Promises make debts, and debts make promises.
— from Dictionary of Quotations from Ancient and Modern, English and Foreign Sources Including Phrases, Mottoes, Maxims, Proverbs, Definitions, Aphorisms, and Sayings of Wise Men, in Their Bearing on Life, Literature, Speculation, Science, Art, Religion, and Morals, Especially in the Modern Aspects of Them by Wood, James, Rev.

The sight of the long-hated predominant man down, and in his power, threw him into a frenzy of triumphant vengeance, which seemed to give him preternatural agility and strength.
— from The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot

Palaces were deserted, and the poor man dared at length, unreproved, intrude into the splendid apartments, whose very furniture and decorations were an unknown world to him.
— from The Last Man by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

SYN: Prodigy, portent, marvel, deformity, abnormity, fright, colossus, monstrosity, leviathan, fiend, brute.
— from A Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and Antonyms or, Synonyms and Words of Opposite Meaning by Samuel Fallows

In the palace, the high-born gentlemen and beautiful ladies danced with each other, and they could be heard at a great distance singing the following song:— "Here are maidens, young and fair, Dancing in the summer air; Like two spinning-wheels at play, Pretty maidens dance away— Dance the spring and summer through
— from Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen by H. C. (Hans Christian) Andersen

But here are your bonds; pay me differently;” and he held the bonds towards Danglars, who seized them like a vulture extending its claws to withhold the food that is being wrested from its grasp.
— from The Count of Monte Cristo, Illustrated by Alexandre Dumas

[4] porque el administrador de las diligencias hiciese salir tan temprano el vehículo; y pocos momentos después abrí la puerta de mi habitación, y me dirigí al comedor a tomar algún refrigerio.
— from Heath's Modern Language Series: The Spanish American Reader by Ernesto Nelson

At the least rustling of the wind some of the leaves came fluttering downward as lightly as flakes of snow; the little brown squirrel scampered up the shaggy trunks and out upon the limbs, where, perching on his hind legs, he peeped mischievously down at the girl, as if inviting her to play hide-and-seek with him; now and then a rabbit, fat and awkward from his gluttony on the richness around him, jumped softly a few steps, then munched rapidly with his jaws, flapped his long silken ears, looked slyly around with his big, pretty eyes, and, as the girl made a rush toward him, he was off like a shot.
— from Through Forest and Fire Wild-Woods Series No. 1 by Edward Sylvester Ellis

Practice making dots and dashes.
— from Common Science by Carleton Washburne

"In the spring paid Mr. Dawes a visit with Ramsay and Kirby, and talked over an excursion to Teneriffe.
— from Life and Letters of Charles Darwin — Volume 1 by Charles Darwin

Divers toasts were proposed: Monsieur Lieuvain, the King; Monsieur Tuvache, the Prefect; Monsieur Derozerays, Agriculture; Monsieur Homais, Industry and the Fine Arts, those twin sisters; Monsieur Leplichey, Progress.
— from Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert

Besides, a lady who is carrying a considerable estate upon her person must devote a great part of her attention to the management of that estate.
— from Smoking and Drinking by James Parton

"Well, put me down a guinea," cried the farmer; "as scarce as guineas are just now, I'll never be put upon the same footing with Dobson, neither."
— from The Shepherd of Salisbury Plain, and Other Tales by Hannah More