At the wedding Leander Parish arrives and asks for his bride, prompting Mrs. Monroe to present Renee instead of the expected Isabelle. Guests learn the engagement was meant for a Monroe daughter and that Isabelle is at university; Mrs. Monroe explains Renee has walked poorly since childhood and rarely appears in public, so she was substituted. Attendees call Renee a crippled bride and accuse the family of deception, noting Leander's blindness. The scene escalates into accusations and pleading; Mrs. Monroe begs Leander to accept the switch, leaving him to decide and the ceremony hanging on his response.