At length he glanced angrily around him:—­“Well,” said he, “what is it now, ye poor infatuated wretches, to trust in the sanctity of man?  Learn from me to place the same confidence in God which you place in His guilty creatures, and you will not lean on a broken reed.  Father O’Rourke, you, too, witness my disgrace, but not my punishment.  It is pleasant, no doubt, to have a topic for conversation at your Conferences; enjoy it.  As for you, Margaret, if society lessen misery, we may be less miserable.  But the band of your order, and the remembrance of your vow is on your forehead, like the mark of Cain—­tear it off, and let it not blast a man who is the victim of prejudice still, nay, of superstition, as well as of guilt; tear it from my sight.”  His eyes kindled fearfully as he attempted to pull it away by force.

She calmly took it off, and he immediately tore it into pieces, and stamped upon the fragments as he flung them on the ground.

“Come,” said the despairing man—­“come—­there is a shelter for you, but no peace!—­food, and drink, and raiment, but no peace!—­NO PEACE!” As he uttered these words, in a voice that sank to its deepest pitch, he took her hand, and they both departed to his own residence.

The amazement and horror of those who were assembled in Bartley’s house cannot be described.  Our readers may be assured that they deepened in character as they spread through the parish.  An undefined fear of this mysterious pair seized upon the people, for their images were associated in their minds with darkness and crime, and supernatural communion.  The departing words of Father Philip rang in their ears:  they trembled, and devoutly crossed themselves, as fancy again repeated the awful exclamation of the priest—­“No peace! no peace!”

When Father Philip and his unhappy associate went home, he instantly made her a surrender of his small property; but with difficulty did he command sufficient calmness to accomplish even this.  He was distracted—­his blood seemed to have been turned to fire—­he clenched his hands, and he gnashed his teeth, and exhibited the wildest symptoms of madness.  About ten o’clock he desired fuel for a large fire to be brought into the kitchen, and got a strong cord, which he coiled, and threw carelessly on the table.  The family were then ordered to bed.  About eleven they were all asleep; and at the solemn hour of twelve he heaped additional fuel upon the living turf, until the blaze shone with scorching light upon everything around.  Dark and desolating was the tempest within him, as he paced, with agitated steps, before the crackling fire.