| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Letters of Two Brides by Honore de Balzac: the public funds under the names of his two nephews, securing them
each, in this way, an income of twelve hundred francs. Next he
furnished his sister-in-law's rooms, and promised her a quarterly
allowance of three thousand francs. Here you see the meaning of his
dramatic labors and the pleasure caused him by the success of his
first play.
Mme. Gaston, therefore, is no rival of yours, and has every right to
your name. A man of Gaston's sensitive delicacy was bound to keep the
affair secret from you, knowing as he did, your generous nature. Nor
does he look on what you give him as his own. D'Arthez read me the
letter he had from your husband, asking him to be one of the witnesses
|
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Vision Splendid by William MacLeod Raine: and socialism! Take my wor-rd for it, there's nothin' to 'em."
"I'm neither a populist nor a socialist, Mr. O'Brien."
"Coorse you're not. I can see that with wan eye shut. That's why I
hate to see youse ruin yourself with them that are. I've no need
to tell you that this country's run by business men and not
cranks. Me, I'm a business man, and I run the city. P. C. Frome's
a business man; so's Merrill. That's why they're on top. Old Joe
Powers is a business man from first to last. You'll never get
anywhere, me boy, until youse look at things from a business point
of view."
If James was impressed he gave no sign of it. "Which means you
|
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from End of the Tether by Joseph Conrad: on earth, or make a ship unseaworthy every time he
takes her to sea."
Mr. Van Wyk, leaning forward, his face gone pink
all over, with the starched table-napkin over his knees,
was inclined to mistrust his senses, his power of com-
prehension, the sanity of his guest.
"Where? Why? In the name of God!--what's this?
What ship? I don't understand who . . ."
"Then, in the name of God, it is I! A ship's unsea-
worthy when her captain can't see. I am going blind."
Mr. Van Wyk made a slight movement, and sat very
End of the Tether |
