I laughed at this one

Be it known then, that Sir Walter, like a good father, (having met with one or two private disappointments in very unreasonable applications) prided himself on remaining single for his dear daughter's sake. For one daughter, his eldest, he would really have given up anything, which he had not been very much tempted to do.

I'd love to know the circumstances of the 'very unreasonable applications'! Can't you just picture him proposing to some young vicountess or earl's duaghter or the like, and being astounded at being rebuffed?