Sarah travels to Sacramento with a peddler named Sam Teal. She sleeps in the wagon and thinks about Michael. Sam struggles to sell his wares, but Sarah helps, so he gives her a cut of the profits. They part ways in Sacramento, and Sarah walks around the city, trying to “stop thinking about Michael” (252). She visits Joseph’s store and ends up staying with his family. She begins working for them; though her wages are small, “she had never felt so clean and proud” (257). When Michael’s stove arrives at the store, Sarah decides to leave to avoid him. Before she can depart, she sees Michael “standing in the doorway” (260).

Michael enters and kisses Sarah. She insists that she is going to San Francisco and packs her possessions into a bag. Michael insists that he is not her father, Duke, nor a client because he loves her, and “love cleanses” (263). They leave the next day, travelling home. There, they settle into a familiar routine. They plant crops. Sarah spends time with Miriam and admits that she is “terribly” (267) in love with Michael. She learns that Michael has been telling negative stories about her.