| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from A Prince of Bohemia by Honore de Balzac: " 'Ah! how darkly sadness entered my heart yesterday when I found
that I must give up the joy of seeing you. One single thought held
me back from the arms of Death!--It was thy will! To stay away was
to do thy will, to obey an order from thee. Oh! Charles, I was so
pretty; I looked a lovelier woman for you than that beautiful
German princess whom you gave me for an example, whom I have
studied at the Opera. And yet--you might have thought that I had
overstepped the limits of my nature. You have left me no
confidence in myself; perhaps I am plain after all. Oh! I loathe
myself, I dream of my radiant Charles Edward, and my brain turns.
I shall go mad, I know I shall. Do not laugh, do not talk to me of
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Chessmen of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs: other than a true word!"
The officer looked puzzled. The men of Mars seldom if ever lie.
He scratched his head. Then he addressed Ghek. "How long have you
been here?" he asked.
"Who knows better than those who placed me here and chained me to
a wall?" he returned in reply.
"Saw you this warrior enter here a few minutes since?"
"I saw him," replied Ghek.
"And you sat there where you sit now?" continued the officer.
"Look thou to my chain and tell me then where else might I sit!"
cried Ghek. "Art the people of thy city all fools?"
The Chessmen of Mars |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Almayer's Folly by Joseph Conrad: the remark that in any case their business was with Almayer--and
perhaps not very pleasant, he added. Almayer hardly heard him.
He shook hands with them absently and led the way towards the
house. He was scarcely conscious of the polite words of welcome
he greeted the strangers with, and afterwards repeated several
times over again in his efforts to appear at ease. The agitation
of their host did not escape the officer's eyes, and the chief
confided to his subordinate, in a low voice, his doubts as to
Almayer's sobriety. The young sub-lieutenant laughed and
expressed in a whisper the hope that the white man was not
intoxicated enough to neglect the offer of some refreshments.
Almayer's Folly |
