| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Albert Savarus by Honore de Balzac: admiring his firmness.
"Ah! I would have dragged my father into a lawsuit--I would have done
anything to get him here!" cried Rosalie to herself, standing in the
kiosk and looking at the lawyer in his room, the day after Albert's
interview with the Abbe, who had reported the result to her father. "I
would have committed any mortal sin, and you will not enter the
Wattevilles' drawing-room; I may not hear your fine voice! You make
conditions when your help is required by the Wattevilles and the
Rupts!--Well, God knows, I meant to be content with these small joys;
with seeing you, hearing you speak, going with you to les Rouxey, that
your presence might to me make the place sacred. That was all I asked.
Albert Savarus |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Tom Sawyer Abroad by Mark Twain: We kept the glasses gliding around all the time, till our
arms got so tired we couldn't hold them any more.
Two hours -- three hours -- just gazing and gazing,
and nothing but sand, sand, SAND, and you could see
the quivering heat-shimmer playing over it. Dear,
dear, a body don't know what real misery is till he is
thirsty all the way through and is certain he ain't ever
going to come to any water any more. At last I
couldn't stand it to look around on them baking plains;
I laid down on the locker, and give it up.
But by and by Tom raised a whoop, and there she
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen: in it; and her acceptance, with only the saving clause
of Papa and Mamma's approbation, was eagerly given.
"I will write home directly," said she, and if they do
not object, as I dare say they will not--"
General Tilney was not less sanguine, having already
waited on her excellent friends in Pulteney Street,
and obtained their sanction of his wishes. "Since they
can consent to part with you," said he, "we may expect
philosophy from all the world."
Miss Tilney was earnest, though gentle, in her
secondary civilities, and the affair became in a few
Northanger Abbey |
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 A Man of Business by Honore de Balzac: with a wife somewhat too bigoted, rigid, and frigid for domestic
happiness.
Now, it so fell out that one Carnival evening Maitre Cardot was
entertaining guests at Mlle. Turquet's house--Desroches the attorney,
Bixiou of the caricatures, Lousteau the journalist, Nathan, and
others; it is quite unnecessary to give any further description of
these personages, all bearers of illustrious names in the /Comedie
Humaine/. Young La Palferine, in spite of his title of Count and his
great descent, which, alas! means a great descent in fortune likewise,
had honored the notary's little establishment with his presence.
At dinner, in such a house, one does not expect to meet the
|
