And yet, the earlier George was detached, lonely, and suffering from ennui. This George is completely engaged, sure of what he wants even if he's not sure how to get it- or her, as the case may be- and definitely not aloof or bored with life. We can't help but feel a warm sympathy for him, especially when we know that he's headed for heartache, operating as he is under a false assumption about Maud's feelings. George further endears himself by being able to see- and laugh at- the ridiculousness of his situation; he doesn't take himself too seriously. We see this in his dealings with Albert: for example, when told of the marriage lottery being run by the servants, George is at first inclined to be indignant but then the humour of it strikes him, and he is able to laugh at himself.
It's also nice to see Reggie's rather unlikely romance with Alice bumbling awkwardly towards success, as he is a really sweet and funny person, if not overly bright. As he starts following the advice in Albert's "anonymous" letters, it adds another layer to the mistaken identities/ intentions farce. And, of course, Percy is reliably hilarious in his ridiculous pomposity. This ridiculousness reaches its zenith in the next section of the book, which is my favourite part of the novel.
Oh- I almost forgot, but the Leonard's Leap scene is classic Wodehouse. What might seem like a throw-away moment in a novel, or merely background detail, never is with him. The leap from the balcony to the tree below was a bit of the family history which Keggs was relating during the castle tour. We've nearly forgotten about it when suddenly it reenters the narrative as Maud and George get caught in a similar predicament as the unfortunate lovers of yore. Also typically Wodehouse, the romantic legend is amusingly undone, as George takes one look at the distance and vetoes the idea of attempting a jump, opting for the less romantic but certainly more sensible option of climbing through another window.