| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Touchstone by Edith Wharton: and a young gentleman who had made a trip in Touraine had recently
inscribed to her the wide-margined result of his explorations.
Glennard, leaning back with his head against the rail and a slit
of fugitive blue between his half-closed lids, vaguely wished she
wouldn't spoil the afternoon by making people talk; though he
reduced his annoyance to the minimum by not listening to what was
said, there remained a latent irritation against the general
futility of words.
His wife's gift of silence seemed to him the most vivid commentary
on the clumsiness of speech as a means of intercourse, and his
eyes had turned to her in renewed appreciation of this finer
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Pierre Grassou by Honore de Balzac: picture. It was rejected. When Fougeres heard of the fatal decision,
he did not fall into one of those fits of epileptic self-love to which
strong natures give themselves up, and which sometimes end in
challenges sent to the director or the secretary of the Museum, or
even by threats of assassination. Fougeres quietly fetched his canvas,
wrapped it in a handkerchief, and brought it home, vowing in his heart
that he would still make himself a great painter. He placed his
picture on the easel, and went to one of his former masters, a man of
immense talent,--to Schinner, a kind and patient artist, whose triumph
at that year's Salon was complete. Fougeres asked him to come and
criticise the rejected work. The great painter left everything and
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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 Tono Bungay by H. G. Wells: to Lady Grove," he said, and smiled in search of sympathy. "It
shifts our centre of gravity."
"Things will readjust themselves," I lied.
He snatched at the phrase. "Of course," he said.
"They'll readjust themselves--settle down again. Must. In the
old way. It's bound to come right again--a comforting thought.
Yes. After all, Lady Grove itself had to be built once upon a
time--was--to begin with--artificial."
His eye returned to my aeroplane. He sought to dismiss his
graver preoccupations. "I should think twice," he remarked,
"before I trusted myself to that concern.... But I suppose one
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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 The Mayflower Compact: Acts, Constitutions, and Offices, from time to time,
as shall be thought most meete and convenient for the
Generall Good of the Colonie; unto which we promise
all due Submission and Obedience.
In Witness whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names
at Cape Cod the eleventh of November, in the Raigne of our
Sovereigne Lord, King James of England, France, and Ireland,
the eighteenth, and of Scotland, the fiftie-fourth,
Anno. Domini, 1620.
Mr. John Carver Mr. Stephen Hopkins
Mr. William Bradford Digery Priest
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