| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Riders of the Purple Sage by Zane Grey: Her sharp action nearly knocked down a woman who had undoubtedly
been listening.
"Hester," said Jane, sternly, "you may go home, and you need not
come back."
Jane shut the door and returned to Lassiter. Standing unsteadily,
she put her hand on his arm. She let him see that doubt had gone,
and how this stab of disloyalty pained her.
"Spies! My own women!...Oh, miserable!" she cried, with flashing,
tearful eyes.
"I hate to tell you," he replied. By that she knew he had long
spared her. "It's begun again--that work in the dark."
Riders of the Purple Sage |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Case of the Registered Letter by Grace Isabel Colbron and Augusta Groner: took the first express train leaving G-. He first made a short
visit, however, to Albert Graumann's cell in the prison. Muller
was much too kind-hearted not to relieve the anxiety of this man,
to whom such mental strain might easily prove fatal. He told
Graumann that he was going in search of evidence which might throw
light on the death of Siders, and comforted the prisoner with the
assurance that he, Muller, believed Graumann innocent, and believed
also that within a day or two he would return to G- with proofs
that his belief was the right one.
Three days later Muller returned to Grunau and went at once to the
Graumann home. It was quite late when he arrived, but he had
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Catriona by Robert Louis Stevenson: "O!" cried I, "leave my feet be - they are no bigger than my
neighbours'."
"They are even smaller than some," said she, "but I speak in parables
like a Hebrew prophet."
"I marvel little they were sometimes stoned!" says I. "But, you
miserable girl, how could you do it? Why should you care to tantalise
me with a moment?"
"Love is like folk," says she; "it needs some kind of vivers."
"Oh, Barbara, let me see her properly!" I pleaded. "YOU can - you see
her when you please; let me have half an hour."
"Who is it that is managing this love affair! You! Or me?" she asked,
|
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 Paz by Honore de Balzac: In short, my dear angel, I wanted to spare him the pain and
mortification of having to ask me for money, or of having to hunt me
up if he got into distress. SO, one morning, after breakfast, when we
were sitting with our feet on the andirons smoking pipes, I produced,
--with the utmost precaution, for I saw him look at me uneasily,--a
certificate of the Funds payable to bearer for a certain sum of money
a year."
Clementine jumped up and went and seated herself on Adam's knee, put
her arms round his neck, and kissed him. "Dear treasure!" she said,
"how handsome he is! Well, what did Paz do?"
"Thaddeus turned pale," said the count, "but he didn't say a word."
|
