The chapter opens with the narrator's declaration that he wants to live with his wife. He wants her so much that he would die if she were to drown with him. He tells her that she is welcome to stay with him, and he invites her to dinner. The narrator asks the mayor of the town where he is staying if there is a copy of the divorce agreement. The mayor replies that there is no such copy. The divorce agreement must be signed by both parties, and the witnesses must be present. The witnesses are required only if the divorce is by agreement. In the case of a divorce by agreement, the mayor must sign the agreement. If it is not signed, the witnesses are not required. In this case, it is the wife who gives the notice of divorce and the husband who receives the notice. If the notice is signed by the husband and the wife, then the witnesses will not be required. However, in the case where the husband is an employee, the wife will be required to sign the contract.