| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Chouans by Honore de Balzac: by the lower road."
"One would think she meant to stab us with that nose of hers!" cried
Hulot. "Here, look, you old nanny-goat!"
And he showed her in the distance three or four of his sentinels,
whose hats, guns, and uniforms it was easy to recognize.
"Are you going to let those fellows cut the throats of men who are
sent by Marche-a-Terre to protect the Gars?" he cried, angrily.
"Ah, beg pardon," said the woman; "but it is so easy to be deceived.
What parish do you belong to?"
"Saint-Georges," replied two or three of the men, in the Breton
patois, "and we are dying of hunger."
The Chouans |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Silverado Squatters by Robert Louis Stevenson: the Chinaman's house, where he had installed a printing
press, that great element of civilization, and the sound of
his labours would be faintly audible about the canyon half
the day.
To walk at all was a laborious business; the foot sank and
slid, the boots were cut to pieces, among sharp, uneven,
rolling stones. When we crossed the platform in any
direction, it was usual to lay a course, following as much as
possible the line of waggon rails. Thus, if water were to be
drawn, the water-carrier left the house along some tilting
planks that we had laid down, and not laid down very well.
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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 The Ruling Passion by Henry van Dyke: for he kept on until he reached the canoe, sniffed at it
suspiciously, thrust his sharp nose under it, and turned it over
with a crash that knocked two holes in the bottom, ate the fish,
licked his chops, stared at us for a few moments without the
slightest appearance of gratitude, made up his mind that he did not
like our personal appearance, and then loped leisurely up the
mountain-side. We could hear him cracking the underbrush long after
he was lost to sight.
Patrick looked at me and sighed. I said nothing. The French
language, as far as I knew it, seemed trifling and inadequate. It
was a moment when nothing could do any good except the consolations
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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 An Old Maid by Honore de Balzac: maternal instinct. Madame Granson had no fears at all as to the
chevalier, but she did suppose that du Bousquier, although refused,
retained certain hopes. As an able and underhand enemy to the latter,
she did him much secret harm in the interests of her son; from whom,
by the bye, she carefully concealed all such proceedings.
After this explanation it is easy to understand the importance which
Suzanne's lie, confided to Madame Granson, was about to acquire. What
a weapon put into the hands of this charitable lady, the treasurer of
the Maternity Society! How she would gently and demurely spread the
news while collecting assistance for the chaste Suzanne!
At the present moment Athanase, leaning pensively on his elbow at the
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