His faithful soul was agitated, for he had developed for Heritage a sincere affection.

It would break his heart, poor man.
There was he holding the fort alone and cheering himself with delightful fancies about one remoter than the moon.

Dickson wanted happy endings, and here there was no hope of such.

He hated to admit that life could be crooked, but the optimist in him was now fairly dashed.
Sir Archie might be the fortunate man, for of course he would soon be in love with her, if he were not so already.

Dickson like all his class had a profound regard for the country gentry.