| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Domestic Peace by Honore de Balzac: Montcornet's handsome face.
"If you would rather play the delicate part of a flirt and not marry
again," the Duchess went on, with blunt good-nature; "well! my poor
child, you, better than any woman, will know how to raise the storm-
clouds and disperse them again. But, I beseech you, never make it your
pleasure to disturb the peace of families, to destroy unions, and ruin
the happiness of happy wives. I, my dear, have played that perilous
game. Dear heaven! for a triumph of vanity some poor virtuous soul is
murdered--for there really are virtuous women, child,--and we may make
ourselves mortally hated. I learned, a little too late, that, as the
Duc d'Albe once said, one salmon is worth a thousand frogs! A genuine
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Lucile by Owen Meredith: Good Breeding to Naked Necessity spares,
You must have a whole wardrobe, no doubt.
JOHN.
My dear fellow,
Matilda is jealous, you know, as Othello.
ALFRED.
You joke.
JOHN.
I am serious. Why go to Luchon?
ALFRED.
Don't ask me. I have not a choice, my dear John.
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Catriona by Robert Louis Stevenson: again. "Now here, Mr. David," said he, "is a letter of introduction,
which I will seal without closing, and give into your hands open, as
the form requires. But, since I am acting in the dark, I will just
read it to you, so that you may see if it will secure your end -
"PILRIG, AUGUST 26th, 1751.
"MY LORD, - This is to bring to your notice my namesake and cousin,
David Balfour Esquire of Shaws, a young gentleman of unblemished
descent and good estate. He has enjoyed, besides, the more valuable
advantages of a godly training, and his political principles are all
that your lordship can desire. I am not in Mr. Balfour's confidence,
but I understand him to have a matter to declare, touching His
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