The priest harangues against the conduct. The Marquis feuds with the priest. The villagers chime into the fray. Losing control, Aimable throws all of them out of his shop. A town meeting in the church is called.
Arguments erupt among the villagers.
He turns over his life savings to the Marquis to avoid the hunting down and imprisonment of the young lovers. After he leaves the church, members of the community agree nonetheless to track down the couple. At a meeting of the villagers at the cafe, Antoine bursts in claiming to have found the couple in a small hotel in a nearby town. The villagers swiftly agree on a search party, a triad made up of the Marquis, the priest, and the teacher, to go after the outcasts and urge the baker's wife to return home. The scene changes to a small hotel room.