| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Albert Savarus by Honore de Balzac: to deserve so true a friend?"
"You won a triumph for the Chapter," said the Vicar-General, smiling.
"Now, as to all this, be as secret as the tomb. We are nothing, we
have done nothing. If we were known to have meddled in election
matters, we should be eaten up alive by the Puritans of the Left--who
do worse--and blamed by some of our own party, who want everything.
Madame de Chavoncourt has no suspicion of my share in all this. I have
confided in no one but Madame de Watteville, whom we may trust as we
trust ourselves."
"I will bring the Duchess to you to be blessed!" cried Savarus.
After seeing out the old priest, Albert went to bed in the swaddling
Albert Savarus |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Manon Lescaut by Abbe Prevost: justly earned my abhorrence by her infidelity; but that if I had
ever really felt any love for her, there was not much kindness in
allowing two long years to pass without enquiring after her, and
as little now in seeing her in the state of mental distress in
which she was, without condescending to bestow upon her a single
word. I shall not attempt to describe what my feelings were as I
listened to this reproof.
"She seated herself. I remained standing, with my face half
turned aside, for I could not muster courage to meet her look. I
several times commenced a reply without power to conclude it. At
length I made an effort, and in a tone of poignant grief
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Barlaam and Ioasaph by St. John of Damascus: beginning, or self-originate, or born of God: out on such an
absurdity! but believe rather that it is `the work of us and the
devil, come upon us through our heedlessness, because we were
endowed with free-will, and we make our choice, of deliberate
purpose, whether it be good or evil. Beside this, acknowledge
one Baptism, by water and the Spirit, for the remission of sins.
"Receive also the Communion of the spotless Mysteries of Christ,
believing in truth that they are the Body and Blood of Christ our
God, which he hath given unto the faithful for the remission of
sins. For in the same night in which he was betrayed he ordained
a new testament with his holy disciples and Apostles, and through
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