| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Padre Ignacio by Owen Wister: his head and smiled affectionately when he thought of Gaston Villere. The
youth's handsome, reckless countenance would shine out, smiling, in his
memory, and he repeated Auber's old remark, "Is it the good Lord, or is
it merely the devil, that always makes me have a weakness for rascals?"
Sail away on the barkentine! Imagine taking leave of the people here--of
Felipe! In what words should he tell the boy to go on industriously with
his music? No, this was not imaginable! The mere parting alone would make
it for ever impossible to think of such a thing. "And then," he said to
himself each new morning, when he looked out at the ocean, "I have given
to them my life. One does not take back a gift."
Pictures of his departure began to shine and melt in his drifting fancy.
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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 Deputy of Arcis by Honore de Balzac: in your place I should not do the same thing."
"Adieu, Maxime; without bitterness, I hope," said Rastignac to
Monsieur de Trailles, who bowed coldly and with dignity.
When the two conspirators were alone in the antechamber, Maxime turned
to his companion.
"Do you understand such squeamishness?" he asked.
"Perfectly," replied Vinet, "and I wonder to see a clever man like you
so duped."
"Yes, duped to make you lose your time and I mine by coming here to
listen to a lecture on virtue!"
"That's not it; but I do think you guileless to be taken in by that
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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 A Prince of Bohemia by Honore de Balzac: douleur/ rather than a makeshift."
"Well," says she, "have you found those letters of which you spoke
yesterday? You said that you could not tell me all about /him/ without
them?"
"Yes, I have them."
"It is your turn to speak; I am listening like a child when his mother
begins the tale of /Le Grand Serpentin Vert/."
"I count the young man in question in that group of our acquaintances
which we are wont to style our friends. He comes of a good family; he
is a man of infinite parts and ill-luck, full of excellent
dispositions and most charming conversation; young as he is, he is
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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 Enemies of Books by William Blades: upon his imagination here, having apparently evolved both
engraving and description from his inner consciousness.[1]
[1] Not so! Several correspondents have drawn my attention to
the fact that Hooke is evidently describing the "Lepisma," which,
if not positively injurious, is often found in the warm
places of old houses, especially if a little damp.
He mistook this for the Bookworm.
Entomologists even do not appear to have paid much attention
to the natural history of the "Worm." Kirby, speaking of it,
says, "the larvae of Crambus pinguinalis spins a robe which it
covers with its own excrement, and does no little injury."
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