Then of course Barney Snaith charges to the rescue rather like the perfect knight Valancy has always dreamed of in her Blue Castle, except instead of duelling he punches the drunk in the face, and they escape in his rackety old Grey Slosson, not on a white steed. Which all in all, is definitely more practical given the situation. More practical, that is, until the car runs out of gas and strands them in the middle of nowhere.
Her previous life abruptly intrudes on her present one in the form of Uncle Wellington and Cousin Olive, who are horrified to find Valancy in a car in the middle of nowhere, in the middle of the night with suspected jail bird Barney Snaith. Uncle W. reluctantly sells Barney enough gas to make it into town, mostly because he wants to get the shameless pair out of sight before they cause an even bigger scandal than Valancy has already done with her behaviour. And- unwisely- Olive attempts to bring the family black sheep back into the fold, only to find the sinner is unrepentant and, more unforgivably, mocking her. Valancy, who has always meekly followed in Olive's shadow, is now openly laughing at her and Olive doesn't know how to handle it. She is also startled by the change in Valancy's looks as well as demeanor. Valancy is wearing her new outfit, the colour and fit of which flatter her as nothing she's ever worn before has. In the moonlight, in her green dress, her eyes sparkling with fun, Valancy looks- Olive realises with shock- not exactly pretty, but provocative and fascinating. The Stirlings now have a new fear: not only has Valancy lost her mind, she's become a brazen hussy.