| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Albert Savarus by Honore de Balzac: Monsieur Boucher, with whom his master was to have dined; and then, at
half-past seven, the lawyer set out, leaving Jerome with three months'
wages, and telling him to find another place.
"He left his keys with Monsieur Girardet, whom he took home, and at
his house, Jerome says, he took a plate of soup, for at half-past
seven Monsieur Girardet had not yet dined. When Monsieur Savaron got
into the carriage he looked like death. Jerome, who, of course, saw
his master off, heard him tell the postilion 'The Geneva Road!' "
"Did Jerome ask the name of the stranger at the Hotel National?"
"As the old gentleman did not mean to stay, he was not asked for it.
The servant, by his orders no doubt, pretended not to speak French."
Albert Savarus |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Blix by Frank Norris: interest in you, Condy. You must follow that right up and keep
your name before them all the time. Have you sent them 'A Victory
Over Death' yet?"
Condy sat down to his eggs and coffee the next morning in the
hotel, harried with a certain sense of depression and
disappointment for which he could assign no cause. Nothing seemed
to interest him. The newspaper was dull. He could look forward
to no pleasure in his day's work; and what was the matter with the
sun that morning? As he walked down to the office he noted no
cloud in the sky, but the brightness was gone from the day. He
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