| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Essays of Travel by Robert Louis Stevenson: great river is more fit for poetry than to adorn a neighbourhood; its
sweep of waters increases the scale of the scenery and the distance
of one notable object from another; and a lively burn gives us, in
the space of a few yards, a greater variety of promontory and islet,
of cascade, shallow goil, and boiling pool, with answerable changes
both of song and colour, than a navigable stream in many hundred
miles. The fish, too, make a more considerable feature of the
brookside, and the trout plumping in the shadow takes the ear. A
stream should, besides, be narrow enough to cross, or the burn hard
by a bridge, or we are at once shut out of Eden. The quantity of
water need be of no concern, for the mind sets the scale, and can
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Lair of the White Worm by Bram Stoker: so, and her own bad conscience--if she has any, bad or good--and her
own fears and doubts will play our game for us. No, my dear boy,
let us accept, by all means."
Adam said nothing, but silently held out his hand, which his
companion shook: no words were necessary.
When it was getting near tea-time, Mimi asked Sir Nathaniel how they
were going.
"We must make a point of going in state. We want all possible
publicity." Mimi looked at him inquiringly. "Certainly, my dear,
in the present circumstances publicity is a part of safety. Do not
be surprised if, whilst we are at Diana's Grove, occasional messages
Lair of the White Worm |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Study of a Woman by Honore de Balzac: MISTAKE: he did not call on Madame de Listomere for several days after
the adventure, thus allowing the thoughts of that virtuous young woman
to crystallize. There were other mistakes which I will here pass over
in silence, in order to give the ladies the pleasure of deducing them,
"ex professo," to those who are unable to guess them.
Eugene at last went to call upon the marquise; but, on attempting to
pass into the house, the porter stopped him, saying that Madame la
marquise was out. As he was getting back into his carriage the Marquis
de Listomere came home.
"Come in, Eugene," he said. "My wife is at home."
Pray excuse the marquis. A husband, however good he may be, never
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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 Youth by Joseph Conrad: "Then behold, the smoke suddenly decreased. We re-
doubled our efforts to flood the bottom of the ship. In
two days there was no smoke at all. Everybody was on
the broad grin. This was on a Friday. On Saturday no
work, but sailing the ship of course was done. The men
washed their clothes and their faces for the first time in
a fortnight, and had a special dinner given them. They
spoke of spontaneous combustion with contempt, and
implied THEY were the boys to put out combustions. Some-
how we all felt as though we each had inherited a large
fortune. But a beastly smell of burning hung about the
Youth |
