Edith Hardy is a pampered woman of high society who, despite her husband Richard informing her that all their funds are tied up in stock speculation and he cannot pay her bills until the stocks appreciate, continues to indulge in expensive clothing purchases. She even delays paying the maid's wages, leaving Richard to awkwardly resolve the situation. Edith also serves as the financial director for a local Red Cross fundraising event aimed at assisting Belgian refugees, which features a grand ball hosted at the residence of the wealthy Japanese ivory merchant, Torii Hisashi (changed to the Burmese ivory trader Alakau in the 1918 reissue). As a charming yet somewhat dangerous man, he captures Edith's attention, and there seems to be a subtle attraction between them. He shows her his room filled with treasures and brands one of his prized possessions with a hot stamp, declaring it as his property.