| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Contrast by Royall Tyler: neat, that it does honour to the operator. I once in-
tended to have insinuated that I wrote his letters too;
but that was before I saw them; it won't do now;
no honour there, positively.--"Nothing looks more
vulgar, [reading affectedly] ordinary, and illiberal than
ugly, uneven, and ragged nails; the ends of which
should be kept even and clean, not tipped with black,
and cut in small segments of circles."--Segments of
circles! surely my lord did not consider that he wrote
for the beaux. Segments of circles; what a crabbed
term! Now I dare answer that my master, with all
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from A Legend of Montrose by Walter Scott: blame of this disappointment, in respect you sent me upon a
fool's errand to get a buff-coat out of the booty taken by the
Camerons, whereas you might as well have sent me to fetch a pound
of fresh butter out of a black dog's throat. I had no answer, my
lord, but brandished dirks and broadswords, and a sort of
growling and jabbering in what they call their language. For my
part, I believe these Highlanders to be no better than absolute
pagans, and have been much scandalized by the manner in which my
acquaintance, Ranald MacEagh, was pleased to beat his final
march, a little while since."
In Menteith's state of mind, disposed to be pleased with
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Scenes from a Courtesan's Life by Honore de Balzac: francs."
She wanted to get rid of Monsieur de Nucingen so as to get a
stockbroker to sell the bond that very afternoon.
"But vy dis minute?" asked he.
"Bless me, my sweetheart, you must give it to her in a little satin
box wrapped round a fan. You must say, 'Here, madame, is a fan which I
hope may be to your taste.'--You are supposed to be a Turcaret, and
you will become a Beaujon."
"Charming, charming!" cried the Baron. "I shall be so clever
henceforth.--Yes, I shall repeat your vorts."
Just as Esther had sat down, tired with the effort of playing her
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