| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Philosophy 4 by Owen Wister: voice on the road behind him spoke inquiringly through the darkness.
"Did any one fall out?" said the voice. "Who fell out?"
"Billy!" shrieked Bertie, cold all over. "Billy, are you hurt "
"Did Billy fall out?" said the voice, with plaintive cadence. "Poor
Billy!"
"He can't be," muttered Bertie. "Are you?" he loudly repeated.
There was no answer: but steps came along the road as Bertie checked and
pacified the gelding. Then Billy appeared by the wheel. "Poor Billy
fell out," he said mildly. He held something up, which Bertie took. It
had been Billy's straw hat, now a brimless fabric of ruin. Except for
smirches and one inexpressible rent which dawn revealed to Bertie a
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from An Historical Mystery by Honore de Balzac: name was announced of "Monsieur le Comte de Gondreville."
"Adieu, madame," she said to the princess in a curt tone.
She left the room with Berthe, measuring her steps to avoid
encountering that fatal being.
"You may have caused the loss of Georges' marriage," said the princess
to de Marsay, in a low voice. "Why did you not tell me your agent's
name?"
The former clerk of Arcis, former Conventional, former Thermidorien,
tribune, Councillor of State, count of the Empire and senator, peer of
the Restoration, and now peer of the monarchy of July, made a servile
bow to the princess.
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Ten Years Later by Alexandre Dumas: in good truth! Vivent les apparences, Aramis!"
"Instead of felicitating me upon it, pardon me, D'Artagnan.
It is a very mundane word which I had allowed to escape me."
"Must I leave you, then?"
"I want time to collect my thoughts, my friend, and for my
usual prayers."
"Well, I leave you to them; but on account of that poor
pagan, D'Artagnan, abridge them for once, I beg; I thirst
for speech with you."
"Well, D'Artagnan, I promise you that within an hour and a
half ---- "
Ten Years Later |
