| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The White Moll by Frank L. Packard: gave far too much light here in the garret to be safe - for her!
She watched him, with her hand in the pocket of her greasy skirt
clutched around another legacy of Gypsy Nan - her revolver. And
now she became conscious that from the moment she had entered the
garret, her fingers, hidden in that pocket, had sought and clung
to the weapon. The man filled her with detestation and fear; and
somehow she feared him more now in what he was trying to make an
ingratiating mood, than she had feared him in the full flood of
his rage and anger that other night at Shluker's place.
She drew back a little toward the cot bed against the wall, drew
back to give him free passage to the door when he should return
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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 The Muse of the Department by Honore de Balzac: Maupin, a rival of the most famous women; but as soon as she was
happy, she was an /unhappy creature/.
Monsieur de Clagny was her valiant champion; he went several times to
the Chateau d'Anzy to acquire the right to contradict the rumors
current as to the woman he still faithfully adored, even in her fall;
and he maintained that she and Lousteau were engaged together on some
great work. But the lawyer was laughed to scorn.
The month of October was lovely; autumn is the finest season in the
valley of the Loire; but in 1836 it was unusually glorious. Nature
seemed to aid and abet Dinah, who, as Bianchon had predicted,
gradually developed a heart-felt passion. In one month she was an
The Muse of the Department |
