For a whole fortnight he lived in a state of suspense and forced idleness, which helped him to understand the artist's recourse to gin and laudanum.

The weather was magnificent, but for him no sun rose in the sky.

If he walked about London, he saw only ugliness and wretchedness, his eyes seeming to have lost the power of perceiving other things.
Every two or three days he heard from Sherwood, who wrote that he was doing his utmost, and continued to hold out hope that he would soon have money: but these letters were not reassuring.

The disagreeable interview with Applegarth had passed off better than might have been expected.

Though greatly astonished, and obviously in some doubt as to the facts of the matter, Applegarth behaved as a gentleman, resigned all claims upon the defaulters, and brought the affair to a decent close as quickly as possible.