What double meaning could there be in the line "they perceived that his face wore an expression telling that he had at last found the place go which he had struggled?"

Two meanings can be found in the fact that his emotions were like a double edged sword. Part of him couldn't wait to get there, whereas the other wanted no part of it. Think of the expression someone would make if they'd gotten something they'd wanted for a long tine, but then decided they wanted nothing to do with it.