| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Ferragus by Honore de Balzac: getting farther into each other's hearts than they ever yet had done,
like two children who in a moment of fear, hold each other closely and
cling together, united by an instinct. There are in this life of two-
in-one completely happy days, the gift of chance, ephemeral flowers,
born neither of yesterday nor belonging to the morrow. Jules and
Clemence now enjoyed this day as though they forboded it to be the
last of their loving life. What name shall we give to that mysterious
power which hastens the steps of travellers before the storm is
visible; which makes the life and beauty of the dying so resplendent,
and fills the parting soul with joyous projects for days before death
comes; which tells the midnight student to fill his lamp when it
Ferragus |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from A Distinguished Provincial at Paris by Honore de Balzac: "Let us begin a series of sketches of Ministerialist orators,"
suggested Hector Merlin.
"You do that, youngster; you know them; they are your own party," said
Lousteau; "you could indulge any little private grudges of your own.
Pitch into Beugnot and Syrieys de Mayrinhac and the rest. You might
have the sketches ready in advance, and we shall have something to
fall back upon."
"How if we invented one or two cases of refusal of burial with
aggravating circumstances?" asked Hector.
"Do not follow in the tracks of the big Constitutional papers; they
have pigeon-holes full of ecclesiastical canards," retorted Vernou.
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from A Prince of Bohemia by Honore de Balzac: discovered that La Palferine was in dire distress, drew up a report,
no doubt, and brought the descendant of the Rusticolis fifty francs by
way of alms. La Palferine received the visitor with perfect courtesy,
and talked of various persons at court.
" 'Is it true,' he asked, 'that Mlle. d'Orleans contributes such and
such a sum to this benevolent scheme started by her nephew? If so, it
is very gracious of her.'
"Now La Palferine had a servant, a little Savoyard, aged ten, who
waited on him without wages. La Palferine called him Father Anchises,
and used to say, 'I have never seen such a mixture of besotted
foolishness with great intelligence; he would go through fire and
|
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 Silas Marner by George Eliot: go to the Rainbow, and hear the talk about the cock-fighting:
everybody was there, and what else was there to be done? Though,
for his own part, he did not care a button for cock-fighting.
Snuff, the brown spaniel, who had placed herself in front of him,
and had been watching him for some time, now jumped up in impatience
for the expected caress. But Godfrey thrust her away without
looking at her, and left the room, followed humbly by the
unresenting Snuff--perhaps because she saw no other career open to
her.
CHAPTER IV
Dunstan Cass, setting off in the raw morning, at the judiciously
Silas Marner |
