| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Summer by Edith Wharton: water its shafts flamed back blindingly at the heat-
veiled sky; and the least shade was black by contrast.
The Lake was so smooth that the reflection of the trees
on its edge seemed enamelled on a solid surface; but
gradually, as the sun declined, the water grew
transparent, and Charity, leaning over, plunged her
fascinated gaze into depths so clear that she saw the
inverted tree-tops interwoven with the green growths of
the bottom.
They rounded a point at the farther end of the Lake,
and entering an inlet pushed their bow against a
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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 Man in Lower Ten by Mary Roberts Rinehart: their - "
She stopped suddenly and stared into lower ten. Her shining pink
cheeks grew pasty, her jaw fell. I remember trying to think of
something to say, and of saying nothing at all. Then - she had
buried her eyes in the nondescript garments that hung from her arm
and tottered back the way she had come. Slowly a little knot of
men gathered around us, silent for the most part. The doctor was
making a search of the berth when the conductor elbowed his way
through, followed by the inquisitive man, who had evidently summoned
him. I had lost sight, for a time, of the girl in blue.
"Do it himself?" the conductor queried, after a businesslike glance
The Man in Lower Ten |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Maid Marian by Thomas Love Peacock: 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
my faculty? I am passing well in all, from the anthem to the glee,
and from the dirge to the coranto."
"It would be idle," said the bishop, "to give thee sack for playing
me anthems, seeing that I myself do receive sack for hearing them sung.
Therefore, as the occasion is festive, thou shalt play me a coranto."
Robin struck up and played away merrily, the bishop all
the while in great delight, noddling his head, and beating
time with his foot, till the bride and bridegroom appeared.
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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 Mysterious Island by Jules Verne: own life, but save the island and the colonists. Cyrus Harding evidently
could not resist fifty ruffians, all well armed, who, either by penetrating
by main force into Granite House, or by starving out the besieged, could
obtain from them what they wanted. And then he thought of his
preservers--those who had made him again a man, and an honest mm, those to
whom he owed all--murdered without pity, their works destroyed, their island
turned into a pirates' den! He said to himself that he, Ayrton, was the
principal cause of so many disasters, since his old companion, Bob Harvey,
had but realized his own plans, and a feeling of horror took possession of
him. Then he was seized with an irresistible desire to blow up the brig and
with her, all whom she had on board. He would perish in the explosion, but
The Mysterious Island |
