for except we had lingered, surely we had now returned a second time.
for except we had lingered, surely now we had returned this second time.
For if we had not lingered like this, surely by now we would have returned the second time.
If we hadn’t waited so long, we would’ve returned twice by now.”
If a delay had not intervened, by now we would have returned here a second time."
If delay had not been made, we had been here again the second time.