He was no longer a clergyman; he was about
to marry a woman to whom he was much attached, and he had parted
company for ever with his father and mother.
True, he had lost all his money, his reputation, and his position as
a gentleman; he had, in fact, had to burn his house down in order to
get his roast sucking pig; but if asked whether he would rather be
as he was now or as he was on the day before his arrest, he would
not have had a moment's hesitation in preferring his present to his
past. If his present could only have been purchased at the expense
of all that he had gone through, it was still worth purchasing at
the price, and he would go through it all again if necessary. The loss
of the money was the worst, but Ellen said she was sure they would get
on, and she knew all about it. As for the loss of reputation-
considering that he had Ellen and me left, it did not come to much.
I saw the house on the afternoon of the day on which all was
finished, and there remained nothing but to buy some stock and begin
selling. when was gone, after he had had his tea, he stole up to his
castle- the first floor front. He lit his pipe and sat down to the
piano.
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