At a ball, the blind woman Cordelia, once an important figure to Duke Luciano 'Luke', is mocked and humiliated by guests. Her former lover, Luke, witnesses her distress and intervenes with a cold, sarcastic tone. When he treats a wound on her hand, his tenderness betrays his lingering feelings, a fact his companion points out. Luke publicly denies any care, dismissing his act as mere charity. As Cordelia departs, confused and hurt, and another woman approaches Luke, the encounter leaves their unresolved history hanging in the air.