Being left by himself did not mean tears and idleness for him.

Old love letters often mean tears, because they have been so wrongly read.

I knew full well, as I recognised various voices, that my intelligence would mean tears for some, and joy for others.

Do you remember that two years ago on Christmas Eve you gave me white pearls and mother said then: 'Pearls mean tears'?

So slight a sign as that in Elsie meant tears and confessions from another girl.

Nothing more than the little waver in tone that meant tears were in her eyes.

I think I heard myself gasp, or perhaps it was a dull choking sound that might have meant tears.

But when that doesn't work, it means tears, tests and some surreal moments MY WIFE and I have a story.

Emmy Lou asked Hattie about it, who said it meant tears, and Emmy Lou remembered then how tears came naturally to Sadie.

"Anything but pearls; they mean tears, you know."

"I'm glad he didn't give me pearls," Bettina went on, as Mrs. Martens exclaimed at their beauty, "because pearls mean tears."