| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Albert Savarus by Honore de Balzac: successes of the /petit-maitre/ of discreditable etymology, have made
way for the "dandy" and the "lion." The /lion/ is not the parent of
the /lionne/. The /lionne/ is due to the famous song by Alfred de
Musset:
Avez vou vu dans Barcelone
. . . . . .
C'est ma maitresse et ma lionne.
There has been a fusion--or, if you prefer it, a confusion--of the two
words and the leading ideas. When an absurdity can amuse Paris, which
devours as many masterpieces as absurdities, the provinces can hardly
be deprived of them. So, as soon as the /lion/ paraded Paris with his
Albert Savarus |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Catriona by Robert Louis Stevenson: conceit of myself and much less awe of the young ladies. They were
beautiful, that was beyond question, but Catriona was beautiful too,
and had a kind of brightness in her like a coal of fire. As much as
the others cast me down, she lifted me up. I remembered I had talked
easily with her. If I could make no hand of it with these fine maids,
it was perhaps something their own fault. My embarrassment began to be
a little mingled and lightened with a sense of fun; and when the aunt
smiled at me from her embroidery, and the three daughters unbent to me
like a baby, all with "papa's orders" written on their faces, there
were times when I could have found it in my heart to smile myself.
Presently papa returned, the same kind, happy-like, pleasant-spoken
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Westward Ho! by Charles Kingsley: but there came over me the strangest longing to see that dead man's
face. Perhaps I knew him. At least I could set my foot upon it,
and say, 'Vanquished as I am, there lies a foe!' I caught hold of
the rivets, and tore his helmet off. The moon shone bright,
senors, as bright as she shines now--the glaring, ghastly, tell-
tale moon, which shows man all the sins which he tries to hide; and
by that moonlight, senors, I beheld the dead man's face. And it
was the face of my brother!
. . . . . . .
"Did you ever guess, most noble cavaliers, what Cain's curse might
be like? Look on me, and know!
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