| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Lady Susan by Jane Austen: I did not know a syllable of it till afterwards, for I was out when both
she and Reginald came, or I should have sent him away at all events; but
she was shut up with Mr. Johnson, while he waited in the drawing-room for
me. She arrived yesterday in pursuit of her husband, but perhaps you know
this already from himself. She came to this house to entreat my husband's
interference, and before I could be aware of it, everything that you could
wish to be concealed was known to him, and unluckily she had wormed out of
Mainwaring's servant that he had visited you every day since your being in
town, and had just watched him to your door herself! What could I do! Facts
are such horrid things! All is by this time known to De Courcy, who is now
alone with Mr. Johnson. Do not accuse me; indeed, it was impossible to
Lady Susan |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from An International Episode by Henry James: The young Englishman was visibly annoyed. "What the deuce does it mean?"
he asked of his kinsman. "What am I to do?"
Percy Beaumont was annoyed as well; he had deemed it his duty,
as I have narrated, to write to the duchess, but he had not expected
that this distinguished woman would act so promptly upon his hint.
"It means," he said, "that your father is laid up.
I don't suppose it's anything serious; but you have no option.
Take the first steamer; but don't be alarmed.
Lord Lambeth made his farewells; but the few last words that he exchanged
with Bessie Alden are the only ones that have a place in our record.
"Of course I needn't assure you," he said, "that if you should come to England
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Off on a Comet by Jules Verne: supposing we were not dashed to atoms, should be left as it were upon
the summit of an enormous mountain (for such to all intents and purposes
Gallia would be), 450 miles above the level of the surface of the globe,
without a particle of air to breathe."
"But would not our chances of escape be considerably better,"
asked Count Timascheff, "in the event of either of the comet's
poles being the point of contact?"
"Taking the combined velocity into account," answered the lieutenant,
"I confess that I fear the violence of the shock will be too great
to permit our destruction to be averted."
A general silence ensued, which was broken by the lieutenant himself.
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