| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from House of Mirth by Edith Wharton: Selden felt an inner start; but it was only the last quiver of
his egoism. Almost at once he answered quite simply: "But you do
care for them, don't you? And no wishing of mine can alter that."
He had so completely ceased to consider how far this might carry
him, that he had a distinct sense of disappointment when she
turned on him a face sparkling with derision.
"Ah," she cried, "for all your fine phrases you're really as
great a coward as I am, for you wouldn't have made one of them if
you hadn't been so sure of my answer."
The shock of this retort had the effect of crystallizing Selden's
wavering intentions.
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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 Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas: "Oh, monsieur! Monsieur! You will kill yourself," cried
Planchet.
"Hold your tongue, stupid fellow," said D'Artagnan; and laying
hold of the casement, he let himself gently down from the first
story, which fortunately was not very elevated, without doing
himself the slightest injury.
He then went straight to the door and knocked, murmuring, "I will
go myself and be caught in the mousetrap, but woe be to the cats
that shall pounce upon such a mouse!"
The knocker had scarcely sounded under the hand of the young man
before the tumult ceased, steps approached, the door was opened,
The Three Musketeers |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Michael Strogoff by Jules Verne: gravity was justified by the circumstances.
Jolivet had, as has been said, taken his seat on the raft,
when he felt a hand laid on his arm. Turning, he recog-
nized Nadia, the sister of the man who was no longer
Nicholas Korpanoff, but Michael Strogoff, Courier of the
Czar. He was about to make an exclamation of surprise
when he saw the young girl lay her finger on her lips.
"Come," said Nadia. And with a careless air, Alcide
rose and followed her, making a sign to Blount to accom-
pany him.
But if the surprise of the correspondents had been great
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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 Commission in Lunacy by Honore de Balzac: entrance to each flat has an architrave dark with dirt, grease, and
dust, and outer doors, covered with Utrecht velvet set with brass
nails, once gilt, in a diamond pattern. These relics of splendor show
that in the time of Louis XIV. the house was the residence of some
councillor to the Parlement, some rich priests, or some treasurer of
the ecclesiastical revenue. But these vestiges of former luxury bring
a smile to the lips by the artless contrast of past and present.
M. Jean-Jules Popinot lived on the first floor of this house, where
the gloom, natural to all first floors in Paris houses, was increased
by the narrowness of the street. This old tenement was known to all
the twelfth arrondissement, on which Providence had bestowed this
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