He rarely indulged any expectation that people would make themselves agreeable to him.

Mrs Dale, since she had come to the Small House, had never been a source of satisfaction to him, but he did not on that account regret that he had brought her there.

He was a constant man; urgent in carrying out his own plans, but not sanguine in doing so, and by no means apt to expect that all things would go smooth with him.

He had made up his mind that his nephew and his niece should be married, and should he ultimately fail in this, such failure would probably embitter his future life;--but it was not in the nature of the man to be angry in the meantime, or to fume and scold because he met with opposition.

He had told Mrs Dale that he loved Bell dearly.