Chapter 2: Page 13: Lines 11-12 (84-85)

 "Yet, 'twas so sincere,— I instantly felt sham'd,— unworthy,— that this honest Country soul believ'd me wise.— Ahhrr! bitter Deception...."

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Lines 84-85 Vulgarized:
"I believed rubes were earnest and truthful, especially when they're complimenting me. And now you reveal to me it was a calculated attempt at flattery while you were dreaming of getting drunk?! Oh, the humanity!"

Subtext:
Flattery works. Also guilt. It's kind of a one-two punch that convinces Mason to hire Dixon. If Mason hadn't considered throwing the letter away because it was from some provincial locale, meaning it had nothing useful to offer somebody working for the Astronomer Royal, then the subsequent stroking of his ego within would not have produced an intense feeling of guilt in him. Without the guilt, he might not feel he owed some kind of recompense or reparation to the letter writer for thinking the letter contained nothing worthwhile. But then, after reading it, he realized Dixon did have something beautiful and honest to say, turned around by the flattery to Mason's wisdom, which is something we all want to believe we are, and thus take to heart when somebody expresses it (no matter how much we ignore everything else they say (I'm referencing a personal anecdote: that time my cousin told me the story about how Soy Rakelson told him, "Everybody is really smart but you . . . you're wise." My cousin telling the story, drunk, nearly in tears at somebody having seen to their heart of hearts. But then, of course, I ruined the moment and said, "Soy Rakelson? The guy whose catch phrase was 'I want an original thought!'? The guy who couldn't grasp that philosophers across the ages were engaged in dialogue so every time he learned about the next philosopher arguing against previous philosophical thought, wondered why he had to learn about the previous guy since his philosophy was just trashed by the next guy and so it obviously wasn't The Truth, and why learn anything if it isn't The Truth? 'Just get to the last guy with The Truth!' he'd scream, red faced and sweating. That guy thought you were wise and you decided, this one time at least, 'Soy is quite perceptive!' Seriously?!")).
    Poor, earnest Mason. I should try to get the Non-Certified Spouse to start saying, "Ahhrr! bitter Deception," for every time I say something facetious because I think it's funny and not because I'm trying to fool her but she gets fooled anyway.