The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Mansfield Park by Jane Austen: in an undervoice, perceiving the amazing trepidation
with which she made up the note, "you cannot think
I have any such object. Do not hurry yourself, I entreat."
"Oh! I thank you; I have quite done, just done; it will
be ready in a moment; I am very much obliged to you;
if you will be so good as to give _that_ to Miss Crawford."
The note was held out, and must be taken; and as she
instantly and with averted eyes walked towards the fireplace,
where sat the others, he had nothing to do but to go
in good earnest.
Fanny thought she had never known a day of greater agitation,
 Mansfield Park |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Lady Susan by Jane Austen: necessary to you to get Mainwaring out of the way; and you only can have
influence enough to send him back to his wife. I have still another motive
for your coming: Mr. Johnson leaves London next Tuesday; he is going for
his health to Bath, where, if the waters are favourable to his constitution
and my wishes, he will be laid up with the gout many weeks. During his
absence we shall be able to chuse our own society, and to have true
enjoyment. I would ask you to Edward Street, but that once he forced from
me a kind of promise never to invite you to my house; nothing but my being
in the utmost distress for money should have extorted it from me. I can get
you, however, a nice drawing-room apartment in Upper Seymour Street, and we
may be always together there or here; for I consider my promise to Mr.
 Lady Susan |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle: and byway to the eastward and the southward and the westward
of Sherwood. The Sheriff of Nottingham called forth all his
men likewise, and joined with the Bishop, for he saw that this
was the best chance that had ever befallen of paying back
his score in full to Robin Hood. Will Scarlet and Little John
and Allan a Dale had just missed the King's men to the eastward,
for the very next day after they had passed the line and entered
Sherwood the roads through which they had traveled were blocked,
so that, had they tarried in their journeying, they would surely
have fallen into the Bishop's hands.
But of all this Robin knew not a whit; so he whistled merrily
 The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood |