| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from An Episode Under the Terror by Honore de Balzac: mended lace,--in the rags of former grandeur, in short. The shopkeeper
and his wife, drawn two ways by pity and self-interest, began by
lulling their consciences with words.
"You seem very poorly, citoyenne----"
"Perhaps madame might like to take something," the wife broke in.
"We have some very nice broth," added the pastry-cook.
"And it is so cold," continued his wife; "perhaps you have caught a
chill, madame, on your way here. But you can rest and warm yourself a
bit."
"We are not so black as the devil!" cried the man.
The kindly intention in the words and tones of the charitable couple
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Maid Marian by Thomas Love Peacock: in her lover's, and tripped lightly with him into the church.
"This marriage will not stand," said the bishop, "for they have not been
thrice asked in church."
"We will ask them seven times," said Little John, "lest three
should not suffice."
"And in the meantime," said Robin, "the knight and the bishop
shall dance to my harping."
So Robin sat in the church porch and played away merrily, while his
foresters formed a ring, in the centre of which the knight and bishop
danced with exemplary alacrity; and if they relaxed their exertions,
Scarlet gently touched them up with the point of an arrow.
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Four Arthurian Romances by Chretien DeTroyes: before the tournament begins. He orders three of his squires to
go quickly to London and there buy three different sets of arms,
one black, another red, the third green, and that on the way back
each shall be kept covered with new cloth, so that if any one
should meet them on the road he may not know the colour of the
arms they carry. The squires start at once and come to London,
where they find available everything they need. Having finished
this errand, they return at once without losing any time. When
the arms they had brought were shown to Cliges he was well
pleased with them. He ordered them to be set away and concealed,
together with those which the emperor had given him by the
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