| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Marriage Contract by Honore de Balzac: of marriage, and you must think of them. Consult Maitre Mathias our
old notary."
Madame de Maulincour departed, having plunged Paul into a state of
extreme perplexity. His mother-in-law a sly cat! Must he struggle for
his interests in the marriage contract? Was it necessary to defend
them? Who was likely to attack them?
He followed the advice of his aunt and confided the drawing-up of the
marriage contract to Maitre Mathias. But these threatened discussions
oppressed him, and he went to see Madame Evangelista and announce his
intentions in a state of rather lively agitation. Like all timid men,
he shrank from allowing the distrust his aunt had put into his mind to
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from 'Twixt Land & Sea by Joseph Conrad: stealthy in her imperceptible progress; and Jasper, his elbow in
the main rigging, and his head leaning against his hand, thought of
Freya. Everything in the world reminded him of her. The beauty of
the loved woman exists in the beauties of Nature. The swelling
outlines of the hills, the curves of a coast, the free sinuosities
of a river are less suave than the harmonious lines of her body,
and when she moves, gliding lightly, the grace of her progress
suggests the power of occult forces which rule the fascinating
aspects of the visible world.
Dependent on things as all men are, Jasper loved his vessel - the
house of his dreams. He lent to her something of Freya's soul.
'Twixt Land & Sea |
