| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Paz by Honore de Balzac: "If it is best for his own happiness, I sha'n't hesitate to ask him to
leave her. Constantin says that since Paz has been with her he, sober
as he is, has sometimes come home quite excited. If he takes to
intoxication I shall be just as grieved as if he were my own son."
"Don't tell me anything more about it," cried the countess, with a
gesture of disgust.
Two days later the captain perceived in the manner, the tones of
voice, but, above all, in the eyes of the countess, the terrible
results of Adam's confidences. Contempt had opened a gulf between the
beloved woman and himself. He was suddenly plunged into the deepest
distress of mind, for the thought gnawed him, "I have myself made her
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Madame Firmiani by Honore de Balzac: consciences. My visit was a drama. To BE Providence itself; actually
to fulfil that futile wish, 'If heaven were to send us twenty thousand
francs a year,'--that silly wish we all make, laughing; to bring
opulence to a family sitting by the light of one miserable lamp over a
poor turf fire!--no, words cannot describe it. My extreme justice
seemed to them unjust. Well! if there is a Paradise my father is happy
in it now. As for me, I am loved as no man was ever loved yet. Madame
Firmiani gives me more than happiness; she has inspired me with a
delicacy of feeling I think I lacked. So I call her MY DEAR
CONSCIENCE,--a love-word which expresses certain secret harmonies
within our hearts. I find honesty profitable; I shall get rich in time
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Twelve Stories and a Dream by H. G. Wells: by the cottage where 'e lived--not sixty yards off, it wasn't--and
I was at it like a good 'un. It was jest the night for such
games--overcast--but a trifle too 'ot, and all round the sky there
was summer lightning and presently a thunderstorm. Down it came.
First big drops in a sort of fizzle, then 'ail. I kep'on. I whacked
at it--I didn't dream the old man would 'ear. I didn't even trouble
to go quiet with the spade, and the thunder and lightning and 'ail
seemed to excite me like. I shouldn't wonder if I was singing. I got
so 'ard at it I clean forgot the thunder and the 'orse and trap. I
precious soon got the box showing, and started to lift it . . . ."
"Heavy?" I said.
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