Hornbeam enjoys a conversation with his daughter Deborah. Though she was married to Will Riddick, he is not a part of their life. He has “gone wrong” (440), turning to gambling and debauchery. Since there were no children in the marriage, Deborah and Will are separated. Hornbeam has recently been made overseer of the poor. He and Titus Poole, the vicar of St. John’s, are responsible for deciding which people are granted poor relief. They hear cases and make decisions; Poole is sympathetic, but Hornbeam blames people for their poverty. Jenn Pidgeon, wife of Jim Pidgeon, is one of the applicants. She appears “half starved” (443), having fallen on desperate times after her husband was kidnapped by the press gang. She curses the press gang, a “borderline seditious” (444) comment. She does not want Poor Relief; she wants her husband returned. Poole is sympathetic, but Hornbeam dislikes her insubordination. He denies her any assistance, but she leaves with her head held high, as though she has “a fallback plan” (445).

Kenelm is made Dean of Kingsbridge Cathedral and moves into the deanery. Elsie is happy in the new house, but she envies “her mother’s passionate romance” (446) with Spade, which is the worst-kept secret in Kingsbridge. On St. Adolphus Day, she visits the fair and sees a teenage boy steal ribbon from a stall. He is caught and reveals himself to be Tommy Pidgeon, Jenn’s son. He wants to sell the stolen ribbon to buy food for his starving mother. Since the ribbon is worth more than five shillings, its theft is a capital offence. Roger visits Amos’s mill and is shocked to find Kit all grown up. Roger tells Kit about a new innovation in France, and they bond over their shared love of technology. Elsewhere, Spade notices the changes to Sal after completing her hard labor. He drinks with her and the other hands, ruminating on the unfairness of the press gang and the imminent trial of Tommy Pidgeon. As chairman of justices, Hornbeam leads the trial. Elsie gives evidence, confirming that Tommy took the ribbon but appealing to the court to sympathize with his plight. Though the crowd is riled by the talk of poverty and press gangs, the court agrees to escalate the charge to the assize court.

Jarge is one of the bellringers in the cathedral. Sal joins them one day and, to show that she can handle anything a man can do, she joins the complicated ringing of the bells. Spade compliments her first effort, and Sal is eager to take part in future bellringing sessions. Jane visits Amos’s shop. She complains that her husband dedicates all his time to the military. Amos, who has never been alone with a woman before, is awkward but still in love with Jane. Jane takes control and seduces Amos, who feels “overwhelmed with love and delight” (466). They have sex, and after Jane leaves, Amos feels intense guilt for having committed the sin of adultery.

Kit thinks often about Roger Riddick, but he tries to convince himself that he is not in love with Roger. Though he remembers gay encounters in his youth, Kit dismisses these as childhood pranks or tomfoolery. When Roger asks to talk with him, Kit is intrigued. Roger discusses a French innovation for which he has access to the patents. He suggests that he and Kit go into business together, building textile machines and splitting the profits. Kit is very interested, especially as he will be able to spend more time with Roger. He pays for Roger’s drink (as Roger, as usual, is short of cash) and rushes home to tell his mother. She is very supportive, though Kit is sad that he will need to quit his job with Amos.

In a coffeeshop, Spade talks to Cissy Bagshaw about foreign affairs. Having recently sold her mills to Amos, Cissy is about to retire as alderman. She suggests that Spade campaign to take her place. After, Roger invites Spade to view a house which was previously occupied by his brother, Will. Since Will can no longer accept bribes through his position in the military, he has found himself without money. Roger suggests that Spade buy the house for himself. At the theater, Amos meets Jane. She asks him to walk her home after the show, and when she invites him inside, he declines. He does not want to have an affair with her, no matter how much he may love her. Walking home, he realizes that he no longer loves her as much as he once did.

Hornbeam has “a vision for Kingsbridge” (480) but finds that other people frequently stand in his way. He wants to punish Spade, so he meets with Bishop Reddingcote and mentions the rumors about Spade’s affair with the bishop’s predecessor. He encourages the bishop to deliver a sermon on “not closing our eyes to sin” (482). Meanwhile, Spade shows Arabella around the new house, and they agree to marry after her year of mourning has ended.

From Spade’s perspective, the assize court judge has a “thin, mean face” (485). Cissy Bagshaw apologizes to Spade for his failure to become alderman. Spade credits this failure to Hornbeam reigniting rumors of his affair with Arabella. He is unconcerned for his own sake, but he will never forgive Hornbeam for demeaning Arabella. Tommy is quickly found guilty, and the judge sentences him to death. Spade is outraged by the decision and hopes to appeal to the highest possible court, seeking out a lawyer to advise him. Meanwhile, Kit resigns from his job to start a company with Roger. His plans are foiled, however, when he receives a letter telling him that he has been conscripted into the militia. He tries to appeal this, but his reputation as an engineer means that he will be very important in the war against Napoleon. While loading stock onto a barge, Spade talks to a man from London. The man remembers the name Hornbeam, as he grew up with a boy named Joey Hornbeam. He remembers Joey Hornbeam as a poor, desperate thief whose mother was hanged for stealing. He remembers standing next to young Hornbeam as the hanging took place.

Spade marries Arabella. The well-attended wedding is marked by “an air of unmentioned sin” (495), but Spade is very happy. After the wedding, Spade and Arabella sleep together, and she notes that it is the first time that they will wake up together in the morning. Amos and Elsie discuss the Sunday School accounts. She tells him that Jane is expecting a baby, fearing that this will hurt him, as he still loves Jane. She does not tell him the local gossip, which suggests that he is the father, but she notes that he is “evidently moved” (499) by the news. Outside Kingsbridge, Kit teaches new recruits how to form a square. He has no experience of battle and hopes to leave the military as soon as he can. Jane has her baby, and Amos attends the christening. He suspects that the baby is his, though knows that he may not have been Jane’s only “illicit lover” (501). The baby is named Henry, after Jane’s husband. Jane tells Amos to never ask her about the baby’s parentage.

Tommy Pidgeon is not pardoned. Hornbeam worries that he was overly harsh on the boy; he wants to become the Member of Parliament for Kingsbridge in the future, so feels the need not to turn the public against him. He believes that he “should have pretended to feel compassion for Tommy” (504). Tommy is hanged in a slow, excruciating manner. The watching crowd is somber, rather than riotous. After, Elsie goes to visit Jenn Pidgeon but discovers that Jenn has taken her own life. Napoleon does not invade Britain, but the war continues.