He seemed older and more shriveled, and there was a querulous, pinched expression in place of the firmness and almost nobility Dave had come to expect.
Dave saw petulance in place of the stoicism he expected. 
mnli hypothesis: Dave saw petulance in place of the stoicism he expected.  premise: He seemed older and more shriveled, and there was a querulous, pinched expression in place of the firmness and almost nobility Dave had come to expect.