| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Lock and Key Library by Julian Hawthorne, Ed.: madness by the insults offered to him, he had upbraided the court-
martial with their corrupt propensities, and had even mentioned
that overtures had been made to him for quashing the proceedings in
return for a sum of two millions of francs; and that his sole
reason for not entertaining the proposal was his distrust of those
who made it. 'They would have taken my money,' said he, 'and then
found a pretext for putting me to death, that I might tell no
secrets.' This was too near the truth to be tolerated; in concert
with the local authorities, the military enemies of my father
conspired against him--witnesses were suborned; and, finally, under
some antiquated law of the place, he was subjected, in secret, to a
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Secret Sharer by Joseph Conrad: time the way his eyes roamed from one closed door to the other.
"And very well fitted out, too. Here, for instance," I continued,
reaching over the back of my seat negligently and flinging the door open,
"is my bathroom."
He made an eager movement, but hardly gave it a glance.
I got up, shut the door of the bathroom, and invited him to have
a look round, as if I were very proud of my accomodation.
He had to rise and be shown round, but he went through the business
without any raptures whatever.
"And now we'll have a look at my stateroom," I declared,
in a voice as loud as I dared to make it, crossing the cabin
The Secret Sharer |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Study of a Woman by Honore de Balzac: "You are certain of what you say?"
Joseph was speechless. I saw plainly that I must interfere, as I
happened to be again in Eugene's apartment.
"Joseph is right," I said.
Eugene turned and looked at me.
"I read the addresses quite involuntarily, and--"
"And," interrupted Eugene, "one of them was NOT for Madame de
Nucingen?"
"No, by all the devils, it was not. Consequently, I supposed, my dear
fellow, that your heart was wandering from the rue Saint-Lazare to the
rue Saint-Dominique."
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