| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Secrets of the Princesse de Cadignan by Honore de Balzac: to a past which can never return,--a fact of which they themselves are
well aware. Compelled to do without the choice exotics in the midst of
which she had lived, and which set off so charmingly her whole being
(for it is impossible not to compare her to a flower), the princess
had wisely chosen a ground-floor apartment; there she enjoyed a pretty
little garden which belonged to it,--a garden full of shrubs, and an
always verdant turf, which brightened her peaceful retreat. She had
about twelve thousand francs a year; but that modest income was partly
made up of an annual stipend sent her by the old Duchesse de
Navarreins, paternal aunt of the young duke, and another stipend given
by her mother, the Duchesse d'Uxelles, who was living on her estate in
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from When a Man Marries by Mary Roberts Rinehart: "I am going to call him down, Bella," I said firmly. "Let him
help you out. I'm sure I don't see why I should have all this
when the two of you--"
"Oh, no, no! Surely, Kit, you wouldn't be so cruel!" she
whispered pleadingly. "You know what he would think. He--oh, Kit,
let them all get settled for the night, and then come down, like
a dear, and help me out. I know loads of ways--honestly I do."
"If I leave you here," I debated, "what about the policeman?"
"Never mind him"--frantically. "Listen! There's Jim up in the
pantry. Run, for the sake of Heaven!"
So--I ran. At the top of the stairs I met Jimmy, very crumpled as
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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 Sons of the Soil by Honore de Balzac: eat as good a dinner in my room as here, and I have the income of the
money this useless splendor would have wasted. Where is Madame
Soudry?" he asked, as the mayor returned armed with a venerable
bottle.
"Asleep."
"And you no longer disturb her slumbers?" said Rigou.
The ex-gendarme winked with a knowing air, and pointed to the ham
which Jeannette, the pretty maid, was just bringing in.
"That will pick you up, a pretty bit like that," he said. "It was
cured in the house; we cut into it only yesterday."
"Where did you find her?" said the ex-Benedictine in Soudry's ear.
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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 Some Reminiscences by Joseph Conrad: It's a strong, young chap that travels with our master. If--God
forbid--there was some accident on the road he would be of much
more use than I."
Glancing through the window he saw the priest arguing vehemently
in the thick of the crowd, which seemed subdued by his
interference. Three or four men, however, were talking with the
Cossacks at the door.
"And you don't think your master has gone to join the rebels
maybe--eh?" asked the officer.
"Our master would be too old for that surely. He's well over
seventy and he's getting feeble too. It's some years now since
Some Reminiscences |
