| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Human Drift by Jack London: miserable for her. They were little children together--playmates.
And Billy has been, well, importunate. And Loretta, poor child,
does not know anything about marriage. That is all.
NED. [Reassured.] Oh, I see.
[ALICE HEMINGWAY starts slowly toward right exit, continuing
conversation and accompanied by NED.]
ALICE HEMINGWAY. [Calling to LORETTA.] Are you going fishing,
Loretta?
[LORETTA looks up from letter and shakes head.]
ALICE HEMINGWAY. [To NED.] Then you're not, I suppose?
NED. No, it's too warm.
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from La Grenadiere by Honore de Balzac: taking some shorter walk.
So happy couples coming to Saint-Cyr, then the Petite Courtille of
Tours, and knots of folk out for their evening walk along the "dike,"
saw a pale, thin figure dressed in black, a woman with a worn yet
bright face, gliding like a shadow along the terraces. Great suffering
cannot be concealed. The vinedresser's household had grown quiet also.
Sometimes the laborer and his wife and children were gathered about
the door of their cottage, while Annette was washing linen at the
well-head, and Mme. Willemsens and the children sat in the summer-
house, and there was not the faintest sound in those gardens gay with
flowers. Unknown to Mme. Willemsens, all eyes grew pitiful at the
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| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Fables by Robert Louis Stevenson: the sea beat upon the terrace, and the gulls cried about the
turrets, and wind crooned in the chimneys of the house. Nine years
she came not abroad, nor tasted the clean air, neither saw God's
sky. Nine years she sat and looked neither to the right nor to the
left, nor heard speech of any one, but thought upon the thought of
the morrow. And her nurse fed her in silence, and she took of the
food with her left hand, and ate it without grace.
Now when the nine years were out, it fell dusk in the autumn, and
there came a sound in the wind like a sound of piping. At that the
nurse lifted up her finger in the vaulted house.
"I hear a sound in the wind," said she, "that is like the sound of
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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 Mistress Wilding by Rafael Sabatini: his whip in an absent manner.
"Mr. Vallancey," he began, when Trenchard turned to interrupt him.
"You can leave it safely to me, Tony," he growled. "But there is
something I wish to say, Nick," answered Mr. Wilding, his manner mild.
"By your leave, then." And he turned again to Valiancey. "Will you be
so good as to call Mr. Westmacott hither?"
Vallancey stared. "For what purpose, sir?" he asked.
"For my purpose," answered Mr. Wilding sweetly. "It is no longer my
wish to engage with Mr. Westmacott.
"Anthony!" cried Trenchard, and in his amazement forgot to swear.
"I propose," added Mr. Wilding, "to relieve Mr. Westmacott of the
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