"Oh," said Adela suddenly, "you never told me about No. 28."
"Pardon me," I said, "I cannot bear to speak of 28."
"Why, was it even more unsuitable than the other two?"
"I found, when I had done it six times that its object was stated to be, 'To remove double chin.' That, however, was not the real effect. And, so I crossed out the false comment and wrote the true one in its place."
"And what is that?" asked Adela.
"To remove the hook," I said gloomily.
XXXIII. AN INSURANCE ACT
Of course I had always known that a medical examination was a necessary preliminary to insurance, but in my own case I had expected the thing to be the merest formality. The doctor, having seen at a glance what a fine strong healthy fellow I was, would look casually at my tongue, apologise for having doubted it, enquire genially what my grandfather had died of, and show me to the door. This idea of mine was fostered by the excellent testimonial which I had written myself at the Company's bidding. "Are you suffering from any constitutional disease?—No. Have you ever had gout?—No. Are you deformed?—No. Are you of strictly sober and temperate habits?—- No, I mean Yes." My replies had been a model of what an Assurance Company expects. Then why the need of a doctor?
However, they insisted.