Quotes from Charles Dickens

Dear me, dear me,' replied a testy voice, 'I am very sorry for it, but what am I to do? I can't build it up again. The chief magistrate of the city can't go and be a rebuilding of people's houses, my good sir. Stuff and nonsense!' 'But the chief magistrate of the city can prevent people's houses from having any need to be rebuilt, if the chief magistrate's a man, and not a dummy—can't he, my lord?' cried the old gentleman in a choleric manner.

A Merry Christmas to us all, my dears. God bless us!" Which all the family re-echoed. "God bless us every one!" said Tiny Tim, the last of all.

He stands precociously possessed of centuries of owlish wisdom. If he ever lay in a cradle, it seems as if he must have lain there in a tail-coat.

Little Dorrit was late on the Monday morning, for her father slept late, and afterwards there was his breakfast to prepare and his room to arrange. She had no engagement to go out to work, however, and therefore stayed with him until, with Maggy's help, she had put everything right about him, and had seen him off upon his morning walk (of twenty yards or so) to the coffee-house to read the paper.

Howsever they come, they didn't ought to come, and they come from the father of lies, and work round to the same.

Being practical people, we never allow anybody to scare the birds; and the birds, being practical people too, come about us in myriads.

persuading himself that he was a most conscientious and glorious martyr, [he] nobly resolved to do what, if he had examined his own heart a little more carefully, he would have found he could not resist. Such is the sleight of hand by which we juggle with ourselves, and change our very weaknesses into stanch and most magnanimous virtues!

O! there are many kinds of pride," said Biddy, looking full at me and shaking her head; "pride is not all of one kind—

It was the Dover road that lay, on a Friday night late in November, before the first of the persons with whom this history has business.

on the throne of France. In both countries it was clearer than crystal to the lords of the State preserves of loaves and fishes, that things in general were settled for ever. It was the year of Our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five.

The great principle of out-of-door relief is, to give the paupers exactly what they don't want; and then they get tired of coming.

In a word, I was too cowardly to do what I knew to be right, as I had been too cowardly to avoid doing what I knew to be wrong. I

They had a lurking suspicion even, that he died of secret love; though I must say there was a picture of him in the house with a damask nose, which concealment did not appear to have ever preyed upon.

The change was made in me; the thing was done. Well or ill done, excusably or inescusably, it was done.

a spectacle of imbecility only to be equalled by himself.

I have seen you give him looks and smiles this very night, such as you never give to—me." "Do you want me then," said Estella, turning suddenly with a fixed and serious, if not angry look, "to deceive and entrap you?" "Do you deceive and entrap him, Estella?" "Yes, and many others—all of them but you.

fair face, on the throne of France. In both countries it was clearer than crystal to the lords of the State preserves of loaves and fishes, that things in general were settled for ever. It was the year of Our Lord one thousand seven hundred

Blažene žene: one nikad ništa ne rade dopola. One uvijek u sve unose svu strast.

and a small return for your good offices." "Do you think I particularly like you?" "Really, Mr. Carton," returned the other, oddly disconcerted, "I have not asked myself the question." "But ask yourself the

My sister, Mrs. Joe, with black hair and eyes, had such a prevailing redness of skin that I sometimes used to wonder whether it was possible she washed herself with a nutmeg-grater instead of soap.

But struggling with these better feelings was pride,—the vice of the lowest and most debased creatures no less than of the high and self-assured.

Dear Little Dorrit, it is not my imprisonment only that will soon be over. This sacrifice of you must be ended. We must learn to part again, and to take our different ways so wide asunder. You have not forgotten what we said together, when you came back?

Accidents will occur in the best regulated families.

Of repentance or remorse or any feeling of mine, I say not a word. If I were not dumb, you would be deaf. Let that go by. It is not for your ears.