The door of the “countinghouse” opens, Carlotta sticks her head out and announces loudly, “You may come in now.” She remains standing in the door, holding it open for him with the doorknob in her hand. As he goes past, their bodies almost brush against each other before she lets go of the handle. She doesn’t need to close it because it closes automatically. The look they exchange confirms a sort of genetic agreement.

Behind his mammoth desk, Witte barely looks up. “Afternoon, my friend. What was it you wanted from me?”

A. looks at Carlotta but at the thought of the shameless way Christa and Astrid von Bürger play games with their glances, he lowers his eyes and gently points out that it was Witte himself who asked him to come by.

“Ah yes, yes, now I remember. You suggested introducing a little more aristocratic nonchalance into our advertising. Sounds interesting, but overlooks the fact that our job is first and foremost to educate the public. Once that task is accomplished, we can contemplate the next step into the aesthetics of advertising. The average housewife can’t keep up with the advancements of science. Detergents like Wittewash-Whiter-than-White are based on avant-garde formulas that eclipse all previous detergents. Have you ever had the chance to convince yourself of the effectiveness of our detergent?”

A. must admit he hasn’t and avoids looking at Carlotta whose eyes—he can sense it—are riveted on him.

“You see!” Witte exults. “Although it’s safe to assume you’re no housewife and so don’t need to know the first thing about fine laundry detergents, nevertheless, as you so rightly remarked at dinner at my house the day before yesterday, if I remember correctly—that was when it was, right?—the social structure has changed. There’s an increasing development in the direction of including the husband in housework to a much greater extent than was previously the case. Though we mustn’t exaggerate in this regard, and it will still be quite some time before the German husband ties on an apron, or rather, until the German wife surrenders the scepter of the household regime, in the meantime it’s our duty as farsighted, future-oriented entrepreneurs to sniff out future trends and adapt to them. Meanwhile, even in the present sociological situation, our mission is basically didactic: how do I educate my customers about the quality I’m offering them? You, my friend, are a prime example—I won’t say, of ignorance, for I can’t assume that you ought to be familiar with our products already—but of our own failure to inform the public. Have you ever observed your charming young wife doing the wash? As it is, it’s a crying shame that such a well-born creature has to contend with such menial housework when that is truly not what she was brought up for. Well, that’s precisely where we can help her out. I’m going to demonstrate how for you.” He turns to Carlotta. “Carlotta, child, be so good and have the secretarial pool call the advertising director. And please tell Fräulein Busse to put calls directly through to my office.”