Trey returns home to find her father Johnny rearranging the sitting room and dressed up, preparing to host several local men that evening to pitch his idea about Rushborough's gold. Sensing his nervousness beneath the bluster, Trey asks to be present. Johnny agrees, instructing her to greet the men politely, ask about furniture work she's done for them, then sit silently and back him up if asked. He makes her promise to say nothing to Cal, calling it Ardnakelty business. Privately, Trey decides she wants in not to help but to figure out how to scupper his plan.

The invited men—Mart Lavin, Senan Maguire, Bobby Feeney, Francie Gannon, Dessie Duggan, P.J. Fallon, Sonny and Con McHugh—arrive and settle in. Johnny works the room charmingly, then introduces Rushborough's claim that gold lies in a line from the mountain down through their land to a dried-up riverbed. The men begin fantasizing about what they'd do with the money, though Senan and Francie remain skeptical.

Johnny then reveals his real proposal: since Rushborough may find nothing, they will salt the river with gold to convince him. Each man must contribute three hundred pounds to buy the gold; Johnny will take a cut from both Rushborough and the men as middleman. Mart pointedly questions whether Johnny might simply pocket the cash and vanish, alluding to Johnny's father being a card cheat. Johnny concedes the men can buy and place the gold themselves.

The men agree to first inspect Rushborough at Seán Óg's pub on Monday night before committing. Johnny dismisses Trey, who realizes her father is far more deft with others than with her, making sabotage harder. She also wants to see Rushborough for herself.