| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Rise and Fall of Cesar Birotteau by Honore de Balzac: depends on Gigonnet, who holds the notes, and the associates of
Claparon. Popinot and I are going to see Gigonnet between seven and
eight o'clock in the morning, and then we shall know what their
intentions are."
Constance, wholly overcome, threw herself into her uncle's arms,
voiceless except through tears and sobs.
Neither Popinot nor Pillerault knew or could know that Bidault, called
Gigonnet, and Claparon were du Tillet under two shapes; and that du
Tillet was resolved to read in the "Journal des Petites Affiches" this
terrible article:--
"Judgment of the Court of Commerce, which declares the Sieur Cesar
Rise and Fall of Cesar Birotteau |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Familiar Studies of Men and Books by Robert Louis Stevenson: conscious effort, it is because the effort has been made and
the work practically completed before he sat down to write.
It is only out of fulness of thinking that expression drops
perfect like a ripe fruit; and when Thoreau wrote so
nonchalantly at his desk, it was because he had been
vigorously active during his walk. For neither clearness
compression, nor beauty of language, come to any living
creature till after a busy and a prolonged acquaintance with
the subject on hand. Easy writers are those who, like Walter
Scott, choose to remain contented with a less degree of
perfection than is legitimately within the compass of their
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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 Democracy In America, Volume 1 by Alexis de Toqueville: happens that by inheritance, by marriage, or by the chances of
trade, he is gradually furnished with the means. Thus, to
balance the tendency which leads men to divide their estates,
there exists another, which incites them to add to them. This
tendency, which is sufficient to prevent estates from being
divided ad infinitum, is not strong enough to create great
territorial possessions, certainly not to keep them up in the
same family.]
Most certainly it is not for us Frenchmen of the nineteenth
century, who daily witness the political and social changes which
the law of partition is bringing to pass, to question 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 Cruise of the Jasper B. by Don Marquis: "There was someone else," persisted Heinrich. "Someone who was
talking to Abernethy."
The tall man mumbled something about having been a fool not to
buy her before this; Cleggett did not catch all of the remark.
Then the tall fellow said:
"We'll go aboard, Heinrich, and take a look around."
With that they advanced towards the vessel. Cleggett stepped on
deck from the cabin companionway, and both men stopped short at
the sight of him, Heinrich obviously a trifle confused, but the
other one in no wise abashed. He made no attempt, this tall
fellow, to give the situation a casual turn. What he did was to
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