▁is ▁a ▁dev out ▁Roman ▁Catholic . ▁After ▁living ▁happ ily ▁together ▁for ▁eight ▁years , ▁the ▁couple — each ▁of ▁whom ▁has ▁a ▁violent ▁temper , ▁in ▁the ▁husband ▁combined ▁with ▁ins ane ▁je alous y — are ▁gradually ▁est r anged ▁by ▁C ath ar ine ' s ▁spiritual ▁advis er , ▁Father ▁Leonard , ▁an ▁el o quent ▁young ▁priest . ▁Griff ith ▁disco vers ▁his ▁wife ▁and ▁Leonard ▁under ▁apparently ▁susp icious ▁circumstances ; ▁and ▁after ▁a ▁violent ▁scene ▁he ▁r ides ▁away , ▁with ▁the ▁intention ▁of ▁never ▁returning . ▁He ▁reaches ▁an ▁inn ▁in ▁an ▁ad jo ining ▁county , ▁where ▁he ▁is ▁n urs ed ▁through ▁a ▁fe ver ▁by ▁the ▁inn keeper ' s ▁daughter , ▁Mer cy ▁V int . ▁Assuming ▁the ▁name ▁of ▁his ▁il leg it imate ▁brother , ▁Thomas ▁Le ic ester , ▁to ▁whom ▁he ▁be ars ▁a ▁super f icial ▁res embl ance , ▁he ▁mar ries ▁Mer cy . ▁Return ing ▁to ▁his ▁old ▁home ▁to ▁obtain ▁a ▁sum ▁of ▁money ▁belonging ▁to ▁him , ▁he ▁is ▁recon ci led ▁to ▁C ath ar ine ▁by ▁her ▁earlier ▁advis er , ▁Father ▁Francis . ▁Under ▁a ▁false ▁pre text ▁he ▁goes ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁inn ▁to ▁break ▁with ▁Mer cy ; ▁but ▁finding ▁it ▁more ▁difficult ▁than ▁he ▁had ▁anticip ated , ▁he ▁def ers ▁final ▁action , ▁and ▁returns ▁to ▁C umber land . ▁Here ▁he ▁is ▁received ▁by ▁C ath ar ine ▁with ▁fur ious ▁repro