[At the chink, he answers,] Joy. [And drinks. The drink is as gorgeous as he remembers, and all the better for the stage and the company.]

I was looking for the hostess. She said I might earn a dance from her, if I made the effort. I had hoped to see tonight whether or not I'd rated.

[It is a transparent overture, but then, that is the fun of masquerades. To know everyone under their masks and play that you do not. This is in truth the first masquerade Dorian has been to in years where he hasn't known everybody worth knowing, even with the masks, and he is finding it invigorating.]