It is morning, and Purge is preparing to go to work. He says that his wife usually attends meetings of the Family in the mornings, but she is—supposedly—sick on this particular morning, and must be "administered to" by Doctor Glister. Purge goes on to reveal himself to be a "wittol," or complacent cuckold. He is fully aware that Glister is having an affair with his wife, but he does not mind at all. Indeed, he seems pleased that another man would volunteer to take over the job of keeping his wife happy.