It often seems to me that art conceals the artist far more completely than it ever reveals him.
— from The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

"In fact," remarked Mr. Crucible, "there is every reason to believe that the old lady was d——" A storm had for some time past been gathering overhead, and just then a terrific clap of thunder prevented the conclusion of Mr. Crucible's sentence from being audible.
— from Tales of the Wonder Club, Volume II by M. Y. Halidom

Will you give me your word to regard yourself as [168] being in my custody till I expressly release you?
— from The Catholic World, Vol. 11, April, 1870 to September, 1870 by Various

He seemed at times to be more concerned than I ever remembered him to be before.
— from The Border and the Buffalo: An Untold Story of the Southwest Plains The Bloody Border of Missouri and Kansas. The Story of the Slaughter of the Buffalo. Westward among the Big Game and Wild Tribes. A Story of Mountain and Plain by John R. Cook

In ordinary life, however, the mind of youth is often perverted by direct evil example in the elders; and, as we have already remarked, the corruption of the human affections in their fountain-head—family life—where they ought to be sweetest and purest, is more fatally demoralizing, and more certain to insure eventual ruin than almost any other.
— from The History of Prostitution: Its Extent, Causes, and Effects throughout the World by William W. Sanger

Their painted, immobile faces and plumed heads towered with grave dignity above the meaner crowd; their inscrutable eyes returned no response to the timid glances directed towards them.
— from Tales of Trail and Town by Bret Harte

On the page preceding the account of this incident, Mr. Harvey makes Webster say that he never received a challenge from Randolph, whereas in Webster's own letter, published by Mr. Curtis, there is express reference to a note of challenge received from Randolph.
— from Daniel Webster by Henry Cabot Lodge

That the colonists would construct for Powhatan's house a durable and massive chimney there is every reason to believe, and here is such a one still extant, and still retaining, through all the mutations of time, the traditional name of "Powhatan's Chimney."
— from History of the Colony and Ancient Dominion of Virginia by Charles Campbell