"Er--I mustn't trouble you too much," I said. "I really only wanted to
know if you take men with spectacles."
"Depends how short-sighted you are. Do you always wear them?"
"No, but I ought to really." I made a desperate effort to get
Madingley back into the conversation. "I really only came to find out
for a----"
"Ah, well, the best thing you can do," said the sergeant, "is to pass
the medical examination first. You can sign the papers afterwards.
Come along."
I followed him meekly downstairs. It was obviously not Madingley's
afternoon.
We plunged downstairs into what was no doubt the anti-Zeppelin cellar.
Through the gloom I saw dimly two or three pink-and-white figures
waiting their turn to be thumped. Down the throat of a man in the
middle of the room a doctor was trying to climb. Mechanically I began
to undo my tie.
The sergeant spoke to one of the doctors and then came back to me.
"It'll save time if we do your sight first," he said. "Stand over in
this corner."