In which the political manoeuvrings to secure the Roman Catholic vote in Westminster become a matter of public speculation, under the critical eye of the determined Mr. Alf and the curious Father Barham, who seeks to discern the religious convictions of the enigmatic Mr. Melmotte. The episode unfolds amid preparations for a grand entertainment, revealing characters’ ambitions and intrigues through a series of uneasy encounters that blend faith, suspicion, and social ambition.