| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Ursula by Honore de Balzac: Mademoiselle du Rouvre, on whom her two uncles, the Marquis de
Ronquerolles and the Chevalier du Rouvre, who are worth money, would
settle a handsome sum rather than leave it to that old fool the
Marquis du Rouvre, who runs through everything. Madame de Serizy,
aunt of Clementine du Rouvre, who has just lost her only son in the
campaign in Algiers, will no doubt adopt her niece. A person who is
your well-wisher assures you that Savinien will be accepted."
The letter to Ursula was as follows:--
Dear Ursula,--There is a young man in Nemours who idolizes you. He
cannot see you working at your window without emotions which prove
to him that his love will last through life. This young man is
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Youth by Joseph Conrad: and out in the darkness with their lights burning
bright, a great plashing of propellers, rattling of
winches, and a lot of hailing on the pier-heads. I watched
the procession of head-lights gliding high and of green
lights gliding low in the night, when suddenly a red
gleam flashed at me, vanished, came into view again, and
remained. The fore-end of a steamer loomed up close.
I shouted down the cabin, 'Come up, quick!' and then
heard a startled voice saying afar in the dark, 'Stop her,
sir.' A bell jingled. Another voice cried warningly,
'We are going right into that bark, sir.' The answer to
Youth |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from St. Ives by Robert Louis Stevenson: duel, the death of Goguelat, and the character of Clausel. He
heard me through in a forbidding silence, nor did he at all betray
the nature of his sentiments, except that, at the episode of the
scissors, I could observe his mulberry face to turn three shades
paler.
'I suppose I may believe you?' said he, when I had done.
'Or else conclude this interview,' said I.
'Can you not understand that we are here discussing matters of the
gravest import? Can you not understand that I feel myself weighed
with a load of responsibility on your account - that you should
take this occasion to air your fire-eating manners against your own
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