| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy: have -- taken the matter indifferently -- such cases had
occurred. If everybody, this man included, she would
have taken it as a matter of course -- people had done
so before. But the smallness of the exception made the
mystery.
She soon knew thus much of the recusant's appear-
ance. He was a gentlemanly man, with full and
distinctly outlined Roman features, the prominences
of which glowed in the sun with a bronze-like richness
of tone. He was erect in attitude, and quiet in
demeanour. One characteristic pre-eminently marked
Far From the Madding Crowd |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Secret Sharer by Joseph Conrad: are aft at the main braces you will have a clear road to slip
out and get overboard through the open quarter-deck port.
I've had them both fastened up. Use a rope's end to lower
yourself into the water so as to avoid a splash--you know.
It could be heard and cause some beastly complication."
He kept silent for a while, then whispered, "I understand."
"I won't be there to see you go," I began with an effort.
"The rest . . . I only hope I have understood, too."
"You have. From first to last"--and for the first time there
seemed to be a faltering, something strained in his whisper.
He caught hold of my arm, but the ringing of the supper bell
The Secret Sharer |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Hellenica by Xenophon: the pleasures of the night with joyful anticipation. Supper was over,
and thanks to the zeal with which the master of the ceremonies
responded to their mood, they were speedily intoxicated. To their oft-
repeated orders to introduce their mistresses, he went out and fetched
Melon and the rest, three of them dressed up as ladies and the rest as
their attendant maidens. Having brought them into the treasury of the
polemarchs' residence,[3] he returned himself and announced to Archias
and his friends that the women would not present themselves as long as
any of the attendants remained in the room; whereupon they promptly
bade all withdraw, and Phyllidas, furnishing the servants with a stoup
of wine, sent them off to the house of one of them. And now at last he
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