Mr。McLean’shourswerealreadyvariousandsuccessful。Evenatthewolf-dance，beforehehadweariedofitsmonotonousdrummingandpageant，hisrovingeyehadresteduponagirlwhoseeyeshecaughtrestinguponhim。Alook，anapproach，aword，andeachwassooncontentwiththeother。Then，whenherdutiescalledhertothepostfromhimandthestream’sborder，withapromisefornextdayhesoughtthehotelandfoundthethreegamblersanxioustomakehisacquaintance；forwhenacow-puncherhashispaymanypeoplewilltakeaninterestinhim。ThethreegamblersdidnotknowthatMr。McLeancouldplaycards。Heleftthemlateintheeveningfatwiththeirmoney，andsoughtthetepeesoftheArapahoes。TheylivedacrosstheroadfromtheShoshones，andamongtheirtentstheboyremaineduntilmorning。Hewashereinchurchnow，keepinghispromisetoseethebishopwiththegirlofyesterday；andwhilehegravelylookedatthebishop，MissSabinaStoneallowedhisarmtoencircleherwaist。Nosoldierhadachievedthisyet，butLinwasthefirstcow-punchershehadseen，andhehadgivenherthehandkerchieffromroundhisneck。
Thequietairblewinthroughthewindowsanddoor，thepure，lightbreathfromthemountains；only，passingovertheirfoot-hillsithadcaughtandcarriedthecleararomaofthesage-brush。Thisitbroughtintochurch，andwiththisseemedalsotofloatthepeaceandgreatsilenceoftheplains。Thelittlemelodeoninthecorner，playedbyoneoftheladiesatthepost，hadfinishedaccompanyingthehymn，andnowitprolongedafewclosingchordswhilethebishoppausedbeforehisaddress，restinghiskeeneyesonthepeople。Hewasdressedinaplainsuitofblackwithanarrowblacktie。ThiswasbecausetheUnionPacificRailroad，whileithaddeliveredhimcorrectlyatGreenRiver，haddespatchedhisrobestowardsCheyenne。
Withoutcitingchapterandversethebishopbegan：
“Andhearose，andcametohisfather。Butwhenhewasyetagreatwayoff，hisfathersawhim，andhadcompassion，andran，andfellonhisneckandkissedhim。“
Thebishoptoldthestoryofthatsurpassingparable，andthenproceededtodrawfromitadiscoursefittedtothedriftingdestiniesinwhosepresencehefoundhimselfforonesolitarymorning。Hespokeunlikemanyclergymen。Hiswordswerechieflythosewhichthepeopleroundhimused，andhisvoicewasmorelikeearnesttalkingthanpreaching。