the hourly rounds of the night watchman.

While fear and anger, with alternate grace, / Pant in her breast, and vary in her face.

… rubbing his hands busily, rocking back and forth with one foot in front of the other, his head down but watching Watson with an underlook that was very arrogant, cocky, ...

The haphazard efforts of a few, working here and there without concert, easily spent themselves in attaining results far short of what were needed.