The brothel is owned by a man who pays her well. Aghast at the news, Abraham demands a horse and an officer's uniform and hat. The friend gives him his disguise, and Abraham decides to take some gold so he can pay the master of Mary's house. In the town of Assos, Abraham approaches the inn where Mary resides. The Master of the Inn greets Abraham, and Abraham asks for a place to stay. Once Abraham has received the man's hospitality, he asks see the young girl about whom he has heard great things. The man praises Mary's youth, telling Abraham that she "outshines all the other women." In a room at the inn, the Master of the Inn brings Mary to Abraham. In an aside to the audience, Abraham calls on his personal strength to be able to see her "decked out in the guise of a harlot." He must preserve his disguise and not show his true feelings about her. When he sees her, Abraham asks Mary to give him a kiss. When she embraces Abraham, she recognizes Abraham's scent, but cannot place it. Mary begins crying, telling the audience "How far have I fallen, and into what a sink of iniquity!' When the Master of the Inn asks her why she cries, she exclaims that she wishes she had died before she fell into this disgraceful way of life. Abraham consoles the girl, and the three sit down for supper. When they have finished their meal, Mary tells Abraham to go to bed, where she will visit him. When Mary and Abraham enter a bedroom at the inn, Abraham tells Mary to lock the door so that no one can come in. When Abraham takes off his disguise, Mary reveals her angelic life is lost. He asks her why she deserted him without telling him of her fall from grace. He and Effrem would have done penance on her behalf. Mary says that she could not bear to approach him in her defiled state. Abraham explains that human nature is to sin, and it is not the man who sins who deserves condemnation, but the man who fails to rise up from the sin. Hearing this, Mary falls at Abraham's feet. She stares at the ground, unable to look at him. Believing that she does not deserve pardon, Abraham reasons with her to drop her despair and accept his guidance. Mary submits herself to his wishes. She says that she will walk behind him in his footsteps back to his cell, but Abraham demands that she will ride on his horse to protect her feet.