| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Confidence by Henry James: know that I brought him only as a substitute. A substitute for whom?
A substitute for my husband, of course. My dear Mrs. Vivian,
of course I ought to bring you some pretty message from Gordon--
that he is dying to come and see you, only that he had nineteen letters
to write and that he could n't possibly stir from his fireside.
I suppose a good wife ought to invent excuses for her husband--
ought to throw herself into the breach; is n't that what they call it?
But I am afraid I am not a good wife. Do you think I am a good wife,
Mr. Longueville? You once stayed three months with us, and you had
a chance to see. I don't ask you that seriously, because you never
tell the truth. I always do; so I will say I am not a good wife.
|
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Elizabeth and her German Garden by Marie Annette Beauchamp: But I wished at that moment that she would not haunt me
so persistently, and that I could get rid of the feeling that
she was just behind in her galoshes, with her hand stretched
out to seize me. <79>
Passing the arbour, and peering into its damp recesses, I started
back with my heart in my mouth. I thought I saw my grandfather's
stern eyes shining in the darkness. It was evident that my anxiety
lest the cousins should catch me had quite upset my nerves,
for I am not by nature inclined to see eyes where eyes are not.
"Don't be foolish, Elizabeth," murmured my soul in rather
a faint voice, "go in, and make sure." "But I don't like going
Elizabeth and her German Garden |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Within the Tides by Joseph Conrad: and years ago, long before Moorsom had worked himself up into the
great swell he was now, in every way. . . Socially too. Quite the
fashion in the highest world.
Renouard listened with profoundly concealed attention. "A
charlatan," he muttered languidly.
"Well - no. I should say not. I shouldn't wonder though if most
of his writing had been done with his tongue in his cheek. Of
course. That's to be expected. I tell you what: the only really
honest writing is to be found in newspapers and nowhere else - and
don't you forget it."
The Editor paused with a basilisk stare till Renouard had conceded
Within the Tides |
