The scene opens in the garden of Roxane's house, where Roxane and her fiance are preparing for their betrothal. Roxane is worried that her fiance is getting too close to her, and that he is getting serious about their engagement. She tells him that she can't do anything about it, because she's locked in her room, and she doesn't know how to move him away. She's also worried that he's going to kick him out of the house. She tries to get him to leave, but he won't let her go. He tells her that the table over there is a token of their engagement, and there's a pair of pearl earrings with a sapphire inlay on one of them, which belonged to her mother. The pearl earrings were made by the famous jeweler, and when Roxane was born, her mother converted one of the earrings into a necklace, which was also arranged by her mother's family. She asks Roxane to take care of the pearl earrings for now, and then she'll tell him about the grand feast that's coming up for them in the evening.