The narrator is about to leave for work when he is interrupted by the arrival of a young man. The young man is a friend of the narrator's, and the two exchange pleasantries. The narrator asks the young man to wait outside while he speaks with the man, but the man refuses, saying that he has to go to the bakery to buy a present for his friend. When the narrator tells him that the man is not a friend but a co-worker at the bakery where he works, the man's response is that he is glad that the narrator did not mention the matter to him. The man then tells the narrator that he will bring the young woman back once he is done with his work