In which the narrator endures a restless night troubled by recent affronts and receives a penitential letter delivered by the devoted yet simple Ariel, whose heartfelt loyalty stirs a strange mixture of pity and wonder. As she puzzles over a vital key's mysterious disappearance linked to a locked door and a haunting death, she resolves to seek counsel from Mr. Playmore, only to be met upon her return by an unexpected visit from Mrs. Macallan.