When he did have one in the post-office his heart used to stand still until he had torn open the envelope and read it.

It was uniformly not so hopeful as formerly, while speciously apologetic.

Andrew still had faith, although his heart was sick with its long deferring.

He could not actually believe that all his savings were gone, sunken out of sight forever in this awful shaft of miscalculation and misfortune.

What he dreaded most was that Fanny should find out, as she would have to were he long out of employment.
Andrew, when he entered the house on his return from work, had come to open a door into the room where his wife was, with a deprecating and apologetic air.