But he was a good man nevertheless, for his greatest bugbear was debt.

If he could only pay off every penny he owed in the world, and if only his wife were so far better as to enjoy life a little, he would, he thought, be perfectly happy.

His wife, however, was tolerably happy, notwithstanding her weak health, and certainly enjoyed life a good deal--far more at least than her husband was able to believe.
Mr Macmichael was very kind and attentive to Mrs Spelman; though, as the carpenter himself said, he hadn't seen the colour of _his_ money for years.

But the Doctor knew that Spelman was a hard-working man, and would rather have given him a little money than have pressed him for a penny.

He told him one day, when he was lamenting that he couldn't pay him even _yet_, that he was only too glad to do anything in the least little bit like what the Saviour did when he was in the world--"a carpenter like you, Spelman--think of that," added the Doctor.
So Spelman was as full of gratitude as he could hold.