In which Mr. Mervyn receives an obscure certificate and letter regarding the death of one Charles Archer, prompting him to pursue a meticulous inquiry that spans London and Florence; meanwhile, the household at the Mills grows raucous with a wild festivity under the sombre eye of the formidable Mary Matchwell. The revelry is abruptly stilled by an authoritative summons at the hall-door, heralding the arrival of a stern visitor and casting a shadow over the Bacchanalian uproar.