| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Mad King by Edgar Rice Burroughs: apart, and through them the pursuers caught a glimpse of
their quarry. The girl was riding like mad along the rough,
uneven hillside. Her mount, surefooted as a chamois, seemed
in his element. But two of the horses of her pursuers were
as swift, and under the cruel spurs of their riders were clos-
ing up on their fugitive. The girl urged her horse to greater
speed, yet still the two behind closed in.
A hundred yards ahead lay a deep and narrow gully,
hid by bushes that grew rankly along its verge. Straight
toward this the Princess Emma von der Tann rode. Behind
her came her pursuers--two quite close and the others trail-
The Mad King |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Muse of the Department by Honore de Balzac: gave no sign; but Dinah sometimes detected in his eyes, as he looked
at her, a sort of icy venom which gave the lie to his increased
politeness and gentleness. She understood at last that this was not,
as she had supposed, a mere domestic squabble; but when she forced an
explanation with her "insect," as Monsieur Gravier called him, she
found the cold, hard impassibility of steel. She flew into a passion;
she reproached him for her life these eleven years past; she made--
intentionally--what women call a scene. But "little La Baudraye" sat
in an armchair with his eyes shut, and listened phlegmatically to the
storm. And, as usual, the dwarf got the better of his wife. Dinah saw
that she had done wrong in writing; she vowed never to write another
The Muse of the Department |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Master of the World by Jules Verne: elsewhere."
The hand-writing was bold. Both up strokes and down strokes very
sharp, about twenty lines in all. Here is the letter, of which I,
with good reason, retained an exact copy. It was dated, to my extreme
stupefaction, from that mysterious Great Eyrie:
Great Eyrie, Blueridge Mtns,
To Mr. Strock: North Carolina, June 13th.
Chief Inspector of Police,
34 Long St., Washington, D. C.
Sir,
You were charged with the mission of penetrating the Great
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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 Maid Marian by Thomas Love Peacock: "Oh! by my fey," said the music-loving bishop, "here comes a harper
in the nick of time, and now I care not how long they tarry.
Ho! honest friend, are you come to play at the wedding?"
"I am come to play anywhere," answered Robin, "where I can get a cup of sack;
for which I will sing the praise of the donor in lofty verse, and emblazon
him with any virtue which he may wish to have the credit of possessing,
without the trouble of practising.
"A most courtly harper," said the bishop; "I will fill thee with sack;
I will make thee a walking butt of sack, if thou wilt delight my ears
with thy melodies."
"That will I," said Robin; "in what branch of my art shall I exert
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