| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Lily of the Valley by Honore de Balzac: established our floral headquarters, two bouquets by which I tried to
convey a sentiment. Picture to yourself a fountain of flowers gushing
from the vases and falling back in curving waves; my message springing
from its bosom in white roses and lilies with their silver cups. All
the blue flowers, harebells, forget-me-nots, and ox-tongues, whose
tines, caught from the skies, blended so well with the whiteness of
the lilies, sparkled on this dewy texture; were they not the type of
two purities, the one that knows nothing, the other that knows all; an
image of the child, an image of the martyr? Love has its blazon, and
the countess discerned it inwardly. She gave me a poignant glance
which was like the cry of a soldier when his wound is touched; she was
The Lily of the Valley |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Kenilworth by Walter Scott: followed by Michael Lambourne. But to account for the sounds
which interrupted their conversation, it is necessary to recede a
little way in our narrative.
It has been already observed, that when Lambourne accompanied
Foster into the library, they left Tressilian alone in the
ancient parlour. His dark eye followed them forth of the
apartment with a glance of contempt, a part of which his mind
instantly transferred to himself, for having stooped to be even
for a moment their familiar companion. "These are the
associates, Amy"--it was thus he communed with himself--"to which
thy cruel levity--thine unthinking and most unmerited falsehood,
Kenilworth |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Glasses by Henry James: you mustn't speak as if Lord Iffield and you were her only
alternatives."
Dawling thought a moment. "Couldn't something be got out of the
people she has consulted? She must have been to people. How else
can she have been condemned?"
"Condemned to what? Condemned to perpetual nippers? Of course she
has consulted some of the big specialists, but she has done it, you
may be sure, in the most clandestine manner; and even if it were
supposable that they would tell you anything--which I altogether
doubt--you would have great difficulty in finding out which men
they are. Therefore leave it alone; never show her what you
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