Dismounting at a cottage on whose wattle fence hung a signboard, GENERAL STAFF, and throwing down his reins, he entered a dark passage.
— from War and Peace by Tolstoy, Leo, graf

Jacky rejoined Howards End and Dude Street, and the vermilion motor-car, and the Argentine Hard Dollars, and all the things and people for whom he had never had much use and had less now.
— from Howards End by E. M. (Edward Morgan) Forster

Valentine was so pale one might trace the blue veins from her temples, round her eyes and down her cheeks.
— from The Count of Monte Cristo, Illustrated by Alexandre Dumas

He was the author of a work entitled, "The Modern Hebrew and the Hebrew Christian," London, 1882, which contains an autobiography, relating his experience after deserting from the Russian army, and information about the Hasidim, especially the sect "Habad."
— from Some Jewish Witnesses For Christ by Aaron Bernstein

The water and the workmanship were universally admired; and one among the rest having expressed a desire of knowing the value of such a jewel, the Count seized that opportunity of entertaining them with a learned disquisition into the nature of stones; this introduced the history of the diamond in question, which he said had been purchased of an Indian trader of Fort St. George, at an under price; so that the present proprietor could afford to sell it at a very reasonable rate; and concluded with telling the company, that, for his own part, he had been importuned to wear it by the jeweller, who imagined it would have a better chance for attracting a purchaser on his finger, than while it remained in his own custody.
— from The Adventures of Ferdinand Count Fathom — Complete by T. (Tobias) Smollett

Gibelotte, tall, delicate, white with a lymphatic pallor, with circles round her eyes, and drooping lids, always languid and weary, afflicted with what may be called chronic lassitude, the first up in the house and the last in bed, waited on every one, even the other maid, silently and gently, smiling through her fatigue with a vague and sleepy smile.
— from Les Misérables by Victor Hugo

More than any other race he exhibits a decided aversion to industrial employment, which he balances by an equally decided adaptability to trade.
— from The International Jew : The World's Foremost Problem by Anonymous

A Hindu intaglio of rare value represents Hercules exactly as described by Arrian, with a monogram consisting of two ancient characters now unknown, but which I have found wherever tradition assigns a spot to the Harikulas; especially in Saurashtra, where they were long concealed on their exile from Delhi.
— from Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan, v. 1 of 3 or the Central and Western Rajput States of India by James Tod

Contrary to the Rajput character, whose maxim is parcere subjectis , they were compelled by the utter faithlessness of Aurangzeb (chiefly vulnerable through his resources) to retaliate his excesses; and Dayal Sah, the civil minister, a man of high courage and activity, headed another flying force, which ravaged Malwa to the Nerbudda and Betwa.
— from Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan, v. 1 of 3 or the Central and Western Rajput States of India by James Tod

Rostóv, his eyes avoiding Denísov, began buttoning his coat, buckled on his saber, and put on his cap.
— from War and Peace by Tolstoy, Leo, graf

He came within an ace of breaking his neck several times before he was lowered to the base, where, after groping about for half an hour, and finding nothing but rough rocks, he expressed a desire to be pulled up again.
— from The Underground World: A mirror of life below the surface by Thomas Wallace Knox

He rubbed his eyes and demanded to know the cause of such a visit at such an unearthly hour.
— from The World's Greatest Military Spies and Secret Service Agents by George Barton

Mr. Thorndyke raised his eyebrows, and drew an afternoon paper from his pocket.
— from Berenice by E. Phillips (Edward Phillips) Oppenheim

Then he raised his eyes and drew Louise toward him.
— from The Iron Furrow by George C. (George Clifford) Shedd

In the long run she grows wiser, learns moderation, corrects herself, retraces her steps, redresses her errors, and devotes to their reparation the best of her intelligence and of her forces.
— from New York Times Current History: The European War, Vol. 8, Pt. 2, No. 1, July 1918 by Various

Abdur Rahman had expressed a desire for a British decoration, so shortly before his departure from India he was invested, informally, with the G.C.S.I. As the train was moving off, he said to the British officers assembled on the platform: 'I wish you all farewell, and commend you to the care of God.
— from Forty-one years in India: from subaltern to commander-in-chief by Roberts, Frederick Sleigh Roberts, Earl

Zubeydeh, now completely disarmed, brought cakes and sherbet, and when Renwick had eaten and drunk, gave him cigarettes and the clothing, showing him into a room where he quickly divested himself of his rags of wrapper and put on the garments which she had brought.
— from The Secret Witness by George Gibbs

Farmer Eccles's habits of seclusion (his pride, some said), and more especially the dreaded austere Aunt Anne, who ruled that household, kept people distant from the Warbeach farm-house, all excepting Sedgett, who related that every night on his return, she read a chapter from the Bible to Robert, sitting up for him patiently to fulfil her duty; and that the farmer's words to his son had been: "Rest here; eat and drink, and ride my horse; but not a penny of my money do you have."
— from Rhoda Fleming — Volume 2 by George Meredith

In that concealment he was scarcely well down when Winterton, with an hostler that was half asleep, came with a lantern to the door, banning the poor knave as if he had been cursing him with bell, book and candle, the other rubbing his eyes and declaring it was still far from [52] morning, and saying he was sure the other traveller was not gone.
— from Ringan Gilhaize, or, The Covenanters by John Galt