Of course, her actions cause an even greater upheaval in the extended Stirling clan, who are more certain than ever that Valancy has lost her mind- and her morals. Worse, now that she's gone to live at Roaring Abel's, there will be no way to keep the rest of Deerwood from finding out that she's gone crazy. On top of that, as Uncle James darkly reminds them, that degenerate Barney Snaith is always hanging around Roaring Abel's place... who knows how he might take advantage of the mentally afflicted Valancy?
Valancy also deals well with Roaring Abel who admires her willingness to tell him straight-up what she thinks. He's not around much in any case, spending his days either working, or hunting and fishing with Barney Snaith. He generally spends his evenings out drinking, arriving home doing full justice to his name then eventually going from the shouting stage to moaning, crying, and praying before falling asleep. Other than often being awoken by his yowling, Valancy is not inconvenienced- or threatened- by his drunkenness.
After that, Barney always stops by on his way to and from town and comes by to visit at other times in the evenings. Valancy finds herself listening for his whistle as he walks down from the barrens, and loves to sit mending as he and Abel- who is a good conversationalist when sober- talk of places they've been, books they've read, and a thousand other topics. Cissy tells her that she doesn't think that she could have survived the last two years without Barney's friendship and that she know that he's never done any of the things people accuse him of- he's not capable of doing anything dishonourable. Valancy isn't so sure... there must be some reason why a man who is obviously well educated and well travelled has buried himself in the middle of nowhere, living on a remote island in Muskoka. But she doesn't care.
The family next sends the Anglican minister Dr. Stalling, in the belief that Roaring Abel wouldn't dare to toss him into the vegetable garden. He asks to see Valancy alone but Abel, who is just drunk enough at this point to be excessively- mockingly- polite demurs, saying he must stay there to chaperone the young lady in case Dr. Stalling makes improper advances. Now outraged, Dr. Stalling confronts Valancy, who has been terrified of him since she was a small child. He tells her that her family implores her to repent and come home, but that he, as her pastor and spiritual guide, commands her to do so. Valancy attempts to explain to him that Cissy needs her companionship and care, but her old terror of him starts welling up and, almost hypnotised by his wagging finger, she feels herself weakening and giving in. Suddenly the phrase from John Foster that influenced her original rebellion- about almost all evil in the world being caused by some sort of fear- pops into her mind and Valancy stiffens her backbone. She tells Dr. Stalling that her mother is fine and doesn't need her, but that she is needed here and intends to stay.
Last of all comes Cousin Georgina; Valancy listens patiently to her pleas because she has a certain liking for the old girl and knows that she is motivated by genuine concern for Valancy. After Georgina winds up, Valancy says that, now that she's got that out of her system, does she know any good recipes for salt cod?
Faced with failure on all fronts, the Stirlings decide that they'll just have to wait Valancy out. After all, as Uncle Benjamin callously points out, Cissy can't last much longer. Valancy's mother continues in her assumed role of grieved and outraged motherhood, reflecting that it would have been so much easier if Valancy had just died: then she could have gone into proper, respectable mourning.