As to Rosine, the portress—on whom, every half-hour, devolved the fearful duty of fetching pupils out of the very heart of one or other of the divisions to take their music-lessons in the oratory, the great or little saloon, the salle-à-manger, or some other piano-station—she would, upon her second or third attempt, frequently become almost tongue-tied from excess of consternation—a sentiment inspired by the unspeakable looks levelled at her through a pair of dart-dealing spectacles.
— from Villette by Charlotte Brontë

Her hair was ripely, ruddily brown and a little dent in her upper lip looked as if some good fairy had pressed it in with her finger at Rilla's christening.
— from Rilla of Ingleside by L. M. (Lucy Maud) Montgomery

I remember how, as we bent over the pea-vines, beads of perspiration used to gather on her upper lip like a little moustache.
— from My Antonia by Willa Cather

The matter which goes to form gloomy dreams are mischances which to some extent really threaten us, though it be from some distance; imagination makes us look larger and nearer and more terrible than they are in reality.
— from The Essays of Arthur Schopenhauer; Counsels and Maxims by Arthur Schopenhauer

In one place, there was a new wooden church, which, having no steeple, and being yet unpainted, looked like an enormous packing-case without any direction upon it.
— from American Notes by Charles Dickens

I was weaker than I knew then; and, not falling asleep until the sun was up, lay late, and unrefreshed, next day.
— from David Copperfield by Charles Dickens

Nay, you need nor fear us, Lorenzo; Launcelot and I are out; he tells me flatly there's no mercy for me in heaven, because I am a Jew's daughter; and he says you are no good member of the commonwealth, for in converting Jews to Christians you raise the price of pork.
— from The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare

‘Well,’ thought Nicholas, ‘as I am here, and seem expected, for some reason or other, to be amiable, it’s of no use looking like a goose.
— from Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens

Already the serious issues of the morning were but a memory; he burst in upon Lorelei like a gale, shouting: "I'm chalk-boy at Crosset & Meyers, so you can give Bergman your notice to-night."
— from The Auction Block by Rex Beach

“No, only those which are usually left lit at night.”
— from The Red Seal by Natalie Sumner Lincoln

They climbed trench parapets, descended into gullies, came out upon level land, and over their whole path swept destruction to the Germans.
— from The Brighton Boys in the Radio Service by James R. Driscoll

if you’d just give up looking like a little warm, brown saint, it would be better for the peace of mind of the men.”
— from Derelicts by William John Locke

He put down the buck upon the ground, and, walking to where Umslopogaas lay, looked at him.
— from Nada the Lily by H. Rider (Henry Rider) Haggard

She thought that her cousin was in some way out of health, for he looked upon life like a weary old man.
— from The Joy of Life [La joie de vivre] by Émile Zola

Now and then a mounted wayfarer came toward us looking like a landed proprietor in his own equipment and that of his steed, and there were peasant women solidly perched on donkeys, and draped in long black cloaks and hooded in white kerchiefs.
— from Familiar Spanish Travels by William Dean Howells

I found him sitting a little higher up, looking like a sick raven among birds of paradise.”
— from The White Dove by William John Locke