Despite the fact that he draws on the legends of saints for these stories, other novels by Eça reveal a fairly ambivalent approach to the Catholic Church, with The Crime of Father Amaro being openly critical of the clergy and The Relic poking fun at the excessive religiosity of late 19th Century Portugal.

He helps by burying the dead and carrying food and firewood but is eventually captured by the Count, who is jealous of the affection of the people for him.

The Friar persuades him to help with the hermits’ daily chores, to give them more time for their religious activities, but Christopher eventually leaves finding their obsession with paying penances, including self-flagellation, to be ridiculous.

This leads him to question his religious beliefs, not understanding why God fails to intervene to put an end to the suffering.

When the rebels were eventually defeated he comes close to death but receives a visitation from an angel and recovers to again wander the countryside, helping people wherever he can.

[4] In an introduction to the book, Carlos Reis considers that the novella strongly represents the values of Eça himself, those of a passion for social justice and human solidarity that are nearly always reflected in his other works.