| 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: his quiet deferential bearing to all these grey-heads was the
supreme effort of stoicism, that the man was engaged in keeping a
sinister watch on his tortures lest his strength should fail him.
As before, when grappling with other forces of nature, he could
find in himself all sorts of courage except the courage to run
away.
It was perhaps from the lack of subjects they could have in common
that Miss Moorsom made him so often speak of his own life. He did
not shrink from talking about himself, for he was free from that
exacerbated, timid vanity which seals so many vain-glorious lips.
He talked to her in his restrained voice, gazing at the tip of her
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 Letters of Two Brides by Honore de Balzac: leave him alone in the world, and, poor child, he turned white as a
sheet. My dear, this distinguished statesman is neither more nor less
than a baby. It is incredible what youth and simplicity he contrived
to hide away. Now that I allow myself to think aloud with him, as I do
with you, and have no secrets from him, we are always giving each
other surprises.
Dear Renee, Felipe and Louise, the pair of lovers, want to send a
present to the young mother. We would like to get something that would
give you pleasure, and we don't share the popular taste for surprises;
so tell me quite frankly, please, what you would like. It ought to be
something which would recall us to you in a pleasant way, something
|
