| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Brother of Daphne by Dornford Yates: "You've made a mistake," I said. "I know for a fact he's going
to be at the Carlton."
"No good! I know the family. The father taught them all the
trick of being able to be in more than one place at the same
time."
"All of them?"
"Yes."
"My dear, you're wrong. You've forgotten Mean. He's got a place
at Greenwich, you know, and never leaves it. Well, I won't
bother her, for she's been awfully sweet. Shall I call her a
taxi?"
The Brother of Daphne |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Adam Bede by George Eliot: however, she's a straight-backed, clean woman, none of your
slatterns. I wish you good-bye, sir, and thank you for the time
you've spared me. You're everybody's friend in this business--
everybody's friend. It's a heavy weight you've got on your
shoulders."
"Good-bye, Bartle, till we meet at Stoniton, as I daresay we
shall."
Bartle hurried away from the rectory, evading Carroll's
conversational advances, and saying in an exasperated tone to
Vixen, whose short legs pattered beside him on the gravel, "Now, I
shall be obliged to take you with me, you good-for-nothing woman.
Adam Bede |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Maitre Cornelius by Honore de Balzac: After so long a friendship, the two men found a barrier raised between
them by suspicion and gold; though they had always been like one man
on the two points of gold and suspicion. But they knew each other so
well, they had so completely the habit, one may say, of each other,
that the king could divine, from the tone in which Cornelius uttered
the words, "As you please, sire," the repugnance that his visits would
henceforth cause to the silversmith, just as the latter recognized a
declaration of war in the "Adieu, my crony," of the king.
Thus Louis XI. and his torconnier parted much in doubt as to the
conduct they ought in future to hold to each other. The monarch
possessed the secret of the Fleming; but on the other hand, the latter
|
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 The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne: brig. What can they do against these rocks? And, as we shall not fire from
the windows of Granite House, the pirates will not think of causing
irreparable damage by throwing shell against it. What is to be feared is,
the necessity of meeting hand-to-hand, since the convicts have numbers on
their side. We must therefore try to prevent them from landing, but without
discovering ourselves. Therefore, do not economize the ammunition. Fire
often, but with a sure aim. We have each eight or ten enemies to kill, and
they must be killed!"
Cyrus Harding had clearly represented their situation, although he spoke
in the calmest voice, as if it was a question of directing a piece of work
and not ordering a battle. His companions approved these arrangements
The Mysterious Island |
