| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Village Rector by Honore de Balzac: led him to the scaffold! Ah! punish me, curse me, the hour has come!"
Saying these words, her eyes shone with the stoic pride of a savage.
The archbishop, standing behind her, and as if protecting her with the
pastoral cross, abandoned his impassible demeanor and covered his eyes
with his right hand. A muffled cry was heard, as though some one were
dying. Two persons, Gerard and Roubaud, received and carried away in
their arms, Denise Tascheron, unconscious. That sight seemed for an
instant to quench the fire in Veronique's eyes; she was evidently
uneasy; but soon her self-control and serenity of martyrdom resumed
their sway.
"You now know," she continued, "that I deserve neither praise or
|
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Salome by Oscar Wilde: dirait des cavernes noires ou demeurent des dragons, des cavernes
noires d'Egypte ou les dragons trouvent leur asile. On dirait des
lacs noirs troubles par des lunes fantastiques . . . Pensez-vous
qu'il parlera encore?
LE JEUNE SYRIEN. Ne restez pas ici, princesse! Je vous prie de ne
pas rester ici.
SALOME. Comme il est maigre aussi! il ressemble e une mince image
d'ivoire. On dirait une image d'argent. Je suis sure qu'il est
chaste, autant que la lune. Il ressemble e un rayon d'argent. Sa
chair doit etre tres froide, comme de l'ivoire . . . Je veux le
regarder de pres.
|
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain: it for form's sake and because it was custom, and had
stuck to the denial from principle.
A whole hour drifted by, the master sat nodding in
his throne, the air was drowsy with the hum of study.
By and by, Mr. Dobbins straightened himself up, yawn-
ed, then unlocked his desk, and reached for his book,
but seemed undecided whether to take it out or leave it.
Most of the pupils glanced up languidly, but there were
two among them that watched his movements with in-
tent eyes. Mr. Dobbins fingered his book absently for
a while, then took it out and settled himself in his chair
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer |
