Mr. Sterling is agitated, struggling to understand why he keeps thinking about a woman from the previous night. His mother and Serena Sutton arrive at his office, insisting on seeing him. He reluctantly agrees to meet them, hoping time with other women will cure his fixation. His mother pressures him to spend time with Serena, but he finds her touch intolerable and abruptly leaves. He concludes that only the mystery woman from the night before is the exception, and he orders his assistant to alert him if she calls.