To go meant that he would be forsaking much that was evil; a situation from which he could not extricate himself otherwise.

It also meant that he would be leaving Elizabeth Herbert; but perhaps she had not even guessed his secret, for he had not spoken of love; or perhaps having divined it, she cared nothing for him.

Even so, his regeneration seemed in itself a thing worth while.

What he was to do, how make a place for himself, he had scarcely considered; but his inheritance was wasted, and of the comfortable thousands that had come to him, next to nothing remained.
In the intervals between his musings Mr.North got together such of his personal belongings as he deemed worth the removal; he was surprised to find how few were the things he really valued.

On the grounds of a chastened taste in such matters he threw aside most of his clothes; he told himself that he did not care to be judged by such mere externals as the shade of a tie or the color of a pair of hose.