Widge not only becomes literate in English and in Latin, but he also learns "a curious abbreviated language of Dr. Bright's own devising," a kind of shorthand known as charactery, which allows an individual to "transcribe the spoken word as rapidly as it issues from the tongue." Using this system, Widge keeps the doctor's scientific notes, and transcribes his weekly sermons, as well as those of other clergymen.

In Chapter 2, a stranger comes to the rectory with a copy of Dr. Bright's book on charactery. He asks the doctor how many people have been taught the system of shorthand, and the doctor is forced to admit that Widge is the only one. The stranger then tests Widge on his facility with the system of writing, and, satisfied, offers to buy him from his master for the handsome sum of ten pounds sterling. The doctor accepts the payment, and Widge is instructed to swifly gather his belonging and to follow the stranger into a new life unknown. As Widge takes his leave from the doctor's abode, there is no one to bid him farewell but a "placid tabby cat gazing at (him) from under the shelter of the eaves."

In Chapter 3, Widge is traveling with the stranger who has just purchased him from Dr. Bright.

As they travel, Widge tries to guess his new master's background. Judging from his clothes and gruff appearance, Widge concludes that the stranger is not a Londoner.

During the journey through the forests of Berwick, the stranger rides on his horse. As for Widge, he must try to keep up the pace on foot. Twice, Widge hopes that his new master will stop for a rest. However, they travel through the night. Widge is exhausted by the time daylight arrives.

Eventually, Widge strikes his poorly-shod foot upon a sharp rock. He sustains an injury and is unable to continue walking. Reluctantly, the stranger hoists Widge up onto his horse. Although grateful, Widge does not dare voice his thanks. The two ride on in silence until they chance upon a group of thieves. All of the thieves are armed with swords, and one even has a crossbow, which he levels at Widge and his new master.

Widge is frightened, but his new master appears unperturbed. The thieves are looking for his master's purse of gold, of course. Surprisingly, the stranger reaches into his cloak and pulls out his purse. The thieves are pleased and by now, lulled into a false sense of security.

As the man with the crossbow reaches out for the purse, the stranger swings out at him in a surprise move. The thief is taken aback and loses his crossbow. As the other thieves close in on the stranger, the latter surprises Widge even more. He more than holds his own against the ruffians and begins to beat them one by one. None of the thieves can match his fighting skills.

As for Widge, he must fend for himself when a one-armed ruffian attacks him. By hanging on to the horse's saddle, he swings his legs at the thief. However, his efforts are in vain. The thief grabs him, and both of them find themselves falling. To regain his balance, Widge grabs on to the thief's neck. Both fall, and the thief strikes his head on a rock. With the thief unconscious, Widge is soon able to disentangle himself.

He does so in time to see his new master dispatching the last of the thieves. Then, the stranger does a surprising thing. He opens up his purse of gold and flings a coin towards the man with the crossbow. The big thief is too dazed to react with much emotion.

Upon resuming their journey, Widge can't help but voice his admiration for his new master's fighting skills. However, the stranger only repeats his former command for Widge to remain silent unless spoken to.

I've listed below some key points from chapters 4–10 to help you understand a summary of the text.

• After the strange man Widge is traveling with defends himself against the thieves, leaving them battered and bruised, Widge himself begins to feel rather weak in his travels. The pair find themselves not in London, but in Leicester.
• Widge is allowed to rest and finally eat a warm meal, temporarily lifting his spirits, which were weary with travel. Good luck runs thin, though, for Widge finds that his wallet is missing. Presumably it was taken by the stable boy, but Widge decides not to rat him out. Widge is introduced to his new master, a man named Simon Bass.
• Widge learns that the stranger's name is Falconer. He also learns about his new job, which is to write one of Shakespeare's plays, Hamlet, in charactery. He and Falconer travel to London to see the play performed.
• Widge has never been to London, let alone a play. It's quite an overwhelming experience! The author describes the theater as such: “The roar of voices and the smell of closely packed bodies was overpowering and unremitting.”
• Widge tries his best to write down the play but understandably misses a few lines, so they have to wait for another show.
• In the meantime, they lose their lodgings due to a duel in which Falconer ends up killing one of the lodgers. More bad news arrives: due to a mishap, Widge loses the book in which he is writing down the lines of the play.
• Widge finds himself caught by some of the players. Luckily, Widge is a pretty good liar, escaping punishment and stumbling into a new role as an actor.

Chapter 12 begins with Widge getting his first lessons in acting.  Widge is first apprehensive about going in, however he soon finds that it is a fencing lesson.  He practices with the other boys in the company.  After the lesson Julian and Sander begin teaching Widge about the three wards- High Ward, Broad Ward, and Base Ward.  They are interrupted by Nick who takes over the lesson and begins teasing/abusing Widge. After being nicknamed "Horse" and being hit by the stick on his hand and chest, Widge loses his temper.  He chooses not to cry because he knows it will just provoke further bullying. Finally, Julian and Sander step in and stop Nick by suggesting he let Widge train and then try to fight him.  Widge agrees even though he knows he will not be there to fight Nick- he hopes to be long gone.  Widge does not thank the two boys for helping him and is confused by why Mr. Arman did not step in and stop Nick's teasing.  Once the fighting training is finished, the boys move to Mr. Phillips who teaches them projection.   

In the afternoon, Widge helps the actors with their costumes during the play.  Julian comes in to change and goes behind the screen.  Sam explains that some actors like their privacy like Shakespeare and Burbage.  Widge remembers that he needs to find the lost script, and he leaves to go find it.  He goes up to the balcony and looks for the script- it is not there.  Widge suddenly realizes that the man he bumped into must have stolen it not realizing it was script pages rather than money.  Widge suddenly realizes that the script is gone, and he will have to try again.   

In Chapter 13 Widge is settling into the life of a player goes to St Pauls’s with Sander. Widge is unused to friendship and is pleasantly baffled by Sander’s offer to pay for their Thames crossing and for the entrance to the tower. Widge is overwhelmed by the size of London.

He learns that it is possible to buy copies of Shakespeare’s plays, but not of course Hamlet. He sees Falconer in the crowd and flees in fear, running through the cathedral graveyard and finding himself lost in a rough area of the city. At the end of the chapter he is about to be mugged by two youths with daggers.

In chapter 14 he is saved from the attack by Julian, who explains that they are in Alsatia, the area of London where he grew up. Widge is again surprised by the loyalty of others and a little upset that he has needed to accept help. Widge is beginning to realise that there is more to life than the existence he has had so far, but he remains cynical –

Life was full enough of disappointments, without making more.

He struggles with the concept of friendship still-

Some part of me wondered how it would be to have a friend, and to be one.

The next day Widge is required to whitewash the theatre roof thatch and practice fencing and makeup. He is becoming more involved in the life of the theatre, although the fear that Falconer will catch him is never far away. He finds out that they are to play Hamlet that afternoon, and he is handed the precious play book and instructed to act as prompt.

In Chapter 15, Widge has been handed the playbook so that he can be the prompter in case one of the actors forgets his lines. He considers stealing the book for a moment, but is prevented from doing so by the presence of his friend Sander and the other actors. When Nick arrives, drunk and late, a scuffle ensues, and Jack, the cannoneer, takes the playbook from Widge with the intention of being the prompter himself, even though he can barely read. Widge is angry at himself for not having taken the opportunity to steal the book when he had the chance.

In Chapter 16, Widge encounters Mr. Shakespeare himself, and finds him to be "withdrawn and pensive." He meets one of the actors, Beeston, who not long ago was a "lowly prentice" like Widge and Sander. Beeston tells Widge that theatre companies often steal playbooks from each other, and names Simon Bass as one of the most notorious thieves. Widge learns that Bass is an accomplished makeup artist, and that he might be a Jew, which is dangerous because, after a plot against the lives of the king and queen by a Jew was discovered, all Jews in England have been forced to renounce their faith or face banishment. Widge is elated to be given a small part in the play to be performed the next day. Sadly, as he goes back to the house, he is accosted by a strong presence and thrown to the grass.

Falconer has returned in Chapter 17 and demands that Widge steal the playbook for him by the following day. Widge practices performing fight scenes with the other boys under the tutelage of Mr. Armin, and manages to perform his lines adequately when the play actually begins. Widge realizes that he is happy with the company, and wonders how he can get out of the predicament he is in with Falconer. He knows that what Falconer wants him to do is wrong, but, fearing for his life, he feels he has not choice but comply.

Firstly, Widge is given the task of prompt. This is a great temptation as he is in charge of the valuable play book, which his survival instincts and instruction from his master tell him to steal and hand over to the enigmatic Falconer.

Then Nick turns up drunk for the performance of Hamlet. He attacks Sander who has been standing in for him. Widge hits Nick with the book to defend Sander. Nick is sent away by Mr Armin and Mr Armin praises bith Sander and Widge for their good work.

Jack sees that Widge had been given the play book and takes it from him

I'm taking it back, I don't trust you.

In Chapter 18, Widge is searching in the property room for a playbook to deliver to Falconer, and is inadvertently locked in for the night. When the doors are unlocked in the morning, Mr. Pope asks where he has been, and Widge concocts the story that his old master had waylaid him, but that he had managed to escape and return to the Company. Widge is touched by Mr. Pope's genuine concern, having never experienced anything like it before. During fencing practice, Nick acts up again, and Widge asks Sander why he does not get thrown out. Sander replies that it is because the theatre is "a sort of family," and Nick is like one of their brothers.

Widge is called before Mr. Heminges in Chapter 19. The kind man, believing Widge's story from the day before, tells him that the Company will protect him should his purported master come back. Falconer does not return, however, and Widge enjoys a gloriously happy few weeks. Nick is promoted to play a boy's part, and the others, including Widge, are given bigger roles in the Company as well. The boys go for an outing in the country, and catch Widge using charactery when copying his lines. They are impressed, and curious about it. A "dark-clothed figure" comes down the road, and Widge fears it is Falconer come to take him away, but it is only Mr. Shakespeare.

In Chapter 20, the boys conjecture about why Mr. Shakespeare is always melancholy. Nick does not change his ways, and is demoted from playing boys' roles; making him more angry and dangerous than ever. The Company has been asked to perform Hamlet for the royal court, and everyone is nervous and on edge. During fencing practice, Nick becomes overaggressive and injures his partner, Julian. As Julian's wound is tended, it is discovered that he is not a boy at all, but a girl.

Chapter 25 begins as Nick spies Widge just as he is going to break into the chest and steal the copy f the play. Nick, expecting Widge to help him, tells him to join him inside the room quietly. However, Widge defies him and threatens to call for help. Nick challenges Widge, and Widge manages to get hold of a stage-sword and fights Nick, knocking the copy of the play from his hands. Nick, in anger, fights back until he thrusts the sword above the belt of Widge. Horrified, Widge watches as blood wells out from the wound. Nick grabs the book and flees.

Sander comes in and sees Widge, and finds out that it is just the blood bag that Nick struck and that Widge is fine. Widge tells Mr. Armin about Nick and his robbery, and the two of them run after him, getting into another boat and following him as he goes up the Thames. The boatman unfortunately causes the boat to capsize as they shoot the bridge, and as the waters descend around Widge, he things he is going to die.