Works of Charles Dickens

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Hurd and Houghton, 1875 - English fiction

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Page 60 - Providence," said the foreign gentleman, laughing, "for the frontier is not large." "Undoubtedly," assented Mr. Podsnap; "But So it is. It was the Charter of the Land. This Island was Blest, Sir, to the Direct Exclusion of such Other Countries as — as there may happen to be. And if we were all Englishmen present, I would say,
Page 25 - Would it come dearer ? " Mr. Boffin asked. " It would come dearer," Mr. Wegg returned. " For when a person comes to grind off poetry night after night, it is but right he should expect to be paid for its weakening effect on his mind.
Page 170 - The wild energy of the man, now quite let loose, was absolutely terrible. He stopped and laid his hand upon a piece of the coping of the burial-ground enclosure, as if he would have dislodged the stone. 'No man knows till the time comes, what depths are within him. To some men it never comes; let them rest and be thankful! To me, you brought it; on me, you forced it; and the bottom of this raging sea,' striking himself upon the breast, 'has been heaved up ever since.
Page 58 - Mr Podsnap had even acquired a peculiar flourish of his right arm in often clearing the world of its most difficult problems, by sweeping them behind him (and consequently sheer away) with those words and a flushed face.
Page 23 - Wegg was a knotty man, and a closegrained, with a face carved out of very hard material, that had just as much play of expression as a watchman's rattle. When he laughed, certain jerks occurred in it, and the rattle sprung. Sooth to say, he was so wooden a man that he seemed to have taken his wooden leg naturally, and rather suggested to the fanciful observer, that he might be expected - if his development received no untimely check - to be completely set up with a pair of wooden legs in about six...
Page 60 - But the lumpy gentleman, unwilling to give it up, again madly said, 'ESKER/ and again spake no more. 'It merely referred/ Mr Podsnap explained, with a sense of meritorious proprietorship, 'to Our Constitution, Sir. We Englishmen are Very Proud of our Constitution, Sir. It Was Bestowed Upon Us By Providence. No Other Country is so Favoured as This Country.
Page 29 - Externally, it was a narrow lopsided wooden jumble of corpulent windows heaped one upon another as you might heap as many toppling oranges, with a crazy wooden verandah impending over the water; indeed the whole house, inclusive of the complaining flag-staff...
Page 58 - Mr. Podsnap's world was not a very large world, morally ; no, nor even geographically : seeing that although his business was sustained upon commerce with other countries, he considered other countries, with that important reservation, a mistake, and of their manners and customs would conclusively observe, " Not English ! " when, PRESTO ! with a flourish of the arm, and a flush of the face, they were swept away.
Page 59 - Here you have as much of me in my ugliness as if I were only lead; but I am so many ounces of precious metal, worth so much an ounce; — wouldn't you like to melt me down?

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