Chuck,

The following more or less confirms Dave's explanation.  It's from
Chapter 16 of _Joan of Arc_ (underscores are mine).

"...Then he bowed low, and when he rose he was eleven feet high.  As he
swelled out past me he covertly _pulled down the corner of his eye_ with
his finger and muttered part of that defiled refrain, "Oh, tears, ah,
tears, oh, sad sweet tears! - name in General Orders - personal mention
to the King, you see!..."

In case anyone is wondering, I pulled this up on Twain's World CD-Rom
at light speed and without the slightest strain on my poor memory.
Found no other hits on this phrase.

Paul Berkowitz