| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Hated Son by Honore de Balzac: long experience had noted in persons committed to his care, and he
compared them with those contained in this frail body, the bones of
which frightened him by their delicacy, as the milk-white skin alarmed
him by its want of substance. He tried to bring the teachings of his
science to bear upon the future of that angelic child, and he was
dizzy in so doing, as though he stood upon the verge of an abyss; the
too vibrant voice, the too slender bosom of the young girl filled him
with dread, and he questioned himself after questioning her.
"You suffer here!" he cried at last, driven by a last thought which
summed up his whole meditation.
She bent her head gently.
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Glimpses of the Moon by Edith Wharton: at being invited together lest they should not be invited at
all. Equally exhilarating was the capricious favouring of the
dull and dowdy on occasions when the brilliant and disreputable
expected his notice. It enchanted him, for example, to ask the
old Duchess of Dunes and Violet Melrose to dine with the Vicar
of Altringham, on his way to Switzerland for a month's holiday,
and to watch the face of the Vicar's wife while the Duchess
narrated her last difficulties with book-makers and money-
lenders, and Violet proclaimed the rights of Love and Genius to
all that had once been supposed to belong exclusively to
Respectability and Dulness.
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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 Underground City by Jules Verne: Harry breathed more freely for a moment. One of the fears he entertained
had been that, during his descent, the cord might be cut above him,
but he had seen no projection from the walls behind which anyone could
have been concealed.
The bottom of the abyss was quite dry. Harry, taking the lamp
from his belt, walked round the place, and perceived he had been
right in his conjectures.
An extremely narrow passage led aside out of the pit.
He had to stoop to look into it, and only by creeping could it
be followed; but as he wanted to see in which direction it led,
and whether another abyss opened from it, he lay down on the ground
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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 Droll Stories, V. 1 by Honore de Balzac: she was in a good humour, otherwise she would have had the little
shaven-crop put out by the window without more ado than her first
bishop.
"He has fine eyes, Madame," said one of her handmaids.
"Where does he comes from?" asked another.
"Poor child!" cried Madame, "his mother must be looking for him. Show
him his way home."
The Touranian, still sensible, gave a movement of delight at the sight
of the brocaded bed where the sweet form was about to repose. This
glance, full of amorous intelligence, awoke the lady's fantasy, who,
half laughing and half smitten, repeated "To-morrow," and dismissed
Droll Stories, V. 1 |
