| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Atheist's Mass by Honore de Balzac: himself was also turned out on account of his occupation. I spent
the most miserable night of my life. Where was I to get a
messenger who could carry my few chattels and my books? How could
I pay him and the porter? Where was I to go? I repeated these
unanswerable questions again and again, in tears, as madmen
repeat their tunes. I fell asleep; poverty has for its friends
heavenly slumbers full of beautiful dreams.
"Next morning, just as I was swallowing my little bowl of bread
soaked in milk, Bourgeat came in and said to me in his vile
Auvergne accent:
" 'Mouchieur l'Etudiant, I am a poor man, a foundling from the
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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 Paz by Honore de Balzac: to excuse his dissipations, and had asked his friend to lend him a few
thousand francs for Malaga.
"He is a very firm fellow," said Adam.
"How so?" asked Clementine.
"Why, for having spent no more than ten thousand francs on her, and
letting her send him that letter before he would ask me for enough to
pay her debts. For a Pole, I call that firm."
"He will ruin you," said Clementine, in the sharp tone of a Parisian
woman, when she shows her feline distrusts.
"Oh, I know him," said Adam; "he will sacrifice Malaga, if I ask him."
"We shall see," remarked the countess.
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