Therese suffering and delusion continues, while her aunt, uncle, cousins, sisters and father tend and suffer with her. Therese, accustomed to calling out for her sister, “Marie! Marie!” does so, but this time she does not recognize her when she comes, and continues to call out for her. Marie leaves, pale and trembling. [Therese says earlier that she remembers everything from these weeks of extreme headache and seeming delusions] Returning, Marie with Celine and cousin Leonie pray before a statue of Mary.

Therese, too, turns to, “my Heavenly Mother, asking her with all my heart to take pity on me now.” She sees the statue come to life, with a smile that “went right to my heart.” The pain left her, and she was filled with heavenly happiness. Marie guessed that Mary had interceded for Therese, and had her recount her experience for her, and later for the sisters at the Carmel.

Recounting this exquisite story caused the happiness Therese first felt to depart, replaced by bitterness. Reflecting on this, Therese responds, “Our Lady was allowing me to go through all this for my own good. I should probably have become vain about it if it had been otherwise.”