| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Pool in the Desert by Sara Jeanette Duncan: fellow, too. He says it is a portrait of ze pig.'
'But it is so good,' I protested, 'of the pig.'
'But that does not interest the Maharajah, you onderstand, no. You
see this one? Nawab of Kandore on his State elephant.'
No doubt about it,' I said. 'I know the Nawab well, the young
scoundrel. How dignified he looks!'
There was a note of real sorrow in Kauffer's voice. 'Dignified?
Oh, yes; dignified, but, you observe, also black. The Nawab will
not be painted black. At once it is on my hands.'
'But he is black,' I remonstrated. 'He's the darkest native I've
ever seen among the nobility.'
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Black Arrow by Robert Louis Stevenson: England. O, madam, I do see my sin. I am unfit for life. I will,
for penance sake and to avoid worse evil, once I have finished this
adventure, get me to a cloister. I will forswear Joanna and the
trade of arms. I will be a friar, and pray for your good kinsman's
spirit all my days."
It appeared to Dick, in this extremity of his humiliation and
repentance, that the young lady had laughed.
Raising his countenance, he found her looking down upon him, in the
fire-light, with a somewhat peculiar but not unkind expression.
"Madam," he cried, thinking the laughter to have been an illusion
of his hearing, but still, from her changed looks, hoping to have
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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 Twenty Years After by Alexandre Dumas: all other dogs. Monsieur de Chavigny, be so good as to lend
me your cane."
Monsieur de Chavigny handed his cane to Monsieur de
Beaufort. Monsieur de Beaufort placed it horizontally at the
height of one foot.
"Now, Pistache, my good dog, jump the height of this cane
for Madame de Montbazon."
"But," interposed Monsieur de Chavigny, "it seems to me that
Pistache is only doing what other dogs have done when they
jumped for Mademoiselle de Pons."
"Stop," said the duke, "Pistache, jump for the queen." And
Twenty Years After |
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 Tao Teh King by Lao-tze: words below them, and, wishing to be before them, places his person
behind them.
2. In this way though he has his place above them, men do not feel his
weight, nor though he has his place before them, do they feel it an
injury to them.
3. Therefore all in the world delight to exalt him and do not weary of
him. Because he does not strive, no one finds it possible to strive
with him.
67. 1. All the world says that, while my Tao is great, it yet appears
to be inferior (to other systems of teaching). Now it is just its
greatness that makes it seem to be inferior. If it were like any
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