| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie: with the London area. Just note down the addresses of any of the
females who live in London or roundabout, while I put on my hat."
Five minutes later the young couple emerged into Piccadilly, and
a few seconds later a taxi was bearing them to The Laurels,
Glendower Road, N.7, the residence of Mrs. Edgar Keith, whose
name figured first in a list of seven reposing in Tommy's
pocket-book.
The Laurels was a dilapidated house, standing back from the road
with a few grimy bushes to support the fiction of a front garden.
Tommy paid off the taxi, and accompanied Tuppence to the front
door bell. As she was about to ring it, he arrested her hand.
Secret Adversary |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Great God Pan by Arthur Machen: expert. By the way, that reminds me, she must be an oddish sort
of woman, this Mrs. Beaumont. Argentine asked her how old the
wine was, and what do you think she said? 'About a thousand
years, I believe.' Lord Argentine thought she was chaffing him,
you know, but when he laughed she said she was speaking quite
seriously and offered to show him the jar. Of course, he
couldn't say anything more after that; but it seems rather
antiquated for a beverage, doesn't it? Why, here we are at my
rooms. Come in, won't you?"
"Thanks, I think I will. I haven't seen the
curiosity-shop for a while."
The Great God Pan |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Chita: A Memory of Last Island by Lafcadio Hearn: he had looked for sympathetic welcome; dismay where he had
expected surprised delight; and, oftener, airs of resignation, or
disappointment ill disguised,--always insincerity, politely
masked or coldly bare. He had come back to find strangers in his
home, relatives at law concerning his estate, and himself
regarded as an intruder among the living,--an unlucky guest, a
revenant ... How hollow and selfish a world it seemed! And yet
there was love in it; he had been loved in it, unselfishly,
passionately, with the love of father and of mother, of wife and
child ... All buried!--all lost forever! ... Oh! would to God the
story of that stone were not a lie!--would to kind God he also
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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 Hellenica by Xenophon: foremost cities of Hellas; but Athens was the greatest of them all
--the avenger of Argos, the chastiser of Thebes, the patron of
those who founded Sparta."--Jebb, "Att. Or." ii. 154.
[46] Plut. "Lyc." vi.
After these speeches the Athenians deliberated, and though there was
opposition, the arguments of gainsayers[47] fell upon deaf ears. The
assembly finally passed a decree to send assistance to Lacedaemon in
force, and they chose Iphicrates general. Then followed the
preliminary sacrifices, and then the general's order to his troops to
take the evening meal in the grove of the Academy.[48] But the general
himself, it is said, was in no hurry to leave the city; many were
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