(Jane Austen - Pride and prejudice ) "In point of composition," said Mary, "the letter does not seemdefective.<>
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Lady Catherine herself saysthat, in point of true beauty, Miss de Bourgh is far superior to thehandsomest of her sex, because there is that in her features which marksthe young lady of distinguished birth.<>
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(Jane Austen - Pride and prejudice ) But Elizabeth was not formed for ill-humour; and though every prospectof her own was destroyed for the evening, it could not dwell long on herspirits; and having told all her griefs to Charlotte Lucas, whom she hadnot seen for a week, she was soon able to make a voluntary transitionto the oddities of her cousin, and to point him out to her particularnotice.<>
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Mr. Collins listened to herwith the determined air of following his own inclination, and, when sheceased speaking, replied thus:"My dear Miss Elizabeth, I have the highest opinion in the world inyour excellent judgement in all matters within the scope of yourunderstanding; but permit me to say, that there must be a widedifference between the established forms of ceremony amongst the laity,and those which regulate the clergy; for, give me leave to observe thatI consider the clerical office as equal in point of dignity withthe highest rank in the kingdom--provided that a proper humility ofbehaviour is at the same time maintained.<>
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You must therefore allow me tofollow the dictates of my conscience on this occasion, which leads me toperform what I look on as a point of duty.<>
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He assured her, that as to dancing, he was perfectly indifferent to it;that his chief object was by delicate attentions to recommend himself toher and that he should therefore make a point of remaining close to herthe whole evening.<>
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Two of hergirls had been upon the point of marriage, and after all there wasnothing in it.<>
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Charlotte's first letterswere received with a good deal of eagerness; there could not but becuriosity to know how she would speak of her new home, how she wouldlike Lady Catherine, and how happy she would dare pronounce herself tobe; though, when the letters were read, Elizabeth felt that Charlotteexpressed herself on every point exactly as she might have foreseen.<>
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(Jane Austen - Pride and prejudice ) After sitting a few minutes, they were all sent to one of the windows toadmire the view, Mr. Collins attending them to point out its beauties,and Lady Catherine kindly informing them that it was much better worthlooking at in the summer.<>
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She was on the point of continuing her walk,when she caught a glimpse of a gentleman within the sort of grove whichedged the park; he was moving that way; and, fearful of its being Mr.Darcy, she was directly retreating.<>
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Afterpausing on this point a considerable while, she once more continued toread.<>
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When myniece Georgiana went to Ramsgate last summer, I made a point of herhaving two men-servants go with her.<>
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Collins youhave been a daily witness of; and altogether I trust it does not appearthat your friend has drawn an unfortunate--but on this point it will beas well to be silent.<>
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He then handed herin, Maria followed, and the door was on the point of being closed,when he suddenly reminded them, with some consternation, that they hadhitherto forgotten to leave any message for the ladies at Rosings.<>
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Thereis one point on which I want your advice.<>
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It was consequently necessary toname some other period for the commencement of actual felicity--to havesome other point on which her wishes and hopes might be fixed, and byagain enjoying the pleasure of anticipation, console herself for thepresent, and prepare for another disappointment.<>
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(Jane Austen - Pride and prejudice ) Elizabeth's mind was too full for conversation, but she saw and admiredevery remarkable spot and point of view.<>
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(Jane Austen - Pride and prejudice ) "But can you think that Lydia is so lost to everything but love of himas to consent to live with him on any terms other than marriage?""It does seem, and it is most shocking indeed," replied Elizabeth, withtears in her eyes, "that a sister's sense of decency and virtue in sucha point should admit of doubt.<>
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(Jane Austen - Pride and prejudice ) "If I had been able," said she, "to carry my point in going to Brighton,with all my family, this would not have happened; but poor dear Lydiahad nobody to take care of her.<>
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Theyran through the vestibule into the breakfast-room; from thence to thelibrary; their father was in neither; and they were on the point ofseeking him up stairs with their mother, when they were met by thebutler, who said:"If you are looking for my master, ma'am, he is walking towards thelittle copse.<>
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The marriage of a daughter, which had been the first objectof her wishes since Jane was sixteen, was now on the point ofaccomplishment, and her thoughts and her words ran wholly on thoseattendants of elegant nuptials, fine muslins, new carriages, andservants.<>
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That his anger could be carried to such a point of inconceivableresentment as to refuse his daughter a privilege without which hermarriage would scarcely seem valid, exceeded all she could believepossible.<>
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(Jane Austen - Pride and prejudice ) But to live in ignorance on such a point was impossible; or at leastit was impossible not to try for information.<>
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She looked forward to their entrance as the point on which allher chance of pleasure for the evening must depend.<>
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Not a syllable was uttered by either; andElizabeth was on the point of going away again, when Bingley, who aswell as the other had sat down, suddenly rose, and whispering a fewwords to her sister, ran out of the room.<>
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I was told that not only yoursister was on the point of being most advantageously married, but thatyou, that Miss Elizabeth Bennet, would, in all likelihood, be soonafterwards united to my nephew, my own nephew, Mr. Darcy.<>
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My good qualities are under your protection, and you areto exaggerate them as much as possible; and, in return, it belongs to meto find occasions for teasing and quarrelling with you as often as maybe; and I shall begin directly by asking you what made you so unwillingto come to the point at last.<>
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) He was bound toacknowledge that, personally, he entertained the highest regard andesteem for the honourable gentleman; he had merely considered him ahumbug in a Pickwickian point of view.<>
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This coherent speech was interrupted by the entrance of the Rochestercoachman, to announce that 'the Commodore' was on the point of starting.<>
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( Dickens The Pickwick papers ) We do not find, from a careful perusal of Mr. Pickwick's notes ofthe four towns, Stroud, Rochester, Chatham, and Brompton, that hisimpressions of their appearance differ in any material point from thoseof other travellers who have gone over the same ground.<>
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It has been conjectured that Mr. Pickwick was on the point of deliveringsome remarks which would have enlightened the world, if not the Thames,when he was thus interrupted; for he gazed sternly on the waiter'scountenance, and then looked round on the company generally, as ifseeking for information relative to the new-comers.<>
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Manis but mortal; and there is a point beyond which human courage cannotextend.<>
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There was an open square for the market-place; andin the centre of it, a large inn with a sign-post in front, displayingan object very common in art, but rarely met with in nature--to wit,a blue lion, with three bow legs in the air, balancing himself on theextreme point of the centre claw of his fourth foot.<>
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He had raised his forkto his lips, and was on the very point of opening his mouth for thereception of a piece of beef, when the hum of many voices suddenly arosein the kitchen.<>
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At its conclusion, the little man took a pinch of snuff from anoblong silver box, and was apparently on the point of renewing theconversation, when one of the plump gentlemen, who in addition to abenevolent countenance, possessed a pair of spectacles, and a pair ofblack gaiters, interfered--'The fact of the matter is,' said the benevolent gentleman, 'that myfriend here (pointing to the other plump gentleman) will give you half aguinea, if you'll answer one or two--Now, my dear sir--my dear Sir,' said the little man, 'pray, allowme--my dear Sir, the very first principle to be observed in these cases,is this: if you place the matter in the hands of a professional man,you must in no way interfere in the progress of the business; you mustrepose implicit confidence in him.<>
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Weare confirmed in this belief by a little circumstance, apparently slightand trivial in itself, but when considered in this point of view, notundeserving of notice.<>
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A crowdof idlers were assembled in the road, looking at a hoarse man in thebalcony, who was apparently talking himself very red in the face inMr. Slumkey's behalf; but the force and point of whose arguments weresomewhat impaired by the perpetual beating of four large drums which Mr.Fizkin's committee had stationed at the street corner.<>
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Here the dirty-faced man fell into ecstasies of mirthat his own retort, in which he was joined by a man of bland voice andplacid countenance, who always made it a point to agree with everybody.<>
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"'Tom Smart was just on the point of protesting that he hadn't tasted adrop since his last birthday, but when his eye encountered that of theold gentleman he looked so knowing that Tom blushed, and was silent.<>
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( Dickens The Pickwick papers ) '"Which press did you point to?--you can tell me that," said Tom.<>
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What does our dastardly contemporary mean? What would theruffian say, if we, setting at naught, like him, the decencies ofsocial intercourse, were to raise the curtain which happily conceals Hisprivate life from general ridicule, not to say from general execration?What, if we were even to point out, and comment on, facts andcircumstances, which are publicly notorious, and beheld by every onebut our mole-eyed contemporary--what if we were to print the followingeffusion, which we received while we were writing the commencement ofthis article, from a talented fellow-townsman and correspondent? '"LINES TO A BRASS POT '"Oh Pott! if you'd known How false she'd have grown, When you heard the marriage bells tinkle; You'd have done then, I vow, What you cannot help now, And handed her over to W"What,' said Mr. Pott solemnly--'what rhymes to "tinkle," villain?What rhymes to tinkle?' said Mrs.<>
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He was on the point of congratulating Mr. Wardle on hisinvariable success, when that gentleman advanced towards him, andgrasped him warmly by the hand.<>
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Am I not right aboutthem?' And the old man rubbed his hands, and leered as if in delightat having found another point of view in which to place his favouritesubject.<>
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Passage after passagedid he explore; room after room did he peep into; at length, as he wason the point of giving up the search in despair, he opened the door ofthe identical room in which he had spent the evening, and beheld hismissing property on the table.<>
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The dispute ran high, and the dilemmalasted long; and just as the executive were on the point of overcomingMr. Pickwick's objection to walking to the magistrate's, by the triteexpedient of carrying him thither, it was recollected that there stoodin the inn yard, an old sedan-chair, which, having been originally builtfor a gouty gentleman with funded property, would hold Mr. Pickwick andMr. Tupman, at least as conveniently as a modern post-chaise.<>
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( Dickens The Pickwick papers ) 'I will come to the point at once, sir,' said Mr. Pickwick; 'it affectsyourself and your credit materially.<>
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The old lady submitted to this piece of practical politeness with allthe dignity which befitted so important and serious a solemnity, butthe younger ladies, not being so thoroughly imbued with a superstitiousveneration for the custom, or imagining that the value of a salute isvery much enhanced if it cost a little trouble to obtain it, screamedand struggled, and ran into corners, and threatened and remonstrated,and did everything but leave the room, until some of the lessadventurous gentlemen were on the point of desisting, when they all atonce found it useless to resist any longer, and submitted to be kissedwith a good grace.<>
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"'Here, the goblin gave a loud, shrill laugh, which the echoes returnedtwentyfold; and throwing his legs up in the air, stood upon his head, orrather upon the very point of his sugar-loaf hat, on the narrow edge ofthe tombstone, whence he threw a Somerset with extraordinary agility,right to the sexton's feet, at which he planted himself in the attitudein which tailors generally sit upon the shop-board.<>
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( Dickens The Pickwick papers ) It was the most intensely interesting thing, to observe the manner inwhich Mr. Pickwick performed his share in the ceremony; to watch thetorture of anxiety with which he viewed the person behind, gaining uponhim at the imminent hazard of tripping him up; to see him graduallyexpend the painful force he had put on at first, and turn slowly roundon the slide, with his face towards the point from which he had started;to contemplate the playful smile which mantled on his face when he hadaccomplished the distance, and the eagerness with which he turned roundwhen he had done so, and ran after his predecessor, his black gaiterstripping pleasantly through the snow, and his eyes beaming cheerfulnessand gladness through his spectacles.<>
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The prim man arrived at this point just as the glasses came back, whenMr. Bob Sawyer, who had been absorbed in attention during the wholetime, said he should very much like to hear the end of it, for, so faras it went, it was, without exception, the very best story he had everheard.<>
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( Dickens The Pickwick papers ) At this point the remainder of the guests interposed, and remonstratedwith both parties on the impropriety of their conduct; on which Mr.Noddy begged to state that his father was quite as respectable as Mr.Gunter's father; to which Mr. Gunter replied that his father was to thefull as respectable as Mr. Noddy's father, and that his father's son wasas good a man as Mr. Noddy, any day in the week.<>
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Mr. Pickwick was on the point of inquiring, with great abhorrence of theman's cold-blooded villainy, how Mr. Serjeant Buzfuz, who was counselfor the opposite party, dared to presume to tell Mr. Serjeant Snubbin,who was counsel for him, that it was a fine morning, when he wasinterrupted by a general rising of the barristers, and a loud cry of'Silence!' from the officers of the court.<>
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King Lud flew into a frightful rage, tossed his crown up tothe ceiling, and caught it again--for in those days kings kept theircrowns on their heads, and not in the Tower--stamped the ground, rappedhis forehead, wondered why his own flesh and blood rebelled against him,and, finally, calling in his guards, ordered the prince away to instantConfinement in a lofty turret; a course of treatment which the kings ofold very generally pursued towards their sons, when their matrimonialinclinations did not happen to point to the same quarter as their own.<>
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At this point the conversation was interrupted by the arrival of agentleman in orange-coloured plush, accompanied by another selectionin purple cloth, with a great extent of stocking.<>
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Bending his steps towardsthe Royal Hotel, he found a coach on the point of starting for Bristol,and, thinking Bristol as good a place for his purpose as any other hecould go to, he mounted the box, and reached his place of destinationin such time as the pair of horses, who went the whole stage and backagain, twice a day or more, could be reasonably supposed to arrivethere.<>
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The young man gave a gentle kick at one of the lowerpanels of the door, after he had given utterance to this hint, as if toadd force and point to the remark.<>
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But as none among these young ladies was Miss Arabella Allen,the information left Sam at exactly the old point of wisdom at which hehad stood before.<>
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( Dickens The Pickwick papers ) 'Wy, that's just the wery point as nobody never know'd,' replied Sam.<>
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( Dickens The Pickwick papers ) Now, although the warder's room was a very uncomfortable one (being,in every point of decoration and convenience, several hundred degreesinferior to the common infirmary of a county jail), it had at presentthe merit of being wholly deserted save by Mr. Pickwick himself.<>
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Mr. Pickwick then once againdropped off to sleep, with a confused consciousness that Mr. Smanglewas still engaged in relating a long story, the chief point of whichappeared to be that, on some occasion particularly stated and set forth,he had 'done' a bill and a gentleman at the same time.<>
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( Dickens The Pickwick papers ) The conversation exhibiting these unequivocal symptoms of verging on thepersonal, Mr. Pickwick deemed it a fit point at which to interpose.<>
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It is better forthose young men, in every point of view, that they should not remainhere.<>
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Theonly point on which he persevered in demanding an explanation, was, thename of Sam's detaining creditor; but this Mr. Weller as perseveringlywithheld.<>
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At this point of the conversation, a sound, indecorously approachingto a laugh, was heard to proceed from the chair in which the elder Mr.Weller was seated; upon which Mrs.<>
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Weller remarking, and concluding that theybore some disparaging reference either to herself or to Mr. Stiggins,or to both, was on the point of becoming infinitely worse, when Mr.Stiggins, getting on his legs as well as he could, proceeded todeliver an edifying discourse for the benefit of the company, but moreespecially of Mr. Samuel, whom he adjured in moving terms to be upon hisguard in that sink of iniquity into which he was cast; to abstainfrom all hypocrisy and pride of heart; and to take in all things exactpattern and copy by him (Stiggins), in which case he might calculate onarriving, sooner or later at the comfortable conclusion, that, likehim, he was a most estimable and blameless character, and that allhis acquaintances and friends were hopelessly abandoned and profligatewretches.<>
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At this point of his discourse,the reverend and red-nosed gentleman became singularly incoherent, andstaggering to and fro in the excitement of his eloquence, was fain tocatch at the back of a chair to preserve his perpendicular.<>
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Raddle and the cab-driver were having an altercation concerningthe fare, which, terminating at this point in favour of the cabman, Mrs.<>
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( Dickens The Pickwick papers ) Taking advantage of these symptoms of indecision, Mr. Perker (to whom,it appeared, the young couple had driven straight that morning) urgedwith legal point and shrewdness that Mr. Winkle, senior, was stillunacquainted with the important rise in life's flight of steps whichhis son had taken; that the future expectations of the said son dependedentirely upon the said Winkle, senior, continuing to regard him withundiminished feelings of affection and attachment, which it was veryunlikely he would, if this great event were long kept a secret from him;that Mr. Pickwick, repairing to Bristol to seek Mr. Allen, might, withequal reason, repair to Birmingham to seek Mr. Winkle, senior; lastly,that Mr. Winkle, senior, had good right and title to consider Mr.Pickwick as in some degree the guardian and adviser of his son, andthat it consequently behoved that gentleman, and was indeed due tohis personal character, to acquaint the aforesaid Winkle, senior,personally, and by word of mouth, with the whole circumstances of thecase, and with the share he had taken in the transaction.<>
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As regards my youngfriend, I must beg to add, that in every point of worldly advantage heis, at least, on an equal footing with yourself, if not on a much betterone, and that unless I hear this question discussed with becoming temperand moderation, I decline hearing any more said upon the subject.<>
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( Dickens The Pickwick papers ) 'I have always considered it a great point in my uncle's character,gentlemen, that he was the intimate friend and companion of Tom Smart,of the great house of Bilson and Slum, Cateaton Street, City.<>
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Myuncle had no weapon about him, but with great dexterity he snatched theill-looking gentleman's three-cornered hat from his head, and, receivingthe point of his sword right through the crown, squeezed the sidestogether, and held it tight.<>
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It's the whole point of the thing, youknow--that, and leaving the business to take care of itself, as it seemsto have made up its mind not to take care of me.<>
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( Dickens The Pickwick papers ) Mr. Pickwick was on the point of replying to the question, and recitingMr. Benjamin Allen's name and honourable distinctions at full length,when the sprightly Mr. Bob Sawyer, with a view of rousing his friend toa sense of his situation, inflicted a startling pinch upon the fleshlypart of his arm, which caused him to jump up with a shriek.<>
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At this point of the reconciliation, Mr. Ben Allen allowed his feelingsand the cigars and porter to overcome him, and looked round upon thebeholders with damp spectacles.<>
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He took a piece of cheese from the plate, and was onthe point of turning round to renew the conversation, when the fat boy,stooping so as to bring his head on a level with that of Mr. Pickwick,pointed with his thumb over his shoulder, and made the most horrible andhideous face that was ever seen out of a Christmas pantomime.<>
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( Dickens The Pickwick papers ) 'She is right on one point at all events,' said the old gentlemancheerfully.<>
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This important point being despatched, Mr. Pell refreshedhimself with three chops, and liquids both malt and spirituous, at theexpense of the estate; and then they all went away to Doctors' Commons.<>
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Supposing I were desirous of establishing them comfortably asman and wife in some little business or situation, where they might hopeto obtain a decent living, what should you think of it, Mr. Weller?'At first, Mr. Weller received with wry faces a proposition involving themarriage of anybody in whom he took an interest; but, as Mr. Pickwickargued the point with him, and laid great stress on the fact that Marywas not a widow, he gradually became more tractable.<>
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( Dickens The Pickwick papers ) 'Without an endeavour, even, to ascertain, by some indirect appeal, whatwere the old man's sentiments on a point in which he would naturallyfeel much interested?' said the stranger.<>
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Now, even when Michael was a master criminal, he made it a pointof honour, even a point of vanity, to succeed without any killing.<>
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They are really thedevil; isn't that swagger of stoicism the whole point of the Byroniccult of Satan? I heard all this; but for the life of me I couldn't hearof anything tangible she had to complain of.<>
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Poor Vaudrey diedup in the hamlet, somehow; after all, I don't think he committedsuicide; but the trouble is who would, or could, have killed him up inthat potty little place?"(Chesterton The secret of father Brown ) He began to draw rough designs with the point of his stumpy umbrella onthe strip of sand.<>
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Yet he continued to gaze,for some reason, until he reached the point of feeling that theappearance of anybody would be an agreeable contrast It was thereforewith a certain relief, though with a slight start as of awakening, thathe turned at the sound of his name and saw another face that he knew.<>
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But itseems obvious you have a right to an answer on that point before youlend the young gentleman your firm's money.<>
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Thatwas just the point of it--that it wasn't social.<>
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But as he was being hauledup the green, slimy bank, he stopped with bent head, peering at aparticular point upon the grassy slope.<>
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He saluted the priest, and spokewith the same air of coming fearlessly to the point which had marked hisrevelations of yesterday.<>
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As for mesmerism, I doubt whetheryou can stretch it to----"(Chesterton The secret of father Brown ) At this point Lady Mounteagle seemed to catch sight of somebody shewanted; a black stumpy figure standing at a booth where children werethrowing hoops at hideous table ornaments.<>
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The point about private property wouldn't occur primarily to him at all.<>
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And the last point is, that James Mair instantly disappearedto foreign parts; fled, in fact, to the ends of the earth.<>
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