| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Tono Bungay by H. G. Wells: was this detachment of his from the moral condemnation and
responsibilities that played so fine a part in his talk. His was
essentially the nature of an artistic appreciator; he could find
interest and beauty in endless aspects of things that I marked as
evil, or at least as not negotiable; and the impulse I had
towards self-deception, to sustained and consistent
self-devotion, disturbed and detached and pointless as it was at
that time, he had indeed a sort of admiration for but no
sympathy. Like many fantastic and ample talkers he was at bottom
secretive, and he gave me a series of little shocks of discovery
throughout our intercourse.
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Dark Lady of the Sonnets by George Bernard Shaw: lady has to make a present to a warder nigh every night of her life.
THE MAN. _[turning pale]_ I'll not believe it.
THE BEEFEATER. Now you, sir, I dare be sworn, do not have an
adventure like this twice in the year.
THE MAN. Villain: wouldst tell me that my dark lady hath ever done
thus before? that she maketh occasions to meet other men?
THE BEEFEATER. Now the Lord bless your innocence, sir, do you think
you are the only pretty man in the world? A merry lady, sir: a warm
bit of stuff. Go to: I'll not see her pass a deceit on a gentleman
that hath given me the first piece of gold I ever handled.
THE MAN. Master Warder: is it not a strange thing that we, knowing
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The American by Henry James: "The devil I am not!" exclaimed Newman.
"Oh," said Bellegarde a little more seriously, "I did not know
you had a title."
"A title? What do you mean by a title?" asked Newman.
"A count, a duke, a marquis? I don't know anything about that,
I don't know who is and who is not. But I say I am noble.
I don't exactly know what you mean by it, but it's a fine word
and a fine idea; I put in a claim to it."
"But what have you to show, my dear fellow, what proofs?"
"Anything you please! But you don't suppose I am going to undertake
to prove that I am noble. It is for you to prove the contrary."
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