August 8, Saturday.
8:05 p.m.
Aaron rode up in a carriage and stopped in front of a lavishly decorated mansion. It stood amid a large garden, with a dolphin fountain at its center.
"Welcome, my friend!"
The mansion's owner, company director William Mark, was dressed in a black suit. His shirt, waistcoat, and trousers were all pressed to perfection.
He was tall and a little plump, but his features were gentle. He wore a monocle, giving him a curious air of shrewdness mixed with simple honesty.
When he saw Aaron step down from the carriage, he came forward with a smile and shook his hand.
"Good evening!"
Aaron smiled faintly and handed him a bottle of champagne.
When visiting someone for the first time, if you didn't know what gift to bring, a good bottle of wine was always a safe choice.
"Come along, our traveler. Tonight, you must tell us all about your adventures..."
William Mark led Aaron into the banquet hall. Tall gas lamps shone through the glass, casting a clear, radiant glow.
Music drifted through the room. The buffet tables were laden with oysters, lobster, veal, fried chicken, lamb stewed with peas, salad, soufflé pancakes, red wine, and champagne...
Aaron picked up a champagne flute, and couldn't help recalling the scenes he had witnessed while dressed as a laborer in the poorer districts.
Ordinary workers had looked pallid, like walking corpses... Long lines stretched outside the poorhouses... Bodies dropped dead in the streets every day... Under the bridges, the homeless lay covered with newspapers and scraps of cardboard...
Meanwhile, to the beat of the lively music, the banquet's first dance began.
As host, William Mark took his wife's hand and led her onto the dance floor.
His wife wore an elaborate, elegant dance gown. Around her neck