In which Zekiel Irons, a somber and tense clerk, wrestles with his fears and resolves to confront dark truths closely tied to the village’s troubled past, while a mournful ballad and the fireside murmurs of the Salmon House lend a haunted air to his brooding. The scene closes with Irons seeking the aid of Justice Lowe and Doctor Toole, determined to reveal a grave secret despite the peril it may bring upon him.