| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Arrow of Gold by Joseph Conrad: occasion may still arise."
"Oh, if an occasion arises," I said, trying to control my rage,
"you may be able to begin your letter by the words 'Chere Maman.'"
The cigarette box, which she had taken up without removing her eyes
from me, flew out of her hand and opening in mid-air scattered
cigarettes for quite a surprising distance all over the room. I
got up at once and wandered off picking them up industriously.
Dona Rita's voice behind me said indifferently:
"Don't trouble, I will ring for Rose."
"No need," I growled, without turning my head, "I can find my hat
in the hall by myself, after I've finished picking up . . . "
The Arrow of Gold |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Bureaucracy by Honore de Balzac: "They did to-day, by chance," replied Antoine, not disconcerted; "they
never come two days together at the same hour."
The two nephews looked at each other as if to say, in admiration of
their uncle, "What cheek he has!"
"Though I make two sous by all his breakfasts," muttered Antoine, as
he heard Monsieur Dutocq close the office door, "I'd give them up to
get that man out of our division."
"Ah, Monsieur Sebastien, you are not the first here to-day," said
Antoine, a quarter of an hour later, to the supernumerary.
"Who is here?" asked the poor lad, turning pale.
"Monsieur Dutocq," answered Laurent.
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Caesar's Commentaries in Latin by Julius Caesar: accepturos.
Cum per eorum fines triduum iter fecisset, inveniebat ex captivis
Sabim flumen a castris suis non amplius milibus passuum X abesse; trans id
flumen omnes Nervios consedisse adventumque ibi Romanorum expectare una
cum Atrebatibus et Viromanduis, finitimis suis (nam his utrisque
persuaserant uti eandem belli fortunam experirentur); expectari etiam ab
iis Atuatucorum copias atque esse in itinere; mulieres quique per aetatem
ad pugnam inutiles viderentur in eum locum coniecisse quo propter paludes
exercitui aditus non esset.
His rebus cognitis, exploratores centurionesque praemittit qui locum
castris idoneum deligant. Cum ex dediticiis Belgis reliquisque Gallis
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