| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Exiles by Honore de Balzac: the expression of religious faith that his modern double had not. His
voice, too, was of persuasive sweetness, with a clear and pleasing
ring in it.
At this moment the daylight, that was stintingly diffused through the
small, heavily-leaded window-panes, tinted the assembly with
capricious tones and powerful contrasts from the chequered light and
shade. Here, in a dark corner, eyes shone brightly, their dark heads
under the sunbeams gleamed light above faces in shadow, and various
bald heads, with only a circlet of white hair, were distinguished
among the crowd like battlements silvered by moonlight. Every face was
turned towards the Doctor, mute but impatient. The drowsy voices of
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Eugenie Grandet by Honore de Balzac: Madame des Grassins examined the abbe with a glance of extreme
penetration.
"It is only in the provinces," he continued, "that you will find women
of thirty and more years as fresh as madame, here, with a son about to
take his degree. I almost fancy myself back in the days when the young
men stood on chairs in the ball-room to see you dance, madame," said
the abbe, turning to his female adversary. "To me, your triumphs are
but of yesterday--"
"The old rogue!" thought Madame Grassins; "can he have guessed my
intentions?"
"It seems that I shall have a good deal of success in Saumur," thought
Eugenie Grandet |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy: storm, and would have braved worse risks sooner than delay the
crossing by an hour.
A sudden commotion outside roused her from her meditations.
Evidently it was Sir Andrew Ffoulkes, just arrived in mad haste, for
she heard his horse's hoofs thundering on the flag-stones outside,
then Mr. Jellyband's sleepy, yet cheerful tones bidding him welcome.
For a moment, then, the awkwardness of her position struck
Marguerite; alone at this hour, in a place where she was well known,
and having made an assignation with a young cavalier equally well
known, and who arrived in disguise! What food for gossip to those
mischievously inclined.
The Scarlet Pimpernel |
