| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Chance by Joseph Conrad: "That's not what I mean. I see you will have it that you saved my
life. Nothing of the kind. I was concerned for that vile little
beast of a dog. No! It was the idea of--of doing away with myself
which was cowardly. That's what I meant by saying I am not a very
plucky girl."
"Oh!" I retorted airily. "That little dog. He isn't really a bad
little dog." But she lowered her eyelids and went on:
"I was so miserable that I could think only of myself. This was
mean. It was cruel too. And besides I had NOT given it up--not
then."
Marlow changed his tone.
Chance |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Reminiscences of Tolstoy by Leo Tolstoy: From the moment of my father's death till now I have been
racking my brains to discover what could have given him the impulse
to take that last step. What power could compel him to yield in
the struggle in which he had held firmly and tenaciously for many
years? What was the last drop, the last grain of sand that turned
the scales, and sent him forth to search for a new life on the very
edge of the grave?
Could he really have fled from home because the wife that he
had lived with for forty-eight years had developed neurasthenia and
at one time showed certain abnormalities characteristic of that
malady? Was that like the man who so loved his fellows and so well
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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 Child of Storm by H. Rider Haggard: terms than I understood had been the case in the past, for Mameena even
addressed her husband on two separate occasions in very affectionate
language, and fetched something that he wanted without waiting to be
asked. Masapo, too, was in excellent spirits, because, as he told me,
the old quarrel between him and Saduko was thoroughly made up, their
reconciliation having been sealed by an interchange of gifts. He added
that he was very glad that this was the case, since Saduko was now one
of the most powerful men in the country, who could harm him much if he
chose, especially as some secret enemy had put it about of late that he,
Masapo, was an enemy of the King's House, and an evil-doer who practised
witchcraft. In proof of his new friendship, however, Saduko had
Child of Storm |
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 Aeroplanes and Dirigibles of War by Frederick A. Talbot: forced to the ground.
The alternative is very much more desperate. It involves ramming
the dirigible. This is undoubtedly possible owing to the speed
and facile control of the aeroplane, but whether the operation
would be successful remains to be proved. The aeroplane would be
faced with such a concentrated hostile fire as to menace its own
existence--its forward rush would be frustrated by the dirigible
just as a naval vessel parries the ramming tactics of an enemy by
sinking the latter before she reaches her target, while if it did
crash into the hull of the dirigible, tearing it to shreds,
firing its gas, or destroying its equilibrium, both protagonists
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