How would it sound: 'I simply couldn't afford to go up'-- ?
At this point of the meditation he had reached his lodgings; he admitted himself with a latch-key, turned into his murky sitting-room, and sat down.
The table was laid for tea, as usual.

Though he might have gone to Twybridge this evening, he had preferred to stay overnight, for an odd reason.

At a theatre in Kingsmill a London company, headed by an actress of some distinction, was to perform _Romeo and Juliet_, and he purposed granting himself this indulgence before leaving the town.

The plan was made when his eye fell upon the advertisement, a few days ago.
He then believed it probable that an evening at the theatre would appropriately follow upon a day of victory.

His interest in the performance had collapsed, but he did not care to alter his arrangements.
The landlady came in bearing the tea-pot.