I will try and gain a little sleep, for you are saved.”
— from The Count of Monte Cristo, Illustrated by Alexandre Dumas

It was the splendidest sight that ever was when they all come riding in, two and two, a gentleman and lady, side by side, the men just in their drawers and undershirts, and no shoes nor stirrups, and resting their hands on their thighs easy and comfortable—there must a been twenty of them—and every lady with a lovely complexion, and perfectly beautiful, and looking just like a gang of real sure-enough queens, and dressed in clothes that cost millions of dollars, and just littered with diamonds.
— from Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

In spite of the deadly hue of his face, which never gained a warmer tint, either from the blush of modesty, or from the strong emotion of passion, though its form and outline were beautiful, many of the female hunters after notoriety attempted to win his attentions, and gain, at least, some marks of what they might term affection: Lady Mercer, who had been the mockery of every monster shewn in drawing-rooms since her marriage, threw herself in his way, and did all but put on the dress of a mountebank, to attract his notice:—though in vain:—when she stood before him, though his eyes were apparently fixed upon her's, still it seemed as if they were unperceived;—even her unappalled impudence was baffled, and she left the field.
— from The Vampyre; a Tale by John William Polidori

Alice gave a little scream of laughter.
— from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

In a plenteous year, snow, (Hsüeh,) is very plentiful; their pearls and gems are like sand, their gold like iron.
— from Hung Lou Meng, or, the Dream of the Red Chamber, a Chinese Novel, Book I by Xueqin Cao

She held out her hand and gave a little sob.
— from A Little Princess Being the whole story of Sara Crewe now told for the first time by Frances Hodgson Burnett

The roots are great and long, spreading great thick branches under ground, black on the outside, and whitish within, short and easy to break, and full of glutinous or clammy juice, of little or no taste at all.
— from The Complete Herbal To which is now added, upwards of one hundred additional herbs, with a display of their medicinal and occult qualities physically applied to the cure of all disorders incident to mankind: to which are now first annexed, the English physician enlarged, and key to Physic. by Nicholas Culpeper

Before they left Margaret stole round to the back of the Vicarage garden, and gathered a little straggling piece of honeysuckle.
— from North and South by Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell

Kezia thrust her head under the grandmother’s arm and gave a little squeak.
— from Bliss, and Other Stories by Katherine Mansfield

I remember you perfectly well, my dear Mr Bramble—You was always a good and loyal subject—a stanch friend to administration—I made your brother an Irish bishop’—‘Pardon me, my lord (said the squire)
— from The Expedition of Humphry Clinker by T. (Tobias) Smollett

“Red-eye,” he ordered, and seized bottle and glass as Lorrimer spun them deftly towards him.
— from The Seventh Man by Max Brand

Just so some of us now-a-days are getting a little shy of deliberately cursing our neighbours on Ash Wednesday.
— from Ancient Art and Ritual by Jane Ellen Harrison

People at the top of the table drank wine with those at the bottom; and gentlemen and ladies seated next to each other whispered languidly in monosyllabic commune.
— from Alice, or the Mysteries — Complete by Lytton, Edward Bulwer Lytton, Baron

He looked at Freddy and grinned a little sheepishly.
— from Dave Dawson at Casablanca by Robert Sidney Bowen

“A goal at last,” said one of the girls, sighing, “thanks to Mr. Judd.”
— from Wide Awake Magazine, Volume 4, Number 3, January 10, 1916 by Various

If we are counted among the efficient, who are given a large share of work to do, shall we be sorry?
— from Vesper Talks to Girls by Laura A. (Laura Anna) Knott