| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The American by Henry James: but then, changing her tone, "I could never have gone through
the sufferings of the beautiful Florabella," she added,
not even for her prospective rewards.
Dinner was announced, and Newman betook himself to the side
of the old Madame de Bellegarde. The dining-room, at the end
of a cold corridor, was vast and sombre; the dinner was
simple and delicately excellent. Newman wondered whether
Madame de Cintre had had something to do with ordering
the repast and greatly hoped she had. Once seated at table,
with the various members of the ancient house of Bellegarde
around him, he asked himself the meaning of his position.
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from An International Episode by Henry James: I never could--unless you dress your hair a l'Anglaise;
and I must say that is a talent I have never possessed.
In Paris they will make things to suit your peculiarities;
but in England I think you like much more to have--how shall I
say it?--one thing for everybody. I mean as regards dress.
I don't know about other things; but I have always
supposed that in other things everything was different.
I mean according to the people--according to the classes,
and all that. I am afraid you will think that I don't take
a very favorable view; but you know you can't take a very
favorable view in Dover Street in the month of November.
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Lesser Hippias by Plato: And before that, when he was reviling Agamemnon, he said,--
'And now to Phthia I will go, since to return home in the beaked ships is
far better, nor am I inclined to stay here in dishonour and amass wealth
and riches for you.'
But although on that occasion, in the presence of the whole army, he spoke
after this fashion, and on the other occasion to his companions, he appears
never to have made any preparation or attempt to draw down the ships, as if
he had the least intention of sailing home; so nobly regardless was he of
the truth. Now I, Hippias, originally asked you the question, because I
was in doubt as to which of the two heroes was intended by the poet to be
the best, and because I thought that both of them were the best, and that
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