Dr. Livingstone meets Mother Miriam Ruth, the Mother Superior of the convent where Sister Agnes resides. Mother Miriam invites Martha to address her as “sister” and explains that Agnes has been allowed to remain at the convent while awaiting trial. She offers her assistance, but Dr. Livingstone states that she prefers to question Agnes directly. Mother Miriam insists that Agnes cannot provide answers, claiming that she has “blocked it out, forgotten it” (9), referring to the events surrounding the birth.

Dr. Livingstone questions Mother Miriam about the pregnancy. Mother Miriam states that no one in the convent knew of it. She explains that Agnes lived privately enough to conceal it and that their annual medical examinations did not occur during the pregnancy. She recounts discovering Agnes unconscious in her room and finding the dead infant hidden in a wastepaper basket under the bed while cleaning blood from the room. Another nun, Sister Margaret, was present and contacted the authorities.

When asked about the identity of the father, Mother Miriam denies any knowledge. She states that Agnes has no interactions with men, though she acknowledges the presence of a doctor and a “very shy” priest, Father Marshall, neither of whom she considers likely. She resists Dr. Livingstone’s insistence on identifying the father, arguing that it is irrelevant to the trial. Instead, she suggests that someone must have given Agnes the child.

Mother Miriam expresses distrust of psychiatry and warns Dr. Livingstone to handle Agnes carefully, describing her as fragile and “special.” Agnes is then heard singing in Latin offstage. Mother Miriam describes her voice as angelic and distinct from her simple personality. Dr. Livingstone asks to see Agnes alone, and Mother Miriam agrees before leaving to bring her in.

Agnes continues singing a Latin hymn as the scene begins. Over the sound of the singing, Dr. Livingstone reflects on her effort to remain objective in the case. She recalls a story about a mob that claimed to have weighed the facts carefully before carrying out a lynching, using it to illustrate the difficulty of maintaining true objectivity. She acknowledges that Mother Miriam doubts her impartiality and admits that personal history affects her perspective.

Dr. Livingstone recounts the story of her younger sister, Marie, who chose to enter a convent at the age of 15. Their family accepted this decision, and Dr. Livingstone never saw her sister again. She later received news that Marie had died of untreated appendicitis because the convent’s Mother Superior did not send her to a hospital. She describes waiting to view her sister’s body in a convent room and observing the clean, ordered environment. She interprets this setting as reflective of the mindset within the institution. She states that she sees the mind as the source of meaning and knowledge, asserting that what others attribute to God exists within human consciousness.

Dr. Livingstone notes that Mother Miriam does not share this view and reminds her “so much of [Martha’s] own mother” (15). She then turns her attention to Agnes, stating that hearing her voice has an effect on her. Agnes enters, interrupting Dr. Livingstone’s reflection.

Agnes enters and greets Dr. Livingstone. The doctor introduces herself and begins a conversation, attempting to establish rapport by complimenting Agnes’s voice and appearance. Agnes deflects. When prompted to choose a topic, she mentions God and then love. She states that she loves everyone and tells Dr. Livingstone that she loves her. When asked about loving a man, she speaks of Father Marshall, saying that she knows he loves her because she can see it in his eyes. She explains that they meet weekly in the confessional.

Dr. Livingstone shifts the discussion to the baby. Agnes denies ever seeing a baby and claims that the police invented it. She recalls being ill on the night in question, describing pain in her lower body, going to her room, becoming sicker, and then falling asleep. She maintains that she does not remember any birth and insists that she cannot discuss a baby she does not believe exists. As Dr. Livingstone presses her about how babies are born, Agnes becomes distressed and refuses to continue answering questions, stating that no one listens to her.

Dr. Livingstone changes tactics and allows Agnes to ask questions instead. Agnes asks about Dr. Livingstone’s personal life, including her name, marital status, and whether she has children. Dr. Livingstone answers directly, explaining that she cannot have children and describing her smoking as linked to her mother’s death.

Agnes then describes her own understanding of childbirth, attributing it to angels. She recounts visions of a “Lady” who speaks to her and sings through her, as well as disturbing memories of her mother. She mentions hearing the name “Marie” without understanding it. When Dr. Livingstone asks about these voices, Agnes refuses to continue and asks to return home.

Mother Miriam and Dr. Livingstone discuss Agnes’s condition following the initial interview. Mother Miriam states that Agnes is “not crazy, nor is she lying” (20); instead, she is entirely innocent, with no knowledge of sex or childbirth. She explains that Agnes was raised in isolation by her mother, received little education, and entered the convent without exposure to the outside world, so she would never knowingly harm a child. Dr. Livingstone challenges this view, questioning how such innocence could coexist with the infant’s death. Mother Miriam maintains that Agnes did not consciously commit the act, arguing that she was unconscious due to blood loss and therefore not responsible.

Dr. Livingstone raises the possibility that someone else could have killed the baby, suggesting that another nun might have acted to avoid scandal. Mother Miriam rejects this, insisting that no one knew of the pregnancy, including Agnes. The conversation turns to Agnes’s past behavior. Mother Miriam recounts an incident in which Agnes stopped eating after claiming that God had told her to do so. Agnes appears, and the conversation between Mother Miriam and Agnes is staged, with Agnes claiming that God spoke to her through someone else but that she cannot say who for fear of being punished. She believed that she needed to stop eating because she needed to be attractive for God; God, she said, “hates fat people” (23). Agnes expressed beliefs about suffering, physical purity, and the need to remain small and childlike to be acceptable to God. She described hearing her deceased mother’s voice and fearing punishment. Though she was told that her mother was dead, she insisted that her mother was still watching and listening. Agnes felt that she needed to weigh just eight pounds.

Mother Miriam recalls discovering that Agnes had developed a wound through the palm of her hand, which later disappeared. She chose not to seek medical attention, believing the situation resolved because Agnes resumed eating. Dr. Livingstone interprets the wound as a psychological manifestation, while Mother Miriam views it as a sign of divine influence.

Their disagreement intensifies over Agnes’s treatment and future. Dr. Livingstone insists on evaluating her independently and considers hospitalization or prison, depending on her findings. Mother Miriam argues that exposing Agnes to the outside world would harm her and expresses hope that she will be allowed to return to the convent. The scene ends with Agnes heard singing offstage.