| 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: "Up the spout."
"Shpout?"
"Oh! the dear man! how simple he is? No, you are a saint, a love, an
archbishop of innocence, a man that ought to be stuffed, as the old
actor said. What! you have lived in Paris for twenty-nine years; you
saw the Revolution of July, you did, and you have never so much as
heard tell of a pawnbroker--a man that lends you money on your things?
--I have been pawning our silver spoons and forks, eight of them,
thread pattern. Pooh, Cibot can eat his victuals with German silver;
it is quite the fashion now, they say. It is not worth while to say
anything to our angel there; it would upset him and make him yellower
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Malbone: An Oldport Romance by Thomas Wentworth Higginson: possible, Mrs. Ingleside would have blushed becomingly. After
all, the daughter was the better of the two. Her bluntness was
refreshing beside the mother's suavity; she had a certain
generosity, too, and in a case of real destitution would have
lent her best ear-rings to a friend.
By this time Malbone had edged himself to Emilia's side. "Will
you drive with me?" he murmured in an undertone.
She nodded slightly, abruptly, and he withdrew again.
"It seems barbarous," said he aloud, "to break up the party.
But I must claim my promised drive with Miss Emilia."
Blanche looked up, for once amazed, having heard a different
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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 Pierrette by Honore de Balzac: their manoeuvres. Monsieur and Mademoiselle Habert, who could play
both whist and boston, now came every evening to the Rogrons. The
assiduity of the one pair induced the assiduity of the other. The
colonel and lawyer felt that they were pitted against adversaries who
were fully as strong as they,--a presentiment that was shared by the
priest and his sister. The situation soon became that of a battle-
field. Precisely as the colonel was enabling Sylvie to taste the
unhoped-for joys of being sought in marriage, so Mademoiselle Habert
was enveloping the timid Rogron in the cotton-wool of her attentions,
words, and glances. Neither side could utter that grand word of
statesmanship, "Let us divide!" for each wanted the whole prey.
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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 Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte: 'She's gone, she's gone! Yon' Heathcliff's run off wi' her!'
gasped the girl.
'That is not true!' exclaimed Linton, rising in agitation. 'It
cannot be: how has the idea entered your head? Ellen Dean, go and
seek her. It is incredible: it cannot be.'
As he spoke he took the servant to the door, and then repeated his
demand to know her reasons for such an assertion.
'Why, I met on the road a lad that fetches milk here,' she
stammered, 'and he asked whether we weren't in trouble at the
Grange. I thought he meant for missis's sickness, so I answered,
yes. Then says he, "There's somebody gone after 'em, I guess?" I
Wuthering Heights |
