| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Eugenie Grandet by Honore de Balzac: diligence for Nantes. Nanon let loose the dog, locked the door, and
insisted on carrying the young man's carpet-bag. All the tradesmen in
the tortuous old street were on the sill of their shop-doors to watch
the procession, which was joined in the market-place by Maitre
Cruchot.
"Eugenie, be sure you don't cry," said her mother.
"Nephew," said Grandet, in the doorway of the inn from which the coach
started, kissing Charles on both cheeks, "depart poor, return rich;
you will find the honor of your father safe. I answer for that myself,
I--Grandet; for it will only depend on you to--"
"Ah! my uncle, you soften the bitterness of my departure. Is it not
 Eugenie Grandet |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Albert Savarus by Honore de Balzac: course, had watched and understood the lawyer. The Vicar-General had
come to introduce to him a Canon who needed his professional advice.
"You are a priest who has taken the wrong turning." This observation
struck Savarus.
Rosalie, on her part, had made up her mind, in her strong girl's head,
to get Monsieur de Savarus into the drawing-room and acquainted with
the society of the Hotel de Rupt. So far she had limited her desires
to seeing and hearing Albert. She had compounded, so to speak, and a
composition is often no more than a truce.
Les Rouxey, the inherited estate of the Wattevilles, was worth just
ten thousand francs a year; but in other hands it would have yielded a
 Albert Savarus |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Ballads by Robert Louis Stevenson: And clasp and sunder and kiss, with lovely laughter and sighs,
"Rua!" - "Taheia, my love," - "Rua, star of my night,
Clasp me, hold me, and love me, single spring of delight."
And Rua folded her close, he folded her near and long,
The living knit to the living, and sang the lover's song:
NIGHT, NIGHT IT IS, NIGHT UPON THE PALMS.
NIGHT, NIGHT IT IS, THE LAND WIND HAS BLOWN.
STARRY, STARRY NIGHT, OVER DEEP AND HEIGHT;
LOVE, LOVE IN THE VALLEY, LOVE ALL ALONE.
"Taheia, heavy of hair, a foolish thing have we done,
To bind what gods have sundered unkindly into one.
 Ballads |
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 Glinda of Oz by L. Frank Baum: would be quite natural for Coo-ee-oh to divide her
name into three magic syllables, and Dorothy's
suggestion seems like an inspiration."
The three Adepts also approved the trial but the
brown-haired one said:
"We must be careful not to use the wrong word, and
send the bridge out under water. The main thing, if
Dorothy's idea is correct, is to hit upon the one word
that moves the island."
"Let us experiment," suggested the Wizard.
In the drawer with the moving gray powder was a tiny
 Glinda of Oz |