| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Research Magnificent by H. G. Wells: mountains they rob for arms. They assassinate the Turkish soldiers
even. It is better to go unarmed unless you mean to fight for
it. . . . Have you got arms?"
"Just a revolver," said Benham.
But it was after that that he closed with Giorgio.
If they found no robbers in Albania, they met soon enough with
bloodshed. They came to a village where a friend of a friend of
Giorgio's was discovered, and they slept at his house in preference
to the unclean and crowded khan. Here for the first time Amanda
made the acquaintance of Albanian women and was carried off to the
woman's region at the top of the house, permitted to wash, closely
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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 Commission in Lunacy by Honore de Balzac: no doubt induced the owner to be accommodating. Thus M. d'Espard had
been able to go to some expense to settle himself suitably without
being accused of extravagance. The loftiness of the rooms, the
paneling, of which nothing survived but the frames, the decoration of
the ceilings, all displayed the dignity which the prelacy stamped on
whatever it attempted or created, and which artists discern to this
day in the smallest relic that remains, though it be but a book, a
dress, the panel of a bookcase, or an armchair.
The Marquis had the rooms painted in the rich brown tones loved of the
Dutch and of the citizens of Old Paris, hues which lend such good
effects to the painter of genre. The panels were hung with plain paper
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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 Juana by Honore de Balzac: Juana, unhappy in her virtue as her mother was unhappy in her vice,
could enjoy at all moments the ineffable delights which her mother had
so craved and could not have. To her, as to her mother, maternity
comprised all earthly sentiments. Each, from differing causes, had no
other comfort in their misery. Juana's maternal love may have been the
strongest because, deprived of all other affections, she put the joys
she lacked into the one joy of her children; and there are noble
passions that resemble vice; the more they are satisfied the more they
increase. Mothers and gamblers are alike insatiable.
When Juana saw the generous pardon laid silently on the head of Juan
by Diard's fatherly affection, she was much moved, and from the day
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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 Thuvia, Maid of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs: the hands of an etherealist. Then, indeed, would you have
gone hungry."
"But," exclaimed Carthoris, "this is not real food--it
was not here an instant since, and real food does not
materialize out of thin air."
Jav looked hurt.
"There is no real food or water in Lothar," he said;
"nor has there been for countless ages. Upon such as
you now see before you have we existed since the dawn
of history. Upon such, then, may you exist."
"But I thought you were a realist," exclaimed Carthoris.
Thuvia, Maid of Mars |
