| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Scaramouche by Rafael Sabatini: whole? Had I held you in affection, monsieur, I should have sent
for you after the affair of which you have spoken. I should at
least not have condemned you without hearing your explanation. As
it was... " She shrugged, smiling gently, sadly. "You see... "
But his optimism far from being crushed was stimulated. "But it
is to give me hope, mademoiselle. If already I possess so much,
I may look with confidence to win more. I shall prove myself
worthy. I swear to do that. Who that is permitted the privilege
of being near you could do other than seek to render himself
worthy?"
And then before she could add a word, M. de Kercadiou came
|
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from O Pioneers! by Willa Cather: after John Bergson's death, Carl was sitting in
the doorway of the Linstrum kitchen, dreaming
over an illustrated paper, when he heard the
rattle of a wagon along the hill road. Looking
up he recognized the Bergsons' team, with two
seats in the wagon, which meant they were off
for a pleasure excursion. Oscar and Lou, on
the front seat, wore their cloth hats and coats,
never worn except on Sundays, and Emil, on
the second seat with Alexandra, sat proudly in
his new trousers, made from a pair of his
O Pioneers! |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Black Tulip by Alexandre Dumas: the iron bars seemed to exclude every ray of light.
But when Cornelius awoke next morning, a beam of the morning
sun was playing about those iron bars; pigeons were hovering
about with outspread wings, whilst others were lovingly
cooing on the roof or near the still closed window.
Cornelius ran to that window and opened it; it seemed to him
as if new life, and joy, and liberty itself were entering
with this sunbeam into his cell, which, so dreary of late,
was now cheered and irradiated by the light of love.
When Gryphus, therefore, came to see his prisoner in the
morning, he no longer found him morose and lying in bed, but
The Black Tulip |
