A metal box of old love letters is found when a woman at the gathering opens what she thought was a gift for Isaac, and the letters trigger a public confrontation. Neighbors accuse Vivian of writing to Captain Lowe and ruining his reputation. Vivian insists she didn’t put the letters there—"I didn't do it"—and says she had stored them away. The discovery escalates as the letters are confirmed real and the crowd presses Isaac to believe them. Isaac reproaches Vivian, warning her to stop "unrealistic fantasies," and her innocence remains unproven as suspicion settles.