On the last day of 1899, Jane and Robert Marryot, an upper-class couple, return to their townhouse in a fashionable area of London before midnight, so they can keep their tradition of celebrating the new year with a midnight toast. Although Jane and Robert have been married for some years and have two young sons, Edward and Joey, they are still very much in love. Jane worries because Robert has joined the City of London Imperial Volunteers (CIV) as an officer, and will soon be leaving to serve in the Second Boer War, where Jane's brother is already fighting in the Siege of Mafeking. Downstairs, the Marryots' butler Alfred Bridges mixes punch for their toast, while Cook dons her finest outfit to attend the public outdoor celebrations. Alfred has joined the CIV as a private and is also leaving soon. His wife Ellen, the Marryots' maid, worries about what will become of her and their new baby Fanny if Alfred is killed or seriously injured, but he is confident despite the pessimistic predictions of Ellen's elderly mother, Mrs. Snapper. At midnight, the Marryot and Bridges families ring in the new century while Cook dances with other revelers in the street.