| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Scenes from a Courtesan's Life by Honore de Balzac: distance; he left him to believe that he was in the diplomatic
service, and was hoping to become Consul-General by the good offices
of the Duc de Grandlieu. Two days after leaving Paris, Corentin and
Derville got out at Mansle, to the great surprise of the lawyer, who
thought he was going to Angouleme.
"In this little town," said Corentin, "we can get the most positive
information as regards Madame Sechard."
"Do you know her then?" asked Derville, astonished to find Corentin so
well informed.
"I made the conductor talk, finding he was a native of Angouleme. He
tells me that Madame Sechard lives at Marsac, and Marsac is but a
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Country of the Pointed Firs by Sarah Orne Jewett: looking at Mrs. Todd with a face like a happy sunburnt schoolboy,
while everybody crowded round to give their welcome.
"Mother's always the queen," said Mrs. Todd. "Yes, they'll
all make everything of mother; she'll have a lovely time to-day.
I wouldn't have had her miss it, and there won't be a thing she'll
ever regret, except to mourn because William wa'n't here."
Mrs. Blackett having been properly escorted to the house, Mrs.
Todd received her own full share of honor, and some of the men,
with a simple kindness that was the soul of chivalry, waited upon
us and our baskets and led away the white horse. I already knew
some of Mrs. Todd's friends and kindred, and felt like an adopted
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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 Danny's Own Story by Don Marquis: in the first place and that-a-way He got interested
personal in it. And that is the main idea, he says,
he has all the time been trying to get into that there
poetry of his'n. But he reckons he ain't got her in.
Leastways, he says, no one has never seen her there
but the doctor and the old lady and himself. Well,
for my part, I never would of seen it there myself,
but when he said it out plain like that any one could
of told what he meant.
You hadn't orter lay things up agin folks if the
folks can't help 'em. And I will say Daddy Withers
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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 Duchesse de Langeais by Honore de Balzac: consolations to her lover, who made the most of them.
Sometimes from policy, to keep her hold on a man whose ardent
passion gave her emotions unknown before, sometimes in weakness,
she suffered him to snatch a swift kiss; and immediately, in
feigned terror, she flushed red and exiled Armand from the sofa
so soon as the sofa became dangerous ground.
"Your joys are sins for me to expiate, Armand; they are paid for
by penitence and remorse," she cried.
And Montriveau, now at two chairs' distance from that
aristocratic petticoat, betook himself to blasphemy and railed
against Providence. The Duchess grew angry at such times.
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