| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Amy Foster by Joseph Conrad: Foster) he took off his hat to the father and de-
clared himself humbly. 'I daresay she's fool
enough to marry you,' was all Foster said. 'And
then,' he used to relate, 'he puts his hat on his head,
looks black at me as if he wanted to cut my throat,
whistles the dog, and off he goes, leaving me to do
the work.' The Fosters, of course, didn't like to
lose the wages the girl earned: Amy used to give all
her money to her mother. But there was in Foster
a very genuine aversion to that match. He con-
tended that the fellow was very good with sheep,
Amy Foster |
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 A Start in Life by Honore de Balzac: conceited, boastful, deceitful, lazy, incapable of--"
"Why don't you go to meet Poiret?" said the poor mother, struck to the
heart by the diatribe she had brought upon herself.
"A boy who has never won a prize at school!" continued Clapart.
To bourgeois eyes, the obtaining of school prizes means the certainty
of a fine future for the fortunate child.
"Did you win any?" asked his wife. "Oscar stood second in philosophy."
This remark imposed silence for a moment on Clapart; but presently he
began again.
"Besides, Madame Moreau hates him like poison, you know why. She'll
try to set her husband against him. Oscar to step into his shoes as
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