| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Complete Angler by Izaak Walton: died and did not turn to a fly: but if it had lived, it had doubtless turned
to one of those flies that some call Flies of prey, which those that walk
by the rivers may, in summer, see fasten on smaller flies, and, I think,
make them their food. And 'tis observable, that as there be these flies of
prey, which be very large; so there be others, very little, created, I think,
only to feed them, and breed out of I know not what; whose life, they
say, nature intended not to exceed an hour; and yet that life is thus
made shorter by other flies, or accident.
'Tis endless to tell you what the curious searchers into nature's
productions have observed of these worms and flies: but yet I shall tell
you what Aldrovandus, our Topsel, and others, say of the Palmer-worm,
|
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: affixed to the wall, and Mr. Collier-Stuart and Mr. Herries had
chosen to die as Lord Argentine. There was no explanation in
either case; a few bald facts; a living man in the evening, and
a body with a black swollen face in the morning. The police
had been forced to confess themselves powerless to arrest or to
explain the sordid murders of Whitechapel; but before the
horrible suicides of Piccadilly and Mayfair they were
dumbfoundered, for not even the mere ferocity which did duty as
an explanation of the crimes of the East End, could be of
service in the West. Each of these men who had resolved to die
a tortured shameful death was rich, prosperous, and to all
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 Another Study of Woman by Honore de Balzac: "This woman's cleverness is the triumph of a purely plastic art,"
Blondet went on. "You will not know what she said, but you will be
fascinated. She will toss her head, or gently shrug her white
shoulders; she will gild an insignificant speech with a charming pout
and smile; or throw a Voltairean epigram into an 'Indeed!' an 'Ah!' a
'What then!' A jerk of her head will be her most pertinent form of
questioning; she will give meaning to the movement by which she twirls
a vinaigrette hanging to her finger by a ring. She gets an artificial
grandeur out of superlative trivialities; she simply drops her hand
impressively, letting it fall over the arm of her chair as dewdrops
hang on the cup of a flower, and all is said--she has pronounced
|
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 Desert Gold by Zane Grey: to Mercedes's room. But Nell was not there, either.
"She's in one of her tantrums lately," said Belding. "Wouldn't
speak to me this morning. Let her alone, mother. She's spoiled
enough, without running after her. She's always hungry. She'll
be on hand presently, don't mistake me."
Notwithstanding Belding's conviction, which Gale shared, Nell did
not appear at all during the hour. When Belding and the rangers
went outside, Yaqui was eating his meal on the bench where he
always sat.
"Yaqui--Lluvia d' oro, si?" asked Belding, waving his hand toward
the corrals. The Indian's beautiful name for Nell meant "shower
Desert Gold |
