There was great irritation on both sides.
Smith had, however, to face one difficulty.

He must either take another farm at once, or live on his capital.

The interest of his capital--if invested temporarily in Government securities--would hardly suffice to maintain the comfortable style of living he and his rather large family of grown-up sons and daughters had been accustomed to.

He sometimes heard a faint, far off 'still small voice,' that seemed to say it would have been wiser to stay on, and wait till the reaction took place and farming recovered.

The loss he would have sustained by staying on would, perhaps, not have been larger than the loss he must now sustain by living on capital till such time as he saw something to suit him.