His work for Eustacia completed, Johnny Nunsuch returns home only to be frightened by a strange light on the heath. He returns to Captain Vye's to find Eustacia in conversation with Wildeve. Confused, he goes back in the direction of the light. By chance he is discovered as he spies on what turns out to be the reddleman, Venn. Now Venn quizzes the young boy. Afraid of Venn because he is a reddleman, Johnny still reveals that Eustacia and Wildeve are meeting.
After the boy leaves, Venn rereads an old letter from Thomasin that rejects an earlier offer of his to marry her. This rejection was the very thing that convinced him to become a reddleman.
After several attempts, Venn does manage to overhear what Eustacia and Wildeve say at a meeting in a ditch around Rainbarrow. Eustacia again can't get Wildeve to commit himself to her, or even to Thomasin, and she delays answering his question about going to America with him. As a result of what he has heard in the conversation, Venn decides to call on Eustacia.
