He could not help fancying that either she had some surprise in store for him, or that she meant to do, or say, something extremely definite, which she had already decided upon in her mind, to-morrow in the studio.
— from The Way of Ambition by Robert Hichens

It is needless to insist that he never makes a mistake; doubtless he does, in some small matters, and we have learned to take such a view of the inspiration of the Scriptures that the discovery of some small error does not trouble us in the least; but the admission that he is not infallible is perfectly consistent with the belief that he is an honest, competent, faithful witness.
— from Who Wrote the Bible? : a Book for the People by Washington Gladden

Fox stared vacantly, as was his habit when he had done or said something especially daring.
— from Richard Carvel — Volume 06 by Winston Churchill

My difficulty with the planted-out specimens is to keep them from being grazed off by the slugs; a dash of silver sand every day or two has sometimes proved of use.
— from Hardy Perennials and Old Fashioned Flowers Describing the Most Desirable Plants, for Borders, Rockeries, and Shrubberies. by J. G. (John George) Wood