| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Lady Susan by Jane Austen: such affection might not in the end awaken a return. Contemptible as a
regard founded only on compassion must make them both in my eyes, I felt by
no means assured that such might not be the consequence. It is true that
Reginald had not in any degree grown cool towards me; but yet he has lately
mentioned Frederica spontaneously and unnecessarily, and once said
something in praise of her person. HE was all astonishment at the
appearance of my visitor, and at first observed Sir James with an attention
which I was pleased to see not unmixed with jealousy; but unluckily it was
impossible for me really to torment him, as Sir James, though extremely
gallant to me, very soon made the whole party understand that his heart was
devoted to my daughter. I had no great difficulty in convincing De Courcy,
Lady Susan |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Tom Grogan by F. Hopkinson Smith: herself.
"Why should she be a-comin' in an' a-robbin' us of our pay?"
muttered a coarse, red-faced virago, her hair in a frowse about
her head, her slatternly dress open at the throat. "Oi'll be one
to go an' pull her off the dock and jump on her. What's she
a-doin', any-how, puttin' down prices! Ef her ole man had a leg
to walk on, instid of his lyin' to-day a cripple in the hospital,
he'd be back and be a-runnin' things."
"She's doin' what she's a right to do," broke out Mrs. Todd
indignantly. Mrs. Todd was the wife of the foreman at the
brewery, and an old friend of Tom's. Tom had sat up with her
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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 Tono Bungay by H. G. Wells: loading of the quap. I thought her over with Pollack, one of
those tall blond young men who smoke pipes and don't help much,
and then by myself, and as a result I did my best to sweep
Gravesend clean of wheeling planks, and got in as much cord and
small rope as I could for lashing. I had an idea we might need
to run up a jetty. In addition to much ballast she held,
remotely hidden in a sort of inadvertent way a certain number of
ambiguous cases which I didn't examine, but which I gathered were
a provision against the need of a trade.
The captain was a most extraordinary creature, under the
impression we were after copper ore; he was a Roumanian Jew,
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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 Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy: attainable sideways. Springing to her accustomed
perpendicular like a bowed sapling, and satisfying her,
self that nobody was in sight, she seated herself in the
manner demanded by the saddle, though hardly expected
of the woman, and trotted off in the direction of Tewnell
Mill.
Oak was amused, perhaps a little astonished, and
hanging up the hat in his hut, went again among his
ewes. An hour passed, the girl returned, properly
seated now, with a bag of bran in front of her. On
nearing the cattle-shed she was met by a boy bringing
Far From the Madding Crowd |
