Act I opens in London, in the study of Roebuck Ramsden. It is morning and Ramsden, an affluent older gentleman, is opening mail. A maid enters and hands Ramsden a visitor’s card. Ramsden, pleased, tells the maid to escort in his visitor, Octavius Robinson, an attractive young man who is wearing black to signify he is in mourning. Ramsden offers “a long, affectionate [hand]shake which tells the story of a recent sorrow common to both” (48) and invites Octavius to sit. Octavius is mourning the sudden death of Mr. Whitefield, a man who had no sons of his own (only daughters) but who treated Octavius like a son. Octavius becomes somewhat more cheerful when Ramsden mentions Whitefield’s daughter Ann, suggesting that Whitefield had hoped that Octavius might one day marry her.

Clearly smitten with Ann, Octavius protests that he could never be good enough for her because “she thinks a man’s character is incomplete if he is not ambitious” (50), and he is not nearly successful enough to satisfy her. Ramsden insists that Ann will respect her late father’s wishes above all, but Octavius replies that he wouldn’t want Ann to marry him merely to satisfy what her father wanted.