| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Lesser Bourgeoisie by Honore de Balzac: by the wholesale. Phellion, Colleville, and Thuillier met their old
comrade, Minard, at election, and an intimacy followed; all the closer
with the Thuilliers and Collevilles because Madame Minard seemed
enchanted to make an acquaintance for her daughter in Celeste
Colleville. It was at a grand ball given by the Minards that Celeste
made her first appearance in society (being at that time sixteen and a
half years old), dressed as her Christian named demanded, which seemed
to be prophetic of her coming life. Delighted to be friendly with
Mademoiselle Minard, her elder by four years, she persuaded her father
and godfather to cultivate the Minard establishment, with its gilded
salons and great opulence, where many political celebrities of the
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Arrow of Gold by Joseph Conrad: politeness that I had to beg her permission to leave her alone as I
had an engagement; but she motioned me simply to sit down - and I
sat down again.
"I told you I had a request to make," she said. "I have understood
from Mr. Mills that you have been to the West Indies, that you have
some interests there."
I was astounded. "Interests! I certainly have been there," I
said, "but . . ."
She caught me up. "Then why not go there again? I am speaking to
you frankly because . . ."
"But, Madame, I am engaged in this affair with Dona Rita, even if I
The Arrow of Gold |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Princess by Alfred Tennyson: Say to her, I do but wanton in the South,
But in the North long since my nest is made.
'O tell her, brief is life but love is long,
And brief the sun of summer in the North,
And brief the moon of beauty in the South.
'O Swallow, flying from the golden woods,
Fly to her, and pipe and woo her, and make her mine,
And tell her, tell her, that I follow thee.'
I ceased, and all the ladies, each at each,
Like the Ithacensian suitors in old time,
Stared with great eyes, and laughed with alien lips,
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