His sermons were good in their way, but were intended for simple folk and did no justice to the powers he had certainly possessed in his youth.

Indeed, as years went on, the dry routine of his life produced its inevitable effect upon his mind, and the productions of Mr.Ambrose grew to be exceedingly commonplace; and the more commonplace he became, the more he regretted having done so little with the faculties he enjoyed, and the more weary he became of the daily task of galvanising the dull minds of his pupils into a spasmodic activity, just sufficient to leap the ditch that separates the schoolboy from the undergraduate.

He had not only educated his children and seen them provided for in the world; he had also saved a little money, and he had insured his life for five hundred pounds.

There was no longer any positive necessity for continuing to teach, as there had been thirty years ago, when he first married.
So much for the circumstances of the Reverend Augustin Ambrose.
Personally he was a man of good presence, five feet ten inches in height, active and strong, of a ruddy complexion with smooth, thick grey hair and a plentiful grey beard.

He shaved his upper lip however, greatly to the detriment of his appearance, for the said upper lip was very long and the absence of the hirsute appendage showed a very large mouth with very thin lips, generally compressed into an expression of remarkable obstinacy.
His nose was both broad and long and his grey eyes were bright and aggressive in their glance.