| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Bureaucracy by Honore de Balzac: Monsieur Mitral, and to my great-uncle through my wife, Monsieur
Bidault."
Gigonnet and Mitral gave a glance at the three clerks so penetrating,
so glittering with gleams of gold, that the two scoffers were sobered
at once.
"Hein?" said Bixiou, when they were safely under the arcades in the
place Royale; "did you examine those uncles?--two copies of Shylock.
I'll bet their money is lent in the market at a hundred per cent per
week. They lend on pawn; and sell most that they lay hold of, coats,
gold lace, cheese, men, women, and children; they are a conglomeration
of Arabs, Jews, Genoese, Genevese, Greeks, Lombards, and Parisians,
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Rezanov by Gertrude Atherton: Russians, escorted by Father Ramon Abella, rode
into the square.
Rezanov had intended merely to pay a call of
ceremony upon the hospitable Arguellos, but after
he had dismounted and kissed the hands of the
smiling senora and her beautiful daughter he was
nothing loath to linger over a cup of chocolate.
It was served out there in the shade of the vines.
Rezanov and Concha sat on the railing, and the
man stared over his cup at the girl with the roses
touching her cheeks and ruffling her hair.
Rezanov |
