The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Z. Marcas by Honore de Balzac: passage on the way to the stairs.
"Marcas! Marcas!" we both cried, rushing into his room. "Why refuse?
He really meant it. His offers are very handsome; at any rate, go to
see the ministers."
In a twinkling, we had given Marcas a hundred reasons. The minister's
voice was sincere; without seeing him, we had felt sure that he was
honest.
"I have no clothes," replied Marcas.
"Rely on us," said Juste, with a glance at me.
Marcas had the courage to trust us; a light flashed in his eye, he
pushed his fingers through his hair, lifting it from his forehead with
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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 Rezanov by Gertrude Atherton: speaking he looked at them for a moment with his
strong, penetrating gaze. He well knew the power
of his own personality, and that it was immeasur-
ably enhanced by the fact that of all with whom he
had to do in these benighted regions his will alone
was never weakened by liquor. These young men,
clever, high-bred, with an honorable record not only
in Russia, but in England and America, looked upon
a hilarious night as the just reward of work well
done by day. Brandy was debited to their account
by the "bucket" (a bucket being a trifle less than
Rezanov |