| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Life in the Iron-Mills by Rebecca Davis: face, with its heavy weight of brain, its weak, uncertain mouth,
its desperate eyes, out of which looked the soul of his class,--
only Wolfe's face turned towards Kirby's. Mitchell laughed,--a
cool, musical laugh.
"Money has spoken!" he said, seating himself lightly on a stone
with the air of an amused spectator at a play. "Are you
answered?"--turning to Wolfe his clear, magnetic face.
Bright and deep and cold as Arctic air, the soul of the man lay
tranquil beneath. He looked at the furnace-tender as he had
looked at a rare mosaic in the morning; only the man was the
more amusing study of the two.
Life in the Iron-Mills |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Cruise of the Jasper B. by Don Marquis: cab. Loge and Pierre were in the foremost one. None of the
company vouchsafed so much as a glance in the direction of the
Jasper B. as the cabs whirled past towards Morris's. It was
undoubtedly a reinforcement of gunmen.
"Ah!" said Cleggett, pointing to them. "The real battle is about
to begin! They are making ready for the attack!"
CHAPTER XIV
CLEGGETT STANDS BY HIS SHIP
Cleggett did not fear (or rather, expect, since there was very
little that Cleggett feared) an attack until well after
nightfall. Nevertheless, he began to prepare for it at once. He
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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 The Light of Western Stars by Zane Grey: and frost and lightning and flood contended in everlasting
strife. And before their onslaught this mighty upflung world of
rugged stone was crumbling, splitting, wearing to ruin.
Madeline glanced at Stewart. He had forgotten her presence.
Immovable as stone, he sat his horse, dark-faced, dark-eyed, and,
like an Indian unconscious of thought, he watched and watched.
To see him thus, to divine the strange affinity between the soul
of this man, become primitive, and the savage environment that
had developed him, were powerful helps to Madeline Hammond in her
strange desire to understand his nature.
A cracking of iron-shod hoofs behind her broke the spell. Monty
The Light of Western Stars |
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 Scaramouche by Rafael Sabatini: have learnt to-night. By an act of betrayal I begot unknown to me
a son who, whilst as ignorant as myself of our relationship, has
come to be the evil genius of my life, to cross and thwart me, and
finally to help to pull me down in ruin. It is just - poetically
just. My full and resigned acceptance of that fact is the only
atonement I can offer you."
He stooped and took one of madame's hands that lay limply in her lap.
"Good-bye, Therese!" His voice broke. He had reached the end of
his iron self-control.
She rose and clung to him a moment, unashamed before them. The
ashes of that dead romance had been deeply stirred this night, and
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