'George fancies that he is ill; but there's never anything really the matter with him, you know.' Why is this statement amusing?Explain with instances to substantiate your view?

The situation is amusing because the men compare maladies they do not really have and attempt to out do each other.

"George stood on the hearth-rug, and gave us a powerful piece of acting, illustrative of how he felt the night before." (Page 13)