Mr. Walton goes for a walk to think about what to do about the captain and Ethelwyn. He realizes he must not tell Ethelwyn the truth about the captain because Catherine told him not to tell anyone. He decides to wait and see what God will do next.
What happens next is that he sees Ethelwyn ride by with the captain and Mr. Stoddard. When Mr. Walton reaches home, there is Old Rogers waiting to talk to him about Ethelwyn. Old Rogers wants Mr. Walton to propose to Ethelwyn. Mr. Walton feels sure that Ethelwyn would refuse him, if he should propose.
He decides the best thing he can do is to visit Mr. Stoddard, to find out from him what is going on in the house. Mr. Stoddard tells him that Mrs. Oldcastle is pressuring Ethelwyn to marry Captain Everard, but so far she has refused. Mr. Walton urges the spineless Mr. Stoddard to support Ethelwyn against her oppressive mother.
As he is leaving the house, Judy intercepts Mr. Walton and asks him what he thinks Ethelwyn should do. He tells Judy that if Ethelwyn knows she does not love the captain, she should not consent to marry him. He walks home feeling much better about the whole business.
