| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Nana, Miller's Daughter, Captain Burle, Death of Olivier Becaille by Emile Zola: instruments amid a delicate trilling of flutes, a stifled tooting of
horns, a singing of violin notes, which floated forth amid the
increasing uproar of voices. All the spectators were talking,
jostling, settling themselves in a general assault upon seats; and
the hustling rush in the side passages was now so violent that every
door into the house was laboriously admitting the inexhaustible
flood of people. There were signals, rustlings of fabrics, a
continual march past of skirts and head dresses, accentuated by the
black hue of a dress coat or a surtout. Notwithstanding this, the
rows of seats were little by little getting filled up, while here
and there a light toilet stood out from its surroundings, a head
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Secrets of the Princesse de Cadignan by Honore de Balzac: affair with de Marsay; her second with d'Ajuda, whom she had, they
said, distracted from his wife, thus avenging Madame de Beausant; also
her later connection with young d'Esgrignon, who had travelled with
her in Italy, and had horribly compromised himself on her account;
after that they told him how unhappy she had been with a certain
celebrated ambassador, how happy with a Russian general, besides
becoming the Egeria of two ministers of Foreign affairs, and various
other anecdotes. D'Arthez replied that he knew a great deal more than
they could tell him about her through their poor friend, Michel
Chrestien, who adored her secretly for four years, and had well-nigh
gone mad about her.
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| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Red Inn by Honore de Balzac: personage was turning pale.
"Not at all," he said with a polite gesture of thanks. "I am
listening," he added, with a nod to the guests, who were all
simultaneously looking at him.
"I have forgotten," said Monsieur Hermann, "the name of the other
young man. But the confidences which Prosper Magnan subsequently made
to me enabled me to know that his companion was dark, rather thin, and
jovial. I will, if you please, call him Wilhelm, to give greater
clearness to the tale I am about to tell you."
The worthy German resumed his narrative after having, without the
smallest regard for romanticism and local color, baptized the young
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The fourth excerpt represents the element of Earth. It speaks of physical influences and the impact of the unseen on the visible world, and is drawn from The Wheels of Chance by H. G. Wells: very strong man, you know, now--you will forgive me--nor do you
know all you should. But what will you be in six years' time?"
He stared hard in front of him still, and the lines about his
weak mouth seemed to strengthen. He knew she understood what he
could not say.
"I'll work," he said, concisely. They stood side by side for a
moment. Then he said, with a motion of his head, "I won't come
back to THEM. Do you mind? Going back alone?"
She took ten seconds to think. "No." she said, and held out her
hand, biting her nether lip. "GOOD-BYE," she whispered.
He turned, with a white face, looked into her eyes, took her hand
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