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.