The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Purse by Honore de Balzac: her daughter were playing cards with the old gentleman. As to the
satellite, faithful to his function as a shadow, he stood behind
his friend's chair watching his game, and answering the player's
mute inquiries by little approving nods, repeating the
questioning gestures of the other countenance.
"Du Halga, I always lose," said the gentleman.
"You discard badly," replied the Baronne de Rouville.
"For three months now I have never won a single game," said he.
"Have you the aces?" asked the old lady.
"Yes, one more to mark," said he.
"Shall I come and advise you?" said Adelaide.
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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 Whirligigs by O. Henry: to hunt bears the next day.
It was just twelve o'clock when we knocked at Ebene-
zer's front door. Just at the moment when I should have
been abstracting the fifteen hundred dollars from the box
under the tree, according to the original proposition, Bill
was counting out two hundred and fifty dollars into
Dorset's hand.
When the kid found out we were going to leave him at
home he started up a howl like a calliope and fastened
himself as tight as a leech to Bill's leg. His father peeled
him away gradually, like a porous plaster.
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