He had died so suddenly I had not even heard that he was sick.
— from Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Written by Herself by Harriet A. (Harriet Ann) Jacobs

It was my firm determination that Laura should not enter her uncle's house till she appeared there publicly recognised as his niece.
— from The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins

I was glad that my missile had been thrown away,—that he had not even heard the twang of the bow.
— from Lord Jim by Joseph Conrad

The Portuguese minister of the day well knew all this, and keenly felt it; but though the invitation was accompanied by the plain statement that Portugal would not be allowed to continue a neutrality she could not enforce, he [316] judged rightly that the country had more to fear from England and her fleet than from the Spanish army.
— from The Influence of Sea Power Upon History, 1660-1783 by A. T. (Alfred Thayer) Mahan

“I never even heard of him.”
— from Dubliners by James Joyce

For this name, according to Thy mercy, O Lord, this name of my Saviour Thy Son, had my tender heart, even with my mother's milk, devoutly drunk in and deeply treasured; and whatsoever was without that name, though never so learned, polished, or true, took not entire hold of me.
— from The Confessions of St. Augustine by Augustine, Saint, Bishop of Hippo

But there was no external hint of weakness.
— from Howards End by E. M. (Edward Morgan) Forster

“Get in, Maria, or we’ll be late.” Whether or not Padre Damaso was preparing a sermon we cannot say, but it is certain that some grave matter filled his mind, for he did not extend his hand to Capitan Tiago, who had almost to get down on his knees to kiss it.
— from The Social Cancer: A Complete English Version of Noli Me Tangere by José Rizal

I knew you would be interested in that wonderful girl, and that Mr. Rogers was already interested in her and touched by her; and I was sure that if nobody else helped her you two would; but you have gone far and away beyond the sum I expected—may your lines fall in pleasant places here and Hereafter for it!
— from Mark Twain's Letters — Volume 4 (1886-1900) by Mark Twain

And as he moved inward from the windows it became evident that he had not even had the wit to close the portières completely; a violet glimmer of starlight shone in through a deep triangular gap between them at the top.
— from The False Faces Further Adventures from the History of the Lone Wolf by Louis Joseph Vance

And looking at her, with her air of cold indifference, of complete detachment from the world around her, Anstice agreed that he would not expect her to be the confidante of such a woman.
— from Afterwards by Kathlyn Rhodes

A BALLADE OF CAP AND BELLS When as a dewdrop joy enspheres This pleasant planet, arched with blue, When every prospect charms and cheers, And all the world is fair to view— Who does not envy (have not you?)
— from A line-o'-verse or two by Bert Leston Taylor

By this plan you can not only count your partner’s hand—the apparent end of most modern Whist—but after you have made the queen and lost your king on the return, you have the additional gratification of knowing to a certainty that he does not even hold the knave.
— from Whist; or, Bumblepuppy? Thirteen Lectures Addressed to Children by John Petch Hewby

At breakfast-time, I evaded all further discussion of the subject, after I had first ascertained that Lucilla did not expect her visitor before the afternoon.
— from Poor Miss Finch by Wilkie Collins

He frequently comes here but I do not expect him today.
— from Plain English by Marian Wharton

Even that was not enough; his wife, going to mass one morning, found her shawl glued together on the inside with some tenacious substance, so that she was obliged to go without it.
— from The Two Brothers by Honoré de Balzac

There was a time when the "going away carriage" was always furnished by the groom, and this is still the case if it is a hired conveyance, but nowadays when nearly everyone has a motor, the newly married couple—if they have no motor of their own—are sure to have one lent them by the family of one of them.
— from Etiquette by Emily Post