| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Catriona by Robert Louis Stevenson: aware of an uneasiness that I could scarce explain. It seemed there
was trouble afoot; the sails of the windmill, as they came up and went
down over the hill, were like persons spying; and outside of all fancy,
it was surely a strange neighbourhood and house for a young lady to be
brought to dwell in.
At breakfast, which we took late, it was manifest that James More was
in some danger or perplexity; manifest that Alan was alive to the same,
and watched him close; and this appearance of duplicity upon the one
side, and vigilance upon the other, held me on live coals. The meal
was no sooner over than James seemed to come began to make apologies.
He had an appointment of a private nature in the town (it was with the
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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 Economist by Xenophon: knowing how to play the flute, supposing he had never had a flute of
his own and no one had supplied the defect by lending him one to
practise on: which is just my case with regard to economy,[11] seeing
I never myself possessed the instrument of the science which is
wealth, so as to go through the pupil stage, nor hitherto has any one
proposed to hand me over his to manage. You, in fact, are the first
person to make so generous an offer. You will bear in mind, I hope,
that a learner of the harp is apt to break and spoil the instrument;
it is therefore probable, if I take in hand to learn the art of
economy on your estate, I shall ruin it outright.
[10] Lit. "The very thing, God help me! which would hinder . . ."
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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 The Alkahest by Honore de Balzac: For the first time in her life she encountered Balthazar's anger. She
had hardly opened the door before he sprang upon her, seized her,
threw her roughly on the staircase, so that she narrowly escaped
rolling to the bottom.
"God be praised! you are still alive!" he cried, raising her.
A glass vessel had broken into fragments over Madame Claes, who saw
her husband standing by her, pale, terrified, and almost livid.
"My dear, I forbade you to come here," he said, sitting down on the
stairs, as though prostrated. "The saints have saved your life! By
what chance was it that my eyes were on the door when you opened it?
We have just escaped death."
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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 The Turn of the Screw by Henry James: to prove that I recognized the pertinence of my return.
You may imagine the general complexion, from that moment, of my nights.
I repeatedly sat up till I didn't know when; I selected moments when my
roommate unmistakably slept, and, stealing out, took noiseless turns
in the passage and even pushed as far as to where I had last met Quint.
But I never met him there again; and I may as well say at once
that I on no other occasion saw him in the house. I just missed,
on the staircase, on the other hand, a different adventure.
Looking down it from the top I once recognized the presence of a woman
seated on one of the lower steps with her back presented to me,
her body half-bowed and her head, in an attitude of woe, in her hands.
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