"Then she'd have been here," he said gravely.
Key moved towards the door still abstractedly, held out his hand, shook that of his companion warmly, and then, saddling his horse himself, departed.

A sense of disappointment--in which a vague dissatisfaction with himself was mingled--was all that had come of his interview.

He took himself severely to task for following his romantic quest so far.
It was unworthy of the president of the Sylvan Silver Hollow Company, and he was not quite sure but that his confidences with Collinson might have imperiled even the interests of the company.

To atone for this momentary aberration, and correct his dismal fancies, he resolved to attend to some business at Skinner's before returning, and branched off on a long detour that would intersect the traveled stage-road.

But here a singular incident overtook him.