A Gentleman of Leisure · Chapters

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Chapter companions for A Gentleman of Leisure by P. G. Wodehouse.

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Chapter 1
Dedication
The author dedicates the novel to Douglas Fairbanks, who portrayed the character Jimmy in a stage adaptation of the story.
Chapter 2
A Gentleman of Leisure
Jimmy Pitt, a young man with a comfortable inheritance, finds himself bored with the idle life of a gentleman. After a chance encounter with a burglar named Spike Mullins, Jimmy bets that he could successfully burgle a house himself. He chooses the home of John McEachern, a wealthy and stern man, and successfully breaks in, stealing a necklace. However, he is caught by McEachern and forced to return the necklace. The incident leads to a series of events that bring Jimmy into contact with McEachern's daughter, Molly, and the eccentric residents of Dreever Castle.
Chapter 3
I: Jimmy Makes a Bet
In the smoking room of the Strollers' Club in New York, actors and theatre professionals discuss the success of a new play featuring a criminal hero. The conversation turns to Jimmy Pitt, a popular and wealthy young Englishman who has just returned from Europe. His friend Arthur Mifflin recounts Jimmy's varied past—from reporter to stage actor to amateur boxer—and his inheritance of half a million dollars. When Jimmy arrives, a playful argument leads to a bet: Jimmy claims he could successfully burgle a house, and he bets a dinner for twelve that he can do it that very night.
Chapter 4
II: The New Pyramus and Thisbe
Jimmy Pitt and Arthur Mifflin walk home after Mifflin's successful stage debut. Mifflin teases Jimmy about a mysterious girl he met on the Mauretania, though they never spoke. Jimmy confesses his infatuation and his uncertainty about love at first sight, while Mifflin jokes about the situation. The chapter ends with Jimmy falling asleep thinking about the girl.
Chapter 5
Mr. McEachern
This chapter introduces John McEachern, a Captain of Police with a hidden past and grand ambitions. Born John Forrest, an English gentleman, he changed his name and joined the New York police force, climbing the ranks through graft and corruption. His ultimate goal is to amass enough wealth to return to England as a gentleman of means, all for the sake of his daughter, Molly. The chapter reveals his meticulous financial planning and his satisfaction as a major stock investment pays off, signaling that the time for his great change has arrived.

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Dedication

A Gentleman of Leisure

I: Jimmy Makes a Bet

II: The New Pyramus and Thisbe

Mr. McEachern