| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from When a Man Marries by Mary Roberts Rinehart: That was the limit of Aunt Selina's endurance. Still holding me,
she stepped through the doorway and into the firelight, a fearful
figure.
Jim saw her first. He went quite white and struggled to get up,
smiling a sickly smile. Bella, after her first surprise, was
superbly indifferent. She glanced at us, raised her eyebrows, and
then looked at the clock.
"More victims of insomnia!" she said. "Won't you come in? Jim,
pull up a chair by the fire for your aunt."
Aunt Selina opened her mouth twice, like a fish, before she could
speak. Then--
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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: would have been at once impolitic, and unbecoming his military
character; so the Captain, putting the best face upon his
situation he could, whistled a Swedish retreat, in a tone still
louder than the notes of his sentinel; and retreating pace by
pace, with an air of indifference, as if his only purpose had
been to breathe a little fresh air, he shut the door in the face
of his guard, when the fellow had approached within a few paces
of him.
It is very well, thought the Ritt-master to himself; he annuls my
parole by putting guards upon me, for, as we used to say at
Mareschal-College, FIDES ET FIDUCIA SUNT RELATIVA [See Note I];
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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 La Grenadiere by Honore de Balzac: Then she went into the house and took to the bed, which she would only
leave for her coffin.
A week went by, one day exactly like another. Old Annette and Louis
took it in turns to sit up with Mme. Willemsens, never taking their
eyes from the invalid. It was the deeply tragical hour that comes in
all our lives, the hour of listening in terror to every deep breath
lest it should be the last, a dark hour protracted over many days. On
the fifth day of that fatal week the doctor interdicted flowers in the
room. The illusions of life were going one by one.
Then Marie and his brother felt their mother's lips hot as fire
beneath their kisses; and at last, on the Saturday evening, Mme.
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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 Silas Marner by George Eliot: knowingly.
"Well; yes--she might," said the butcher, slowly, considering
that he was giving a decided affirmative. "I don't say
contrairy."
"I knew that very well," said the farrier, throwing himself
backward again, and speaking defiantly; "if _I_ don't know
Mr. Lammeter's cows, I should like to know who does--that's all.
And as for the cow you've bought, bargain or no bargain, I've been
at the drenching of her--contradick me who will."
The farrier looked fierce, and the mild butcher's conversational
spirit was roused a little.
Silas Marner |
