| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Snow Image by Nathaniel Hawthorne: valley, was said to have been struck with the resemblance.
Moreover the schoolmates and early acquaintances of the general
were ready to testify, on oath, that, to the best of their
recollection, the aforesaid general had been exceedingly like the
majestic image, even when a boy, only the idea had never occurred
to them at that period. Great, therefore, was the excitement
throughout the valley; and many people, who had never once
thought of glancing at the Great Stone Face for years before, now
spent their time in gazing at it, for the sake of knowing exactly
how General Blood-and-Thunder looked.
On the day of the great festival, Ernest, with all the other
The Snow Image |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Allan Quatermain by H. Rider Haggard: from a hole.
Sir Henry's opinion coincided with ours, and so, needless to
say, did that of Nyleptha, who, like a flint, was always ready
to flash out fire. A great map of the country was brought and
spread out before her. About thirty miles this side of M'Arstuna,
where Sorais lay, and ninety odd miles from Milosis, the road
ran over a neck of land some two and a half miles in width, and
flanked on either side by forest-clad hills which, without being
lofty, would, if the road were blocked, be quite impracticable
for a great baggage-laden army to cross. She looked earnestly
at the map, and then, with a quickness of perception that in
Allan Quatermain |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Pool of Blood in the Pastor's Study by Grace Isabel Colbron and Augusta Groner: patients. I think there must be something in the contrast of such
quiet movements with such a big body that gets on people's nerves.
But consider, Mr. Muller, that the man's work would naturally make
him a little different from other people. I have known Gyuri for
five years as a faithful and unassuming servant, always willing and
ready for any duty, however difficult or dangerous. He has but one
fault - if I may call it such - that is that he has a mistress who
is known to be mercenary and hard-hearted. She lives in a
neighbouring village."
"For five years, you say? And how long has Cardillac been here?"
"Cardiliac? He has been here for almost three years."
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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 An International Episode by Henry James: you could generally get it by paying for it; in fact,
you could get everything in America nowadays by paying for it.
American life was certainly growing a great deal more private;
it was growing very much like England. Everything at Newport,
for instance, was thoroughly private; Lord Lambeth would
probably be struck with that. It was also represented to
the strangers that it mattered very little whether their hotel
was agreeable, as everyone would want them to make visits;
they would stay with other people, and, in any case,
they would be a great deal at Mrs. Westgate's. They would find
that very charming; it was the pleasantest house in Newport.
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