| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Ball at Sceaux by Honore de Balzac: receive your beloved daughter. You did not perhaps know that you would
find her so foolish and so headstrong. But, papa, is it so difficult
to get married to a peer of France? You declared that they were
manufactured by dozens. At least, you will not refuse to advise me."
"No, my poor child, no;--and more than once I may have occasion to
cry, 'Beware!' Remember that the making of peers is so recent a force
in our government machinery that they have no great fortunes. Those
who are rich look to becoming richer. The wealthiest member of our
peerage has not half the income of the least rich lord in the English
Upper Chamber. Thus all the French peers are on the lookout for great
heiresses for their sons, wherever they may meet with them. The
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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 Bunner Sisters by Edith Wharton: her about Miss Mellins. "Did she start up again by herself?"
"Oh, no; but I couldn't stand not knowing what time it was,
I've got so accustomed to having her round; and just after you went
upstairs Mrs. Hawkins dropped in, so I asked her to tend the store
for a minute, and I clapped on my things and ran right round to Mr.
Ramy's. It turned out there wasn't anything the matter with her--
nothin' on'y a speck of dust in the works--and he fixed her for me
in a minute and I brought her right back. Ain't it lovely to hear
her going again? But tell me about Miss Mellins, quick!"
For a moment Ann Eliza found no words. Not till she learned
that she had missed her chance did she understand how many hopes
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