| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Lock and Key Library by Julian Hawthorne, Ed.: moment I saw that this appearance of a man was a man indeed, and
that there was a little group of other men, standing at a short
distance, to whom he seemed to be rehearsing the gesture he made.
The Danger-light was not yet lighted. Against its shaft, a little
low hut, entirely new to me, had been made of some wooden supports
and tarpaulin. It looked no bigger than a bed.
With an irresistible sense that something was wrong,--with a
flashing self-reproachful fear that fatal mischief had come of my
leaving the man there, and causing no one to be sent to overlook or
correct what he did,--I descended the notched path with all the
speed I could make.
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Laches by Plato: of fighting; but the heavy-armed Greek fights, as I say, remaining in his
rank.
SOCRATES: And yet, Laches, you must except the Lacedaemonians at Plataea,
who, when they came upon the light shields of the Persians, are said not to
have been willing to stand and fight, and to have fled; but when the ranks
of the Persians were broken, they turned upon them like cavalry, and won
the battle of Plataea.
LACHES: That is true.
SOCRATES: That was my meaning when I said that I was to blame in having
put my question badly, and that this was the reason of your answering
badly. For I meant to ask you not only about the courage of heavy-armed
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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 Red Seal by Natalie Sumner Lincoln: Kent. "Then Rochester's disappearance after Jimmie's death lends
color to the theory."
"Has Philip really disappeared?" asked Helen. "You showed me a
telegram -"
"Apparently the telegram was a fake," admitted Kent. "The Cleveland
police report that he is not at the address given in the telegram."
"But who could have an object in sending such a telegram?" asked
Barbara slowly.
"Rochester, in the hope of throwing the police off his track, if
he really killed Jimmie." Kent looked straight at Helen. "It was
while searching our office safe for trace of Rochester's present
The Red Seal |
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 The Economist by Xenophon: Cyrus: "All this beauty is marvellous enough, but what astonishes me
still more is the talent of the artificer who mapped out and arranged
for you the several parts of this fair scene."[19] Cyrus was pleased
by the remark, and said: "Know then, Lysander, it is I who measured
and arranged it all. Some of the trees," he added, "I planted with my
own hands." Then Lysander, regarding earnestly the speaker, when he
saw the beauty of his apparel and perceived its fragrance, the
splendour[20] also of the necklaces and armlets, and other ornaments
which he wore, exclaimed: "What say you, Cyrus? did you with your own
hands plant some of these trees?" whereat the other: "Does that
surprise you, Lysander? I swear to you by Mithres,[21] when in
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