Chapter IV · Chapter 4

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading His conclusion that there was nothing in common between cattle raising and journalism was not a result of an involved process of reasoning, and had he not been endowed with a sense of humor he might have become embittered.

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading It had seemed to him, as two weeks before he had ridden away from the court house--sitting on the seat of the buckboard beside Neil Norton, his suitcases tucked snugly away underneath--that he was once and for all severing his connection with the big, bustling world in which he had moved; in whose busy scenes he had been so vitally interested.

at all times; all the time and on every occasion

From this reading Though a sacrifice be made cheerfully, there lingers always its ghost to draw mental pictures of "what might have been."

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading His conclusion that there was nothing in common between cattle raising and journalism was not a result of an involved process of reasoning, and had he not been endowed with a sense of humor he might have become embittered.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading His conclusion that there was nothing in common between cattle raising and journalism was not a result of an involved process of reasoning, and had he not been endowed with a sense of humor he might have become embittered.

accomplishment of an objective

From this reading AT THE CIRCLE BAR In the two weeks that followed his arrival at Dry Bottom, Hollis had much time to meditate upon the great change that had come into his life.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading It had seemed to him, as two weeks before he had ridden away from the court house--sitting on the seat of the buckboard beside Neil Norton, his suitcases tucked snugly away underneath--that he was once and for all severing his connection with the big, bustling world in which he had moved; in whose busy scenes he had been so vitally interested.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading AT THE CIRCLE BAR In the two weeks that followed his arrival at Dry Bottom, Hollis had much time to meditate upon the great change that had come into his life.

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading It had seemed to him, as two weeks before he had ridden away from the court house--sitting on the seat of the buckboard beside Neil Norton, his suitcases tucked snugly away underneath--that he was once and for all severing his connection with the big, bustling world in which he had moved; in whose busy scenes he had been so vitally interested.

a room or establishment where alcoholic drinks are served over a counter

From this reading AT THE CIRCLE BAR In the two weeks that followed his arrival at Dry Bottom, Hollis had much time to meditate upon the great change that had come into his life.

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading Though a sacrifice be made cheerfully, there lingers always its ghost to draw mental pictures of "what might have been."

enter or assume a certain state or condition

From this reading His conclusion that there was nothing in common between cattle raising and journalism was not a result of an involved process of reasoning, and had he not been endowed with a sense of humor he might have become embittered.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading His conclusion that there was nothing in common between cattle raising and journalism was not a result of an involved process of reasoning, and had he not been endowed with a sense of humor he might have become embittered.

earlier than; in front of

From this reading It had seemed to him, as two weeks before he had ridden away from the court house--sitting on the seat of the buckboard beside Neil Norton, his suitcases tucked snugly away underneath--that he was once and for all severing his connection with the big, bustling world in which he had moved; in whose busy scenes he had been so vitally interested.

next to; at the side of

From this reading It had seemed to him, as two weeks before he had ridden away from the court house--sitting on the seat of the buckboard beside Neil Norton, his suitcases tucked snugly away underneath--that he was once and for all severing his connection with the big, bustling world in which he had moved; in whose busy scenes he had been so vitally interested.

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading His conclusion that there was nothing in common between cattle raising and journalism was not a result of an involved process of reasoning, and had he not been endowed with a sense of humor he might have become embittered.

above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading It had seemed to him, as two weeks before he had ridden away from the court house--sitting on the seat of the buckboard beside Neil Norton, his suitcases tucked snugly away underneath--that he was once and for all severing his connection with the big, bustling world in which he had moved; in whose busy scenes he had been so vitally interested.

the lower side of anything

From this reading AT THE CIRCLE BAR In the two weeks that followed his arrival at Dry Bottom, Hollis had much time to meditate upon the great change that had come into his life.

an open horse-drawn carriage with four wheels; has a seat attached to a flexible board between the two axles

From this reading It had seemed to him, as two weeks before he had ridden away from the court house--sitting on the seat of the buckboard beside Neil Norton, his suitcases tucked snugly away underneath--that he was once and for all severing his connection with the big, bustling world in which he had moved; in whose busy scenes he had been so vitally interested.

full of energetic and noisy activity

From this reading It had seemed to him, as two weeks before he had ridden away from the court house--sitting on the seat of the buckboard beside Neil Norton, his suitcases tucked snugly away underneath--that he was once and for all severing his connection with the big, bustling world in which he had moved; in whose busy scenes he had been so vitally interested.

actively or fully engaged or occupied

From this reading It had seemed to him, as two weeks before he had ridden away from the court house--sitting on the seat of the buckboard beside Neil Norton, his suitcases tucked snugly away underneath--that he was once and for all severing his connection with the big, bustling world in which he had moved; in whose busy scenes he had been so vitally interested.

domesticated bovine animals as a group regardless of sex or age

From this reading His conclusion that there was nothing in common between cattle raising and journalism was not a result of an involved process of reasoning, and had he not been endowed with a sense of humor he might have become embittered.

cause to change; make different; cause a transformation

From this reading AT THE CIRCLE BAR In the two weeks that followed his arrival at Dry Bottom, Hollis had much time to meditate upon the great change that had come into his life.

in a cheerful manner

From this reading Though a sacrifice be made cheerfully, there lingers always its ghost to draw mental pictures of "what might have been."

ellipse in which the two axes are of equal length; a plane curve generated by one point moving at a constant distance from a fixed point

From this reading AT THE CIRCLE BAR In the two weeks that followed his arrival at Dry Bottom, Hollis had much time to meditate upon the great change that had come into his life.

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading AT THE CIRCLE BAR In the two weeks that followed his arrival at Dry Bottom, Hollis had much time to meditate upon the great change that had come into his life.

belonging to or participated in by a community as a whole; public

From this reading His conclusion that there was nothing in common between cattle raising and journalism was not a result of an involved process of reasoning, and had he not been endowed with a sense of humor he might have become embittered.

a position or opinion or judgment reached after consideration

From this reading His conclusion that there was nothing in common between cattle raising and journalism was not a result of an involved process of reasoning, and had he not been endowed with a sense of humor he might have become embittered.

a relation between things or events (as in the case of one causing the other or sharing features with it)

From this reading It had seemed to him, as two weeks before he had ridden away from the court house--sitting on the seat of the buckboard beside Neil Norton, his suitcases tucked snugly away underneath--that he was once and for all severing his connection with the big, bustling world in which he had moved; in whose busy scenes he had been so vitally interested.

an assembly (including one or more judges) to conduct judicial business

From this reading It had seemed to him, as two weeks before he had ridden away from the court house--sitting on the seat of the buckboard beside Neil Norton, his suitcases tucked snugly away underneath--that he was once and for all severing his connection with the big, bustling world in which he had moved; in whose busy scenes he had been so vitally interested.

cause to move by pulling

From this reading Though a sacrifice be made cheerfully, there lingers always its ghost to draw mental pictures of "what might have been."

free from liquid or moisture; lacking natural or normal moisture or depleted of water; or no longer wet

From this reading AT THE CIRCLE BAR In the two weeks that followed his arrival at Dry Bottom, Hollis had much time to meditate upon the great change that had come into his life.

past form of “embitter” — cause to be bitter or resentful

From this reading His conclusion that there was nothing in common between cattle raising and journalism was not a result of an involved process of reasoning, and had he not been endowed with a sense of humor he might have become embittered.

provided or supplied or equipped with (especially as by inheritance or nature)

From this reading His conclusion that there was nothing in common between cattle raising and journalism was not a result of an involved process of reasoning, and had he not been endowed with a sense of humor he might have become embittered.

mat together and make felt-like

From this reading Hollis would have been more than human had he not felt some little regret over his sacrifice.

past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after

From this reading AT THE CIRCLE BAR In the two weeks that followed his arrival at Dry Bottom, Hollis had much time to meditate upon the great change that had come into his life.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading It had seemed to him, as two weeks before he had ridden away from the court house--sitting on the seat of the buckboard beside Neil Norton, his suitcases tucked snugly away underneath--that he was once and for all severing his connection with the big, bustling world in which he had moved; in whose busy scenes he had been so vitally interested.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading It had seemed to him, as two weeks before he had ridden away from the court house--sitting on the seat of the buckboard beside Neil Norton, his suitcases tucked snugly away underneath--that he was once and for all severing his connection with the big, bustling world in which he had moved; in whose busy scenes he had been so vitally interested.

a mental representation of some haunting experience

From this reading Though a sacrifice be made cheerfully, there lingers always its ghost to draw mental pictures of "what might have been."

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading AT THE CIRCLE BAR In the two weeks that followed his arrival at Dry Bottom, Hollis had much time to meditate upon the great change that had come into his life.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading AT THE CIRCLE BAR In the two weeks that followed his arrival at Dry Bottom, Hollis had much time to meditate upon the great change that had come into his life.

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading His conclusion that there was nothing in common between cattle raising and journalism was not a result of an involved process of reasoning, and had he not been endowed with a sense of humor he might have become embittered.

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading His conclusion that there was nothing in common between cattle raising and journalism was not a result of an involved process of reasoning, and had he not been endowed with a sense of humor he might have become embittered.

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading It had seemed to him, as two weeks before he had ridden away from the court house--sitting on the seat of the buckboard beside Neil Norton, his suitcases tucked snugly away underneath--that he was once and for all severing his connection with the big, bustling world in which he had moved; in whose busy scenes he had been so vitally interested.

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading AT THE CIRCLE BAR In the two weeks that followed his arrival at Dry Bottom, Hollis had much time to meditate upon the great change that had come into his life.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading AT THE CIRCLE BAR In the two weeks that followed his arrival at Dry Bottom, Hollis had much time to meditate upon the great change that had come into his life.

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading It had seemed to him, as two weeks before he had ridden away from the court house--sitting on the seat of the buckboard beside Neil Norton, his suitcases tucked snugly away underneath--that he was once and for all severing his connection with the big, bustling world in which he had moved; in whose busy scenes he had been so vitally interested.

characteristic of humanity

From this reading Hollis would have been more than human had he not felt some little regret over his sacrifice.

a message whose ingenuity or verbal skill or incongruity has the power to evoke laughter

From this reading His conclusion that there was nothing in common between cattle raising and journalism was not a result of an involved process of reasoning, and had he not been endowed with a sense of humor he might have become embittered.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading AT THE CIRCLE BAR In the two weeks that followed his arrival at Dry Bottom, Hollis had much time to meditate upon the great change that had come into his life.

having or showing interest; especially curiosity or fascination or concern

From this reading It had seemed to him, as two weeks before he had ridden away from the court house--sitting on the seat of the buckboard beside Neil Norton, his suitcases tucked snugly away underneath--that he was once and for all severing his connection with the big, bustling world in which he had moved; in whose busy scenes he had been so vitally interested.

moving to the inside of something

From this reading AT THE CIRCLE BAR In the two weeks that followed his arrival at Dry Bottom, Hollis had much time to meditate upon the great change that had come into his life.

connected by participation or association or use

From this reading His conclusion that there was nothing in common between cattle raising and journalism was not a result of an involved process of reasoning, and had he not been endowed with a sense of humor he might have become embittered.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It had seemed to him, as two weeks before he had ridden away from the court house--sitting on the seat of the buckboard beside Neil Norton, his suitcases tucked snugly away underneath--that he was once and for all severing his connection with the big, bustling world in which he had moved; in whose busy scenes he had been so vitally interested.

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading Though a sacrifice be made cheerfully, there lingers always its ghost to draw mental pictures of "what might have been."

newspapers and magazines collectively

From this reading His conclusion that there was nothing in common between cattle raising and journalism was not a result of an involved process of reasoning, and had he not been endowed with a sense of humor he might have become embittered.

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading AT THE CIRCLE BAR In the two weeks that followed his arrival at Dry Bottom, Hollis had much time to meditate upon the great change that had come into his life.

third-person singular of “linger” — remain present although waning or gradually dying

From this reading Though a sacrifice be made cheerfully, there lingers always its ghost to draw mental pictures of "what might have been."

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading Hollis would have been more than human had he not felt some little regret over his sacrifice.

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading Though a sacrifice be made cheerfully, there lingers always its ghost to draw mental pictures of "what might have been."

reflect deeply on a subject

From this reading AT THE CIRCLE BAR In the two weeks that followed his arrival at Dry Bottom, Hollis had much time to meditate upon the great change that had come into his life.

involving the mind or an intellectual process

From this reading Though a sacrifice be made cheerfully, there lingers always its ghost to draw mental pictures of "what might have been."

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading His conclusion that there was nothing in common between cattle raising and journalism was not a result of an involved process of reasoning, and had he not been endowed with a sense of humor he might have become embittered.

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading Hollis would have been more than human had he not felt some little regret over his sacrifice.

being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion

From this reading It had seemed to him, as two weeks before he had ridden away from the court house--sitting on the seat of the buckboard beside Neil Norton, his suitcases tucked snugly away underneath--that he was once and for all severing his connection with the big, bustling world in which he had moved; in whose busy scenes he had been so vitally interested.

to a great degree or extent

From this reading AT THE CIRCLE BAR In the two weeks that followed his arrival at Dry Bottom, Hollis had much time to meditate upon the great change that had come into his life.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading It had seemed to him, as two weeks before he had ridden away from the court house--sitting on the seat of the buckboard beside Neil Norton, his suitcases tucked snugly away underneath--that he was once and for all severing his connection with the big, bustling world in which he had moved; in whose busy scenes he had been so vitally interested.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading It had seemed to him, as two weeks before he had ridden away from the court house--sitting on the seat of the buckboard beside Neil Norton, his suitcases tucked snugly away underneath--that he was once and for all severing his connection with the big, bustling world in which he had moved; in whose busy scenes he had been so vitally interested.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading His conclusion that there was nothing in common between cattle raising and journalism was not a result of an involved process of reasoning, and had he not been endowed with a sense of humor he might have become embittered.

not one thing; not anything

From this reading His conclusion that there was nothing in common between cattle raising and journalism was not a result of an involved process of reasoning, and had he not been endowed with a sense of humor he might have become embittered.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading His conclusion that there was nothing in common between cattle raising and journalism was not a result of an involved process of reasoning, and had he not been endowed with a sense of humor he might have become embittered.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading It had seemed to him, as two weeks before he had ridden away from the court house--sitting on the seat of the buckboard beside Neil Norton, his suitcases tucked snugly away underneath--that he was once and for all severing his connection with the big, bustling world in which he had moved; in whose busy scenes he had been so vitally interested.

on one occasion

From this reading It had seemed to him, as two weeks before he had ridden away from the court house--sitting on the seat of the buckboard beside Neil Norton, his suitcases tucked snugly away underneath--that he was once and for all severing his connection with the big, bustling world in which he had moved; in whose busy scenes he had been so vitally interested.

above and across; more than

From this reading Hollis would have been more than human had he not felt some little regret over his sacrifice.

plural of “picture” — a visual representation (of an object or scene or person or abstraction) produced on a surface

From this reading Though a sacrifice be made cheerfully, there lingers always its ghost to draw mental pictures of "what might have been."

subject to a process or treatment, with the aim of readying for some purpose, improving, or remedying a condition

From this reading His conclusion that there was nothing in common between cattle raising and journalism was not a result of an involved process of reasoning, and had he not been endowed with a sense of humor he might have become embittered.

the event of something being raised upward

From this reading His conclusion that there was nothing in common between cattle raising and journalism was not a result of an involved process of reasoning, and had he not been endowed with a sense of humor he might have become embittered.

thinking that is coherent and logical

From this reading His conclusion that there was nothing in common between cattle raising and journalism was not a result of an involved process of reasoning, and had he not been endowed with a sense of humor he might have become embittered.

feel remorse for; feel sorry for; be contrite about

From this reading Hollis would have been more than human had he not felt some little regret over his sacrifice.

a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon

From this reading His conclusion that there was nothing in common between cattle raising and journalism was not a result of an involved process of reasoning, and had he not been endowed with a sense of humor he might have become embittered.

inflected form of “ride” — sit and travel on the back of animal, usually while controlling its motions

From this reading It had seemed to him, as two weeks before he had ridden away from the court house--sitting on the seat of the buckboard beside Neil Norton, his suitcases tucked snugly away underneath--that he was once and for all severing his connection with the big, bustling world in which he had moved; in whose busy scenes he had been so vitally interested.

the act of losing or surrendering something as a penalty for a mistake or fault or failure to perform etc.

From this reading Though a sacrifice be made cheerfully, there lingers always its ghost to draw mental pictures of "what might have been."

plural of “scene” — the place where some action occurs

From this reading It had seemed to him, as two weeks before he had ridden away from the court house--sitting on the seat of the buckboard beside Neil Norton, his suitcases tucked snugly away underneath--that he was once and for all severing his connection with the big, bustling world in which he had moved; in whose busy scenes he had been so vitally interested.

a space reserved for sitting (as in a theater or on a train or airplane)

From this reading It had seemed to him, as two weeks before he had ridden away from the court house--sitting on the seat of the buckboard beside Neil Norton, his suitcases tucked snugly away underneath--that he was once and for all severing his connection with the big, bustling world in which he had moved; in whose busy scenes he had been so vitally interested.

past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading It had seemed to him, as two weeks before he had ridden away from the court house--sitting on the seat of the buckboard beside Neil Norton, his suitcases tucked snugly away underneath--that he was once and for all severing his connection with the big, bustling world in which he had moved; in whose busy scenes he had been so vitally interested.

a general conscious awareness

From this reading His conclusion that there was nothing in common between cattle raising and journalism was not a result of an involved process of reasoning, and had he not been endowed with a sense of humor he might have become embittered.

the act of severing

From this reading It had seemed to him, as two weeks before he had ridden away from the court house--sitting on the seat of the buckboard beside Neil Norton, his suitcases tucked snugly away underneath--that he was once and for all severing his connection with the big, bustling world in which he had moved; in whose busy scenes he had been so vitally interested.

(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)

From this reading It had seemed to him, as two weeks before he had ridden away from the court house--sitting on the seat of the buckboard beside Neil Norton, his suitcases tucked snugly away underneath--that he was once and for all severing his connection with the big, bustling world in which he had moved; in whose busy scenes he had been so vitally interested.

fitting closely

From this reading It had seemed to him, as two weeks before he had ridden away from the court house--sitting on the seat of the buckboard beside Neil Norton, his suitcases tucked snugly away underneath--that he was once and for all severing his connection with the big, bustling world in which he had moved; in whose busy scenes he had been so vitally interested.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading It had seemed to him, as two weeks before he had ridden away from the court house--sitting on the seat of the buckboard beside Neil Norton, his suitcases tucked snugly away underneath--that he was once and for all severing his connection with the big, bustling world in which he had moved; in whose busy scenes he had been so vitally interested.

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading Hollis would have been more than human had he not felt some little regret over his sacrifice.

plural of “suitcase” — a portable rectangular container for carrying clothes

From this reading It had seemed to him, as two weeks before he had ridden away from the court house--sitting on the seat of the buckboard beside Neil Norton, his suitcases tucked snugly away underneath--that he was once and for all severing his connection with the big, bustling world in which he had moved; in whose busy scenes he had been so vitally interested.

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading Hollis would have been more than human had he not felt some little regret over his sacrifice.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading AT THE CIRCLE BAR In the two weeks that followed his arrival at Dry Bottom, Hollis had much time to meditate upon the great change that had come into his life.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading AT THE CIRCLE BAR In the two weeks that followed his arrival at Dry Bottom, Hollis had much time to meditate upon the great change that had come into his life.

in or at that place or location

From this reading His conclusion that there was nothing in common between cattle raising and journalism was not a result of an involved process of reasoning, and had he not been endowed with a sense of humor he might have become embittered.

in spite of the fact that

From this reading Though a sacrifice be made cheerfully, there lingers always its ghost to draw mental pictures of "what might have been."

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading AT THE CIRCLE BAR In the two weeks that followed his arrival at Dry Bottom, Hollis had much time to meditate upon the great change that had come into his life.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading AT THE CIRCLE BAR In the two weeks that followed his arrival at Dry Bottom, Hollis had much time to meditate upon the great change that had come into his life.

having tucked or being tucked

From this reading It had seemed to him, as two weeks before he had ridden away from the court house--sitting on the seat of the buckboard beside Neil Norton, his suitcases tucked snugly away underneath--that he was once and for all severing his connection with the big, bustling world in which he had moved; in whose busy scenes he had been so vitally interested.

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading AT THE CIRCLE BAR In the two weeks that followed his arrival at Dry Bottom, Hollis had much time to meditate upon the great change that had come into his life.

directly under, often hidden by what is above

From this reading It had seemed to him, as two weeks before he had ridden away from the court house--sitting on the seat of the buckboard beside Neil Norton, his suitcases tucked snugly away underneath--that he was once and for all severing his connection with the big, bustling world in which he had moved; in whose busy scenes he had been so vitally interested.

a formal word for “on”

From this reading AT THE CIRCLE BAR In the two weeks that followed his arrival at Dry Bottom, Hollis had much time to meditate upon the great change that had come into his life.

to a vital degree

From this reading It had seemed to him, as two weeks before he had ridden away from the court house--sitting on the seat of the buckboard beside Neil Norton, his suitcases tucked snugly away underneath--that he was once and for all severing his connection with the big, bustling world in which he had moved; in whose busy scenes he had been so vitally interested.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading His conclusion that there was nothing in common between cattle raising and journalism was not a result of an involved process of reasoning, and had he not been endowed with a sense of humor he might have become embittered.

plural of “week” — any period of seven consecutive days

From this reading AT THE CIRCLE BAR In the two weeks that followed his arrival at Dry Bottom, Hollis had much time to meditate upon the great change that had come into his life.

used to ask for information about something

From this reading Though a sacrifice be made cheerfully, there lingers always its ghost to draw mental pictures of "what might have been."

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading It had seemed to him, as two weeks before he had ridden away from the court house--sitting on the seat of the buckboard beside Neil Norton, his suitcases tucked snugly away underneath--that he was once and for all severing his connection with the big, bustling world in which he had moved; in whose busy scenes he had been so vitally interested.

belonging to which person

From this reading It had seemed to him, as two weeks before he had ridden away from the court house--sitting on the seat of the buckboard beside Neil Norton, his suitcases tucked snugly away underneath--that he was once and for all severing his connection with the big, bustling world in which he had moved; in whose busy scenes he had been so vitally interested.

in the company of; together with

From this reading His conclusion that there was nothing in common between cattle raising and journalism was not a result of an involved process of reasoning, and had he not been endowed with a sense of humor he might have become embittered.

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading It had seemed to him, as two weeks before he had ridden away from the court house--sitting on the seat of the buckboard beside Neil Norton, his suitcases tucked snugly away underneath--that he was once and for all severing his connection with the big, bustling world in which he had moved; in whose busy scenes he had been so vitally interested.

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading Hollis would have been more than human had he not felt some little regret over his sacrifice.