| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from An Historical Mystery by Honore de Balzac: the shrewd Bordin would have gained some light upon the perfidious
trap which was evidently laid for his clients. But Marthe, acting like
most women under a first impulse, was convinced by this proof which
came to her own eyes, and flung the letter into the fire as directed.
Nevertheless, moved by a singular gleam of caution, she caught a
portion of it from the flames, tore off the five first lines, which
compromised no one, and sewed them into the hem of her dress.
Terrified at the thought that the prisoner had been without food for
twenty-four hours, she resolved to carry bread, meat, and wine to him
at once; curiosity was well as humanity permitting no delay.
Accordingly, she heated her oven and made, with her mother's help, a
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Cromwell by William Shakespeare: his wife, and two officers.]
GOVERNOUR.
Is Cromwell gone then, say you, master Bagot?
What dislike, I pray? what was the cause?
BAGOT.
To tell you true, a wild brain of his own;
Such youth as they cannot see when they are well:
He is all bent to travail, that's his reason,
And doth not love to eat his bread at home.
GOVERNOUR.
Well, good fortune with him, if the man be gone.
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Marie by H. Rider Haggard: bit stronger I'll shoot you a match for her, you staking your hundred
pounds and I staking the mare."
Pereira burst out laughing.
"Here, friends," he called to some of the Boers who were strolling up to
the house for their morning coffee. "This little Englishman wants to
shoot a match with me, staking that fine mare of his against a hundred
pounds British; against me, Hernando Pereira, who have won every prize
at shooting that ever I entered for. No, no, friend Allan, I am not a
thief, I will not rob you of your mare."
Now among those Boers chanced to be the celebrated Heer Pieter Retief, a
very fine man of high character, then in the prime of life, and of
Marie |
