| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Albert Savarus by Honore de Balzac: obedience was the only way to repair your errors, and reminded you of
the need for marrying, mentioning Amedee--'If you are so fond of him,
marry him yourself, mother!'--Did you, or did you not, fling these
words in her teeth?"
"Yes," said Rosalie.
"Well, I know her," Monsieur de Grancey went on. "In a few months she
will be Comtesse de Soulas! She will be sure to have children; she
will give Monsieur de Soulas forty thousand francs a year; she will
benefit him in other ways, and reduce your share of her fortune as
much as possible. You will be poor as long as she lives, and she is
but eight-and-thirty! Your whole estate will be the land of les
Albert Savarus |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Kenilworth by Walter Scott: who came running at the repeated call of her mistress. A
necklace of orient pearl, the companion of a perfumed billet, was
now hastily produced from the packet. The lady gave the one,
after a slight glance, to the charge of her attendant, while she
read, or rather devoured, the contents of the other.
"Surely, lady," said Janet, gazing with admiration at the neck-
string of pearls, "the daughters of Tyre wore no fairer neck-
jewels than these. And then the posy, 'For a neck that is
fairer'--each pearl is worth a freehold."
"Each word in this dear paper is worth the whole string, my girl.
But come to my tiring-room, girl; we must be brave, my lord comes
Kenilworth |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Plutarch's Lives by A. H. Clough: for when Antony gave himself his wound, and was carried in to
Cleopatra, one of his guards, Dercetaeus, took up Antony's sword
and hid it; and, when he saw his opportunity, stole away to
Caesar, and brought him the first news of Antony's death, and
withal showed him the bloody sword. Caesar, upon this, retired
into the inner part of his tent, and, giving some tears to the
death of one that had been nearly allied to him in marriage, his
colleague in empire, and companion in so many wars and dangers,
he came out to his friends, and, bringing with him many letters,
he read to them with how much reason and moderation he had
always addressed himself to Antony, and in return what
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