| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Domestic Peace by Honore de Balzac: Colonel. "But you must have seen poor Soulanges when he came in; he is
till trying to disbelieve in his disaster."
"Yes, I saw him," said the lady. Then she added, "Thank you very much,
monsieur," in a tone which signified a dismissal.
At this moment the quadrille was coming to an end. Montcornet had only
time to withdraw, saying to himself by way of consolation, "She is
married."
"Well, valiant Cuirassier," exclaimed the Baron, drawing the Colonel
aside into a window-bay to breathe the fresh air from the garden, "how
are you getting on?"
"She is a married woman, my dear fellow."
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Scenes from a Courtesan's Life by Honore de Balzac: answers almost unintelligible, and to require them to be repeated. But
Monsieur de Nucingen's German barbarisms have already weighted this
Scene too much to allow of the introduction of other sentences no less
difficult to read, and hindering the rapid progress of the tale.
"Then you have papers to prove your right to the dignities of which
you speak?" asked Camusot.
"Yes, monsieur--my passport, a letter from his Catholic Majesty
authorizing my mission.--In short, if you will but send at once to the
Spanish Embassy two lines, which I will write in your presence, I
shall be identified. Then, if you wish for further evidence, I will
write to His Eminence the High Almoner of France, and he will
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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 Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy: Your request prevents my attending to work at all. I don't know
what I am doing! Was it seriously made?
He folded the piece of paper very small, and gave it to a little
boy to take to Sue. The child toddled off into the class-room.
Phillotson saw his wife turn and take the note, and the bend
of her pretty head as she read it, her lips slightly crisped,
to prevent undue expression under fire of so many young eyes.
He could not see her hands, but she changed her position,
and soon the child returned, bringing nothing in reply.
In a few minutes, however, one of Sue's class appeared,
with a little note similar to his own. These words only were
Jude the Obscure |
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 Europeans by Henry James: "By Jove, how comme il faut she is!" he said, as he observed her sidewise.
When they reached the cottage in the orchard she passed into the gate
without asking him to follow; but she turned round, as he stood there,
to bid him good-night.
"I asked you a question the other night which you never answered," he said.
"Have you sent off that document--liberating yourself?"
She hesitated for a single moment--very naturally.
Then, "Yes," she said, simply.
He turned away; he wondered whether that would do for his lie.
But he saw her again that evening, for the Baroness reappeared
at her uncle's. He had little talk with her, however;
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