"Nonplus" Quotes from Famous Books
 ... blushes and hesitates; the husband insists; she refuses, and is desirous of continuing her walk, saying that it is all foolishness.—"What if it is?" rejoins the husband, "I've paid, so take a motto to please me." For this once, the lady is quite at a nonplus; she at last consents, and, with a trembling hand, draws a card from the magic wheel: the husband unrolls it with eagerness and confidence, and reads these words: "My young lover is and will be constant."—"What the devil does this ...
— Paris As It Was and As It Is • Francis W. Blagdon
... at a terrible nonplus, for he had no liking for Miss Isabella. To his mind, little Judy McQuirk, daughter to a sister's son of mine, was worth twenty of her. But her father had locked her in her room and forbidden her to think of him, which raised his spirit; and I could see him growing more and ...
— The World's Greatest Books, Vol IV. • Editors: Arthur Mee and J.A. Hammerton
... choose. He is wondrous loth to hazard his credulity, and whilst he fears to believe amiss, believes nothing. The opinion of an over judgment wrongs him, which makes him too wise for the truth. He finds doubts and scruples better than resolves them, and has always some argument to nonplus himself. The least religion is enough to perplex him, and the best will not satisfy him. He hammers too much in general upon our opinion's incertainty, and the possibility of erring makes him not venture on what is true. He cannot drive into his fancy the circumscription of religion into ...
— Microcosmography - or, a Piece of the World Discovered; in Essays and Characters • John Earle
... where's the Bridegroom, Girl? Od's bobs we're all at a Nonplus here, at a stand, quite out; the Musicks ceas'd, and we all look as tho there were neither a light Heart or Heel among us; nay, my Cousin Clara too as cloudy as on a ...
— The City Bride (1696) - Or The Merry Cuckold • Joseph Harris
... for several months in expectation of seeing some satisfactory reply to URSULA'S Query. It seems, however, that, in common with myself, your numerous correspondents are quite at a nonplus. Wood, in his Athenae Oxoniensis, vol. ii. p. 163., mentions this Edmund Chaloner as being about nineteen (URSULA says twenty-one) years old at the death of his father, James Chaloner, in 1660. Wood, Granger, as also Burke in his ...
— Notes and Queries, No. 179. Saturday, April 2, 1853. • Various
... Monarchy men," or other turbulent fanatics as he had supposed, for the disturbance of the public peace, he learnt from the constable that they were only a few peaceable, harmless people, met together "to preach and hear the word," without any political meaning. Wingate was now at a nonplus, and "could not well tell what to say." For the credit of his magisterial character, however, he must do something to show that he had not made a mistake in issuing the warrant. So he asked Bunyan what business he had there, and why it ...
— The Life of John Bunyan • Edmund Venables
... elected Monsieur Popinot as deputy from the fourth arrondissement? He dines with Louis Phillippe. There's Finot; he is going to be, they say, a member of the Council. Suppose they send me as ambassador to London? I tell you I'd nonplus those English! No man ever got the better of Gaudissart, the illustrious Gaudissart, and nobody ever will. Yes, I say it! no one ever outwitted me, and no one can—in any walk of life, politics or impolitics, here or elsewhere. But, for the time being, ...
— The Illustrious Gaudissart • Honore de Balzac
... they might not gain possession of it, and climbing, with a nimbleness suited to the occasion, up to the masthead, descended by the top-gallant stay, to the fore-topmast cross-trees, and joined Seymour, in the presence of the exasperated Frenchmen, who now, unable to reach either of them, were at a nonplus. "I say, monsieur, no catchee, no habbee," cried Jerry, laughing, and putting his hand to his side from loss ...
— The King's Own • Captain Frederick Marryat |
