Indeed it was quite true that Maria needed to be where nobody but the good God could hear her when she spoke of her love for the cavalier Vital. The son of the wealthy Captain of the district had long admired her delicate beauty. He had already sought her for his bride. His jealousy against Vital rose up like a burning flame. He went to Maria and demanded that she should marry him at once.
Maria firmly refused.
"If you do not wed me," said the captain's son, "I shall have my father lock you up in the stronghold of St. Louis on the hillside."
"I should prefer to spend all my days confined in the castle of St. Louis rather than be your wife," said she. "Why can't you leave me in peace with my relics of the good St. Brendan!"
The mention of St. Brendan's relics stirred the young man's wrath even more. He well knew who it was who had given her the holy relics. His threat was fulfilled, and she was taken that very day to the castle of St. Louis and locked up in that stronghold.
Her room had a window, and there she sat high up in the tower of the castle looking down at the city of Angra beneath her.
"I had longed to serve the good God," she cried. "Why is it that my life has been made useless!"
At that very moment the earth trembled. The strong walls of the castle shook as if they had been built of paper.
Near the fort two doves were sitting on the branches of a cedar tree.
"Let us rescue this fair maid," said one dove to the other.