| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from A Prince of Bohemia by Honore de Balzac: which the wife takes du Bruel's place."
"And the catastrophe?" queried Lousteau, returning just at the end of
Mme. de la Baudraye's story.
"I do not believe in catastrophes. One has to invent such good ones to
show that art is quite a match for chance; and nobody reads a book
twice, my friend, except for the details."
"But there is a catastrophe," persisted Nathan.
"What is it?"
"The Marquise de Rochefide is infatuated with Charles Edward. My story
excited her curiosity."
"Oh, unhappy woman!" cried Mme. de la Baudraye.
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Pierre Grassou by Honore de Balzac: who fancies he knows about painting."
Fougeres had not the heart to return to the boulevard. He set about
another picture, and spent two months upon it,--eating mouse's meals
and working like a galley-slave.
One evening he went to the boulevard, his feet leading him fatefully
to the dealer's shop. His picture was not to be seen.
"I've sold your picture," said Elie Magus, seeing him.
"For how much?"
"I got back what I gave and a small interest. Make me some Flemish
interiors, a lesson of anatomy, landscapes, and such like, and I'll
buy them of you," said Elie.
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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 Nada the Lily by H. Rider Haggard: "Mourn, children of Makedama, mourn, people of the Langeni, mourn with
the whole world!
"Howl, ye warriors; weep, ye women; beat your breasts, ye maidens;
sob, ye little children!
"Drink of the water of tears, cover yourselves with the dust of
affliction.
"Mourn, O tribe of the Langeni, because the Mother of the Heavens is
no more.
"Mourn, children of Makedama, because the Spirit of Fruitfulness is no
more.
"Mourn, O ye people, because the Lion of the Zulu is left so desolate.
Nada the Lily |
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 Merry Men by Robert Louis Stevenson: of a stable-boy, if you insist on it; I'm off.'
And Casimir departed. The Doctor, that night, dissected his
character before Anastasie. 'One thing, my beautiful,' he said,
'he has learned one thing from his lifelong acquaintance with your
husband: the word RATIOCINATE. It shines in his vocabulary, like a
jewel in a muck-heap. And, even so, he continually misapplies it.
For you must have observed he uses it as a sort of taunt, in the
sense of to ERGOTISE, implying, as it were - the poor, dear fellow!
- a vein of sophistry. As for his cruelty to Jean-Marie, it must
be forgiven him - it is not his nature, it is the nature of his
life. A man who deals with money, my dear, is a man lost.'
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