Many troubles are worse in anticipation than in reality. Mr. Felix Stapleton had cut the difficult knot of his affairs in the only right and direct way; and all the haunting spectres that had filled his days with care, and made his nights hideous, vanished at once. He had rebuilt the little mission chapel, which had been pronounced unsafe; he had made atonement in some way to every man who had paid him more for a house than it was worth; and he had met his liabilities like a man and a Christian. Of course all this had not been done at small cost to himself. Much time and thought had been given to his affairs, and competent advice sought by him. It goes without saying that there had been many consultations at which his brother and his son assisted, and they were frequently joined by Mrs. Stapleton and her eldest daughter. In one point they were decided and united, once for all: whatever came they would not forfeit their own self-respect, and that of each other; nor would they do what their consciences, cultivated by Christianity, declared to be wrong in God’s sight, and dishonourable in the sight of the best men. And having thus decided it was wonderful how easy and practicable all the rest became. The Granchester folk were considerably surprised, and almost filled with consternation, when they discovered that Mr. Stapleton’s house and estate, and even his horses, carriages, and furniture, were for sale; but he gained immensely from the fact that he was himself selling them, and not his creditors. His place was so convenient and beautiful, and in such excellent condition, that it sold exceedingly well, and with little delay; and the wonder of it all scarcely lasted the proverbial nine days. The greatest trouble Mr. Stapleton had was to get the money at once, and pay it away as quickly; for this is not the way in which business is done in these days; but he was a very determined man, and even the lawyers had for once to be in a hurry. For a few days he had much to endure—since it took that time for the people to make up their minds whether he was a rogue or a hero—and one or two acquaintances became less genial in their greetings and more cautious in their dealings with him. But after the meeting of the creditors, when it was understood what the man had really done, and how he had vindicated his honour and Christian principle, he was treated with a respect which almost amounted to veneration. One of the happiest memories of his life, henceforth, was that of the testimony which the chairman bore to his uprightness and sustained honour, and of the emphatic approval and handshakings of the other men.