| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Stories From the Old Attic by Robert Harris: that the boat was taking on water.
"We're sinking, we're sinking!" some of the people cried.
"No," said the captain, "the flow is not yet so fast. If we will get
some buckets and bail the water out, everything will be all right."
This solution seemed simple enough.
However, a dissension soon arose among the travelers about who would
do the bailing, and what buckets would be used. "Allow me," said
one. "It is my duty in this circumstance to bail, and I have here a
very solid bucket suitable to the task."
"Beg pardon, sir," said another, "but I must be the bailer. It is
written in the laws of the sea that a person of my parts must do
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Modeste Mignon by Honore de Balzac: deceiving us; he knows something about Modeste, and hasn't told us. If
he meddles in this thing he shall never be a notary. I'll roll him in
the mud from which he came, I'll--"
"Come, come, my friend; never hang a man before you try him," said
Latournelle, frightened at Dumay's rage.
After stating the facts on which his suspicions were founded, Dumay
begged Madame Latournelle to go and stay at the Chalet during his
absence.
"You will find the colonel in Paris," said the notary. "In the
shipping news quoted this morning in the Journal of Commerce, I found
under the head of Marseilles--here, see for yourself," he said,
Modeste Mignon |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Father Goriot by Honore de Balzac: ingots.
"Peste! what a man!" said Rastignac, as he watched Goriot's
muscular arms; there was not a sound in the room while the old
man, with the aid of the rope, was kneading the silver like
dough. "Was he then, indeed, a thief, or a receiver of stolen
goods, who affected imbecility and decrepitude, and lived like a
beggar that he might carry on his pursuits the more securely?"
Eugene stood for a moment revolving these questions, then he
looked again through the keyhole.
Father Goriot had unwound his coil of rope; he had covered the
table with a blanket, and was now employed in rolling the
Father Goriot |
