| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from A Start in Life by Honore de Balzac: scenes with her which would make you die of laughing,--exactly like
Arnolphe in Moliere's comedy."
The count, horror-stricken, looked at Pierrotin, who, finding that the
count said nothing, concluded that Madame Clapart's son was telling
falsehoods.
"So, monsieur," continued Oscar, "if you want the count's influence, I
advise you to apply to the Marquis d'Aiglemont. If you get that former
adorer of Madame de Serizy on your side, you will win husband and wife
at one stroke."
"Look here!" said the painter, "you seem to have seen the count
without his clothes; are you his valet?"
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Wyoming by William MacLeod Raine: "That's what I don't just savvy. There's a whole lot about that
business I don't get next to. I guess Bannister is at the head of
them. Everybody seems agreed about that. But the whole thing is a
tangle of contradiction to me. I've milled it over a heap in my
mind, too."
"What are some of the contradictions?"
"Well, here's one right off the bat, as we used to say back in
the States. Bannister is a great musician, they claim; fine
singer, and all that. Now I happen to know he can't sing any more
than a bellowing yearling."
"How do you know?" she asked, her eyes shining with interest.
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Cousin Pons by Honore de Balzac: Pons' welfare; and he did not know whether he could give him up; the
mere thought of it drove him distracted.
Meantime, Pons' proud silence and withdrawal to the Mons Aventinus of
the Rue de Normandie had, as might be expected, impressed the
Presidente, not that she troubled herself much about her parasite, now
that she was freed from him. She thought, with her charming daughter,
that Cousin Pons had seen through her little "Lili's" joke. But it was
otherwise with her husband the President.
Camusot de Marville, a short and stout man, grown solemn since his
promotion at the Court, admired Cicero, preferred the Opera-Comique to
the Italiens, compared the actors one with another, and followed the
|
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 Sesame and Lilies by John Ruskin: death of Michael Collins, aged 58 years. Mary Collins, a miserable-
looking woman, said that she lived with the deceased and his son in
a room at 2, Cobb's Court, Christ Church. Deceased was a
"translator" of boots. Witness went out and bought old boots;
deceased and his son made them into good ones, and then witness sold
them for what she could get at the shops, which was very little
indeed. Deceased and his son used to work night and day to try and
get a little bread and tea, and pay for the room (2S. a week), so as
to keep the home together. On Friday-night-week deceased got up
from his bench and began to shiver. He threw down the boots,
saying, "Somebody else must finish them when I am gone, for I can do
|
