In which Thomasin returns home unexpectedly unmarried due to a legal mishap, and her aunt Mrs. Yeobright confronts the predicament with a mixture of anger and reluctant resolve, while Wildeve faces the scrutiny of local heath-folk who come to pay their curious respects. Amidst the clatter of rustic songs and solemn recollections by the fire, the uneasy party disperses into the night, leaving Wildeve to ponder his next move beneath the watchful glow of a solitary beacon on the heath.