“Right before his eyes, the barber, Mr. Figaro, sees all the hours of his entire remaining life reduced to mere numbers of seconds: 441,504,000 seconds devoted to sleep; 441,504,000 invested in work; 110,376,000 whiled away at meals; 55,188,000 spent with his elderly mother; 165,564,000 committed to friends and social events; 27,594,000 enjoyed with his lover, Miss Daria; and so on.
“‘So that’s all my life amounts to,’ thought Mr Figaro, absolutely shattered. He was so impressed by the elaborate sum, which had come out perfectly, that he was ready to accept whatever advice the stranger had to offer. It was one of the tricks the men in grey used to dupe prospective customers.” “
