| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Collection of Antiquities by Honore de Balzac: thousand francs to Victorine, eighteen thousand francs to Houbigaut,
lesser amounts to Herbault, Nattier, Nourtier, and those Latour
people,--altogether a hundred thousand francs."
"An angel!" cried d'Esgrignon, with eyes uplifted to heaven.
"This is the bill for her wings," Rastignac cried facetiously.
"She owes all that, my dear boy," continued de Marsay, "precisely
because she is an angel. But we have all seen angels in this
position," he added, glancing at Rastignac; "there is this about women
that is sublime: they understand nothing of money; they do not meddle
with it, it is no affair of theirs; they are invited guests at the
'banquet of life,' as some poet or other said that came to an end in
|
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Gambara by Honore de Balzac: few soft words to the cordial greeting offered her, and went on her
way. Andrea, who was behind her, saw her turn into one of the darkest
yards out of this street, of which he did not know the name. The
repulsive appearance of the house where the heroine of his romance had
been swallowed up made him feel sick. He drew back a step to study the
neighborhood, and finding an ill-looking man at his elbow, he asked
him for information. The man, who held a knotted stick in his right
hand, placed the left on his hip and replied in a single word:
"Scoundrel!"
But on looking at the Italian, who stood in the light of a street-
lamp, he assumed a servile expression.
Gambara |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from 'Twixt Land & Sea by Joseph Conrad: they reached the town were sequestrated by the harbour authorities.
The vessel, too, was sequestrated pending proceedings; but these
same authorities did not take the trouble to set a guard on board.
For, indeed, what could move her from there? Nothing, unless a
miracle; nothing, unless Jasper's eyes, fastened on her tensely for
hours together, as though he hoped by the mere power of vision to
draw her to his breast.
All this story, read in my friend's very chatty letter, dismayed me
not a little. But it was really appalling to read his relation of
how Schultz, the mate, went about everywhere affirming with
desperate pertinacity that it was he alone who had sold the rifles.
'Twixt Land & Sea |
