| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Girl with the Golden Eyes by Honore de Balzac: Henri did not answer. The young man had one sorry quality, for one
considers as something great everything which resembles strength, and
often men invent extravagances. Henri knew not how to pardon. That
/returning upon itself/ which is one of the soul's graces, was a non-
existent sense for him. The ferocity of the Northern man, with which
the English blood is deeply tainted, had been transmitted to him by
his father. He was inexorable both in his good and evil impulses.
Paquita's exclamation had been all the more horrible to him, in that
it had dethroned him from the sweetest triumph which had ever
flattered his man's vanity. Hope, love, and every emotion had been
exalted with him, all had lit up within his heart and his
The Girl with the Golden Eyes |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Under the Red Robe by Stanley Weyman: certain I was that I had hit on the true solution; and
all that night I sat wakeful in the darkness, pondering
what I should do. The stones, unset as they were, could
never be identified, never be claimed. The channel by
which they had come to my hands could never be traced.
To all intents they were mine; mine, to do with as I
pleased! Fifteen thousand crowns, perhaps twenty
thousand crowns, and I to leave at six in the morning,
whether I would or no! I might leave for Spain with the
jewels in my pocket. Why not?
I confess I was tempted. And indeed the gems were so
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Poor and Proud by Oliver Optic: instructions in the art of selling candy, she permitted her to
depart on her mission. She was not very confident in regard to
her success for Ann was too coarse and ill-mannered for a good
sales-woman. She hoped for the best, however, and after preparing
her own tray, she went out to attend to business as usual. In the
court she saw Master Simon Sneed, who was sitting on his father's
doorstep. She noticed that he looked sad and downhearted; and
when he spoke to her the tones of his voice indicated the same
depression of spirits.
"Have you seen the Mayor lately, Katy?" asked Simon, as he
approached.
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