For, not to
hint of this: that it is an inference from certain canonic teachings, that while some natural enjoyments here shall have no children born to them for the other world, but, on the contrary, shall be followed by the joy-childlessness of all hell's despair; whereas, some guilty mortal miseries shall still fertilely beget to themselves an eternally progressive progeny of griefs beyond the grave; not at all to
hint of this, there still seems an inequality in the deeper analysis of the thing.
When the elder Osborne gave what he called "a
hint," there was no possibility for the most obtuse to mistake his meaning.
Mr Shepherd, a civil, cautious lawyer, who, whatever might be his hold or his views on Sir Walter, would rather have the disagreeable prompted by anybody else, excused himself from offering the slightest
hint, and only begged leave to recommend an implicit reference to the excellent judgement of Lady Russell, from whose known good sense he fully expected to have just such resolute measures advised as he meant to see finally adopted.
As it was, however, she only hazarded a
hint, and the
hint was lost.
Nothing of her ever comes to light - no grating, no lifebuoy, no piece of boat or branded oar - to give a
hint of the place and date of her sudden end.
In telegraphic sentences, half swallowed at the ends, They
hint a matter's inwardness--and there the matter ends.
"The rocks will soon crack the shell," was the Crow's answer; and the Eagle, taking the
hint, let fall the Tortoise on a sharp rock, and the two birds made a hearty meal of the Tortoise.
At the same time, I will not positively answer for my having never dropt a
hint, because I know I do sometimes pop out a thing before I am aware.
"Ralph has been absolutely dumb about it but he did just give us a
hint that he had a little surprise in store for the submarines.
'True,' said Ralph, emphatically; 'but you have still the power to advise; to state the reasons for and against; to
hint a wish.'
Along that wilderness of glass - No swellings tell that winds may be Upon some far-off happier sea - No heavings
hint that winds have been On seas less hideously serene.
Russian authors are still fonder of telling us that from the commencement of the campaign a Scythian war plan was adopted to lure Napoleon into the depths of Russia, and this plan some of them attribute to Pfuel, others to a certain Frenchman, others to Toll, and others again to Alexander himself- pointing to notes, projects, and letters which contain
hints of such a line of action.