| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Cousin Pons by Honore de Balzac: "You are only in the Turcaret stage yet, though," retorted Bixiou, who
often replaced Gaudissart in the company of the leading lady of the
ballet, the celebrated Heloise Brisetout.
The former Illustrious Gaudissart, in fact, was exploiting the theatre
simply and solely for his own particular benefit, and with brutal
disregard of other interests. He first insinuated himself as a
collaborator in various ballets, plays, and vaudevilles; then he
waited till the author wanted money and bought up the other half of
the copyright. These after-pieces and vaudevilles, always added to
successful plays, brought him in a daily harvest of gold coins. He
trafficked by proxy in tickets, allotting a certain number to himself,
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Sons of the Soil by Honore de Balzac: Jean-Francois Niseron in favor of Arsene Pichard.
In 1823 Rigou, perhaps out of a sense of gratitude, still blew the
fire with an air-cane, and left the bellows hanging to the screw.
Madame Niseron, idolizing her daughter, did not long survive her.
Mother and child died in 1794. The old abbe, too, was dead, and
citizen Rigou took charge of Arsene's affairs by marrying her. A
former convert in the monastery, attached to Rigou as a dog is to his
master, became the groom, gardener, herdsman, valet, and steward of
the sensual Harpagon. Arsene Rigou, the daughter, married in 1821
without dowry to the prosecuting-attorney, inheriting something of her
mother's rather vulgar beauty, together with the crafty mind of her
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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 The Yates Pride by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman: but, hang it all! I'm alone, and I don't want to face the rest of
my life alone. Eudora, do you think you could make up your mind
to marry me, after all?"
They had reached the turn in the road. Just beyond rose the
stately pile of the old Yates mansion. Eudora stood still and
gave one desperate look at her lover. "I will let you know
Thursday," she gasped. Then she was gone, trundling the baby-
carriage with incredible speed.
"But, Eudora --"
"I must go," she called back, faintly. The man stood staring
after the hurrying figure with its swishing black skirts and its
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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 The Marriage Contract by Honore de Balzac: had expected to rob his client. Natalie, not competent to understand
that she had lost half her fortune, and Paul, ignorant that the house
of Manerville had gained it, were laughing and chattering still.
Solonet and Madame Evangelista gazed at each other; the one
endeavoring to conceal his indifference, the other repressing the rush
of a crowd of bitter feelings.
After suffering in her own mind the struggles of remorse, after
blaming Paul as the cause of her dishonesty, Madame Evangelista had
decided to employ those shameful manoeuvres to cast on him the burden
of her own unfaithful guardianship, considering him her victim. But
now, in a moment, she perceived that where she thought she triumphed
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