Part 1 Summary

As this story begins, there is a flurry of activity among some assembled photographers, as Cressida Garnet, a famed singer, boards a cruise ship in New York City. The ship is headed to London, where Cressida has several appearances scheduled. As she makes her way onto the ship, she gladly stops to have her picture taken, and takes her time to pose for the photographers. The narrator, an old friend of Cressida's named Carrie, thinks that given Cressida's advancing age and the fact that she has recently announced her intentions to marry for the fourth time, it is wise that she oblige the photographers in this manner.

Soon, Carrie's gaze turns from Cressida and the photographers to Cressida's traveling party. With her are her ever-present sister, Miss Julia, and twenty-two year old Horace, Cressida's only son. Only too familiar with the expectations placed...