The hot air balloon has been stolen from another painting; as have the river & the hills it weaves be- tween. Then there's the curtain which has been on show so many times that it would otherwise appear threadbare were it not for the wardrobes full of similar things — taken from clotheslines & salons & a number of theaters — which are easy to switch between. Now focus on the thief himself, who, out in public & with an eye to propriety, has foregone the purloined jacket worn in tense times past — including le présent — on the off chance he might just come across its owner.
