| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Catriona by Robert Louis Stevenson: self-denial; the flesh I had pampered must be crucified. I looked
about me for that course which I least liked to follow: this was to
leave the wood without waiting to see Alan, and go forth again alone,
in the dark and in the midst of my perplexed and dangerous fortunes.
I have been the more careful to narrate this passage of my reflections,
because I think it is of some utility, and may serve as an example to
young men. But there is reason (they say) in planting kale, and even
in ethic and religion, room for common sense. It was already close on
Alan's hour, and the moon was down. If I left (as I could not very
decently whistle to my spies to follow me) they might miss me in the
dark and tack themselves to Alan by mistake. If I stayed, I could at
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from McTeague by Frank Norris: They got a vein eighteen inches wide, an' Peters says
you can trace it for more'n a thousand feet. Were you
thinking of prospecting over there?"
"Well, well, I don' know, I don' know."
"Well, I'm going over to the other side of the range day
after t'morrow after some ponies of mine, an' I'm going to
have a look around. You say you've been a miner?"
"Yes, yes."
"If you're going over that way, you might come along and see
if we can't find a contact, or copper sulphurets, or
something. Even if we don't find color we may find silver-
McTeague |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Dreams by Olive Schreiner: And it was night in his heart also.
Then from the marshes to his right and left cold mists arose and closed
about him. A fine, imperceptible rain fell in the dark, and great drops
gathered on his hair and clothes. His heart beat slowly, and a numbness
crept through all his limbs. Then, looking up, two merry wisp lights came
dancing. He lifted his head to look at them. Nearer, nearer they came.
So warm, so bright, they danced like stars of fire. They stood before him
at last. From the centre of the radiating flame in one looked out a
woman's face, laughing, dimpled, with streaming yellow hair. In the centre
of the other were merry laughing ripples, like the bubbles on a glass of
wine. They danced before him.
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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 Michael Strogoff by Jules Verne: along the road were not only empty, some had been partly
demolished, others half burnt down. The marks of bullets
could be seen on their walls.
Michael's anxiety may be imagined. He could no longer
doubt that a party of Tartars had recently passed that way,
and yet it was impossible that they could be the Emir's
soldiers, for they could not have passed without being seen.
But then, who were these new invaders, and by what out-
of-the-way path across the steppe had they been able to join
the highroad to Irkutsk? With what new enemies was the
Czar's courier now to meet?
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