After a first dance, Spears escorted the young miss to the refreshment table. He properly poured her a glass of punch, lifted a hors d'oeuvres plate from the table for her to select a cold cut, and then asked her to dance with him again. The mayor's wife, who was standing next to her husband in a corner of the room being shown off as wives of the rich are, stole a glance and smiled. The reason the rich marry is so that they can eventually force their friends to marry. This may be a form of revenge, since marriage is a masochistic venture based on self-humiliation.
Marriage is a series of vows taken to guarantee one has a reason to exist.
On the dance floor, Spears was as smooth as a man of his breadth can be. He moved well, guiding his younger partner with ease. The ball room, with its beautiful inlaid wood floor and high ceiling adorned with gold leaf, was pretentious enough without the presence of the dancers, but they added to the opulence. But the floor was meant for Spears, not the common people he was here to assist. While he circled about the floor, Spears briefly forgot about business, he was enjoying himself, strangely enough.