| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Secrets of the Princesse de Cadignan by Honore de Balzac: d'Arthez put into his mute declarations a respectful awe which was
infinitely pleasing to her. Both felt, every day, all the more united
because nothing acknowledged or definite checked the course of their
ideas, as occurs between lovers when there are formal demands on one
side, and sincere or coquettish refusals on the other.
Like all men younger than their actual age, d'Arthez was a prey to
those agitating irresolutions which are caused by the force of desires
and the terror of displeasing,--a situation which a young woman does
not comprehend when she shares it, but which the princess had too
often deliberately produced not to enjoy its pleasures. In fact, Diane
enjoyed these delightful juvenilities all the more keenly because she
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Philosophy 4 by Owen Wister: "Epicharmos of Kos
Was covered with moss,"
remarked Billy.
"Thales and Zeno
Were duffers at keno,"
added Bertie.
In the hours of trial they would often express their education thus.
"Philosophers I have met," murmured Billy, with scorn And they ate
silently for some time.
"There's one thing that's valuable," said Bertie next. "When they
spring those tricks on you about the flying arrow not moving, and all
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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 Within the Tides by Joseph Conrad: forgotten its existence - till now, when the man's name had come
out so clamorously. He glanced at the common envelope, noted the
shaky and laborious handwriting: H. Walter, Esqre. Undoubtedly
the very last letter the old butler had posted before his illness,
and in answer clearly to one from "Master Arthur" instructing him
to address in the future: "Care of Messrs. W. Dunster and Co."
Renouard made as if to open the envelope, but paused, and, instead,
tore the letter deliberately in two, in four, in eight. With his
hand full of pieces of paper he returned on deck and scattered them
overboard on the dark water, in which they vanished instantly.
He did it slowly, without hesitation or remorse. H. Walter, Esqre,
Within the Tides |
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 Within the Tides by Joseph Conrad: seemed to him much more offended than grieved.
"Three weeks later, having collected a good many cases of old
dollars (they were stowed aft in the lazarette with an iron bar and
a padlock securing the hatch under his cabin-table), yes, with a
bigger lot than he had expected to collect, he found himself
homeward bound and off the entrance of the creek where Bamtz lived
and even, in a sense, flourished.
"It was so late in the day that Davidson actually hesitated whether
he should not pass by this time. He had no regard for Bamtz, who
was a degraded but not a really unhappy man. His pity for Laughing
Anne was no more than her case deserved. But his goodness was of a
Within the Tides |
