So on this day, as usual, Mr. Senenmut dropped by at a time when he knew he would not find his ex-wife there. He cleaned his teeth with the old toothbrush, drank a whisky and soda, and sat down. Yet he could not relax. It was already growing dark when he noticed the gold-wrapped box with the bow on his drawing table. He could not resist the temptation. He picked it up as if committing a theft, and indeed, he was stealing it. Then he went down into the street.

He wandered round the town for a bit, looking to see in which bar he could steal something else, and waited for a suitable chance to examine the object he had stolen from his ex-wife. At that moment, through the window of a lingerie store he noticed a pile of nightdresses on the counter. Without hesitation, he went into the store. There was a young salesgirl inside who would just suit his purpose. Experience told him if you steal, you have to trick the other person before you even say “good day.” Afterwards, it is too late.

As soon as he entered, he cast a glance at the nightdresses arrayed on the counter, neatly folded in their boxes. None of them was size 8. He bid the salesgirl “good day” and put his things down on the counter. He said he wanted to buy a nightdress.

“Size 8. That’s what my wife wears,” he said.