| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Contrast by Royall Tyler: great an impropriety to praise a gentleman that she
could not bring out one word in your favour, found a
redundancy to praise him.
DIMPLE
I have done everything in my power to assist his
passion there: your delicacy, my dearest girl, would
be shocked at half the instances of neglect and mis-
behaviour.
CHARLOTTE
I don't know how I should bear neglect; but Mr.
Dimple must misbehave himself indeed, to forfeit my
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Master of the World by Jules Verne: she was clearing away the things, she stopped before me, a water
bottle in one hand, the serviette in the other, and asked anxiously,
"Is there no news, sir?"
"None," I answered, knowing well to what she referred.
"The automobile has not come back?"
"No."
"Nor the boat?"
"Nor the boat There is no news even-in the best informed papers."
"But--your secret police information?"
"We are no wiser."
"Then, sir, if you please, of what use are the police?"
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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 To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf: shot off. Instantly, as if some great strain had been relieved, Mr
Ramsay uncurled his legs, took out his tobacco pouch, handed it with a
little grunt to Macalister, and felt, they knew, for all they suffered,
perfectly content. Now they would sail on for hours like this, and Mr
Ramsay would ask old Macalister a question--about the great storm
last winter probably--and old Macalister would answer it, and they
would puff their pipes together, and Macalister would take a tarry rope
in his fingers, tying or untying some knot, and the boy would fish, and
never say a word to any one. James would be forced to keep his eye all
the time on the sail. For if he forgot, then the sail puckered and
shivered, and the boat slackened, and Mr Ramsay would say sharply,
To the Lighthouse |
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 Hunting of the Snark by Lewis Carroll: "'Tis the note of the Jubjub! Keep count, I entreat;
You will find I have told it you twice.
'Tis the song of the Jubjub! The proof is complete,
If only I've stated it thrice."
The Beaver had counted with scrupulous care,
Attending to every word:
But it fairly lost heart, and outgrabe in despair,
When the third repetition occurred.
It felt that, in spite of all possible pains,
It had somehow contrived to lose count,
And the only thing now was to rack its poor brains
The Hunting of the Snark |
