| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Madame Firmiani by Honore de Balzac: in spite of himself, just as soldiers in the long run acquire courage
from routine. The old gentleman, who had come to Paris from Touraine
to satisfy his curiosity about Madame Firmiani, and found it not at
all assuaged by the Parisian gossip which he heard, was a man of honor
and breeding. His sole heir was a nephew, whom he greatly loved, in
whose interests he planted his poplars. When a man thinks without
annoyance about his heir, and watches the trees grow daily finer for
his future benefit, affection grows too with every blow of the spade
around her roots. Though this phenomenal feeling is not common, it is
still to be met with in Touraine.
This cherished nephew, named Octave de Camps, was a descendant of the
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Youth by Joseph Conrad: full length on the cargo. I picked myself up and scram-
bled out. It was quick like a rebound. The deck was a
wilderness of smashed timber, lying crosswise like trees in
a wood after a hurricane; an immense curtain of soiled
rags waved gently before me--it was the mainsail blown
to strips. I thought, The masts will be toppling over
directly; and to get out of the way bolted on all-fours
towards the poop-ladder. The first person I saw was
Mahon, with eyes like saucers, his mouth open, and the
long white hair standing straight on end round his head
like a silver halo. He was just about to go down when
Youth |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Mistress Wilding by Rafael Sabatini: himself to his feet in a fury, and smashed down his pipestem on the
wooden table, sending its fragments flying.
"Damn me!" he roared. "Have I sat at table with a traitor?" And he
thrust at Richard with his open palm, lightly yet with sufficient force
to throw Richard off his precarious balance and send him sprawling on
the sanded floor. Men rose from the tables about and approached them,
some few amused, but the majority very grave. Dodsley, the landlord,
came hurrying to assist Richard to his feet.
"Mr. Westmacott," he whispered in the rash fool's ear, "you were best
away."
Richard stood up, leaning his full weight upon the arm the landlord had
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