| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Madame Firmiani by Honore de Balzac: one or other of them was the "cavaliere servente"; but it does not.
The lady is a mystery. She is married, though none of us have seen her
husband. Monsieur Firmiani is altogether mythical; he is like that
third post-horse for which we pay though we never behold it. Madame
has the finest contralto voice in Europe, so say judges; but she has
never been heard to sing more than two or three times since she came
to Paris. She receives much company, but goes nowhere."
The Observer speaks, you will notice, as an Oracle. His words,
anecdotes, and quotations must be accepted as truths, under pain of
being thought without social education or intelligence, and of causing
him to slander you with much zest in twenty salons where he is
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Collection of Antiquities by Honore de Balzac: likely to come to them for a long time; and, rich as he was, he would
scarcely leave more than eight or ten thousand francs a year to each
of his children, four in number, for he had been married twice. And
besides, by the time that all "expectations," as matchmakers call
them, were realized, would not the magistrate have children of his own
to settle in life? Any one can imagine the situation for a little
woman with plenty of sense and determination, and Mme. Camusot was
such a woman. She did not refrain from meddling in matters judicial.
She had far too strong a sense of the gravity of a false step in her
husband's career.
She was the only child of an old servant of Louis XVIII., a valet who
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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 Montezuma's Daughter by H. Rider Haggard: for succour in your need. Believe me, I had not done it for my own
sake, since I would have died with your kiss upon my lips and your
word of love echoing in my ears, who now must live knowing that
these joys have passed from me.'
'How so?' I answered. 'What I have said, I have said. Otomie, you
would have died with me, and you saved my life by your wit in
calling on the Spaniards. Henceforth it is yours, for there is no
other woman in the world so tender and so brave, and I say it
again, Otomie, my wife, I love you. Our blood has mingled on the
stone of sacrifice and there we kissed; let these be our marriage
rites. Perhaps I have not long to live, but till I die I am yours,
Montezuma's Daughter |
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 Paz by Honore de Balzac: should get into the police-courts! it makes me tremble from head to
foot; suppose they should put you in the newspapers! I'll tell you
what I should do in your place; I'd warn the police."
One particular day, after many foolish notions had fermented for some
time in Malaga's mind, Paz having laid his money as usual on the
mantel-piece, she seized the bits of gold and flung them in his face,
crying out, "I don't want stolen money!"
The captain gave the gold to Chapuzot, went away without a word, and
did not return.
Clementine was at this time at her uncle's place in Burgundy.
When the Circus troop discovered that Malaga had lost her Polish
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