- Tom is having a lot of trouble dealing with the news that he's actually black and begins questioning everything about himself.
- He starts acting all subservient around other people and thinks to himself that it's "the n***** in him" that's making him behave that way.
- But after a short time, he falls back into his old habits and becomes an obnoxious jerk again.
- The narrator tells us that Tom's raid on the town earned him enough money to pay off his debts so he's back in his uncle's good graces and, more importantly, his will.
- Surprise, surprise: Tom and Roxy are becoming more fond of each other. Tom can't help but admire her strong-willed character and also enjoys hearing her gossip.
- But leave it to Tom to rock the boat. He soon gets into trouble with gambling again.
- The narrator takes us back to that morning of the twins' arrival in town and alerts us to what Tom was up to that day.
- In preparation for a raid on the town, Tom put on his disguise of women's clothes.
- As he was in his disguise, he looked out his window and saw Puddn'head watching him. Tom left the house, but was worried that Puddn'head might be spying on him.
- To play it safe, he planned to forgo the raid and went back to the haunted house where Roxy told him about the big to-do taking place at Aunt Patsy's house to welcome the twins.
- Tom figured that this was actually the perfect time to execute his mass burglary. He had so much success and felt so fearless that after his raid he actually ended up going to the reception for the twins and stole a bunch of stuff from Aunt Patsy's house, too.
- And now we're finally, as our narrator tells us, back where we were way back at the end of Chapter 7 with Pudd'nhead waiting for the twins and wondering who that strange woman was in Tom's room.