| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Sons of the Soil by Honore de Balzac: functions. Though the general had written to Michaud to bring his wife
without waiting until the lodge at the gate of the Avonne was ready
for them, the future head-keeper, or rather bailiff, was detained in
Paris by his marriage and his wife's family, and did not reach Les
Aigues until a fortnight later. During those two weeks, and during the
time still further required for certain formalities which were carried
out with very ill grace by the authorities at Ville-aux-Fayes, the
forest of Les Aigues was shamefully devastated by the peasantry, who
took advantage of the fact that there was practically no watch over
it.
The appearance of three keepers handsomely dressed in green cloth, the
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Tono Bungay by H. G. Wells: after day it went on, and I had to keep any anger to myself, to
reserve myself for the time ahead when it would be necessary to
see the quap was got aboard and stowed--knee deep in this man's
astonishment. I knew he would make a thousand objections to all
we had before us. He talked like a drugged man. It ran glibly
over his tongue. And all the time one could see his seamanship
fretting him, he was gnawed by responsibility, perpetually
uneasy about the ship's position, perpetually imagining dangers.
If a sea hit us exceptionally hard he'd be out of the cabin in an
instant making an outcry of inquiries, and he was pursued by a
dread of the hold, of ballast shifting, of insidious wicked
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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 Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas: horses in bad condition, from the results of this accident;
they seem thoroughly stupefied, as if sulky and vexed at
having been conquered by man. The count, however, his
commissioned me to assure you that two or three days' rest,
with plenty of barley for their sole food during that time,
will bring them back to as fine, that is as terrifying, a
condition as they were in yesterday. Adieu! I cannot return
you many thanks for the drive of yesterday; but, after all,
I ought not to blame you for the misconduct of your horses,
more especially as it procured me the pleasure of an
introduction to the Count of Monte Cristo, -- and certainly
The Count of Monte Cristo |
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 Kenilworth by Walter Scott: way to his purpose--who hides halters under folk's pillows, and
who puts rats-bane into their porridge, as the stage-play says."
Foster looked at him earnestly, then turned away, and paced the
room twice with the same steady and considerate pace with which
he had entered it; then suddenly came back, and extended his hand
to Michael Lambourne, saying, "Be not wroth with me, good Mike; I
did but try whether thou hadst parted with aught of thine old and
honourable frankness, which your enviers and backbiters called
saucy impudence."
"Let them call it what they will," said Michael Lambourne, "it is
the commodity we must carry through the world with us.--Uds
Kenilworth |
