 The doctor convinces Amalia and Lewis to send the child away to a life as another man's slave, telling their own slaves that he died during the birthing process.The baby is spirited away in Amalia's knitting basket, into which Louis has placed a pair of spurs in hopes of killing the child.Twenty years later, as several slaves (Scipio, Phebe) discuss their mistress’ increased cruelty since losing her child, another slave named Scylla falls into a trance.