| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Confidence by Henry James: and his eyes fixed upon her lips, was moving excitedly about the room.
"Well, he can't accuse me, then!" he broke out again.
"If what I said had no more effect upon him than that,
I certainly did him no wrong."
"I think you are rather vexed he did n't believe you,"
said Angela.
"I confess I don't understand it. He had all the air of it.
He certainly had not the air of a man who was going to rush off
and give you the last proof of his confidence."
"It was not a proof of confidence," said Angela. "It had nothing to do
with me. It was as between himself and you; it was a proof of independence.
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Garden Party by Katherine Mansfield: Dark figures of men lounged against the rails. In the glow of their pipes
a nose shone out, or the peak of a cap, or a pair of surprised-looking
eyebrows. Fenella glanced up. High in the air, a little figure, his hands
thrust in his short jacket pockets, stood staring out to sea. The ship
rocked ever so little, and she thought the stars rocked too. And now a
pale steward in a linen coat, holding a tray high in the palm of his hand,
stepped out of a lighted doorway and skimmed past them. They went through
that doorway. Carefully over the high brass-bound step on to the rubber
mat and then down such a terribly steep flight of stairs that grandma had
to put both feet on each step, and Fenella clutched the clammy brass rail
and forgot all about the swan-necked umbrella.
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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 The Breaking Point by Mary Roberts Rinehart: high twisted veins.
"I know, David," she said. "Mother and father, and Henry, and a
good many friends. But I need you, too. You're all I have, now
that Dick - "
"That's why I called you. If I can get out there, I'll go. And
I'll put up a fight that will make them wish they'd never started
anything. But if I can't, if I - " She felt his fingers tighten
on her hand. "If Hattie Thorwald is still living, we'll put her
on the stand. If I can't go, for any reason, I want you to see
that she is called. And you know where Henry's statement is?"
"In your box, isn't it?"
The Breaking Point |
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 Cousin Betty by Honore de Balzac: consisted in crossing his arms like Napoleon, his head showing three-
quarters face, and his eyes fixed on the horizon, as the painter has
shown the Emperor in his portrait.
"To be faithful," he began, with well-acted indignation, "so faithful
to a liber----"
"To a husband who is worthy of such fidelity," Madame Hulot put in, to
hinder Crevel from saying a word she did not choose to hear.
"Come, madame; you wrote to bid me here, you ask the reasons for my
conduct, you drive me to extremities with your imperial airs, your
scorn, and your contempt! Any one might think I was a Negro. But I
repeat it, and you may believe me, I have a right to--to make love to
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