Young Cressingham goes to his father's house, where Sir Francis is miserable: he has sold his land as his wife wanted and now he is treated like a child, given a meagre allowance. Old Franklin is in mourning; his son has faked his own death and is in disguise as a servingman. Young Cressingham accuses his stepmother of ruining the family; she is bold and laughs at him, and says, mysteriously, that hereafter she will treat him quite differently. He curses her, hoping she will die repenting her actions. Old Franklin pays off his "dead" son's debts, including those incurred by his theft of goods from Camlet. Meanwhile, Knavesby claims his reward from Lord Beaufort, only to be told that his wife did not fulfil the bargain, that she has instead run off with his page. Knavesby vaguely resolves to commit suicide. Mrs Knavesby enters with the "page" and reveals all: the page is actually Young Cressingham's wife, left with Lord Beaufort in disguise to protect her virtue. Lady Cressingham then enters and announces that she has only been testing her husband with her feigned shrewishness and avarice; she wanted to teach him to be wise and thrifty. Sir Francis is happy that his wife is really kind and virtuous, and he takes his lands back. Knavesby apologises to his wife for his behaviour and she forgives him. Young Franklin is revealed to be alive, which his father in fact knew all along (his "death" allowed Old Franklin to get away with only paying half his son's debts). All are reconciled, and Lord Beaufort invites everyone home to dinner.