The narrative is interrupted for the history first of Augustine St. Clare and then of his cousin Ophelia. At the St. Clare home, St. Clare says Tom is to be the coachman. They are greeted by the household slaves, including the butler, Adolph, and “Mammy,” who had been Eva’s (and her mother’s) nursemaid and is now Marie’s personal servant. A few days later, St. Clare tells Marie that his cousin Ophelia is to take over the burden of housekeeping, and Marie begins to complain about how tiresome and troublesome the slaves are. Her complaints reveal that she makes unreasonable demands. Marie continues to instruct Ophelia on the ins and outs of the household, what she perceives to be the deceitful and lazy nature of slaves, and the “strangeness” of Eva, who puts servants on an equal level with herself; she says that St. Clare won’t let her send the slaves out to a whipping-house. St. Clare returns and remarks ironically that their slaves’ laziness is certainly unforgivable, considering the example that he and Marie set for them.
In the courtyard, Eva plays with Tom, which offends Ophelia. St. Clare points out Ophelia’s hypocrisy; she wants to free the slaves, send them to Africa, and let missionaries deal with them because she herself is a racist. Ophelia admits there is some truth in this, and St. Clare tells her that slaves have so little good in their lives that he would be wrong to begrudge them the love and friendship of his little daughter, who is a true democrat.
At dinner on Sunday, Marie tells St. Clare about that day’s sermon, on the subject of order and distinctions in society (a justification of slavery) as ordained by God. St. Clare says slavery is for the convenience of slaveholders. If slavery were to become bad for the economy, he says, preachers would preach against it. Eva comes in, saying she has been listening to Tom sing hymns. She reads the Bible to him; he sings hymns to her. St. Clare says he has heard Tom praying for him, and Ophelia remarks that she hopes her cousin will take Tom’s prayer to heart.
