| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Scaramouche by Rafael Sabatini: friendliness. True, she had been a little aloof. But that was to
be expected until he quite explicitly avowed that he had revived
the hope of winning her. He had been a fool not to have returned
before to-day.
Thus in that mood of new-born confidence - a confidence risen from
the very ashes of despondency - came he on that Sunday morning to
Meudon. He was gay and jovial with M. de Kercadiou what time he
waited in the salon for mademoiselle to show herself. He pronounced
with confidence on the country's future. There were signs already
- he wore the rosiest spectacles that morning - of a change of
opinion, of a more moderate note. The Nation began to perceive
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from A Legend of Montrose by Walter Scott: Lowlanders, and the other three corpses were muffled in their
Highland plaids. Two or three women sate under the gallows, who
seemed to be mourning, and singing the coronach of the deceased
in a low voice. But the spectacle was apparently of too ordinary
occurrence to have much interest for the inhabitants at large,
who, while they thronged to look at the military figure, the
horse of an unusual size, and the burnished panoply of Captain
Dalgetty, seemed to bestow no attention whatever on the piteous
spectacle which their own market-place afforded.
The envoy of Montrose was not quite so indifferent; and, hearing
a word or two of English escape from a Highlander of decent
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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 Montezuma's Daughter by H. Rider Haggard: his chin, and watching my face with his keen eyes. But he spoke no
word and made no sign till I had finished the tale.
'You are strangely foolish, nephew,' he said at length. 'For the
most part youth fails through rashness, but you err by over-
caution. By over-caution in your fence you lost your chance last
night, and so by over-caution in hiding this tale from me you have
lost a far greater opportunity. What, have you not seen me give
counsel in many such matters, and have you ever known me to betray
the confidence even of the veriest stranger? Why then did you fear
for yours?'
'I do not know,' I answered, 'but I thought that first I would
Montezuma's Daughter |
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 Grimm's Fairy Tales by Brothers Grimm: let me come safe home again.'
The next morning she asked the way she was to go, and took leave of
her father, and went forth with a bold heart into the wood. But the
lion was an enchanted prince. By day he and all his court were lions,
but in the evening they took their right forms again. And when Lily
came to the castle, he welcomed her so courteously that she agreed to
marry him. The wedding-feast was held, and they lived happily together
a long time. The prince was only to be seen as soon as evening came,
and then he held his court; but every morning he left his bride, and
went away by himself, she knew not whither, till the night came again.
After some time he said to her, 'Tomorrow there will be a great feast
Grimm's Fairy Tales |
