| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Another Study of Woman by Honore de Balzac: scheme of conduct: never to look at each other; to avoid meeting; to
speak ill of each other. Self-admiration, swagger, or playing the
disdained swain,--all these old manoeuvres are not to compare on
either part with a false passion professed for an indifferent person
and an air of indifference towards the true idol. If two lovers will
only play that game, the world will always be deceived; but then they
must be very secure of each other.
"Her stalking-horse was a man in high favor, a courtier, cold and
sanctimonious, whom she never received at her own house. This little
comedy was performed for the benefit of simpletons and drawing-room
circles, who laughed at it. Marriage was never spoken of between us;
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Apology by Xenophon: to numbers of friends the counsels of heaven, I have never at any time
been shown to be a deceiver or deceived."
[20] Cf. "Mem." I. i. 2.
[21] Cf. Plat. "Apol." 19.
[22] Cf. "Anab." III. ii. 11; Aristoph. "Birds," 720.
[23] Delphi.
[24] Or, "the objects that meet us." See Prof. Jebb ad Theophr. "Ch."
xxviii. 5.
As they listened to these words the judges murmured their dissent,
some as disbelieving what was said, and others out of simple envy that
Socrates should actually receive from heaven more than they
The Apology |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Michael Strogoff by Jules Verne: Michael listened. Nadia gazed over the plain illumined
now and again with electric light, but she saw nothing.
And yet a voice was again raised, this time murmuring
in a plaintive tone, "Michael!"
Then a dog, all bloody, bounded up to Nadia.
It was Serko! Nicholas could not be far off! He alone
could have murmured the name of Michael! Where was
he? Nadia had no strength to call again. Michael, crawl-
ing on the ground, felt about with his hands.
Suddenly Serko uttered a fresh bark and darted towards
a gigantic bird which had swooped down. It was a vulture.
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