Cassy speaks to Legree, warning him that hurting a good worker at the height of the picking season is a waste of time and telling him that he should be ashamed of beating Tom. She reminds him that he had threatened to make her work in the fields, which she did with ease to prove that his threats were empty. As she berates Legree, their dynamic shifts as she yells; “‘You're afraid of me, Simon, and you should be!... But watch out, because I have the devil in me!’”

After snooping in Tom’s belongings, Sambo finds the lock of Eva’s hair given to Tom after her death. He brings it to Legree, who turns pale and then throws the curl in the fire. He explains the strong reaction by delving into his family history, explaining that he was raised in New England by a religious mother. His father, on the other hand, was a rough person, and Simon took after him. As a young adult, Simon decided to make his own way and set out to sea; along the way, he received a letter with news of his mother’s death and a lock of her hair. The lock eerily resembled Eva's, which made Legree remember his guilt about leaving his mother and living a good life.

After this episode, Legree says he will leave Tom alone, but he is still scared. He invites Sambo and Quimbo to his house to help him get over being alone, and they all get drunk and have a good time.

Later, Cassy visits Emmeline, who says she would rather hide in the swamps around the plantation than stay with Legree. Cassy stops her, though, because she knows that Legree will send dogs after her. Cassy even talks about other times in the past when Legree tortured slaves after he caught them. Cassy then tells Emmeline that life on the plantation will never get better, so she should try to get used to it.

Legree, meanwhile, lays down to sleep off the alcohol. He dreams that he hears faint voices and sees a veiled figure coming toward him, whom he slowly recognizes as his mother. Cassy pops up behind Legree and pushes him while laughing. Legree feels like he's falling and then wakes up in a frightened panic.

The next morning, Cassy talks to Legree again about how badly he treated Tom. She tells Legree that Tom will not abandon his morals, no matter how hard things get. Cassy says again that Tom is a good worker and that is why he should leave him alone. Legree reluctantly agrees, but he still has to go see Tom at the shed to have the last word. Legree asks Tom if he is ready to say sorry. Tom says again that he wants to be a good worker, but he won't do anything cruel to anyone. Once more, Legree gets angry and beats Tom. However, Cassy arrives in the knick of time, and her intervention convinces Legree to stop.