| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Albert Savarus by Honore de Balzac: 1830; the Legitimists had almost all withdrawn.
"The verdict is in our favor on every point, and reverses the decision
of the Lower Court."
"Everybody thought you were done for."
"And we should have been, but for me. I told our advocate to be off to
Paris, and at the crucial moment I was able to secure a new pleader,
to whom we owe our victory, a wonderful man--"
"At Besancon?" said Monsieur de Watteville, guilelessly.
"At Besancon," replied the Abbe de Grancey.
"Oh yes, Savaron," said a handsome young man sitting near the
Baroness, and named de Soulas.
Albert Savarus |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Great God Pan by Arthur Machen: grotesque appearance, which had been built into the wall above
one of the doors. It seems the owner of the house had recently
made alterations in his premises, and on digging the
foundations for some offices, the men had found a curious head,
evidently of the Roman period, which had been placed in the
manner described. The head is pronounced by the most
experienced archaeologists of the district to be that of a faun
or satyr. [Dr. Phillips tells me that he has seen the head in
question, and assures me that he has never received such a
vivid presentment of intense evil.]
From whatever cause arising, this second shock seemed
The Great God Pan |
