| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Maitre Cornelius by Honore de Balzac: with himself since his passion for gold had turned to his own injury,
--a species of uncompleted suicide which kept him at once in the
miseries of life and in those of death.
Never was a Vice more punished by itself. A miser, locked by accident
into the subterranean strong-room that contains his treasures, has,
like Sardanapalus, the happiness of dying in the midst of his wealth.
But Cornelius, the robber and the robbed, knowing the secret of
neither the one nor the other, possessed and did not possess his
treasure,--a novel, fantastic, but continually terrible torture.
Sometimes, becoming forgetful, he would leave the little gratings of
his door wide open, and then the passers in the street could see that
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Pierrette by Honore de Balzac: he nudged the colonel in the ribs significantly, and said, with a
knowing look:--
"One woman or another--handsome or ugly--/you/ don't care; marry
Mademoiselle Rogron and we can organize something at once."
"I have been thinking of it," replied Gouraud, "but the fact is they
have sent for the daughter of Colonel Lorrain, and she's their next of
kin."
"You can get them to make a will in your favor. Ha! you would get a
very comfortable house."
"As for the little girl--well, well, let's see her," said the colonel,
with a leering and thoroughly wicked look, which proved to a man of
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Red Seal by Natalie Sumner Lincoln: witnesses.
The next to take the witness stand was Deputy Marshal Grant. His
testimony was short and concise, - and his description of the
scene in the police court preceding Turnbull's death was
listened to with deep attention by every one.
"Did the prisoner show any symptoms of illness before his heart
attack?" asked Penfield.
"Not exactly illness," replied Grant slowly. "I noticed he didn't
move very quickly; sort of shambled, as if he was weak in his legs.
I've seen 'drunk and disorderlies' act just that way, and paid no
particular attention to him. He did ask for a drink of water
The Red Seal |
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 The White Moll by Frank L. Packard: elbow, as though to see for herself.
Rhoda Gray forced the other gently back upon the pillows.
"It is closed," she said. "You need not be afraid."
"What time is it?" demanded Gypsy Nan.
Rhoda Gray looked at her watch.
"Twenty-five minutes after twelve," she answered.
"There's time yet, then," whispered Gypsy Nan. "There's time yet."
She lay silent for a moment, then her hand closed tightly around
Rhoda Gray's. "Listen!" she said. "There's more about - about
why I lived like that than I told you. And - and I can't tell you
now - I can't go out like a yellow cur - I'm not going to snitch
|
