Maybe a refund is in order rather than merely “much thought and deliberation”. If patrons were automatically refunded for pledges not kept, then he’d no doubt deliberate a bit harder before weaselling out.
He can’t stand his patrons that’s, why he can hardly bring himself to interact with them. He knows by this point that his remaining patrons must either be morons, morally debased as himself, or somehow remain in the dark about his behaviours and haven’t yet encountered his true self.
Yes his patrons numbers are drifting down yet again after the latest mini beg.