| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Eve and David by Honore de Balzac: indifferent--observer could have seen all the beauty of her nature in
her way of receiving this service.
"You will be rich some day, dear master," said Marion; "your bread is
ready baked. Your father has just bought another farm, he is putting
by money for you; that he is."
And under the circumstances, did not Marion show an exquisite delicacy
of feeling by belittling, as it were, her kindness in this way?
French procedure, like all things human, has its defects;
nevertheless, the sword of justice, being a two-edged weapon, is
excellently adapted alike for attack or defence. Procedure, moreover,
has its amusing side; for when opposed, lawyers arrive at an
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Ancient Regime by Charles Kingsley: and the lance, established himself as the natural ruler--and
oppressor--of the non-riding populations; first over the aborigines
of Germany proper, tribes who seem to have been enslaved, and their
names lost, before the time of Tacitus; and then over the non-riding
Romans and Gauls to the South and West, and the Wendish and
Sclavonic tribes to the East. Very few in numbers, but mighty in
their unequalled capacity of body and mind, and in their terrible
horsemanship, the Teutonic Ritterschaft literally rode roughshod
over the old world; never checked, but when they came in contact
with the free-riding hordes of the Eastern steppes; and so
established an equestrian caste, of which the [Greek text] of Athens
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| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Vendetta by Honore de Balzac: seen faces more beautiful than his, but none has ever charmed me thus;
I may have heard voices--no, no, never any so melodious! Luigi loves
me; he will be my husband."
"Never," said Piombo. "I would rather see you in your coffin,
Ginevra."
The old Corsican rose and began to stride up and down the salon,
dropping the following sentences, one by one, after pauses which
betrayed his agitation.
"You think you can bend my will. Undeceive yourself. A Porta shall
never be my son; that is my decree. Let there be no further question
of this between us. I am Bartolomeo di Piombo; do you hear me,
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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 Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery: CHAPTER XXX
The Queens Class Is Organized
Marilla laid her knitting on her lap and leaned back in her chair.
Her eyes were tired, and she thought vaguely that she must see
about having her glasses changed the next time she went to town,
for her eyes had grown tired very often of late.
It was nearly dark, for the full November twilight had fallen
around Green Gables, and the only light in the kitchen came from
the dancing red flames in the stove.
Anne was curled up Turk-fashion on the hearthrug, gazing into
that joyous glow where the sunshine of a hundred summers was
Anne of Green Gables |
