We stand upon the hearthrug, clinging to our hat and stick as to things friendly and sympathetic: the suggestion forcing itself upon us is that of a visit to the dentist.
Our hostess enters wreathed in smiles.

Is she really pleased to see us, or is she saying to herself, "Drat the man! Why must he choose the very morning I had intended to fix up the clean curtains ?" But she has to pretend to be delighted, and ask us to stay to lunch.

It would save us hours of anxiety could we look beyond her smiling face to her tail peeping out saucily from a placket-hole.

Is it wagging, or is it standing out rigid at right angles from her skirt?
But I fear by this time we should have taught our tails polite behaviour.
We should have schooled them to wag enthusiastically the while we were growling savagely to ourselves.

Man put on insincerity to hide his mind when he made himself a garment of fig-leaves to hide his body.
One sometimes wonders whether he has gained so very much.