It was one of those hot, silent nights, when people sit at windows listening for the thunder which they know will shortly break; when they recall dismal tales of hurricanes and earthquakes; and of lonely travellers on open plains, and lonely ships at sea, struck by lightning. ~ Martin Chuzzlewit
My Meaning Is
"My meaning is, that no man can expect his children to respect what he degrades." ~ Martin Chuzzlewit
A Man Can Well Afford
"A man can well afford to be as bold as brass, my good fellow, when he gets gold in exchange!" ~ Martin Chuzzlewit
Why should I disguise
Why should I disguise what you know so well, but what the crowd never dream of? We companies are all birds of prey; mere birds of prey. The only question is, whether in serving our own turn, we can serve yours too; whether in double-lining our own nest, we can put a single living into yours. ~ Martin Chuzzlewit
Patient Composure of Long Effort
Any one who had bestowed but a casual glance on Barnaby might have known that this was his mother, from the strong resemblance between them; but where in his face there was wildness and vacancy, in hers there was the patient composure of long effort and quiet resignation. ~ Barnaby Rudge
Got Into Metaphysics
Mr. Parkes, finding himself in the position of having got into metaphysics without exactly seeing his way out of them, stammered forth an apology and retreated from the argument. ~ Barnaby Rudge
Young and Fresh
The lady was not young and fresh from the hand of Nature, but was young and fresh from the hand of her maid. ~ Little Dorrit
He Ate Hard Eggs, Shell and All
He ate hard eggs, shell and all, devoured gigantic prawns with the heads and tails on, chewed tobacco and water-cresses at the same time and with extraordinary greediness, drank boiling tea without winking, bit his fork and spoon till they bent again, and in short performed so many horrifying and uncommon acts that the women were nearly frightened out of their wits, and began to doubt if he were really a human creature. – The Old Curiosity Shop
Lying in Wait
He wore the aspect of a man who was always lying in wait for something that WOULDN’T come to pass. ~ Barnaby Rudge
