Although Elmer is finally rich, he still acts like he has something to prove, listing off his various social connections to convince Undine that he has finally made it. Elmer seems to be flirting with Undine, but just as he does with business deals, he remains slippery and elusive to give himself plausible deniability. Undine longs to get back to her old social world, and so she listens intently to Elmer’s descriptions of it.