| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Frances Waldeaux by Rebecca Davis: She wandered about, looking at the sombre walls and
inscriptions, and then back uneasily, to his moody face.
Suddenly she came up to him as he stood leaning against
a pillar. "Something has happened!" she said. "You did
not bring me here to look at the church. You have
something to tell me."
The young man looked at her and turned away. "Yes, I
have. It isn't a death," he said, with a nervous laugh.
"You need not look in that way. It is--something
very different. I--I was married in this church
yesterday to Lisa Arpent."
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Forged Coupon by Leo Tolstoy: may feebly try to parry his probing. On the
other hand he offers you free access to the inmost
recesses of his own soul, and stupefies you with
the candour of his revelations. This, of course,
relates more to the landed and professional classes
than to the peasant, who is slower to express him-
self, and combines in a curious way a firm belief
in the omnipotence and wisdom of his social su-
periors with a rooted distrust of their intentions
regarding himself. He is like a beast of burden
who flinches from every approach, expecting al-
The Forged Coupon |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Cousin Pons by Honore de Balzac: egg-shell! My patron is His Excellency, Monseigneur le Comte Popinot,
a clever man and a man of high character, whom the King in his wisdom
has summoned back to the privy council. This statesman, this great
politician, has married his eldest son to a daughter of M. le
President de Marville, one of the foremost men among the high courts
of justice; one of the leading lights of the law-courts. Do you know
the law-courts? Very good. Well, he is cousin and heir to M. Pons, to
our old conductor whose funeral you attended this morning. I do not
blame you for going to pay the last respects to him, poor man. . . .
But if you meddle in M. Schmucke's affairs, you will lose your place.
I wish very well to M. Schmucke, but he is in a delicate position with
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