| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy: sang the voice more lustily than ever. The next moment the door was
thrown open and there was dead silence for a second or so.
Marguerite could not see the door; she held her breath, trying
to imagine what was happening.
Percy Blakeney on entering had, of course, at once caught
sight of the CURE at the table; his hesitation lasted less than five
seconds, the next moment, Marguerite saw his tall figure crossing the
room, whilst he called in a loud, cheerful voice,--
"Hello, there! no one about? Where's that fool Brogard?"
He wore the magnificent coat and riding-suit which he had on
when Marguerite last saw him at Richmond, so many hours ago. As
The Scarlet Pimpernel |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Hunting of the Snark by Lewis Carroll: He served out some grog with a liberal hand,
And bade them sit down on the beach:
And they could not but own that their Captain looked grand,
As he stood and delivered his speech.
"Friends, Romans, and countrymen, lend me your ears!"
(They were all of them fond of quotations:
So they drank to his health, and they gave him three cheers,
While he served out additional rations).
"We have sailed many months, we have sailed many weeks,
(Four weeks to the month you may mark),
But never as yet ('tis your Captain who speaks)
The Hunting of the Snark |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen: very indulgent mother. Her eldest daughter had great
personal beauty, and the younger ones, by pretending
to be as handsome as their sister, imitating her air,
and dressing in the same style, did very well.
This brief account of the family is intended to
supersede the necessity of a long and minute detail from
Mrs. Thorpe herself, of her past adventures and sufferings,
which might otherwise be expected to occupy the three or four
following chapters; in which the worthlessness of lords
and attornies might be set forth, and conversations,
which had passed twenty years before, be minutely repeated.
Northanger Abbey |
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 Tik-Tok of Oz by L. Frank Baum: in the dragon's expression that the condemned Nome
King trembled and was sick at heart.
There was little comfort for Ruggedo in the fact
that the dragon was now chained, although he had
boasted of it. He glared at the immense head of
Quox as if fascinated and there was fear in the
old King's eyes as he watched his enemy's
movements.
For the dragon was now moving; not abruptly, but
as if he had something to do and was about to do
it. Very deliberately he raised one claw, touched
Tik-Tok of Oz |
