The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Lesson of the Master by Henry James: "My dear fellow, I don't remember. We've been in the midst of
people. I'm sorry, in that case, that I lose the pleasure, myself,
of announcing to you a fact that touches me so nearly. It IS a
fact, strange as it may appear. It has only just become one.
Isn't it ridiculous?" St. George made this speech without
confusion, but on the other hand, so far as our friend could judge,
without latent impudence. It struck his interlocutor that, to talk
so comfortably and coolly, he must simply have forgotten what had
passed between them. His next words, however, showed he hadn't,
and they produced, as an appeal to Paul's own memory, an effect
which would have been ludicrous if it hadn't been cruel. "Do you
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy: know earlier. I will write to you or call in a day or two.
Will that suffice?"
"Yes," she replied, "provided you promise not to communicate
with Thomasin without my knowledge."
"I promise that," he said. And the interview then terminated,
Mrs. Yeobright returning homeward as she had come.
By far the greatest effect of her simple strategy
on that day was, as often happens, in a quarter quite
outside her view when arranging it. In the first place,
her visit sent Wildeve the same evening after dark
to Eustacia's house at Mistover.
Return of the Native |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Black Tulip by Alexandre Dumas: Gryphus nearly fainted with anger and with fright, but he
soon rallied, and said, putting his hand in his pocket, --
"Well, as you force me to it," and with these words he drew
forth a clasp-knife and opened it.
"Halloa! a knife?" said Cornelius, preparing to defend
himself with his stick.
Chapter 29
In which Van Baerle, before leaving Loewestein,
settles Accounts with Gryphus
The two remained silent for some minutes, Gryphus on the
offensive, and Van Baerle on the defensive.
The Black Tulip |