How did Damu Anna react upon receiving Sai Baba's response, and what did he feel he had lost?

Chapter 25 describes Damu Anna's profound disappointment after reading Sai Baba's reply. He became very crestfallen as the "fortress of his desires crumbled" and the "tree of hope was uprooted." He lamented the missed opportunity for immense wealth, revealing the specifics of his ambition in his thoughts: "I would have earned one lakh now, and put half a lakh on interest. I would have immediately become a millionaire money-lender and lived happily in Nagar." He felt that by seeking Baba's advice, he had inadvertently caused his own harm and, in his words, "kicked away the served plate" himself.