The truth was, I suppose, that a man of so small an income, could not afford to sport such a lustrous face and a lustrous coat at one and the same time.
— from Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall-Street by Herman Melville

render humble; humble, humiliate; let down, set down, take down, tread down, frown down; snub, abash, abase, make one sing small, strike dumb; teach one his distance; put down, take down a peg, take down a peg lower; throw into the shade, cast into the shade &c. 874; stare out of countenance, put out of countenance; put to the blush; confuse, ashame[obs3], mortify, disgrace, crush; send away with a flea in one's ear.
— from Roget's Thesaurus by Peter Mark Roget

After a few words touching his qualifications, I engaged him, glad to have among my corps of copyists a man of so singularly sedate an aspect, which I thought might operate beneficially upon the flighty temper of Turkey, and the fiery one of Nippers.
— from The Piazza Tales by Herman Melville

Turning round, he perceived a man of short stature, in an old, worn uniform, and recognised, not without terror, Akaky Akakiyevich.
— from Project Gutenberg Compilation of 233 Short Stories of Chekhov by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov

As he sifted his facts from a multitude of sources, so he often hides them again in endless periods, and one must often sift them out again in order to be quite sure of even the simple facts.
— from English Literature Its History and Its Significance for the Life of the English-Speaking World by William J. (William Joseph) Long

At least, so he said to himself, as he sat that evening after dinner over his library fire, and fell into a mood of somewhat sombre hue.
— from A True Friend: A Novel by Adeline Sergeant

The sigh was quite as sincere in its way, however, and after a moment of serious silence he asked about her father.
— from The Luck of Roaring Camp and Other Tales With Condensed Novels, Spanish and American Legends, and Earlier Papers by Bret Harte

Now, if there be any so incredulous as to refuse their assent to the universally received masonic tradition on this subject, if there be any who would deny all connection of King Solomon with the origin of Freemasonry, except it be in a mythical or symbolical sense, such incredulity will, not at all affect the chain of argument which I am disposed to use.
— from The Symbolism of Freemasonry Illustrating and Explaining Its Science and Philosophy, Its Legends, Myths and Symbols by Albert Gallatin Mackey

You see, a man of sound sense ought not to spend his life jumping from a steamer upon a railway train, and from a railway train upon a steamer again, pretending to make the tour of the world in eighty days!
— from Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne

“Throw me a board or a match, or something strong,” shouted the Sailor to the others, waiting below.
— from Adventures of the Teenie Weenies by William Donahey

As he finished he also moved off, so softly that Derrick did not hear the sound of his retreating footsteps.
— from Derrick Sterling: A Story of the Mines by Kirk Munroe

Nor will I be frighted out of the belief of these Conclusions, by the Experiments which may be produced against me, of many severall Woods, Corks, Galls, and, moreover, of subtle slates and plates of all sorts of Stone and Mettall, apt by means of their Naturall Gravity, to move towards the Centre of the Earth, the which, nevertheless, being impotent, either through the Figure (as the Adversaries thinke) or through Levity, to break and penetrate the Continuity of the parts of the water, and to distract its union, do continue to swimm without submerging in the least: nor on the other side, shall the Authority of Aristotle move me, who in more than one place, affirmeth the contrary to this, which Experience shews me.
— from A Discourse Presented to the Most Serene Don Cosimo II., Great Duke of Tuscany, Concerning the Natation of Bodies Vpon, and Submersion In, the Water. by Galileo Galilei

Alas, my own sister's son!
— from A Captive of the Roman Eagles by Felix Dahn

For he was a man of such strict honesty, and due parish feeling, that he knew it to be every man's own business to defend himself and his goods; unless he belonged to our parish, and then we must look after him.
— from Lorna Doone: A Romance of Exmoor by R. D. (Richard Doddridge) Blackmore

Now there was a certain fact at the bottom of this belief of Mrs. Hopkins; and as it world be a very small thing to make a mystery of so simple a matter, the reader shall have the whole benefit of knowing all there is in it,—not quite yet, however, of knowing all that came of it.
— from The Guardian Angel by Oliver Wendell Holmes

On the contrary, they were always getting up excuses for coming in contact with each other; and woe to the work that was waiting for each when they chanced to meet of a morning on some shady corner.
— from Four Girls at Chautauqua by Pansy

“You’re a man of sense,” she replied brusquely, and gathered up her skirts.
— from The Weavers: a tale of England and Egypt of fifty years ago - Complete by Gilbert Parker

Now, suppose you had a mixture of sugar, salt, chalk, and tea-leaves, and were to throw it into water, either hot or cold; what would be the effect?
— from Evenings at Home; Or, The Juvenile Budget Opened by John Aikin

Behind them the sound of axes told of a dismantled boat; when that sound ceased, another more ominous sound struck dismay into the captives.
— from Gold Out of Celebes by Aylward Edward Dingle