| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Father Goriot by Honore de Balzac: chooses, in a few seconds; it lies entirely with her----"
"Monsieur le Comte, it is no business of mine to criticise your
conduct; you can do as you please with your wife, but may I count
upon your keeping your word with me? Well, then, promise me to
tell her that her father has not twenty-four hours to live; that
he looks in vain for her, and has cursed her already as he lies
on his deathbed,--that is all I ask."
"You can tell her yourself," the Count answered, impressed by the
thrill of indignation in Eugene's voice.
The Count led the way to the room where his wife usually sat. She
was drowned in tears, and lay crouching in the depths of an
Father Goriot |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Complete Angler by Izaak Walton: angle, and talk of fish and fishing.
Piscator. It is a match, Sir, I will not fail you, God willing, to be at
Amwell Hill to-morrow morning before sun-rising.
The second day
On the Otter and the Chub
Chapter II
Piscator, Venator, Huntsman, and Hostess
Venator. My friend Piscator, you have kept time with my thoughts; for
the sun is just rising, and I myself just now come to this place, and the
dogs have just now put down an Otter. Look ! down at the bottom of the
hill there, in that meadow, chequered with water-lilies and lady-
|
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Don Quixote by Miquel de Cervantes: "By God, gentlemen," said Don Quixote, "so many strange things
have happened to me in this castle on the two occasions on which I
have sojourned in it, that I will not venture to assert anything
positively in reply to any question touching anything it contains; for
it is my belief that everything that goes on within it goes by
enchantment. The first time, an enchanted Moor that there is in it
gave me sore trouble, nor did Sancho fare well among certain followers
of his; and last night I was kept hanging by this arm for nearly two
hours, without knowing how or why I came by such a mishap. So that
now, for me to come forward to give an opinion in such a puzzling
matter, would be to risk a rash decision. As regards the assertion
Don Quixote |
