| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Les Miserables by Victor Hugo: they fling all laws to the earth, they put the attic in the cellar's
place and my porter in the place of the King, they turn Europe
topsy-turvy, they reconstruct the world, and all their love
affairs consist in staring slily at the ankles of the laundresses
as these women climb into their carts. Ah! Marius! Ah! you
blackguard! to go and vociferate on the public place! to discuss,
to debate, to take measures! They call that measures, just God!
Disorder humbles itself and becomes silly. I have seen chaos,
I now see a mess. Students deliberating on the National Guard,--
such a thing could not be seen among the Ogibewas nor the Cadodaches!
Savages who go naked, with their noddles dressed like a shuttlecock,
Les Miserables |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Virginian by Owen Wister: as he went he asked his Monte horse a question. "Do yu' reckon
she'll have forgotten you too, you pie-biter?" said he. Instead
of the new trousers, the cow-puncher's leathern chaps were on his
legs. But he had the new scarf knotted at his neck. Most men
would gladly have equalled him in appearance. "You Monte," said
he, "will she be at home?"
It was Sunday, and no school day, and he found her in her cabin
that stood next the Taylors' house. Her eyes were very bright.
"I'd thought I'd just call," said he.
"Why, that's such a pity! Mr. and Mrs. Taylor are away."
"Yes; they've been right busy. That's why I thought I'd call.
The Virginian |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Glasses by Henry James: perjure herself. Wherein after all does it concern you to know the
truth? It's the girl's own affair."
"Then why did you tell me your story?"
I was a trifle embarrassed. "To warn you off," I smiled. He took
no more notice of these words than presently to remark that Lord
Iffield had no serious intentions. "Very possibly," I said. "But
you mustn't speak as if Lord Iffield and you were her only
alternatives."
Dawling thought a moment. "Couldn't something be got out of the
people she has consulted? She must have been to people. How else
can she have been condemned?"
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