Naomi returns home to check on the male nanny, Lowell, who was hired to treat her sister Clara's legs. Her grandmother reveals Lowell has done nothing for three days, and Naomi didn't even know his name. Confronting him, Naomi coldly repeats her threat: if he fails to cure Clara, she will feed him to the dog. Lowell, assessing her as a severe man-hater, privately resolves to be the first to quit, but the immediate fate of his employment hangs in the balance.