| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Youth by Joseph Conrad: who listen to this yarn; and what friend would throw
your years and your weariness in your face? We didn't
grumble at her. To us aft, at least, it seemed as though
we had been born in her, reared in her, had lived in her
for ages, had never known any other ship. I would
just as soon have abused the old village church at home
for not being a cathedral.
"And for me there was also my youth to make me pa-
tient. There was all the East before me, and all life, and
the thought that I had been tried in that ship and had
come out pretty well. And I thought of men of old who,
Youth |
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 A Second Home by Honore de Balzac: Granville's door. Admitted to the room next to the Judge's study, she
always repeated the same message to the footman, and always in the
same tone:
"Madame would be glad to know whether Monsieur le Comte has had a good
night, and if she is to have the pleasure of his company at
breakfast."
"Monsieur presents his compliments to Madame la Comtesse," the valet
would say, after speaking with his master, "and begs her to hold him
excused; important business compels him to be in court this morning."
A minute later the woman reappeared and asked on madame's behalf
whether she would have the pleasure of seeing Monsieur le Comte before
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