| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Study of a Woman by Honore de Balzac: to others, who regard that beverage as a panacea for indigestion, I
will add that Eugene was, by this time, writing letters. He was
comfortably seated, with his feet more frequently on the andirons
than, properly, on the rug. Ah! to have one's feet on the polished bar
which connects the two griffins of a fender, and to think of our love
in our dressing-gown is so delightful a thing that I deeply regret the
fact of having neither mistress, nor fender, nor dressing-gown.
The first letter which Eugene wrote was soon finished; he folded and
sealed it, and laid it before him without adding the address. The
second letter, begun at eleven o'clock, was not finished till mid-day.
The four pages were closely filled.
|
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Alcibiades II by Platonic Imitator: SOCRATES: Do you not remember saying that you were in great perplexity,
lest perchance you should ask for evil, supposing that you were asking for
good?
ALCIBIADES: I do.
SOCRATES: You see, then, that there is a risk in your approaching the God
in prayer, lest haply he should refuse your sacrifice when he hears the
blasphemy which you utter, and make you partake of other evils as well.
The wisest plan, therefore, seems to me that you should keep silence; for
your 'highmindedness'--to use the mildest term which men apply to folly--
will most likely prevent you from using the prayer of the Lacedaemonians.
You had better wait until we find out how we should behave towards the Gods
|
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Montezuma's Daughter by H. Rider Haggard: Bozard took comfort from the thought that whether I lived or died
the money was still his daughter's. Only Lily spoke up for me,
saying 'Thomas has sworn an oath and he does well to keep it, for
his honour is at stake. Now I go to wait until he comes to me in
this world or the next.'
But all this is out of place, for many a year passed away before I
heard of these doings.
CHAPTER XI
THE LOSS OF THE CARAK
On the day after I had given my fortune and letters into the charge
of Captain Bell, I watched the 'Adventuress' drop slowly round the
Montezuma's Daughter |
