| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Chouans by Honore de Balzac: neither yours nor mine, it belongs to the government; and as for
leaving it you will do nothing of the kind," he added, giving her a
diabolical look.
Mademoiselle de Verneuil rose indignantly, made a few steps to leave
the room, but stopped short suddenly as Corentin raised the curtain of
the window and beckoned her, with a smile, to come to him.
"Do you see that column of smoke?" he asked, with the calmness he
always kept on his livid face, however intense his feelings might be.
"What has my departure to do with that burning brush?" she asked.
"Why does your voice tremble?" he said. "You poor thing!" he added, in
a gentle voice, "I know all. The marquis is coming to Fougeres this
The Chouans |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Ten Years Later by Alexandre Dumas: "And you were quite right. To the camp, I say." The soldiers
departed with dejected looks. "Now we are alone," said Monk
to Athos, "have the goodness to tell me, monsieur, why you
persisted in remaining here, whilst you had your felucca
---- "
"I waited for you, general," said Athos. "Had not your honor
appointed to meet me in a week?"
An eloquent look from D'Artagnan made it clear to Monk that
these two men, so brave and so loyal, had not acted in
concert for his abduction. He knew already it could not be
so.
Ten Years Later |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Wrong Box by Stevenson & Osbourne: me addressed in Signor Ricardi's hand?'
'Well, let's have a look at it,' said Michael. 'Let's roll it
forward to the light.'
The two men rolled the barrel from the corner, and stood it on
end before the fire.
'It's heavy enough to be oysters,' remarked Michael judiciously.
'Shall we open it at once?' enquired the artist, who had grown
decidedly cheerful under the combined effects of company and gin;
and without waiting for a reply, he began to strip as if for a
prize-fight, tossed his clerical collar in the wastepaper basket,
hung his clerical coat upon a nail, and with a chisel in one hand
|
