| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Brother of Daphne by Dornford Yates: of hand, or with your own hand- I don't care which. Age before
honesty, you know."
With that I left them, and turned to climb the hill which rose
sharply on our right, its side dotted with furze-bushes, and its
crest hidden by a clump of trees.
Five minutes later I was back among them again.
"Well," said Daphne eagerly, "you haven't been right to the top,
have you?"
"Oh, no. I only came back to say that when I said 'Age before
honesty' just now, I really meant 'Death before dishonour,' you
know," and I turned up the bank again.
The Brother of Daphne |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Rise and Fall of Cesar Birotteau by Honore de Balzac: bankruptcy. The effect of all laws which touch private interests is to
develop, enormously, the knavery of men's minds. The object of a
bankrupt, like that of other persons whose interests are thwarted by
any law, is to make void the law in his particular case.
The status of civil death in which the bankrupt remains a chrysalis
lasts for about three months,--a period required by formalities which
precede a conference at which the creditors and their debtor sign a
treaty of peace, by which the bankrupt is allowed the ability to make
payments, and receives a bankrupt's certificate. This transaction is
called the /concordat/,--a word implying, perhaps, that peace reigns
after the storm and stress of interests violently in opposition.
Rise and Fall of Cesar Birotteau |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Ivanhoe by Walter Scott: the Hermits consent, he is determined to
be his guest that night. He is admitted accordingly,
not without a hint from the Recluse,
that were he himself out of his priestly weeds,
he would care little for his threats of using
violence, and that he gives way to him not out
of intimidation, but simply to avoid scandal.
The King is admitted into the cell---two
bundles of straw are shaken down for his accommodation,
and he comforts himself that he
is now under shelter, and that
Ivanhoe |
