Once a man received an exhorbitant bill for legal services. He considered the amount excessive, so he went right to the lawyer's office. As I understand it, the conversation went like this...

CLIENT:

Is this really my bill?

LAWYER:

Isn't this your name on the bill?

CLIENT:

Yes.

LAWYER:

Who handled it?

CLIENT:

One of your secretaries. The tall one with blonde hair and...

LAWYER:

Yes, yes, Miss Thompson. She's very accurate. There's no doubt that the bill is correct.

CLIENT:

But this bill is too much for the services I received from your office. I didn't even have the professional services of a real lawyer.

LAWYER:

That doesn't have anything to do with it. Here the charge is the same, whether I do the work personally, or a secretary takes a care of a routine matter such as yours.

CLIENT:

But... but it's too much!

LAWYER:

Sir, you take care of your business and I'll take care of mine!

CLIENT:

Obviously you don't know who I am!

LAWYER:

And who are you, sir?

CLIENT:

Now I understand this exorbitant bill.

LAWYER:

What do you mean?

CLIENT:

Simply that I belong to the same profession as you do.

LAWYER:

Oh, well! Then there was an oversight. My secretary didn't make a note of that fact. I'm very sorry about the mistake.

CLIENT:

Oh, that's all right. It could happen to anyone.

LAWYER:

So you're a member of my profession, eh? Well, in that case, I'll give you a discount of seventy-five percent.

CLIENT:

That's better! Now that the bill is for a reasonable sum, I'll pay it right away. Here's the money.

LAWYER:

Thank you very much. I hope that you'll forgive this mistake.

CLIENT:

Naturally.