I40 RECORDS OF OLD TIMES 



It was at this time that I appeared on the scene. 

 The old friend of my boyhood sent for me to meet 

 him at the Law Institute in Chancery Lane, and 

 after we had luncheon together he told me the whole 

 story, and consulted with me as to the best means 

 of carrying out the life-insurance project. I sug- 

 gested that I should communicate with the actuary 

 of the office, of which I had been for many years 

 one of the country agents, and report to him the 

 result. After I had obtained the necessary informa- 

 tion, I proposed that we should meet at the office 

 and endeavour to arrange the business, which was 

 probably a matter of unprecedented magnitude — at 

 any rate for a single office to undertake. After the 

 appointed conference it was arranged with the 

 actuary that the usual medical examination of the 

 earl should be made, and in the event of a favour- 

 able report, a sum of 170,000/. should be insured 

 on his life. The office, as is the practice with all 

 the leading establishments of the kind, divided this 

 large sum by agreement amongst several others of 

 like repute and standing, as but few offices ever 

 risk more than 20,000/. on any one life. 



Then trouble arose. An application to the earl to 

 wait upon the physician for examination was refused. 

 This refusal to keep a mutually agreed upon appoint- 

 ment was so utterly unexpected and so unfair, after 

 the sacrifices that had been made in the noble 

 earl's interests by X., the latter was naturally most 

 indignant. He felt he had been left in the lurch. 

 The earl then suddenly left England to travel on the 



