"Penguin" (HMS Pinafore/Pirates of Penzance/Aubrey-Maturin)

Mr. Porter, stepping out of his law office for a breath of fresh air, trips over a small fuzzy thing running around in the street. For a terrifying moment he sees the ground rushing up to meet him, but is saved at the last second when Lieutenant Stanley appears out of nowhere and catches him. Porter clings to Stanley as he clambers up, to meet the eyes of a short gentleman who is now holding the fuzzy thing. "Kindly do not molest my penguin," he says. Stanley makes a noise that sounds like "eep!" and hides his face in Porter's shirt.



"Carnival" (Medea/The Liar)

No kingdom will give Medea sanctuary; it is only in Venice that she finds safe haven. It is Carnevale, and behind the mask no one recognizes the infanticide. Yet there is one who claims that he knows her to be his true love.

"I saw it in your eyes! You’re the only woman for me. I love no other!"

"Don’t give me that. I’ve heard it too many times to believe it."

But she cannot help but be swayed. He does not agree to love her as a favor to her; and besides, she knows now not to believe him.



(Les Misérables)

Grantaire is a devotee. He goes every week to hear la Malibran, la Pasta, Nourrit, la Catalani; attends the premiere of Auber's La muette de Portici and thrills to Masaniello's revolt more than Enjolras's. (Two years later, les Amis are in uproar over the Belgian Revolution, and Grantaire goes about singing "Amour sacré de la patrie", but they ignore him.) For a long while he spends more on tickets than on drink. Then, suddenly, no more. The ticket-takers inquire after him, but he replies that he no longer has any reason to go; Pontmercy really is better than an opera.



(Les Misérables)

Louison shows the man into the back room of Musain, and they all look up, surprised. He twists his cap in his hands. "Please, messieurs, help me. I have one son, who must inherit my printshop, but he cannot read a single letter. Can no one tutor him?"

Courfeyrac rises and puts a hand on his arm. "I'm afraid you've come to the wrong place. There's probably someone at the University that can help you." He guides the man out and shuts the door behind him, then turns around. "Third time this month. Who thought of 'Friends of the ABC'?"