Mr. Walton is riding home from his visit to Jemima and Hester when he sees Ethelwyn riding with her sister Judy and Captain Everard, the young man her mother intends for her to marry. Mr. Walton is so discouraged to see her with the Captain, that he passes them without stopping to talk.
He is just reaching town when he sees Thomas Weir, the carpenter, who is waiting for him. Thomas tells him that his estranged daughter Catherine has lost her mind and killed her little boy. Mr. Walton immediately goes to Catherine's shop and finds her delirious, with her little boy bleeding beside her.
The doctor comes and finds that the boy is unconscious and suffering from a head wound. When Catherine hears that her boy will live, she weeps and promises to forgive the boy's father, who turns out to be Captain Everard! She also forgives her own father, and he forgives her.
Now Mr. Walton has a dilemma: should he tell Ethelwyn about the captain, or should he keep silent? He decides he must certainly tell her the truth to protect her from marrying the captain, even though it will probably ruin his own chances with Ethelwyn. But then Catherine Weir asks him not to tell anyone about the captain. Now what will he do?
