He began to feel sorry for her, and his angry thought's centered on Charnock.
It was, of course, ridiculous to imagine that Bob was seriously trying to make love to Helen; he knew her character too well.

All the same, the fellow might amuse himself by mild indulgence in romantic sentiment.

He was a fool and a slacker, and had now humiliated Helen for the second time.

The longer Festing thought about it, the angrier he got, and when he roused himself as the horses plunged down the side of a ravine he was surprised to note how far he had gone.

He had just time to tighten the reins and guide the team across the open log bridge at the bottom, and as they plodded up the other side saw that he had better get home as soon as possible.
The drooping leaves of the birches in the hollow flittered ominously, and when he reached the summit a bluff that stood out from the plain two or three miles off suddenly vanished.