Our late Mother (Péronne de Châtel) was an immense help to me, for she taught me to walk with simplicity, firmly and fearlessly in the presence of God, and that sufficed for all. The more completely I am stript of all sentiment, all relish, all repose in God, the more do I seem to gain strength and peace of soul, and the more clearly do I see that there is nothing to lean upon but God alone, purely, and simply. One of our Sisters[C] is drawn by this absolute detachment to a degree that it is almost impossible to surpass, and our good Mother (de Châtel) told me that God gave this Sister to me as an example to follow. She wrote at the request of our late Mother an account of her interior state to which I have added in detail. She is a soul of great virtue and her detachment is marvellous. Speaking of this, some days ago, Our Lord gave me a light so vivid and set it before me in a manner so luminous that I saw without a shadow of doubt that I must no longer cast my eyes upon myself about anything whatsoever, nor even question my Beloved, but in all simplicity and repose become absorbed in Him. Now since this day of alleviation it seems to me that I have kept myself more continuously in God's presence, and I have but seldom had those violent temptations--only two or three times. This is, I think, all that I can give myself time to say at present. If I have not expressed myself well to this distinguished servant of God you will not fail to understand me and will tell me what he says. Yours, etc. FOOTNOTES: [A] The following extract from a letter of St. Francis to Mme. de Chantal, March 28th, 1612, tells us what these virtues were: he says, "But let us come to the interior trial which you write to me about. It is in reality a certain insensibility which deprives you of the enjoyment not only of consolations and inspirations but also of faith, hope, and charity. You have them all the time, and in a very good condition, but you do not enjoy them: in fact you are like an infant whose guardian takes away from him the administration of all his goods in such sort that, while in reality all is his, yet he handles and seems to possess no more than what he requires for living, and as St. Paul says in this, 'He differeth nothing from a servant though he be lord of all things.' In the same way, my dear daughter, God does not want you to have the management of your faith, your hope, or of your charity, nor to enjoy them except just to live, and to use them on occasions of pure necessity."