| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Paz by Honore de Balzac: for a social amphibian, a being half-secretary, half-bailiff, and yet
neither the one nor the other, a poor relation, an embarrassing
friend.
"Because, countess," he answered with perfect ease of manner, "there
are no thanks due. I am Adam's friend, and it gives me pleasure to
take care of his interests."
"And you remain standing for your pleasure, too," remarked Comte Adam.
Paz sat down on a chair near the door.
"I remember seeing you about the time I was married, and afterwards in
the courtyard," said Clementine. "But why do you put yourself in a
position of inferiority,--you, Adam's friend?"
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson by Robert Louis Stevenson: there is a fine tempting fitness about this; and I meant he was to
hang. But now on considering my minor characters, I saw there were
five people who would - in a sense who must - break prison and
attempt his rescue. They were capable, hardy folks, too, who might
very well succeed. Why should they not then? Why should not young
Hermiston escape clear out of the country? and be happy, if he
could, with his - But soft! I will not betray my secret of my
heroine. Suffice it to breathe in your ear that she was what Hardy
calls (and others in their plain way don't) a Pure Woman. Much
virtue in a capital letter, such as yours was.
Write to me again in my infinite distance. Tell me about your new
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Herodias by Gustave Flaubert: The Dead Sea now looked like a sheet of lapis-lazuli; and at its
southern extremity, on the coast of Yemen, Antipas recognised clearly
what at first he had been able only dimly to perceive. Several tents
could now be plainly seen; men carrying spears were moving about among
a group of horses; and dying camp-fires shone faintly in the beams of
the rising sun.
This was a troop belonging to the sheikh of the Arabs, the daughter of
whom the tetrarch had repudiated in order to wed Herodias, already
married to one of his brothers, who lived in Italy but who had no
pretensions to power.
Antipas was waiting for assistance and reinforcements from the Romans,
Herodias |
