| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Deputy of Arcis by Honore de Balzac: your disdain; I should have waited until I entered my vocation, until
the halo round a singer's head might have shown you, at last, that I
was there beside you. But on the day that you apostatized I would no
longer continue my humiliating sacrifice. There is no future possible
between us."
"Do you mean," said Sallenauve, holding out his hand, which she did
not take, "that we cannot even be friends?"
"No," she replied; "all is over--past and gone. We shall hear of each
other; and from afar, as we pass in life, we can wave our hands in
recognition, but nothing further."
"So," said Sallenauve, sadly, "this is how it all ends!"
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Black Arrow by Robert Louis Stevenson: us twain."
"Good Master Shelton," said the other, "prithee forgive me. I have
none the least intention to offend. Rather I would in every way
beseech your gentleness and favour, for I am now worse bested than
ever, having lost my way, my cloak, and my poor horse. To have a
riding-rod and spurs, and never a horse to sit upon! And before
all," he added, looking ruefully upon his clothes - "before all, to
be so sorrily besmirched!"
"Tut!" cried Dick. "Would ye mind a ducking? Blood of wound or
dust of travel - that's a man's adornment."
"Nay, then, I like him better plain," observed the lad. "But,
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Twice Told Tales by Nathaniel Hawthorne: either in the sentiment of the discourse itself, or in the
imagination of the auditors, which made it greatly the most
powerful effort that they had ever heard from their pastor's
lips. It was tinged, rather more darkly than usual, with the
gentle gloom of Mr. Hooper's temperament. The subject had
reference to secret sin, and those sad mysteries which we hide
from our nearest and dearest, and would fain conceal from our own
consciousness, even forgetting that the Omniscient can detect
them. A subtle power was breathed into his words. Each member of
the congregation, the most innocent girl, and the man of hardened
breast, felt as if the preacher had crept upon them, behind his
Twice Told Tales |
