| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from To-morrow by Joseph Conrad: wrong. I've got more information than you're
aware of. I've all the information I want. I've
had it for years--for years--for years--enough
to last me till to-morrow. Let you come in, indeed!
What would Harry say?"
Bessie Carvil's figure appeared in black silhou-
ette on the parlour window; then, with the sound of
an opening door, flitted out before the other cot-
tage, all black, but with something white over
her head. These two voices beginning to talk sud-
denly outside (she had heard them indoors) had
To-morrow |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from At the Mountains of Madness by H. P. Lovecraft: five and six miles away, forming a range almost distinct from
the terrifying line of more than Himalayan peaks beyond them.
At length Ropes - the student who had relieved McTighe at the
controls - began to head downward toward the left-hand dark spot
whose size marked it as the camp. As he did so, McTighe sent out
the last uncensored wireless message the world was to receive
from our expedition.
Everyone, of course, has read the brief
and unsatisfying bulletins of the rest of our antarctic sojourn.
Some hours after our landing we sent a guarded report of the tragedy
we found, and reluctantly announced the wiping out of the whole
At the Mountains of Madness |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Wrong Box by Stevenson & Osbourne: fire, speed, precision, evenness, and fluency; in linked agility
of jimmy--a technical expression, by your leave, answering to
warblers on the bagpipe; and perhaps, above all, in that
inspiring side-glance of the eye, with which he followed the
effect and (as by a human appeal) eked out the insufficiency of
his performance: in these, the fellow stood without a rival.
Harker listened: 'The girl I left behind me' filled him with
despair; 'The Soldier's Joy' carried him beyond jealousy into
generous enthusiasm.
'Turn about,' said the military gentleman, offering the pipe.
'O, not after you!' cried Harker; 'you're a professional.'
|
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 Middlemarch by George Eliot: I knew you would be pleased with the surprise, Casaubon. There you
are to the very life--as Aquinas, you know. Quite the right sort
of thing. And you will hear young Ladislaw talk about it.
He talks uncommonly well--points out this, that, and the other--
knows art and everything of that kind--companionable, you know--is up
with you in any track--what I've been wanting a long while."
Mr. Casaubon bowed with cold politeness, mastering his irritation,
but only so far as to be silent. He remembered Will's letter
quite as well as Dorothea did; he had noticed that it was not
among the letters which had been reserved for him on his recovery,
and secretly concluding that Dorothea had sent word to Will not
Middlemarch |
