At an auction, Kate sits alone and short on cash; someone offers to introduce her to rich men and to lend money, but she refuses. A jade bracelet is sold to Mr. Hersey, then the next lot, "Spring Orchid," is revealed as her mother's folk-painting legacy. Kate shocks the room by bidding one million and keeps pushing the price as rivals drive it up in rapid increments to ten million. She discovers her last asset covers only five million and that borrowing more will leave her indebted, leaving the sale—and her financial fate—unresolved.