She came by with a smile and a word of greeting, to which his rapt attention prevented any reply except a slight nod.

When she had passed, he turned and looked after her until she had gone around the little hill on the road that entered the canon.
After the early evening meal that day, along the many-roomed house of this good man, from door to door there ran the words, starting from her who had last been sealed to him: "He's making himself all proud!" They knew what it meant, and wondered whom.
A little later the Bishop set out, his face clean-shaven to the ruffle of white whisker that ran under his chin from ear to ear, his scant hair smooth and shining with grease from the largest bear ever trapped in the Pine Mountains, and his tall form arrayed in his best suit of homespun.
As he went he trolled an ancient lay of love, and youth was in his step.
For there had come all day upon this Prince of Israel those subtle essences distilled by spring to provoke the mating urge.

At the Rae house he found only Christina.
"Where's Brother Joel, Sister Rae ?" "Himself has gone out there," Christina had answered with a wave of her hand, and using the term of respect which she always applied to her husband.
He went around the house, out past the stable and corrals and across the irrigating ditch to where he saw Joel Rae leaning on the rail fence about the peach orchard.

Far down between two rows of the blossoming trees he could see the girl reaching up to break off a pink-sprayed bough.

He quickened his pace and was soon at the fence.
"Brother Joel,--I--the--" The good man had been full of his message a moment before, but now he stammered and hesitated because of something cold in the other's eye as it seemed to note the unwonted elegance of his attire.