ng the small fry, yes," answered Colonel Doller; "but nothing short
of a universal cataclysm will feaze to the slightest degree the
Vesuvius Assurance Company (limited) of Piddleton, England, the oldest
and staunchest insurance company in the world, of which I am, as
perhaps you know, the general manager for the western hemisphere."

"We--and when I say we," continued Colonel Doller, "I mean the
Vesuvius--we have a cash capital of eighteen million pounds, and a
reserve fund of twelve million five hundred and sixty-eight thousand
two hundred pounds, three shillings, and six pence. Our losses last
year were six million three hundred thousand pounds in round numbers,
and our premiums were eight million five hundred and sixty-three
thousand two hundred and sixty-five pounds and eighteen pence. So you
can see for yourself (for figures do not lie) that the Vesuvius is as
solid as the everlasting hills."

"The Royal Liliuokalani is a pretty good company, is n't it?" says I.

"The Royal Liliuokalani?" repeated Colonel Doller. "The Royal
Liliuokalani? Let me see--I don't know that I ever heard of it. It's
a Milwaukee concern, is n't it?"

"No," said I, "my understanding is that it is a Hawaiian enterprise."

"Possibly so--very likely it is," said Colonel Doller, indifferently.
"There are so many of these little schemes springing up nowadays that I
do not pretend to keep track of them. If, however, you should at any
time contemplate insuring you will, of course, come to the Vesuvius."

I repeated to Colonel Doller what I had told Mr. Teddy about the
feasibility of consulting Alice. Colonel Doller replied that while the
Vesuvius was entirely too big and too conservative a company ever to
skirmish for business, he would, purely out of regard for his long
friendship for me, call that evening to have a business talk with Alice
and me.

Later in the day I had a visit from Frederick Jeems, another neighbor
engaged in the profession of fire insurance. He began his attack
adroitly by complimenting my new house and by regretting that I was
shingling the roof.

"But so long as you 're insured," said he, carelessly, "I don't know
that it makes any difference whether you use shingles or slate."

I confessed that I had not taken out any insurance, and this gave him
the desired opportunity to bring up his batteries of eloquence, of
argument, of statistics, and of figures. Before he was done he had
overwhelmed the Royal Liliu