Chapter 4 Summary

Before Henderson leaves for Africa, his daughter Ricey comes home from boarding school for Christmas. Ricey takes a day trip to Danbury, sees a black newborn baby in the back of a car, brings it back to the house and hides it in her closet. Though he pretends to his family that he cannot hear the baby crying upstairs, Henderson goes and looks into Ricey's closet, and is impressed with the solemnity and sorrow of the child. Ricey runs away with the baby after Christmas, and is expelled from boarding school. Henderson makes Ricey return the child to its parents, but is depressed by how sad this makes Ricey.

During this time, Lily is having her portrait painted, which will be hung in the hallway with other portraits of Henderson's family. Henderson mocks this plan, and Lily accuses him of being prejudiced against...