After many discussions about their differing views on slavery, St. Clare and Miss Ophelia decide to put them to the test. To do so, St. Clare purchases an enslaved girl named Topsy, giving her to Miss Ophelia to raise and educate. Topsy is cunning and shrewd, yet she also possesses a sad and serious demeanor. Initially, Ophelia is resistant to the idea of caring for Topsy, but St. Clare challenges her by highlighting the hypocrisy of Christians who are willing to help people abroad but neglect to help Black individuals in their own communities. He also shares some of Topsy's traumatic past in an attempt to spark compassion for the girl.

Miss Ophelia reluctantly accepts her cousin's challenge; however, the disdainful behavior of the other servants towards the new enslaved girl makes her task even harder. As a result, she is essentially solely responsible for raising Topsy. To get to know her, Ophelia asks Topsy questions about her life, but Topsy is unable to provide much information. She does not know who her parents were or how old she is, as she was raised by slave traders for the purpose of being sold. Topsy's education is severely limited due to her background, and when Ophelia asks about her parents, Topsy replies that she was "never born."

Topsy’s education begins, and Miss Ophelia teaches her household skills, biblical stories, and other useful skills. However, Topsy resists her efforts, stealing gloves and ribbon, and then confessing to a litany of crimes she did not permit. Miss Ophelia cannot discern when Topsy is telling the truth and struggles to understand how to help the girl. 

When Miss Ophelia expresses her concerns about having to resort to physically punishing Topsy for her misbehavior. St. Clare hears her grievances and reflects on the nature of slavery, pointing out that both enslavers and enslaved are negatively impacted by the system. He suggests that the situation is similar for both Southern slave-owners and Northern slave-keepers like Miss Ophelia, as both must use physical punishment, which leads to a gradual dehumanization of both parties. However, Miss Ophelia disagrees and asserts that it is the institution of slavery that leads to such behavior and not Northern education methods.

Topsy improves, yet she still engages in misbehavior. When Ophelia asks her why she continues to rebel, Topsy responds by saying "I guess it's because I'm wicked." She then goads Ophelia to whip her because, as a child who has experienced neglect and abuse, she is accustomed to being physically punished to make her work and behave. Despite being whipped, Topsy later boasts to the other enslaved kids about her bad behavior and ability to endure physical punishment.