| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Secrets of the Princesse de Cadignan by Honore de Balzac: solitude and poesy--the horrors of social life? Ah! you little think
when you invent your dramas that they are far surpassed by those that
are played in families apparently united. You are wholly ignorant of
certain gilded sorrows."
"I know all!" he cried.
"No, you know nothing."
D'Arthez felt like a man lost on the Alps of a dark night, who sees,
at the first gleam of dawn, a precipice at his feet. He looked at the
princess with a bewildered air, and felt a cold chill running down his
back. Diane thought for a moment that her man of genius was a
weakling, but a flash from his eyes reassured her.
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Gentle Grafter by O. Henry: naturally bound to buy 'em stylish grub."
"It's a great town for epicures," says I. "You'd soon fall into their
ways if you was there."
"I've heard it was," says Caligula. "But I reckon I wouldn't. I can
polish my fingernails all they need myself."
II
After breakfast we went out on the front porch, lighted up two of the
landlord's /flor de upas/ perfectos, and took a look at Georgia.
The installment of scenery visible to the eye looked mighty poor. As
far as we could see was red hills all washed down with gullies and
scattered over with patches of piny woods. Blackberry bushes was all
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Under the Red Robe by Stanley Weyman: possessed the power.'
'You repented, Mademoiselle,' I said huskily. I could scarcely
speak.
'Do you never repent?' she said.
'Yes. But too late, Mademoiselle.'
'Perhaps it is never too late,' she answered softly.
'Alas, when a man is dead--'
'You may rob a man of worse than life!' she replied with energy,
stopping me by a gesture. 'If you have never robbed a man--or a
woman--of honour! If you have never ruined boy or girl, M. de
Berault! If you have never pushed another into the pit and gone
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