Probably he had been such in former years, but his deafness had destroyed his powers in that regard.
"Memoirs of Orange Jacobs"
Orange Jacobs
Is this old fossil afflicted with deafness, I wonder?
"Monsieur Cherami"
Charles Paul de Kock
Moreover, I have two other men in view for Stella,-an Englishman, forty-five years old, rather shy in consequence of deafness, of very good family, an income of six thousand pounds sterling, and of good trustworthy character; and a Dutchman whose ears were cut off in Turkey, wherefore he is compelled to wear his hair after the fashion of the youthful Bonaparte; but these are trifles.
"Erlach Court"
Ossip Schubin