[5] Dick Maxwell, a young man from Sydney, decides to move to the country for his health and gets a job as book keeper on Waroonga Station, near Orange, New South Wales.
During his farewell dinner he becomes drunk and winds up getting married at a marriage shop to Tilly Farmfield, "a young woman of doubtful character".
After the ceremony, his friend Bob Lambert rescues Dick from Tilly as they arrive at the Night Birds' Club.
Tracey escapes and goes to Sydney, where he meets Tilly, who is an old friend, and they resolve to ruin Dick and Clarice on their wedding day.
Tilly, dying, repents of her evil doings, and writes a confession, which she persuades a nurse to take to Dick.