| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Amy Foster by Joseph Conrad: the other's nervous attack, that the man 'meant no
harm'; Smith's exasperation (on his return from
Darnford Market) at finding the dog barking
himself into a fit, the back-door locked, his wife in
hysterics; and all for an unfortunate dirty tramp,
supposed to be even then lurking in his stackyard.
Was he? He would teach him to frighten women.
"Smith is notoriously hot-tempered, but the
sight of some nondescript and miry creature sitting
crosslegged amongst a lot of loose straw, and
swinging itself to and fro like a bear in a cage,
Amy Foster |
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 Two Brothers by Honore de Balzac: victory of the provinces over Paris by every one in Issoudun, except
the more sober and staid inhabitants, who shared the opinions of
Monsieur and Madame Hochon. A few of Max's friends spoke very harshly
of the Bridaus.
"Do those Parisians fancy we are all idiots," cried one, "and think
they have only got to hold their hats and catch legacies?"
"They came to fleece, but they have got shorn themselves," said
another; "the nephew is not to the uncle's taste."
"And, if you please, they actually consulted a lawyer in Paris--"
"Ah! had they really a plan?"
"Why, of course,--a plan to get possession of old Rouget. But the
|
