A marriage is being arranged by parents for their mutual benefit and not their children’s. Lord Squanderfield, whose name appears on the “Marriage Settlement,” offers his son, who brings to the marriage a title and a noble family heritage. The wealthy merchant presents thousands of pounds in bank notes as his daughter’s contribution, which the Viscount needs to restart his stalled building project seen through the window. The intendeds show no interest in each other—the daughter is hanging on the words of a lawyer, who we later learn is named Silvertongue, while the son admires himself in the mirror.