| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Tono Bungay by H. G. Wells: pretty busy. So were you. Even then--!"
What puzzled me more particularly was the queer trick of my
memory that had never recalled anything vital of Beatrice
whatever when I met Garvell again that had, indeed, recalled
nothing except a boyish antagonism and our fight. Now when my
senses were full of her, it seemed incredible that I could ever
have forgotten....
III
"Oh, Crikey!" said my aunt, reading a letter behind her
coffee-machine. "HERE'S a young woman, George!"
We were breakfasting together in the big window bay at Lady Grove
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne: had taken place. They hastened into the forest, followed by the soldiers,
who fired a volley after the fugitives; but the latter rapidly increased
the distance between them, and ere long found themselves beyond the reach
of the bullets and arrows.
Chapter XIV
IN WHICH PHILEAS FOGG DESCENDS THE WHOLE LENGTH OF THE BEAUTIFUL
VALLEY OF THE GANGES WITHOUT EVER THINKING OF SEEING IT
The rash exploit had been accomplished; and for an hour
Passepartout laughed gaily at his success. Sir Francis pressed
the worthy fellow's hand, and his master said, "Well done!" which,
from him, was high commendation; to which Passepartout replied
Around the World in 80 Days |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Return of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs: the darkness of the court.
When it came again the girl's turn to dance she hovered
close to Tarzan, and for the ape-man alone were her sweetest
smiles. Many an ugly scowl was cast upon the tall European
by swarthy, dark-eyed sons of the desert, but neither smiles
nor scowls produced any outwardly visible effect upon him.
Again the girl cast her handkerchief upon his shoulder, and
again was she rewarded with a franc piece. As she was sticking
it upon her forehead, after the custom of her kind, she
bent low toward Tarzan, whispering a quick word in his ear.
"There are two without in the court," she said quickly, in
The Return of Tarzan |
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 De Profundis by Oscar Wilde: of scorn that one can get through the day at all. And he who is in
a state of rebellion cannot receive grace, to use the phrase of
which the Church is so fond - so rightly fond, I dare say - for in
life as in art the mood of rebellion closes up the channels of the
soul, and shuts out the airs of heaven. Yet I must learn these
lessons here, if I am to learn them anywhere, and must be filled
with joy if my feet are on the right road and my face set towards
'the gate which is called beautiful,' though I may fall many times
in the mire and often in the mist go astray.
This New Life, as through my love of Dante I like sometimes to call
it, is of course no new life at all, but simply the continuance, by
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