In which Grace Melbury returns to her childhood home in Little Hintock under the care of Giles Winterborne, whose rooted simplicity and quiet companionship contrast with Grace’s broader, more cultivated experiences. As she reacquaints herself with the homely surroundings and listens to Grammer Oliver’s tales, a mysterious blue light from the new doctor’s house awakens her curiosity about the unlikely presence of new ideas amid the familiar woodland quietude.