The Absence of Falling Stars Quotes

“Why are you leaving? I glare at you, ridicule you, and nearly fly into a rage, but you stay; yet, when I pray, you turn and walk away. Don’t you believe in God?”
“No.”
“Unusual,” she said and stood, “coming from someone who enjoys taking risks. He might be watching over you without you knowing.”

“Now, now, don’t be shoutin’ or cursin’. We’ll find that out when we’s gets ya inside a nice an’ safe prison cell. Come on, then. If we’s end up hangin’ ya, then ya get a good last meal an’ the ladies’ll love ya when they see ya swingin’. It’s what the last man I hung said, then again, I think he was a liar.”

Finding tears in his eyes, he grew restless and stood, cursing at the top of his voice. He turned and kicked the cot, then picked up the tray of food they’d given him and was about to sling it against the cell when he saw the deputy from earlier.
“Ya best stop trashin’ the place, or I’s gonna make ya stay in here.”
“I’m getting out?”

“Don’t you have the decency to end a life when the sun’s out?”
“Doesn’t God?”

“Stop preaching at me! Do you think Nigellus is a reasonable man? I know him. I know how he thinks, how he feels, and how he treats women. I’m not stopping unless the world decides to rise up and stop me and the wind tries to kill my ass. If you want to stop, fine. Stop.”

“Don’t pull that spineless, brotherly love shit with me. Weren’t you a man when you sent that telegram, begging her to help you? You’re not a man; you’re even a poor excuse for a jackass.”

"You’re as tough as nails, but there’s more of us than there is you, and I think we have the ability to hold you back.”
“You think? There’s no ‘think’ to it, sheriff. It’s either you do or you don’t.”

"I’d much prefer being a man on the run than a man without backbone."

"Maybe you should just go back to get help,” he stared intensely from Tom to Mitchell before turning his attention to the ranch house, “because if she’s wounded, you’re going to need any army to stop me from killing Nigellus and all the cowards who work for him.”

"Darling, sometimes life isn’t about looking up; sometimes it’s about looking around."

“What am I to do, Edmond? How can I take advice from a woman who runs a brothel?” she asked the cat, then stroked his fur and listened to him purr. “What am I to do?”

“I do not intend to have my independence taken from me,” she had stressed the following day, “but, seeing as I can’t keep you out of my mind, I may as well marry you.”

"I have admired you since the moment we first met, when I saw you walking through the crowd of people. I thought to myself, ‘How can someone be so beautiful? Does she not realize that all of God’s creations would grow envious and crush her if He brought her before them? The sun would try to burn her soul; the moon, darken her heart; and the stars, outshine her mind by their radiance.’”

“You can’t judge anyone based on someone else, just as you can’t make a final impression on anyone based on the first meeting.”

“Not the best night for a stroll,” he said, straightforward.
“What night is?” she retorted. “Wouldn’t that depend on the person taking the stroll?”

For a moment, she forgot everyone and everything that had ever caused her distress, and began thinking instead of the glistening lake, singing birds, and shining sun—what God’s power had meant for everyone to worship Him for. Her aunt was convinced otherwise, and stressed that God was to be revered because of his control over damnation and eternal darkness.

Abigail didn’t see an importance in color, so she had her servants strip the room of anything bright, replacing it with neutral-painted furniture and a chalkboard. Abigail stressed to Ms. Beth to keep the windows closed at all times, so that they would have less distraction and focus more on their studies. The lantern light on each table occupied would be beneficial enough.

Would the peace last? How long would her aunt be cruel, forcing everything she was to become all that they ever knew? What about Thomas? Surely he wasn’t going to be able to take much more? Rebecca wondered what the price of three warm meals a day was, a roof above one’s head, and having her siblings be with her. Was surrendering to her aunt’s wishes the only choice she had?

“Thomas Jacob, please step forward and welcome Ms. Beth into our home.” He did as was asked, but, just as soon as he did, a frog leapt out of his pocket and smacked the floor. All eyes turned towards the creature, which croaked then began leaping towards the kitchen. The aged butler stepped up and scooped the frog off the floor, his expression remaining blank as he did.

A woman who was a few inches taller than him stood at the door, her expression so absent of emotion one would doubt she actually had personality. His first reaction was to laugh at her and slam the door in her face, recalling a spinster teacher from his childhood. He didn’t.