In the morning the household scrambles when Cora, who John is taking for a walk, recognizes an antique left on the table. Macey and family panic, hide heirlooms and swap modern pots to keep up their long-running 'poor' ruse. At a meeting they check Cora's background (Bradley Tech, medium assets) and decide to observe her longer. The parents confess they lied to toughen John and fear he won't accept being deceived. They agree to tell him only if Cora marries him, leaving the family's secret poised to collapse.