"Yes."
"Why, no, I can't say I am settling down," said Richard, strongly emphasizing "down," as if that expressed the difficulty, "because one can't settle down while this business remains in such an unsettled state. When I say this business, of course I mean the--forbidden subject."
"Do you think it will ever be in a settled state?" said I.
"Not the least doubt of it," answered Richard.
We walked a little way without speaking, and presently Richard addressed me in his frankest and most feeling manner, thus: "My dear Esther, I understand you, and I wish to heaven I were a more constant sort of fellow. I don't mean constant to Ada, for I love her dearly--better and better every day--but constant to myself. (Somehow, I mean something that I can't very well express, but you'll make it out.) If I were a more constant sort of fellow, I should have held on either to Badger or to Kenge and Carboy like grim death, and should have begun to be steady and systematic by this time, and shouldn't be in debt, and--"

"Yes."
"Why, no, I can't say I am settling down," said Richard, "because one can't settle down while this business remains in such an unsettled state. When I say this business, of course I mean the - forbidden subject."
"Do you think it will ever be in a settled state?" said I.
"Certainly," answered Richard. After a moment he said in his frankest and most feeling manner, "My dear Esther, I understand you, and I wish to heaven I were a more constant sort of fellow. I don't mean constant to Ada, for I love her better every day - but constant to myself. If I were a more constant sort of fellow, I should have held on either to Badger or to Kenge and Carboy, and should have begun to be steady by this time, and shouldn't be in debt, and-"
