| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Summer by Edith Wharton: thought of it yet; but that, after all, Associations
counted more than the size of the population, didn't
they? And of course North Dormer was so full of
Associations...historic, literary (here a filial sigh
for Honorius) and ecclesiastical...he knew about the
old pewter communion service imported from England in
1769, she supposed? And it was so important, in a
wealthy materialistic age, to set the example of
reverting to the old ideals, the family and the
homestead, and so on. This peroration usually carried
her half-way back across the hall, leaving the girls to
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Red Seal by Natalie Sumner Lincoln: "Your partnership funds!" echoed the detective, eyeing Kent sharply.
"How did you come to let him do that?"
"I was not aware that he had done so until Mr. Clymer told me of
the transaction this afternoon," answered Kent.
"You did not know" - Ferguson looked at him in dawning comprehension.
"You mean Rochester absconded with the funds?"
"Some one forged my name to checks drawn on the firm's account,"
Kent continued. "I understood they were made payable to cash and
presented by Rochester on the day of Turnbull's death."
Ferguson whistled as a slight vent to his feelings. "So you suspect
Rochester of being a forger?" Kent made no reply, and he added;
The Red Seal |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Perfect Wagnerite: A Commentary on the Niblung's Ring by George Bernard Shaw: daughter, uncorrupted by his ambition, unfettered by his
machinery of power and his alliances with Fricka and Loki. This
daughter, the Valkyrie Brynhild, is his true will, his real
self, (as he thinks): to her he may say what he must not say to
anyone, since in speaking to her he but speaks to himself. "Was
Keinem in Worten unausgesprochen," he says to her, "bleib es
ewig: mit mir nur rath' ich, red' ich zu dir."
But from Brynhild no hero can spring until there is a man of
Wotan's race to breed with her. Wotan wanders further; and a
mortal woman bears him twins: a son and a daughter. He separates
them by letting the girl fall into the hands of a forest tribe
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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 The Underground City by Jules Verne: more inside old England."
James Starr, smiling approval of Ford's plans, pressed his hand,
and all three, preceding Madge, re-entered the gallery, on their way
back to the Dochart pit. For the first mile no incident occurred.
Harry walked first, holding his lamp above his head.
He carefully followed the principal gallery, without ever turning
aside into the narrow tunnels which radiated to the right and left.
It seemed as if the returning was to be accomplished as easily
as the going, when an unexpected accident occurred which rendered
the situation of the explorers very serious.
Just at a moment when Harry was raising his lamp there came
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