Just fancy expending L1,423 in order to be tied to a post and shot to death with arrows.

And all to get a rare orchid! Oh! I reflected to myself, if by some marvel I should escape, or if I should live again in any land where these particular flowers flourish, I would never even look at them.

And as a matter of fact I never have.
At length Stephen did wake up and, as criminals are reported to do in the papers before execution, made an excellent breakfast.
"What's the good of worrying ?" he said presently.

"I shouldn't if it weren't for my poor old father.

It must have come to this one day, and the sooner it is over the sooner to sleep, as the song says.