Castle Nowhere: Lake-Country Sketches. by Constance Fenimore Woolson.

The story centers on Father Piret, a mysterious figure who has lived in isolation on a small Indian farm for fifty years after serving briefly on an island. His background is intriguing, as he is educated and aristocratic, yet he chooses a life of solitude, occasionally offering services to the local half-breeds. Despite his apparent wealth and refined tastes, the reasons for his seclusion and lack of formal missionary status remain unclear, adding an air of enigma to his character and life choices.