The narrator complains to his wife that he has drunk too much brandy. She tells him that he shouldnt have drunk it straight off. He tells her that he needs to have a lemon slice with sugar rolled in before he can taste the brandy. The narrator tells her to have the lemon slice first and then the sugar. He says that the taste buds will be "saturated with the sour sweet flavor" and that the brandy will bring out the unique taste. He asks her to tell him more about it and she tells him it is fine if he just wants to be a "canary in cage" but when he goes to meet "important figures" he loses the face. He complains that he is so unruly that she would be ashamed of taking him out. She says that she can tell from his expression that he disagrees with her. She asks him if he is tired of living like this. He replies that he was envious of one of his friends who was born at the lower class and played up to the "influences with luck" while her boyfriend was "dating another woman.