| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Duchesse de Langeais by Honore de Balzac: eyes, her voice, her attitude, which is never seen in a woman who
loves when she stands face to face with him at the mere sight of
whom her heart must needs begin to beat. The Marquis de
Ronquerolles's counsels had cured Armand of sheepishness; and
further, there came to his aid that rapid power of intuition
which passion will develop at moments in the least wise among
mortals, while a great man at such a time possesses it to the
full. He guessed the terrible truth revealed by the Duchess's
nonchalance, and his heart swelled with the storm like a lake
rising in flood.
"If you told me the truth yesterday, be mine, dear Antoinette,"
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Tapestried Chamber by Walter Scott: seen for the first time after several years, and sadly compared
his altered features and wasted frame with the paragon of
strength and manly beauty which they once remembered. The young
men gazed on his large form and powerful make as upon some
antediluvian giant who had survived the destruction of the Flood.
But the sound of the trumpets on both sides recalled the
attention of every one to the lists, surrounded as they were by
numbers of both nations eager to witness the event of the day.
The combatants met in the lists. It is needless to describe the
struggle: the Scottish champion fell. Foster, placing his foot
on his antagonist, seized on the redoubted sword, so precious in
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Records of a Family of Engineers by Robert Louis Stevenson: inquire after your health, how was I startled to hear that
dear James was gone! Ah, what is this? My dear benefactors,
doing so much good to many, to the Lord, suddenly to be
deprived of their most valued comforts! I was thrown into
great perplexity, could do nothing but murmur, why these
things were done to such a family. I could not rest, but at
midnight, whether spoken [or not] it was presented to my mind
- "Those whom ye deplore are walking with me in white." I
conclude from this the Lord saying to sweet Mrs. Stevenson: "I
gave them to be brought up for me: well done, good and
faithful! they are fully prepared, and now I must present them
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