the man he ordered the gin for. Clamence responds bysaying "Thank you, I'd accept if I were not sure of being a nuisance. You are too kind.Then I shall bring my glass over beside yours." Clamence can not be alone and talking tohimself. There is already a drink set down on the table and Clamence said he is going toset his drink next to it. Now if both the drinks were Clamence's, then the drinks wouldboth be "his" and that would leave no other drinks on the table. Since he said "yours," thatmeans that some other person has possession or ownership of that drink. A third instance of an acquaintance being present occurs when Clamence is talkingabout his experiences while he was visiting Greece. Clamence later asks the question, "Bythe way, do you know Greece? What should we do there, I ask you"? Clamence goes onto explain that in Greece the males are often found "striding along the sidewalks, hisfingers locked in those of his friend". Jokingly, Clamence asks , "Would you take my handin the streets of Paris"? Clamence is indubitably with another person at this point. Byasking what should we do, this implies that two people are present. If Clamence was byhimself, the question should be asked from a first person point of view, what should I do.The second inquiry about joining hands is also directed towards another person. IfClamence is directing the question towards himself, the same principals of ownership andpossession need to be used. Later on in the story, Clamence has a secret that he reveals to his friend from thebar. Clamence says that the only relief he gets in life is from women and alcohol. Illreveal this secret to you he says and then instructs the person to make use of it as if itwere a piece of advice. By Clamence calling his advice a secret, this serves as concreteevidence that another person is present. A secret is something that is concealed fromothers. Clamence can not keep something concealed from his own knowledge, so in ord...
