| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy: his house till some definite course had been decided on.
Just before eight he approached the deserted earth-work and
entered by the south path which descended over the
debris of the former dens. In a few moments he could
discern a female figure creeping in by the great north gap,
or public gateway. They met in the middle of the arena.
Neither spoke just at first--there was no necessity for
speech--and the poor woman leant against Henchard, who
supported her in his arms.
"I don't drink," he said in a low, halting, apologetic
voice. "You hear, Susan?--I don't drink now--I haven't
The Mayor of Casterbridge |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Glasses by Henry James: character of the English gentlewoman. Mrs. Meldrum sustained the
comparison with her usual courage, but I wondered why she didn't
introduce me: I should have had no objection to the bringing of
such a face close to mine. However, by the time the young lady
moved on with her escort she herself bequeathed me a sense that
some such RAPPROCHEMENT might still occur. Was this by reason of
the general frequency of encounters at Folkestone, or by reason of
a subtle acknowledgment that she contrived to make of the rights,
on the part of others, that such beauty as hers created? I was in
a position to answer that question after Mrs. Meldrum had answered
a few of mine.
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Michael Strogoff by Jules Verne: the road open, we shall arrive in twenty days."
"You have made this journey before?" asked Nadia.
"Many times."
"During winter we should have gone more rapidly and
surely, should we not?"
"Yes, especially with more rapidity, but you would have
suffered much from the frost and snow."
"What matter! Winter is the friend of Russia."
"Yes, Nadia, but what a constitution anyone must have
to endure such friendship! I have often seen the tempera-
ture in the Siberian steppes fall to more than forty de-
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