1 His going, though only eight miles, will be an unwelcome contraction of our family circle; but I should have been deeply mortified if any son of mine could reconcile himself to doing less.
2 I had every reason to suppose that this Abe Slaney was an American, since Abe is an American contraction, and since a letter from America had been the starting-point of all the trouble.
The Return of Sherlock Holmes By Arthur Conan DoyleContext Highlight In III. THE ADVENTURE OF THE DANCING MEN 3 "Yes, it is I," said the count, whom a frightful contraction of the lips prevented from articulating freely.
The Count of Monte Cristo By Alexandre DumasContext Highlight In Chapter 92. The Suicide. 4 "Pierre, give me the coffee," she said, addressing Petritsky, whom she called Pierre as a contraction of his surname, making no secret of her relations with him.
5 Milady saw by the contraction of his countenance that the trigger was about to be pulled; she reached her hand quickly to her bosom, drew out a paper, and held it toward Athos.
6 His hands contract convulsively; they close, and grasp nothingness.
Les Misérables (V1) By Victor HugoContext Highlight In BOOK 2: CHAPTER VIII—BILLOWS AND SHADOWS 7 Whoever buries himself in the opposite of day feels his heart contract.
Les Misérables (V2) By Victor HugoContext Highlight In BOOK 3: CHAPTER V—THE LITTLE ONE ALL ALONE 8 Any man who has been a prisoner understands how to contract himself to fit the diameter of the escape.
Les Misérables (V2) By Victor HugoContext Highlight In BOOK 8: CHAPTER IV—IN WHICH JEAN VALJEAN HAS QUITE THE AIR OF HAV... 9 All those words: rights of the people, rights of man, the social contract, the French Revolution, the Republic, democracy, humanity, civilization, religion, progress, came very near to signifying nothing whatever to Grantaire.
Les Misérables (V3) By Victor HugoContext Highlight In BOOK 4: CHAPTER I—A GROUP WHICH BARELY MISSED BECOMING HISTORIC 10 He had endured everything in the way of destitution; he had done everything except contract debts.
Les Misérables (V3) By Victor HugoContext Highlight In BOOK 5: CHAPTER II—MARIUS POOR 11 Never have the fingers of night which contract beneath this stifling ceiling, turned the leaves of a book nor unfolded a newspaper.
Les Misérables (V3) By Victor HugoContext Highlight In BOOK 7: CHAPTER II—THE LOWEST DEPTHS 12 Some say social contract; which is the same thing, the word contract being etymologically formed with the idea of a bond.
Les Misérables (V5) By Victor HugoContext Highlight In BOOK 1: CHAPTER V—THE HORIZON WHICH ONE BEHOLDS FROM THE SUMMIT O... 13 My friends, in bygone days, in those amiable days of yore, people married wisely; they had a good contract, and then they had a good carouse.
Les Misérables (V5) By Victor HugoContext Highlight In BOOK 5: CHAPTER VI—THE TWO OLD MEN DO EVERYTHING, EACH ONE AFTER ... 14 Napoleon had accepted, through Whymper, a contract for four hundred eggs a week.
15 A spasm made the ribs contract; blood oozed.