War and Peace vocabulary

And when reaching out his knife and fork, between which the slice of beef was locked, Ahab thereby motioned Starbuck's plate towards him, the mate received his meat as though receiving alms; and cut it tenderly; and a little started if, perchance, the knife grazed against the plate; and chewed it noiselessly; and swallowed it, not without circumspection.

Herman Melville. Moby Dick

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and the distinguished dignitary who bore the title of “Collector of Alms” went round to all the brothers.

Leo Tolstoy. War and Peace: With bonus material from Give War and Peace A Chance by Andrew D. Kaufman. Simon & Schuster