Jeeves
Genre(s)	Comedy
Publisher	Saturday Evening Post
Media type	Print (Magazine)
Publication date	December 1916
Preceded by	"The Artistic Career of Corky"
Followed by	"Jeeves and the Hard-boiled Egg"

"Jeeves and the Unbidden Guest" is a short story by P. G. Wodehouse, and features the young gentleman Bertie Wooster and his valet Jeeves. The story was published in the Saturday Evening Post in the United States in December 1916, and in The Strand Magazine in the United Kingdom in March 1917. The story was also included in the 1925 collection Carry On, Jeeves.

In the story, Bertie is instructed to look after Motty, the sheltered son of an aristocratic friend of Aunt Agatha, but has difficulty keeping Motty out of trouble.

The story takes place in New York. Jeeves wants Bertie to wear the White House Wonder, a hat of the style worn by President Coolidge, though Bertie wears the Broadway Special hat instead. Jeeves also protests Bertie's pink tie, which Bertie wears anyway. Bertie is visited by a friend of his Aunt Agatha, Lady Malvern, and her ladyship's son, Wilmot "Motty", Lord Pershore. Lady Malvern tells Bertie to let Motty, a meek young man who sucks his walking stick, live with him while she tours American prisons for a book she is writing. She says that Motty is a vegetarian, teetotaller, and quiet reader. Troubled, Bertie seeks sympathy from Jeeves, but Jeeves remains distant.

One night, Bertie comes home and sees that Motty is not there. Also, none of Motty's books have been touched. There is a thud on the door, and Jeeves answers it. Motty is lying on the mat outside, moaning and drunk. Bertie and Jeeves carry him to bed. In the morning, Motty, having drunk one of Jeeves's special hangover cures, is cheerful. He intends to make the most of his time in New York. He goes out partying. Bertie tries to chaperone once but cannot keep up with Motty. Bertie is concerned that Lady Malvern and Aunt Agatha will blame him. Then Motty starts bringing noisy friends to Bertie's flat. Bertie is bitten by Rollo, a bull-terrier that Motty won in a raffle. Irritated, Bertie leaves to stay with his friend Rocky Todd in the country. However, Bertie is bored there and returns in a week.

When Bertie returns home, Jeeves tells him that Motty gave Rollo away after Rollo bit him on the leg. Bertie is pleased. Jeeves also mentions that Motty is in prison after assaulting a constable. Bertie, worried, does not want to explain this to Lady Malvern. Jeeves suggests telling her that Motty is visiting Boston. Bertie says this to Lady Malvern when she returns. She asks him how he accounts, then, for her seeing Motty at a prison. She accuses Bertie of leading Motty astray. Jeeves appears, and says Bertie was repeating what Jeeves told him, but that really Motty went to prison voluntarily to do research for Lady Malvern's book. Lady Malvern is touched and apologizes to Bertie.