| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The American by Henry James: He stayed all the next day at the chateau, and hardly left
the marquis. I was always there. Mademoiselle and Mr. Valentin
came and looked at their father, but he never stirred.
It was a strange, deathly stupor. My lady was always about;
her face was as white as her husband's, and she looked very proud,
as I had seen her look when her orders or her wishes had
been disobeyed. It was as if the poor marquis had defied her;
and the way she took it made me afraid of her. The apothecary
from Poitiers kept the marquis along through the day, and we
waited for the other doctor from Paris, who, as I told you,
had been staying at Fleurieres. They had telegraphed for
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Hiero by Xenophon: counterbalance the whole value of the commoner's "donation."[11]
[11] Or, "half the great man's 'bounty' more than outweighs the small
man's present." For {dorema} cf. Aristot. "N. E." I. ix. 2,
"happiness . . . a free gift of God to men."
Nay, as it seems to me, an honour from the gods, a grace divine, is
shed about the path of him the hero-ruler.[12] Not only does command
itself ennoble manhood, but we gaze on him with other eyes and find
the fair within him yet more fair who is to-day a prince and was but
yesterday a private citizen.[13] Again, it is a prouder satisfaction
doubtless to hold debate with those who are preferred to us in honour
than with people on an equal footing with ourselves.
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Two Brothers by Honore de Balzac: suddenly able to use her paralyzed tongue.
Agathe and Joseph were deeply impressed by this powerful effect of the
horror which violently agitated the old woman. Their painful suspense
was soon ended by the sight of Philippe's convulsed and purple face,
his staggering walk, and the horrible state of his eyes, which were
deeply sunken, dull, and yet haggard; he had a strong chill upon him,
and his teeth chattered.
"Starvation in Prussia!" he cried, looking about him. "Nothing to eat
or drink?--and my throat on fire! Well, what's the matter? The devil
is always meddling in our affairs. There's my old Descoings in bed,
looking at me with her eyes as big as saucers."
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