Ten to one she had in mind some idiot heroine of a book. - George Gissing

That poor creature’s unhappiness was doubtless in great measure due to the conviction that in missing love and marriage she had missed everything.

He knew what poverty means. The chilling of brain and heart, the unnerving of the hands, the slow gathering about one of fear and shame and impotent wrath, the dread feeling of helplessness, of the world’s base indifference. Poverty! Poverty!

— Amy said that would be an imprudent expense; but as soon as he had got a good price for a book. Will not the publishers be kind? If they knew what happiness lurked in embryo within their foolish cheque-books!