Vaillant is anxious to return to his work in Arizona and cannot understand why Latour has called him back to Santa Fe. Latour has brought him back for his companionship and to share his dream of building a cathedral in Santa Fe.
Cather further delineates the differences between the two priests. Latour wishes the new cathedral to be European in design, while Vaillant seems indifferent. This is a foreshadowing of the two distinct paths the priests will take in the following chapters.
