John’s mother arrives and berates everyone for allowing John to risk injury by riding a dangerous horse. She then focuses her fury on Tom Faggus, insisting that he leave and never come back despite, John’s protests. Tom makes a dramatic show of leaving, loudly remembering his cousin and the elder John Ridd’s promises that his wife would always look after him. At the remembrance of her husband, Mrs. Ridd relents. She treats Tom to a large dinner at their house, and Tom uses his remarkable story-telling skills to entertain the family.

John tells the story of his cousin and how he became a highwayman. Tom Faggus was once a land-owning blacksmith and farrier. He was known for being well-spoken, polite, and literate. His unmatched skills as a farrier were met with both acclaim and jealousy. Everything was going well for Tom as he planned to marry his sweetheart. However, Sir Robert Bampfylde coveted his land, so he sued Tom, and the lawsuit cost Tom everything. A month later, his sweetheart married another man. Having lost his home, his livelihood, and his intended wife because of a high-born man’s greed, Tom swore vengeance on the world: “The world hath preyed on me, like a wolf.