In which the village buzzes with suspicion and conjecture following a mysterious theft, as villagers debate the evidence left behind and the character of a passing pedlar, while Godfrey Cass’s anxieties deepen over the disappearance of his brother and a beloved horse. The weight of impending confession to his stern father burdens Godfrey’s conscience, as he vacillates between truth and concealment, caught in the snares of familial duty and personal pride.