| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Professor by Charlotte Bronte: their conduct give you cause for complaint? Conceal nothing from
me, repose in me entire confidence."
Happily, I felt in myself complete power to manage my pupils
without aid; the enchantment, the golden haze which had dazzled
my perspicuity at first, had been a good deal dissipated. I
cannot say I was chagrined or downcast by the contrast which the
reality of a pensionnat de demoiselles presented to my vague
ideal of the same community; I was only enlightened and amused;
consequently, I felt in no disposition to complain to Mdlle.
Reuter, and I received her considerate invitation to confidence
with a smile.
The Professor |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Mistress Wilding by Rafael Sabatini: he realized, in deadly peril. One thought he gave to Ruth. If the
worst came to pass here was one who would rejoice in her freedom.
The reflection cut through him like a sword. He would be loath to die
until he had taught her to regret him. Then his mind returned to what
Trenchard had told him.
"You said a Government agent," he mused slowly. "How would a Government
agent know the password?"
Trenchard's mouth fell open. "I had not thought..." he began. Then
ended with an oath. "`Tis a traitor from inside."
Wilding nodded. "It must be one of those who met at White Lackington
three nights ago," he answered.
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Menexenus by Plato: have a taste of sophistry in them, or the ring of a later age, or the
slighter character of a rhetorical exercise, or in which a motive or some
affinity to spurious writings can be detected, or which seem to have
originated in a name or statement really occurring in some classical
author, are also of doubtful credit; while there is no instance of any
ancient writing proved to be a forgery, which combines excellence with
length. A really great and original writer would have no object in
fathering his works on Plato; and to the forger or imitator, the 'literary
hack' of Alexandria and Athens, the Gods did not grant originality or
genius. Further, in attempting to balance the evidence for and against a
Platonic dialogue, we must not forget that the form of the Platonic writing
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