| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Gobseck by Honore de Balzac: a minute, and let no one--no matter whom--come in meanwhile.'
"Ernest went out and saw his mother standing in the next room.
" 'Ernest,' said she, 'come here.'
"She sat down, drew her son to her knees, and clasped him in her arms,
and held him tightly to her heart.
" 'Ernest, your father said something to you just now.'
" 'Yes, mamma.'
" 'What did he say?'
" 'I cannot repeat it, mamma.'
" 'Oh, my dear child!' cried the Countess, kissing him in rapture.
'You have kept your secret; how glad that makes me! Never tell a lie;
Gobseck |
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 In the South Seas by Robert Louis Stevenson: came ashore upon a visit to his rival, Taipi-Kikino, it was Toma
whom we saw standing at the head of the beach, a magnificent figure
of a man, magnificently tattooed; and it was of Toma that we asked
our question: 'Where is the chief?' 'What chief?' cried Toma, and
turned his back on the blasphemers. Nor did he forgive us. Hoka
came and went with us daily; but, alone I believe of all the
countryside, neither Toma nor his wife set foot on board the CASCO.
The temptation resisted it is hard for a European to compute. The
flying city of Laputa moored for a fortnight in St. James's Park
affords but a pale figure of the CASCO anchored before Anaho; for
the Londoner has still his change of pleasures, but the Marquesan
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