contract our brow in consternation Sorry if this assumes too little knowledge of English. frown = wrinkle your brow in thought or disapproval brow = forehead or eyebrows eyebrows = the hairs above your eyes , usually separate but sometimes one. consternation = great surprise and anxiety ; or dismay So the sentence is describing the brow moving due to emotion. So a look of dismay showed by the movement of his forehead. ( a very clumsy sentence so please forgive me)