Balzac's Ghost and the Crucial Detail

She brought the wrong clothes to Paris, which wasn't as warm as imagination. She borrowed a sweater and a coat

from me; also shoes, and the heavy socks that made them fit. My sweater, especially, seemed to enjoy having her wear it

at cafés, brasseries, and markets. I explained all this to Balzac’s ghost at his residence on Rue Raynouard.

Even though I wasn’t speaking French, he understood immediately. I went on to observe that almost everyone almost

everywhere works hard and life slips past so quickly and then all of a sudden you’re a ghost listening to a tourist.

Yes, yes, said Balzac’s ghost, but tell me, what color is the sweater she borrowed from you? Green, I said.

That, he said, is today’s crucial detail.