Mr. Gorman is a preacher in a small town. When he was young he survived a coal mine explosion and heard God tell him that he was his instrument. He believes that a popular rich woman who visits every summer is sinful. During their childhood, Mr. Gorman had sexual dreams of her. Afterwards, he would wash himself in a nearby mountain river. As the two grow older, she marries a military officer and has children. One night while on a bus, Mr. Gorman engages in sexual activity with a drunk woman. Afterwards, he washes in the same mountain river and beats himself with stones until he bleeds. One day, the rich woman comes to talk to him while he is tending his garden. Overcome with sexual desire, Mr. Gorman falls to his knees and crawls toward her. She subsequently scoops up her children and runs away. Eventually the woman's husband dies in war, and she does not appear in the town for several summers. Recently she has returned again with a new man. During this summer she confronts Mr. Gorman about using snakes during his service and demands that he stop doing so. During his next service he preaches and asks his congregation to prove their faith by handling the snakes, but everyone refuses. The rich woman then closes the church. Later, Mr. Gorman interrupts her meal with guests at her mansion and is escorted back to his home by the police. Then at night, Mr. Gorman stalks her and her lover at a nearby lake. As they are making love in the boathouse, Mr. Gorman traps them inside and releases his snakes inside to kill the two of them.