| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Albert Savarus by Honore de Balzac: he could not come by the Saint-Gothard, nor by the Mont-Cenis, nor by
the Simplon; he came by sea, by Marseilles, and had to cross France.
Well, in three weeks we shall be at Geneva, and living at our ease.
Come, Rodolphe," she added, seeing sadness overspread the Parisian's
face, "is not the Lake of Geneva quite as good as the Lake of
Lucerne?"
"But allow me to bestow a regret on the Bergmanns' delightful house,"
said Rodolphe, pointing to the little promontory.
"Come and dine with us to add to your associations, /povero mio/,"
said she. "This is a great day; we are out of danger. My mother writes
that within a year there will be an amnesty. Oh! /la cara patria/!"
Albert Savarus |
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 Secret Sharer by Joseph Conrad: forward could be seen (the day was Sunday), and the mate pursued:
"There was some little dispute about it. Our chaps took offense.
`As if we would harbor a thing like that,' they said.
`Wouldn't you like to look for him in our coal-hole?' Quite a tiff.
But they made it up in the end. I suppose he did drown himself.
Don't you, sir?"
"I don't suppose anything."
"You have no doubt in the matter, sir?"
"None whatever."
I left him suddenly. I felt I was producing a bad impression,
but with my double down there it was most trying to be on deck. And it
The Secret Sharer |
