Having created this contrast, Sturges carefully develops the growth of suspicions in the mind of Sir Alfred that however much he hates having his wife followed, however much he detests August, however much he abhors the private detective August hired (Sweeney), there still may be something to the charge that his wife, Daphne, and his assistant, Anthony, may be having an affair. The evidence is flimsy, and clearly Sir Alfred does have a jealous streak that has now been tapped for him to make such a change in his thinking.
In addition to the jealous streak in the man, there is also a question of his massive ego. Such an ego is not at all surprising in an orchestra conductor, a man accustomed to being obeyed by over a hundred musicians on a daily basis and who receives the adulation of the masses for his work. He even receives the adulation of people he hates--Sweeney, for instance, is ecstatic about meeting Sir Alfred ("Nobody handles Handel the way you handle Handel, Sir Alfred!"). This
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