| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Mistress Wilding by Rafael Sabatini: it." He smiled ever so wanly. "Perhaps that was my mistake. It is an
ill thing to eat one's hay while it is grass." He raised to his lips
the little gloved hand that still rested on his wrist. "God keep you,
Ruth!" he murmured.
She sought to answer him, but something choked her; a sob was all she
achieved. Had he caught her to him in that moment there is little doubt
but that she had yielded. Perhaps he knew it; and knowing it kept the
tighter rein upon desire. She was as metal molten in the crucible, to
be moulded by his craftsman's hands into any pattern that he chose. But
the crucible was the crucible of pity, not of love; that, too, he knew,
and, knowing it, forbore.
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Little Rivers by Henry van Dyke: has given them the name of chatterers. The beautiful tree-sparrows
and the pine-siskins are more melodious, and the slate-coloured
juncos, flitting about the camp, are as garrulous as chippy-birds.
All these varied notes come and go through the tangle of morning
dreams. And now the noisy blue-jay is calling "Thief--thief--
thief!" in the distance, and a pair of great pileated woodpeckers
with crimson crests are laughing loudly in the swamp over some
family joke. But listen! what is that harsh creaking note? It is
the cry of the Northern shrike, of whom tradition says that he
catches little birds and impales them on sharp thorns. At the
sound of his voice the concert closes suddenly and the singers
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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 Master of the World by Jules Verne: earthquake!" "It is an eruption!" "Whence comes it?" "From the Great
Eyrie!"
Into Morganton sped the news that stones, lava, ashes, were raining
down upon the country.
Shrewd citizens of the town, however, observed that if there were an
eruption the noise would have continued and increased, the flames
would have appeared above the crater; or at least their lurid
reflections would have penetrated the clouds. Now, even these
reflections were no longer seen. If there had been an earthquake, the
terrified people saw that at least their houses had not crumbled
beneath the shock. It was possible that the uproar had been caused by
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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 Ursula by Honore de Balzac: their torture.
The exclamation was echoed at the card-table, where Bongrand, the
Nemours doctor, and old Minoret were victims to the presumption with
which the collector, in order to propitiate his great-uncle, had
proposed to take the fourth hand at whist. Ursula left the piano. The
doctor rose as if to receive the abbe, but really to put an end to the
game. After many compliments to their uncle on the wonderful
proficiency of his goddaughter, the heirs made their bow and retired.
"Good-night, my friends," cried the doctor as the iron gate clanged.
"Ah! that's where the money goes," said Madame Cremiere to Madame
Massin, as they walked on.
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