| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Arrow of Gold by Joseph Conrad: world to care what would happen to me?"
There was a deep-down vibration in her tone for the first time. We
had not a word to say. And she added after a long silence:
"There is a very good reason. There is a danger."
With wonderful insight Mills affirmed at once:
"Something ugly."
She nodded slightly several times. Then Mills said with
conviction:
"Ah! Then it can't be anything in yourself. And if so . . . "
I was moved to extravagant advice.
"You should come out with me to sea then. There may be some danger
The Arrow of Gold |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Glimpses of the Moon by Edith Wharton: while she spoke, the utter impossibility of what she asked.
Strefford's face had gradually paled and hardened. From sallow
it turned to a dusky white, and lines of obstinacy deepened
between the ironic eyebrows and about the weak amused mouth.
"Understand? What do you want me to understand," He laughed.
"That you're trying to chuck me already?"
She shrank at the sneer of the "already," but instantly
remembered that it was the only thing he could be expected to
say, since it was just because he couldn't understand that she
was flying from him.
"Oh, Streff--if I knew how to tell you!"
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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 My Aunt Margaret's Mirror by Walter Scott: maintaining a tone of composure, though somewhat surprised; "but
the situation is something new to me. If you know who we are,
you also know, sir, what brought us here."
"Curiosity to know the fate of a Scottish gentleman of rank, now,
or lately, upon the Continent," answered the seer. "His name is
Il Cavaliero Philippo Forester, a gentleman who has the honour to
be husband to this lady, and, with your ladyship's permission for
using plain language, the misfortune not to value as it deserves
that inestimable advantage."
Lady Forester sighed deeply, and Lady Bothwell replied,--
"Since you know our object without our telling it, the only
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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 Poems of William Blake by William Blake: But how this is sweet maid, I know not, and I cannot know
I ponder, and I cannot ponder; yet I live and love.
The daughter of beauty wip'd her pitying tears with her white veil,
And said, Alas! I knew not this, and therefore did I weep:
That God would love a Worm I knew, and punish the evil foot
That wilful bruis'd its helpless form: but that he cherish'd it
With milk and oil I never knew, and therefore did I weep,
And I complaind in the mild air, because I fade away.
And lay me down in thy cold bed, and leave my shining lot.
Queen of the vales, the matron Clay answered: I heard thy sighs.
And all thy moans flew o'er my roof, but I have call'd them down:
Poems of William Blake |
