| 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: come."
"Mother!" added Etienne, "who art in heaven, obtain from the Virgin
that if we cannot--Gabrielle and I--be happy here below we may at
least die together, and without suffering. Call us, and we will go to
thee."
Then, having recited their evening prayers, Gabrielle related her
interview with Baron d'Artagnon.
"Gabrielle," said the young man, gathering strength from his despair,
"I shall know how to resist my father."
He kissed her on the forehead, but not again upon the lips. Then he
returned to the castle, resolved to face the terrible man who had
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Sons of the Soil by Honore de Balzac: Vermut!" Recognizing the rich man, Vermut hurried up. Rigou joined
him, and said in a low voice:--
"Are there any drugs that can eat into the tissue of the skin so as to
produce a real disease, like a whitlow on the finger, for instance?"
"If Monsieur Gourdon would help, yes," answered the little chemist.
"Vermut, not a word of all this, or you and I will quarrel; but speak
of the matter to Monsieur Gourdon, and tell him to come and see me the
day after to-morrow. I may be able to procure him the delicate
operation of cutting off a forefinger."
Then, leaving the little man thoroughly bewildered, Rigou got into the
carriole beside Marie Tonsard.
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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 Confidence by Henry James: "By all means--what we bring with us. But I should n't attempt
the use of the text-book on the spot."
"You should n't speak of yourself as if you were not clever,"
said Mrs. Vivian. "Every one says you are so very clever."
Longueville stared; there was an unexpectedness in the speech
and an incongruity in Mrs. Vivian's beginning to flatter him.
He needed to remind himself that if she was a Bostonian, she was
a Bostonian perverted.
"Ah, my dear madam, every one is no one," he said, laughing.
"It was Mr. Wright, in particular," she rejoined. "He has always
told us that."
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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 The Magic of Oz by L. Frank Baum: traveled through this forest many times in its journeys through the
Land of Oz. And it reflected that the Forest of Gugu was nearer to
the Isle of the Magic Flower than the Emerald City was, and so, if it
could manage to find the Wizard, it could lead him across the Gillikin
Country to where Trot and Cap'n Bill were prisoned. It was a wild
country and little traveled, but the Glass Cat knew every path. So
very little time need be lost, after all.
Without stopping to ask any more questions the Cat darted out of the
palace and away from the Emerald City, taking the most direct route to
the Forest of Gugu. Again the creature flashed through the country
like a streak of light, and it would surprise you to know how quickly
The Magic of Oz |
