Piccadilly Jim · Chapters

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Chapter companions for Piccadilly Jim by P. G. Wodehouse.

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Chapter 1
I: A Red-Haired Girl
Ann Chester, a red-haired young woman, is typing in the library of the Pett mansion while Mr. Pett reads the comic supplement. They discuss Ogden Ford's troublesome behavior and the possibility of sending him to a strict school. Ann mentions Jerry Mitchell's friend Smethurst, who runs a dog hospital with a simple remedy of diet and exercise, which Mr. Pett briefly considers as a business opportunity. Mrs. Pett enters, furious about a newspaper article detailing the exploits of her nephew Jimmy Crocker in London, which she fears will bring notoriety. She insists that Jimmy must be brought to America and given work in Mr. Pett's office, and even suggests he live with them. Ann objects, and Mr. Pett awkwardly reveals that Ann and Jimmy have a past connection, having worked together at the New York Chronicle. Ann denies any fondness for Jimmy, and the chapter ends with tension between Ann and Mrs. Pett over the plan.
Chapter 2
II: The Exiled Fan
In London, Mrs. Bingley Crocker receives a call from Lady Corstorphine about arranging a meeting between her stepson Jimmy and Lord Percy Whipple, hoping to improve Jimmy's social standing. Meanwhile, Mr. Bingley Crocker suffers from homesickness for America, reminiscing about baseball and the Lambs Club. The chapter reveals the family's backstory: Mrs. Crocker, formerly the widow of millionaire G.G. van Brunt, married Bingley Crocker, an actor, and moved the family to London, cutting ties with her sister Nesta Pett. Jimmy's behavior, including lunching with a pugilist named Spike Dillon, worries Mrs. Crocker, who fears it may harm his prospects as a future peer.
Chapter 3
III: Family Jars
Mrs. Pett visits Mrs. Crocker with her husband Peter and son Ogden, leading to a tense reunion. Mrs. Crocker mistakes her brother-in-law Bingley Crocker for the butler, a role he plays to avoid her scorn. Bingley bonds with Mr. Pett over baseball, while Mrs. Pett envies the apparent butler's quality. The chapter ends with Mrs. Crocker planning a drive and James Crocker coming downstairs.
Chapter 4
IV: Jimmy’s Disturbing News
Jimmy Crocker, suffering from a severe hangover, struggles to recall the events of the previous night. Bayliss informs him that a newspaper report details a brawl at the Six Hundred Club involving Jimmy and Lord Percy Whipple. Jimmy listens as Bayliss reads the account.
Chapter 5
The Morning After
Jimmy learns from his father that his stepmother is trying to secure a peerage for Mr. Crocker, and that Jimmy's friendship with Lord Percy Whipple is crucial to the plan. However, Jimmy reveals that he brawled with Lord Percy the previous night at the Six Hundred Club, causing dismay. The chapter also includes Bayliss reading a sensational newspaper account of the fight, which humorously exaggerates the event.

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I: A Red-Haired Girl

II: The Exiled Fan

III: Family Jars

IV: Jimmy’s Disturbing News

The Morning After