| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Marie by H. Rider Haggard: beloved Boers, I am sure I do not know. I will go and write to him.
Allan, see that the messenger and his horse get something to eat."
I nodded and went to the man, who was one of those that had defended
Maraisfontein with me, a good fellow unless he got near liquor.
"Heer Allan," he said, looking round to see that we were not overheard,
"I have a little writing for you also," and be produced from his pouch a
note that was unaddressed.
I tore it open eagerly. Within was written in French, which no Boer
would understand if the letter fell into his hands:
"Be brave and faithful, and remember, as I shall. Oh! love of my heart,
adieu, adieu!"
Marie |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Father Goriot by Honore de Balzac: against the social system rankled in him, as if there were some
mystery carefully hidden away in his life.
Mlle. Taillefer felt attracted, perhaps unconsciously, by the
strength of the one man, and the good looks of the other; her
stolen glances and secret thoughts were divided between them; but
neither of them seemed to take any notice of her, although some
day a chance might alter her position, and she would be a wealthy
heiress. For that matter, there was not a soul in the house who
took any trouble to investigate the various chronicles of
misfortunes, real or imaginary, related by the rest. Each one
regarded the others with indifference, tempered by suspicion; it
Father Goriot |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Father Sergius by Leo Tolstoy: in that she presented a distraction, and because both she and her
father considered him a saint whose prayers were efficacious.
Outwardly he disavowed that idea, but in the depths of his soul
he considered it to be true.
He was often amazed that this had happened, that he, Stepan
Kasatsky, had come to be such an extraordinary saint and even a
worker of miracles, but of the fact that he was such there could
not be the least doubt. He could not fail to believe in the
miracles he himself witnessed, beginning with the sick boy and
ending with the old woman who had recovered her sight when he had
prayed for her.
|
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 Riders of the Purple Sage by Zane Grey: verification of her fear. Suddenly they drooped, her head fell to
her knees, her hands flew to her hot cheeks.
"Bess--look here," said Venters, with a sharpness due to the
violence with which he checked his quick, surging emotion.
As if compelled against her will--answering to an irresistible
voice-- Bess raised her head, looked at him with sad, dark eyes,
and tried to whisper with tremulous lips.
"There's no woman," went on Venters, deliberately holding her
glance with his. "Nothing on earth, barring the chances of life,
can keep me away."
Her face flashed and flushed with the glow of a leaping joy; but
Riders of the Purple Sage |
