| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Duchesse de Langeais by Honore de Balzac: his lips.
"Yes, but there we must stop," she said, smiling. She sat
down, and seemed very slow over putting on her gloves, trying to
slip the unstretched kid over all her fingers at once, while she
watched M. de Montriveau; and he was lost in admiration of the
Duchess and those repeated graceful movements of hers.
"Ah! you were punctual," she said; "that is right. I like
punctuality. It is the courtesy of kings, His Majesty says; but
to my thinking, from you men it is the most respectful flattery
of all. Now, is it not? Just tell me."
Again she gave him a side glance to express her insidious
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Lesson of the Master by Henry James: scarce ever been by the picture of such a demonstration in his
favour. "You're really the kindest of men. Cela s'est passe comme
ca? - and I've been sitting here with you all this time and never
apprehended it and never thanked you!"
"Thank Miss Fancourt - it was she who wound me up. She has made me
feel as if I had read your novel."
"She's an angel from heaven!" Paul declared.
"She is indeed. I've never seen any one like her. Her interest in
literature's touching - something quite peculiar to herself; she
takes it all so seriously. She feels the arts and she wants to
feel them more. To those who practise them it's almost humiliating
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Country Doctor by Honore de Balzac: turning the soil over for the sake of something to do."
Then the two old mothers came out to speak to Benassis, and the young
wagoner planted himself in the middle of the yard, in a spot from
whence he could have a good view of the doctor.
"Let us see, let me have your hand," said Benassis, addressing Mme.
Vigneau; and as he carefully felt her pulse, he stood in silence,
absorbed in thought. The three women, meanwhile, scrutinized the
commandant with the undisguised curiosity that country people do not
scruple to express.
"Nothing could be better!" cried the doctor cheerily.
"Will she be confined soon?" both the mothers asked together.
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