| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Man in Lower Ten by Mary Roberts Rinehart: It's a fact, Lollie. See-sawing over the peaks does it. Why,
crossing the Alleghany Mountains has the Gulf Stream to Bermuda
beaten to a frazzle."
So I gave him up finally and went home to pack. He came later in
the evening with his machine, the Cannonball, to take me to the
station, and he brought the forged notes in the Bronson case.
"Guard them with your life," he warned me. "They are more precious
than honor. Sew them in your chest protector, or wherever people
keep valuables. I never keep any. I'll not be happy until I see
Gentleman Andy doing the lockstep."
He sat down on my clean collars, found my cigarettes and struck a
 The Man in Lower Ten |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The White Moll by Frank L. Packard: her mind back to the stark realities of her surroundings. She could
not thank him for what he had done last night. She could not tell
him that she was the White Moll. She could only play out the role
of Gypsy Nan until - until - Her hand tightened with a fierce,
involuntary pressure upon her chin until it brought a physical hurt.
Until what? God alone knew what the end of this miserable,
impossible horror, in which she found herself engulfed, would be!
Her eyes sought his face again. The Adventurer was tactfully
engaged in carefully smoothing out the fingers of his yellow gloves.
Thief and gentleman, whatever he might be, whatever he might choose
to call himself, what, exactly, was it that had brought him here
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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 Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy: a doubt. Then the great objection he had felt to
allowing news of his proximity to precede him to
Weatherbury in the event of his return, based on a
feeling that knowledge of his present occupation would
discredit him still further in his wife's eyes, returned
in full force. Moreover, should he resolve not to
return at all, a tale of his being alive and being in
the neighbourhood would be awkward; and he was
anxious to acquire a knowledge of his wife's temporal
affairs before deciding which to do.
In this dilemma Troy at once went out to recon-
 Far From the Madding Crowd |
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 Hamlet by William Shakespeare: Adams Profession
Other. Was he a Gentleman?
Clo. He was the first that euer bore Armes
Other. Why he had none
Clo. What, ar't a Heathen? how doth thou vnderstand
the Scripture? the Scripture sayes Adam dig'd;
could hee digge without Armes? Ile put another question
to thee; if thou answerest me not to the purpose, confesse
thy selfe-
Other. Go too
Clo. What is he that builds stronger then either the
 Hamlet |