| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from A Start in Life by Honore de Balzac: boots indicated that he had come on foot and from some distance to the
coach office. With a rapid look this artist seized the whole scene of
the Lion d'Argent, the stables, the courtyard, the various lights and
shades, and the details; then he looked at Mistigris, whose satirical
glance had followed his own.
"Charming!" said Mistigris.
"Yes, very," replied the other.
"We seem to have got here too early," pursued Mistigris. "Couldn't we
get a mouthful somewhere? My stomach, like Nature, abhors a vacuum."
"Have we time to get a cup of coffee?" said the artist, in a gentle
voice, to Pierrotin.
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Salammbo by Gustave Flaubert: nape of her neck, allowed its head and tail to hang like a broken
necklace with both ends trailing to the ground. Salammbo rolled it
around her sides, under her arms and between her knees; then taking it
by the jaw she brought the little triangular mouth to the edge of her
teeth, and half shutting her eyes, threw herself back beneath the rays
of the moon. The white light seemed to envelop her in a silver mist,
the prints of her humid steps shone upon the flag-stones, stars
quivered in the depth of the water; it tightened upon her its black
rings that were spotted with scales of gold. Salammbo panted beneath
the excessive weight, her loins yielded, she felt herself dying, and
with the tip of its tail the serpent gently beat her thigh; then the
Salammbo |
