| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Eve and David by Honore de Balzac: he is weak of will, he cannot resist the allurements of pleasure,
nor forego the least of his ambitions. He is indolent, like all
who would fain be poets; he thinks it clever to juggle with the
difficulties of life instead of facing and overcoming them. He
will be brave at one time, cowardly at another, and deserves
neither credit for his courage, nor blame for his cowardice.
Lucien is like a harp with strings that are slackened or tightened
by the atmosphere. He might write a great book in a glad or angry
mood, and care nothing for the success that he had desired for so
long.
"When he first came to Paris he fell under the influence of an
|
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 Gobseck by Honore de Balzac: Countess in a low voice.
" 'I had no intention of giving offence,' stammered Maxime.
" 'I am quite sure of that,' Gobseck answered calmly; 'you had no
intention of meeting your bills, that was all.'
"The Countess rose, bowed, and vanished, with a great dread gnawing
her, I doubt not. M. de Trailles was bound to follow, but before he
went he managed to say:
" 'If either of you gentlemen should forget himself, I will have his
blood, or he will have mine.'
" 'Amen!' called Daddy Gobseck as he put his pistols back in their
place; 'but a man must have blood in his veins though before he can
Gobseck |
