| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Pierrette by Honore de Balzac: discomfiture of the night before; but he pressed her with questions,
to which she would make no answer than, "That's not your business."
She went and came from the kitchen to the dining-room on pretence of
preparing the breakfast, but chiefly to avoid discussion. She was
alone when Vinet entered.
"You know what's happened?" said the lawyer.
"No," said Sylvie.
"You will be arrested on a criminal charge," replied Vinet, "from the
way things are now going about Pierrette."
"A criminal charge!" cried Rogron, who had come into the room. "Why?
What for?"
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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: shoulders. Often in chapel, during the service, she remained with her
eyes fixed on the Crucifix, melted to tears; the others admired her;
but she was crying with rage. Instead of the sacred images she hoped
to see, those glaring nights when she had led some orgy as Habeneck
leads a Beethoven symphony at the Conservatoire--nights of laughter
and lasciviousness, with vehement gestures, inextinguishable laughter,
rose before her, frenzied, furious, and brutal. She was as mild to
look upon as a virgin that clings to earth only by her woman's shape;
within raged an imperial Messalina.
She alone knew the secret of this struggle between the devil and the
angel. When the Superior reproved her for having done her hair more
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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 Apology by Plato: should have been very proud and conceited; but the truth is that I have no
knowledge of the kind.
I dare say, Athenians, that some one among you will reply, 'Yes, Socrates,
but what is the origin of these accusations which are brought against you;
there must have been something strange which you have been doing? All
these rumours and this talk about you would never have arisen if you had
been like other men: tell us, then, what is the cause of them, for we
should be sorry to judge hastily of you.' Now I regard this as a fair
challenge, and I will endeavour to explain to you the reason why I am
called wise and have such an evil fame. Please to attend then. And
although some of you may think that I am joking, I declare that I will tell
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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 Glasses by Henry James: had already felt the cold breath. That fate, in London, very
little later, drove him straight before it--drove him one Sunday
afternoon, in the rain, to the door of the Hammond Synges. He
marched in other words close up to the cannon that was to blow him
to pieces. But three weeks, when he reappeared to me, had elapsed
since then, yet (to vary my metaphor) the burden he was to carry
for the rest of his days was firmly lashed to his back. I don't
mean by this that Flora had been persuaded to contract her scope; I
mean that he had been treated to the unconditional snub which, as
the event was to show, couldn't have been bettered as a means of
securing him. She hadn't calculated, but she had said "Never!" and
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