| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Bunner Sisters by Edith Wharton: "My, yes, awful ones, that I have to give right up to.
Evelina has to do everything when I have one of them headaches.
She has to bring me my tea in the mornings."
"Well, I'm sorry to hear it," said Mr. Ramy.
"Thank you kindly all the same," Ann Eliza murmured. "And
please don't--don't--" She stopped suddenly, looking at him
through her tears.
"Oh, that's all right," he answered. "Don't you fret, Miss
Gunner. Folks have got to suit themselves." She thought his tone
had grown more resigned since she had spoken of her headaches.
For some moments he stood looking at her with a hesitating
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Lily of the Valley by Honore de Balzac: being seen by either the count or his wife. Hearing the madman's sharp
cries I first shut all the doors, then I returned and found Henriette
as white as her dress.
"Never marry, Felix," said the count as soon as he saw me; "a woman is
led by the devil; the most virtuous of them would invent evil if it
did not exist; they are all vile."
Then followed arguments without beginning or end. Harking back to the
old troubles, Monsieur de Mortsauf repeated the nonsense of the
peasantry against the new system of farming. He declared that if he
had had the management of Clochegourde he should be twice as rich as
he now was. He shouted these complaints and insults, he swore, he
The Lily of the Valley |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Glasses by Henry James: owing it to him moreover to explain the ground of my inquiry, I
gave him a sketch of the incident that had taken place before me at
the shop. He knew all about Lord Iffield; that nobleman had
figured freely in our conversation as his preferred, his injurious
rival. Poor Dawling's contention was that if there had been a
definite engagement between his lordship and the young lady, the
sort of thing that was announced in the Morning Post, renunciation
and retirement would be comparatively easy to him; but that having
waited in vain for any such assurance he was entitled to act as if
the door were not really closed or were at any rate not cruelly
locked. He was naturally much struck with my anecdote and still
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