| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from An International Episode by Henry James: where she is liable to have that sort of thing said to her?"
"You seem to get hold of some very queer old ladies;
I compliment you on your acquaintance!" Percy Beaumont exclaimed.
"If you are trying to bring me to admit that London is an
odious place, you'll not succeed. I'm extremely fond of it,
and I think it the jolliest place in the world."
"Pour vous autres. I never said the contrary," Mrs. Westgate retorted.
I make use of this expression, because both interlocutors had begun
to raise their voices. Percy Beaumont naturally did not like to hear
his country abused, and Mrs. Westgate, no less naturally, did not like
a stubborn debater.
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Unconscious Comedians by Honore de Balzac: Jenny Cadine is the sole rival in that respect of the famous Dejazet.
At the supper-table, where Gazonal was fascinated by a silver service
made by the modern Benvenuto Cellini, Froment-Meurice, the contents of
which were worthy of the container, his mischievous friends were
careful to sit at some distance from him; but they followed with
cautious eye the manoeuvres of the clever actress, who, being
attracted by the insidious hope of getting her furniture renewed, was
playing her cards to take the provincial home with her. No sheep upon
the day of the Fete-Dieu ever more meekly allowed his little Saint
John to lead him along than Gazonal as he followed his siren.
Three days later, Leon and Bixiou, who had not seen Gazonal since that
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Lady Windermere's Fan by Oscar Wilde: I told him he was old enough to know better. But my experience is
that as soon as people are old enough to know better, they don't
know anything at all. Hallo, Tuppy! Hear you're going to be
married again; thought you were tired of that game.
LORD AUGUSTUS. You're excessively trivial, my dear boy,
excessively trivial!
CECIL GRAHAM. By the way, Tuppy, which is it? Have you been twice
married and once divorced, or twice divorced and once married? I
say you've been twice divorced and once married. It seems so much
more probable.
LORD AUGUSTUS. I have a very bad memory. I really don't remember
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