| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Gobseck by Honore de Balzac: not betray my trust, will you?'
" 'No, father.'
" 'Very well, then, Ernest, in a minute or two I will give you a
sealed packet that belongs to M. Derville; you must take such care of
it that no one can know that you have it; then you must slip out of
the house and put the letter into the post-box at the corner.'
" 'Yes, father.'
" 'Can I depend upon you?'
" 'Yes, father.'
" 'Come and kiss me. You have made death less bitter to me, dear boy.
In six or seven years' time you will understand the importance of this
Gobseck |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Pool in the Desert by Sara Jeanette Duncan: for a day or so until it is. I've left it open till my wife comes,
as I dare say she has already arranged to go to somebody. What are
you buying? Country tobacco, upon my word! For your men? That's
subversive of all discipline!'
The lines on his face relaxed; he looked at her with fond
recognition of another delightful thing in her.
'You give sugar-cane to your horses,' she declared; 'why shouldn't I
give tobacco to mine? Goodbye; I hope Mrs. Innes will like "Two
Gables". There are roses waiting for her in the garden, at all
events.'
'Are there?' he said. 'I didn't notice. Goodbye, then.'
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The King of the Golden River by John Ruskin: torrents descended in constant cataracts. One of these fell
westward over the face of a crag so high that when the sun had set
to everything else, and all below was darkness, his beams still
shone full upon this waterfall, so that it looked like a shower of
gold. It was therefore called by the people of the neighborhood the
Golden River. It was strange that none of these streams fell into
the valley itself. They all descended on the other side of the
mountains and wound away through broad plains and by populous
cities. But the clouds were drawn so constantly to the snowy hills,
and rested so softly in the circular hollow, that in time of drought
and heat, when all the country round was burned up, there was still
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