chunk: The middle of the novel is for the most part a description of life at Riverboro and its inhabitants. Important characters are Jeremiah Cobb and his wife Sarah, who first encounter Rebecca's charm; Rebecca's schoolfellow and best friend, Emma Jane Perkins; and Adam Ladd, a young businessman who takes an interest in Rebecca's education. Adam meets Rebecca when she and Emma Jane are selling soap to help a poor family receive a lamp as a premium. Rebecca nicknames him "Mr. Aladdin".