His business failed. He lost his house and all his money. All he was left with was a huge debt and his wife... he had no way to make it better except by dying. Meanwhile, a debt collector took a liking to his wife and demanded that he offer her up as payment for the debt at every opportunity. There was no way he could accept such conditions. There was no way he could make his wife do something like that after all the troubles she had caused him. Because he loved her more than anything. But his wife ran off to the man, promising to return in a month.