From that moment one of two courses remained open to him,—marriage, the loss of his fellowship, with probably children, and nothing to eat; or patience, the common-room cheer, holy orders, and a living in his turn. He chose the latter, jilted the young girl who had fallen for him, for one of those thousand reasons, which induce girls to throw themselves away on men who possess everything in them that is least likely to attract them in particular, and applied himself to good eating, fiery port wine, proctorising young gentlemen, and other intellectual accomplishments, which are supposed by some to perfect the university fellow for the duties of a parish priest.
Source: wiktionary