| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from In the Cage by Henry James: it, for the amusement she had lately known had spoiled her for
lower pleasures. There were even no materials for it. The odd
thing was how she never doubted that, properly handled, his passion
was poisonable; what had happened was that he had cannily selected
a partner with no poison to distil. She read then and there that
she should never interest herself in anybody as to whom some other
sentiment, some superior view, wouldn't be sure to interfere for
him with jealousy. "And what did you get out of that?" he asked
with a concern that was not in the least for his honour.
"Nothing but a good chance to promise him I wouldn't forsake him.
He's one of my customers."
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Divine Comedy (translated by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow) by Dante Alighieri: Therefore, when thou returnest, I beseech thee
Go to my daughter beautiful, the mother
Of Sicily's honour and of Aragon's,
And the truth tell her, if aught else be told.
After I had my body lacerated
By these two mortal stabs, I gave myself
Weeping to Him, who willingly doth pardon.
Horrible my iniquities had been;
But Infinite Goodness hath such ample arms,
That it receives whatever turns to it.
Had but Cosenza's pastor, who in chase
The Divine Comedy (translated by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow) |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from In the Cage by Henry James: well--I believe everything you say. I take it from you--anything
you like--in the most extraordinary way." It struck her certainly-
-and almost without bitterness--that the way in which she was
already, as if she had been an old friend, arranging for him and
preparing the only magnificence she could muster, was quite the
most extraordinary. "Don't, DON'T go!" he presently went on. "I
shall miss you too horribly!"
"So that you just put it to me as a definite request?"--oh how she
tried to divest this of all sound of the hardness of bargaining!
That ought to have been easy enough, for what was she arranging to
get? Before he could answer she had continued: "To be perfectly
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