| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Human Drift by Jack London: down here visiting that I was to meet my destiny in--[Abruptly
releases LORETTA's hand.]
[MAID enters from left with tray.]
[LORETTA glances into tray and discovers that it is empty. She
looks inquiringly at MAID.]
MAID. A gentleman to see you. He hasn't any card. He said for
me to tell you that it was Billy.
LORETTA. [Starting, looking with dismay and appeal to NED.] Oh!
. . . Ned!
NED [Gracefully and courteously, rising to his feet and preparing
to go.] If you'll excuse me now, I'll wait till afterward to tell
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Falk by Joseph Conrad: inflexibility--tenacity, rather, perhaps--being in
the least weakened. His very arm abandoning it-
self to my grasp was as hard as marble--like a limb
of iron. But I heard a tumultuous scuffling of
boot-soles within. The unspeakable idiots inside
were crowding to the windows, climbing over each
other's backs behind the blinds, billiard cues and all.
Somebody broke a window pane, and with the sound
of falling glass, so suggestive of riot and devasta-
tion, Schomberg reeled out after us in a state of
funk which had prevented his parting with his
Falk |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Lord Arthur Savile's Crime, etc. by Oscar Wilde: vigil, and he stalked back to his room, thinking of his vain hope
and baffled purpose. There he consulted several books of ancient
chivalry, of which he was exceedingly fond, and found that, on
every occasion on which his oath had been used, Chanticleer had
always crowed a second time. 'Perdition seize the naughty fowl,'
he muttered, 'I have seen the day when, with my stout spear, I
would have run him through the gorge, and made him crow for me an
'twere in death!' He then retired to a comfortable lead coffin,
and stayed there till evening.
CHAPTER IV
THE next day the ghost was very weak and tired. The terrible
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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 Bureaucracy by Honore de Balzac: by the sublime Rossini for Basilio,--which goes to show, by the bye,
that the great composer was also a great politician. I shall leave my
card on Monsieur Rabourdin to-morrow morning, inscribed thus: 'Bixiou;
no self-respect, no application, restless mind.'"
Godard. "A good idea, gentlemen. Let us all leave our cards to-morrow
on Rabourdin inscribed in the same way."
Dutocq [leading Bixiou apart]. "Come, you'll agree to make that
caricature now, won't you?"
Bixiou. "I see plainly, my dear fellow, that you knew all about this
affair ten days ago" [looks him in the eye]. "Am I to be under-head-
clerk?"
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