Dolly is reminiscing about the party she attended the previous night when Edward Chester shows up at the door. Mr. Varden is busy drinking from Toby (his ale mug), about which Mrs. Varden chides him. Edward says he is assuming that Dolly will be journeying to the Warren in the next day or two, and he is hoping she will deliver a letter for him. Mrs. Varden says Dolly has no plans to go to the Warren, but it is no problem to go out of their way to please Edward. After Edward leaves, Mrs. Varden becomes petulant because she wants to travel too, but she will not say so. Eventually, the three Vardens go by chaise to the Maypole. After a large dinner, Dolly slips out and goes up the path to the Warren.

Dolly is a frequent visitor to the Warren, so she is not stopped as she enters the house. She gives Emma the letter. Emma reads it several times, wiping her tears as she does so. She invites Dolly to stay for dinner, intending to answer the letter afterwards. Emma gives her reply, as well as a bracelet, to Dolly, who leaves to return to the Maypole. As she passes through the house, Mr. Haredale stops her. He asks whether she delivered a letter to Emma from Edward and whether she is now carrying a reply. Dolly answers affirmatively to both and tries to be brave as she declares she will not give up the response. Mr. Haredale finally permits her to leave, and she continues on her way.

When Dolly passes through the hedges, she hears a rustling sound as if someone were following her. She stops, and so does the noise. She proceeds and is startled when a man jumps out in front of her. She is relieved to see that it is Hugh from the Maypole but becomes worried when he acts aggressively towards her. He grabs her and calls her pet names; she begs him to let go, promising not to tell anyone about this if he will leave her alone. He threatens to hurt people she loves if she tells, then he grabs her again and she cries out for help. When he hears voices, Hugh releases her and dashes away.

Joe comes to the rescue and comforts Dolly. Dolly says she did not recognize the man who frightened her, merely that he was a beggar who threatened robbery. Joe takes her back to the Maypole, where everyone hears her story. Hugh also arrives and questions her about the man’s appearance, silently daring her to say that it was he. She does not, keeping his secret, but she soon notices that the letter from Emma to Edward and the bracelet are gone. Joe takes Hugh to retrace her steps with a lantern but is unable to find the missing items.

The Vardens return to London, accompanied by Joe Willet. Joe tries to convince Dolly that they could be more than friends, but she diverts his attention to the stars. When they arrive, Miggs is excited to hear the account of Dolly’s adventure. She is impressed with Joe’s courage and elaborates her own account of the episode to Sim, who vows out of jealousy that Joe’s days are numbered.