| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne: it was very necessary to be on their guard. As to Neb and Pencroft, one day
at the stables and poultry-yard, another at the corral, without reckoning
work in Granite House, they were never in want of employment.
The stranger worked alone, and he had resumed his usual life, never
appearing at meals, sleeping under the trees in the plateau, never mingling
with his companions. It really seemed as if the society of those who had
saved him was insupportable to him!
"But then," observed Pencroft, "why did he entreat the help of his
fellow-creatures? Why did he throw that paper into the sea?"
"He will tell us why," invariably replied Cyrus Harding.
"When?"
The Mysterious Island |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Wife, et al by Anton Chekhov: the room, uttering a prolonged moan as though she had toothache.
With a wave of my hand, I went into the drawing-room. I was
choking with rage, and at the same time I was trembling with
terror that I might not restrain myself, and that I might say or
do something which I might regret all my life. And I clenched my
hands tight, hoping to hold myself in.
After drinking some water and recovering my calm a little, I went
back to my wife. She was standing in the same attitude as before,
as though barring my approach to the table with the papers. Tears
were slowly trickling down her pale, cold face. I paused then and
said to her bitterly but without anger:
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Two Brothers by Honore de Balzac: their excessively relaxed morality. It is now easy to see what
interest Max had in becoming their grand master. By leading the young
men of the best families in their follies and amusements, and by doing
them services, he meant to create a support for himself when the day
for recovering his position came. He rose gracefully and waved his
glass of claret, while all the others waited eagerly for the coming
allocution.
"As a mark of the ill-will I bear you, I wish you all a mistress who
is equal to the beautiful Flore! As to this irruption of relations, I
don't feel any present uneasiness; and as to the future, we'll see
what comes--"
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