| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Soul of a Bishop by H. G. Wells: some bishops, and in particular such a comparatively bright
bishop as the Bishop of Princhester, she also thought of as being
just as comfortably accommodated in her second system, the
"serious liberal lot," which was more fatiguing and less boring,
which talked of books and things, visited the Bells, went to all
first-nights when Granville Barker was the producer, and knew and
valued people in the grey and earnest plains between the Cecils
and the Sidney Webbs. And thirdly there were the smart
intellectual lot, again not very well marked off, and on the
whole practicable to bishops, of whom fewer particulars are
needed because theirs is a perennial species, and then finally
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Lady Windermere's Fan by Oscar Wilde: LADY WINDERMERE stands watching them in terror.] My dear fellow,
she has explained every demmed thing. We all wronged her
immensely. It was entirely for my sake she went to Darlington's
rooms. Called first at the Club - fact is, wanted to put me out of
suspense - and being told I had gone on - followed - naturally
frightened when she heard a lot of us coming in - retired to
another room - I assure you, most gratifying to me, the whole
thing. We all behaved brutally to her. She is just the woman for
me. Suits me down to the ground. All the conditions she makes are
that we live entirely out of England. A very good thing too.
Demmed clubs, demmed climate, demmed cooks, demmed everything.
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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 House of Mirth by Edith Wharton: as in one flash she saw the peril of the moment, and the need of
keeping her sense of it out of her eyes.
"DENOUEMENT--isn't that too big a word for such a small incident?
The worst of it, after all, is the fatigue which Bertha has
probably slept off by this time."
She clung to the note bravely, though its futility was now plain
to her in the glare of his miserable eyes.
"Don't--don't---!" he broke out, with the hurt cry of a child;
and while she tried to merge her sympathy, and her resolve to
ignore any cause for it, in one ambiguous murmur of deprecation,
he dropped down on the bench near which they had paused, and
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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 House of Dust by Conrad Aiken: For household news--what have you heard, I wonder?
You must have heard that Paul was dead, by this time--
Of spinal cancer. Nothing could be done--
We found it out too late. His death has changed me,
Deflected much of me that lived as he lived,
Saddened me, slowed me down. Such things will happen,
Life is composed of them; and it seems wisdom
To see them clearly, meditate upon them,
And understand what things flow out of them.
Otherwise, all goes on here much as always.
Why won't you come and see us, in the spring,
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