| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Lesser Bourgeoisie by Honore de Balzac: wife, a very rich Englishwoman, saw the apartment and offered such
a good price that Monsieur Cerizet felt constrained to take it.
That was the time when, by the help of M. Pascal, the porter, with
whom I have been careful to maintain good relations, I entered the
household of Monsieur Picot.
"Monsieur Picot married to a rich Englishwoman!" exclaimed la Peyrade,
interrupting himself again; "but it is incomprehensible."
"Go on, I tell you," said Corentin; "you'll comprehend it presently."
The fortune of my new master,
continued la Peyrade,
is quite a history; and I speak of it to Monsieur le directeur
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe: board, whom they took out of another wreck; that five of their own
men were drowned when first the ship was lost, and that these
escaped through infinite dangers and hazards, and arrived, almost
starved, on the cannibal coast, where they expected to have been
devoured every moment. He told me they had some arms with them,
but they were perfectly useless, for that they had neither powder
nor ball, the washing of the sea having spoiled all their powder
but a little, which they used at their first landing to provide
themselves with some food.
I asked him what he thought would become of them there, and if they
had formed any design of making their escape. He said they had
Robinson Crusoe |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from 'Twixt Land & Sea by Joseph Conrad: ability to boast of. He was commanding the Neptun, a little
gunboat employed on dreary patrol duty up and down the Archipelago,
to look after the traders. Not a very exalted position truly. I
tell you, just a common middle-aged lieutenant of some twenty-five
years' service and sure to be retired before long - that's all.
He never bothered his head very much as to what was going on in the
Seven Isles group till he learned from some talk in Mintok or
Palembang, I suppose, that there was a pretty girl living there.
Curiosity, I presume, caused him to go poking around that way, and
then, after he had once seen Freya, he made a practice of calling
at the group whenever he found himself within half a day's steaming
'Twixt Land & Sea |
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 Little Women by Louisa May Alcott: and lay at rest, like storm-beaten boats safe at anchor in a
quiet harbor. Mrs. March would not leave Beth's side, but rested
in the big chair, waking often to look at, touch, and brood over
her child, like a miser over some recovered treasure.
Laurie meanwhile posted off to comfort Amy, and told his
story so well that Aunt March actually `sniffed' herself, and
never once said "I told you so". Amy came out so strong on
this occasion that I think the good thoughts in the little chapel
really began to bear fruit. She dried her tears quickly,
restrained her impatience to see her mother, and never even thought
of the turquoise ring, when the old lady heartily agreed in Laurie's
Little Women |
