“¡Dios bendiga los tiempos antiguos, en que existían cosas raras...!”

“I flera hundra år hade hans förfäder sått säd. Det var en handling av andakt en tyst och mild, vindlös kväll, helst i ett litet beskedligt duggregn, helst så snart som möjligt efter det grågässen sträckt. Potatisen, det var en ny rotfrukt, det var inget mystiskt med den, inget religiöst, kvinnfolk och barn kunde vara med och sätta dessa jordpäron som kom från främmande land liksom kaffet, det var stor och präktig mat, men släkt med rovan. Säden, det var brödet. Säd eller icke säd, det var liv eller död. Isak gick barhuvad och sådde i Jesu namn. Han var som en vedkubb med händer på, men inom sig var han som ett barn. Han tänkte sig för vid varje kast, han var vänlig och undergiven. Se, nu gror nog dessa korn och blir ax och mera säd, och likadant är det över hela jorden när säd sås. I Palestina, i Amerika, i Gudbrandsdalen - å, vad världen var vid, och den lilla, lilla jordlapp som Isak gick och sådde låg i mitten av allt. Solfjädrar av säd strålade ut från hans hand. Himlen var mulen och blid, det såg ut att dra ihop sig till ett litet, litet duggregn.”

“Digo-te, ó sagrado Baal do céu, que não existes. Mas, se existisses, eu te amaldiçoaria de tal modo que esse teu céu palpitaria com o fogo do inferno. Em verdade te digo: ofereci-te meus serviços e tu os recusaste; repeliste-me, e hoje eu te viro as costas para sempre, pois nunca soubeste conhecer a hora da Visitação. Em verdade te digo: sei que vou morrer, e, não obstante, com a morte diante dos olhos, eu te desprezo, ó celeste Ápis. Empregaste contra mim a força, e não sabes que jamais me dobrei perante a adversidade. Pois deverias sabê-lo. Por acaso dormias quando plasmaste meu coração? Em verdade te digo: durante toda a vida, cada gota de sangue em minhas veias sentirá alegria em desprezar-te e escarnecer de tua Graça. A partir deste momento, renuncio a ti, a tuas pompas e tuas obras; lançarei o anátema sobre meu pensamento, se jamais ele te pensar; arrancarei os lábios se jamais eles pronunciarem teu nome. Se existires, digo-te a última palavra da vida e da morte: digo-te adeus. Depois, calo-me, viro-te as costas e sigo meu caminho.”

“Man sværmer om sommeren, så holder man op for den gang. Men nogen sværmer hele sitt liv og står ikke til å forandre.”

“But things worked out. Everything works out. Though sometimes they work out sideways.”

“I sat looking at her with rapt attention. My heart was thumping, the blood coursing warmly through my veins. What a wonderful pleasure to be sitting in a human dwelling again, hear a clock ticking, and talk with a lively young girl instead of with myself!Why don't you say something?"Ah, how sweet you are!" I said. "I'm sitting here getting fascinated by you, at this moment I'm thoroughly fascinated. I can't help it. You are the strangest person that... Sometimes your eyes are so radiant, I've never seen anything like it, they look like flowers. Eh? No, no, maybe not like flowers but... I'm madly in love with you, and it won't do me a bit of good. What's your name? Really, you must tell me what your name is..."No, what's your name? Goodness, I almost forgot again! I was thinking all day yesterday that I must ask you. Well, that is, not all day yesterday, I certainly didn't think about you all day yesterday."Do you know what I've called you? I have called you Ylajali. How do you like it? Such a gliding sound-"Ylajali?"Yes."Is it a foreign language?"Hmm. No, it's not."Well, it isn't ugly.”

“She came quickly over to me and held out her hand. I looked at her full of distrust. Was she doing this freely, with a light heart? Or was she doing it just to get rid of me? She put her arm around my neck, tears in her eyes. I just stood and looked at her. She offered me her mouth but I couldn't believe her, it was bound to be a sacrifice on her part, a means of getting it over with.She said something, it sounded to me like "I love you anyway!" She said it very softly and indistinctly, I may not have heard it correctly, perhaps she didn't say exactly those words. But she threw herself passionately on my neck, held both arms around my neck a little while, even raised herself on tiptoe to reach well up, and stood thus.Afraid that she was forcing herself to show me this tenderness, I merely said "How beautiful you are now!"That was all I said. I stepped back, bumped against the door and walked out backward. She was left standing inside.”