The Mysterious Stranger

The next day, all of Eseldorf is shocked to hear that Father Peter paid off his remaining debt to Solomon Isaacs. He explains the circumstances and asserts that his luck was divine providence. The town is happy for his newfound fortune, but some secretly worry that this was the work of the devil.

Bound by Satan’s enchantment, the boys are unable to share the truth behind Father Peter’s blessing. Thoughts of Satan, and they simultaneous miss his company and fear that his intervention will eventually hinder Father Peter. They constantly watch Father Peter’s house, concerned that his gifts disappear or that some unknown cost will reveal itself. However, all remains peaceful.

Theodor finds himself thinking about Satan’s words on the Moral Sense and goes to ask Father Peter what it is. Father Peter describes it as an intrinsically human quality that allows people to differentiate good and evil. When Theodor questions its value, Father Peter emphatically defends its importance. He responds, “Valuable? Heavens! Lad, it is the one thing that lifts man above the beasts that perish and makes him heir to immortality!” (26). Since, in Father Peter’s eyes, the Moral Sense guarantees access to heaven in the afterlife, it is of the utmost importance and must be guarded.