Zeena tells Ethan that the new girl will be arriving the next day and that Mattie will have to leave at once. Ethan leaves the bedroom and finds Mattie downstairs in the kitchen. Without explaining why, Ethan embraces and kisses Mattie, caught up in love for her and hate for Zeena. Ethan breaks the news to Mattie. When he considers what her plight will be when thrown on the mercies of the outside world, Ethan is moved to swear that he will reverse Zeena's decision. He stops speaking in mid-sentence when Zeena enters the kitchen. Zeena sits down at the table, eats, and converses about physical problems among her friends and relatives.
After eating, Zeena complains that the meal has given her indigestion. She goes to get her heartburn medicine and discovers the broken red pickle dish. Zeena returns to the kitchen demanding to know how her dish broke. Mattie tells her the truth and Zeena scolds her. Zeena leaves the room carrying the pickle dish as if it were a dead body. This incident gives Zeena more justification for sending Mattie away.
