Summary

Odili returns to the village of Anata and finds the villagers in an uproar. Josiah, the local shopkeeper, has tricked a blind beggar and stolen the beggar’s walking stick. Apparently the belief is the stick can be used to make a medicine to increase people’s desire to buy from the shop. The villagers are angry and disgusted with Josiah’s greed. A villager says, “Josiah has taken away enough for the owner to notice,” meaning while the people would tolerate a little dishonesty, the shopkeeper has crossed a line and people will not forgive him. Everyone avoids Josiah’s shop, which goes out of business in a few days.

Odili begins to follow up on his plan of seducing Edna, the young woman who is supposed to become Chief Nanga’s second wife, or “parlour-wife.” He goes to visit Mrs. Nanga, who realizes Chief...