| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Louis Lambert by Honore de Balzac: set the example. During the last hours of my life at Vendome, Louis
had ceased to feel the spur to glory; he had, in a way, had an
abstract enjoyment of fame; and having opened it, as the ancient
priests of sacrifice sought to read the future in the hearts of men,
he had found nothing in the entrails of his chimera. Scorning a
sentiment so wholly personal: "Glory," said he, "is but beatified
egoism."
Here, perhaps, before taking leave of this exceptional boyhood, I may
pronounce judgment on it by a rapid glance.
A short time before our separation, Lambert said to me:
"Apart from the general laws which I have formulated--and this,
Louis Lambert |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Cousin Betty by Honore de Balzac: this minute----"
"And pray, what do you mean by that?" said Marneffe to Crevel, packing
his cards and laying them down in front of him.
A light kindled in the eyes of this man, decrepit at the age of forty-
seven; a faint color flushed his flaccid cold cheeks, his ill-
furnished mouth was half open, and on his blackened lips a sort of
foam gathered, thick, and as white as chalk. This fury in such a
helpless wretch, whose life hung on a thread, and who in a duel would
risk nothing while Crevel had everything to lose, frightened the
Mayor.
"I said," repeated Crevel, "that I should like to see Madame
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie: The cook, more leisurely, was still busy in the kitchen and, if
she missed the other, would only suppose her to be turning down
the beds.
Alas! The conversation inside was being carried on in too low a
tone to permit of her hearing anything of it. She dared not
reopen the door, however gently. Mrs. Vandemeyer was sitting
almost facing it, and Tuppence respected her mistress's lynx-eyed
powers of observation.
Nevertheless, she felt she would give a good deal to overhear
what was going on. Possibly, if anything unforeseen had
happened, she might get news of Tommy. For some moments she
Secret Adversary |
