He struggled long to keep up an equality with Catherine in her studies, and yielded with poignant though silent regret: but he yielded completely; and there was no prevailing on him to take a step in the way of moving upward, when he found he must, necessarily, sink beneath his former level. 
He struggled long to keep up with Catherine in her studies, and yielded with regret: but he yielded completely; he would not take a step upward. 