The Virginian

After dinner, the parson retires to his room while the other men move to the judge’s office and chat over whiskey. The Virginian arrives to make his report, and he discovers that his recent exploits have preceded him. The judge offers him a chance to toot his own horn, but the Southerner doesn’t take the bait.

Pleased, the judge announces that his foreman has taken a job in Los Angeles, and that the Virginian can be the new foreman if he likes. Deeply moved, the Southerner accepts. The narrator realizes that, with his old protector gone, Trampas has no defense against the Virginian. The judge knows it, too. 

The women prepare the house for a religious service by Dr. MacBride. The men offer to help: “This amused the ladies. They had done without us” (235).

Scipio helps the Virginian move his belongings to the foreman’s cabin. At the bunkhouse, the men are cleaning up for the service. Scipio arrives and claims the Virginian’s old bunk. He tells the narrator that he knows what the Virginian has planned for Trampas. The narrator asks to know, but Scipio refuses: “It's too blamed grand to tell yu'. I'll leave yu' to see it happen” (238).

Dr. MacBride delivers his sermon, a severe lecture about damnation with no mention of love or forgiveness. The Virginian appears fascinated. Afterward, most of the congregants shrug it off. The judge, his wife, and the guests agree that the parson’s presence will make it a long week.

The narrator must share a room with the parson in the foreman’s cabin. Late that night, he awakes to see the Virginian looming over the cleric, requesting further instruction. Dr. MacBride follows him to the other room, where they talk for a while, and then MacBride returns to his bed. Sometime later, the Virginian returns and implores the parson once again to counsel him against temptation. This he does again, then comes back and resumes his sleep.

Awhile later, from the other room, the Virginian wails, "I'm afeared! I'm afeared! Sin has quit being bitter in my belly” (245). MacBride rises and goes to the next room. This time, they talk for hours until well past dawn. The parson returns to his room, having missed an entire night’s sleep. The Virginian expresses a final, sincere hope that the good doctor might help him again the following night.

At this, the narrator can’t hold his amusement and bursts out laughing. Dr. MacBride, suddenly understanding that he’s been mocked, becomes irate. The Virginian howls with laughter in the other room. The parson dresses in a huff, stomps out the door, and drives away in his buggy. The Virginian, on his own authority, has performed well his first act as foreman.

Trampas drops by to congratulate the Virginian on his promotion. He expects the new boss to fire him, but the Southerner informs him that he has no intention of using his position in that way.

At breakfast, Judge Henry hears about the Virginian’s prank with the parson and laughs, saying he’d promote his foreman to general if there were such a ranch posting.

The narrator accompanies the Virginian and Molly on a ride to the river. At one point, while fishing some distance away, he overhears Molly admit to the Virginian she has liked no man as much as he, but she expects she will. He laughs and tells her not to bet on it. 

The Ogdens remind Molly of her home back East, which she misses. This helps her resist the Virginian’s courtship. His added duties as foreman keep him busy, and for the rest of the week, he’s unable to be alone with her. Finally, Molly jumps at the chance to travel back East with the Ogdens and vacation with her family. On the train, however, she keeps thinking of the Virginian.

At Bennington, the Bannetts throw Molly a banquet, and young Sam resumes his campaign to win her heart. They go driving, and Molly marvels at the old sights. Each vista, though, fails to compare with her memories of the West.

Her great-aunt—who in youth had curtsied to Lafayette, and who had counseled Molly not to marry Sam if she didn’t love him—now sees on her the effects of another man. Knowing Molly will have one, she asks to see his picture. Molly agrees to show it, but only to her. At first, the great-aunt is shocked that it is a cowboy, and she assumes he regularly kills people, but Molly argues for his decency. He does appear handsome and self-possessed, and the great-aunt relents, thinking, "She is like us all. She wants a man that is a man” (261). The great-aunt gives her blessing.

Shortly after Molly returns to the West, a rumor erupts in Bennington that she is engaged to a cattle rustler, stage robber, Mexican bandit, or even a Mormon. 

The Virginian and Molly resume their friendship in the fall, but winter closes in and, with no ranch work, the Southerner continues his education. He practices penmanship and spelling, studies textbooks, and reads fiction. Mrs. Henry corrects his papers; playfully, she confesses to her husband that she’s smitten with her student, but he rejoins that the Virginian only has eyes for Molly.

Scipio has become good friends with the Southerner. One day, they watch as Trampas rides with Shorty across the snowbound landscape. They know that Trampas is talking Shorty into leaving with him in the Spring, and Shorty is too dim to realize Trampas is using him. Scipio thinks Shorty isn’t worth the bother, but the Virginian argues that Shorty is good to the horses and has a compassionate heart.

Scipio believes the Virginian has been too kind in permitting Trampas to stay in the ranch’s employ. The Virginian counters that he doesn’t want to set a precedent of firing someone out of spite. What’s more, he can keep an eye on Trampas, whom they suspect of the occasional cattle theft, as long as he keeps him near.

The Virginian wants to help Shorty. He calls him in and promises him work in the Spring calming horses, but Shorty believes he can make more elsewhere. The Virginian invites Shorty to think it over, but he knows Trampas has put dreams into Shorty’s head that won’t come out. When Spring arrives, Trampas leaves, taking Shorty with him.