The scene opens in the garden of the royal palace in Vienna. It is a beautiful day, and the flowers are blooming. Everyone is enjoying themselves, except for Dr. Manette, who is still waiting for her mistress to return. She has been waiting for an hour for her to return, but she has not yet. She is worried that something has happened to her mistress, and she wonders if someone has broken into the house. She realizes that the mistress's clothes are on the ground, and that her mistress has been disowned by her family. She wonders how she could have committed such a shameful act in the palace, and realizes that she is consorting with her own fault.