| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Scenes from a Courtesan's Life by Honore de Balzac: everything, even the hand-grasp of two criminals who have been
intimate. A convict who meets his most familiar comrade does not know
that he may not have repented and have made a confession to save his
life. This absence of confidence, this dread of the nark, marks the
liberty, already so illusory, of the prison-yard. The "nark" (in
French, le Mouton or le coqueur) is a spy who affects to be sentenced
for some serious offence, and whose skill consists in pretending to be
a chum. The "chum," in thieves' slang, is a skilled thief, a
professional who has cut himself adrift from society, and means to
remain a thief all his days, and continues faithful through thick and
thin to the laws of the swell-mob.
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Ruling Passion by Henry van Dyke: before upon a trout stream: a majestic weapon at least sixteen feet
long, made in two pieces, neatly spliced together in the middle, and
all painted a smooth, glistening, hopeful green. The line that hung
from the tip of it was also green, but of a paler, more transparent
colour, quite thick and stiff where it left the rod, but tapering
down towards the end, as if it were twisted of strands of horse-
hair, reduced in number, until, at the hook, there were but two
hairs. And the hook--there was no disguise about that--it was an
unabashed bait-hook, and well baited, too. Gently the line swayed
to and fro above the foaming water at the head of the pool; quietly
the bait settled down in the foam and ran with the current around
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Ebb-Tide by Stevenson & Osbourne: feelin's,' said the clerk, cringing and stealing a step. 'At
least, sir, you will never pe'suade me that you are not a perfec'
gentleman; I know a gentleman when I see him; and as such, I
'ave no 'esitation in throwin' myself on your merciful
consideration. It IS 'ard lines, no doubt; it's 'ard lines to
have to hown yourself beat; it's 'ard lines to 'ave to come and
beg to you for charity.'
'When, if things had only gone right, the whole place was as
good as your own?' suggested Attwater. 'I can understand the
feeling.'
'You are judging me, Mr Attwater,' said the clerk, 'and God
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