| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from A Legend of Montrose by Walter Scott: whether thrown into disorder by the fire of musketry, or deterred
by a disaffection to the service said to have prevailed among the
gentlemen, they made no impression on the Highlanders whatever,
and recoiled in disorder from ranks which had neither bayonets
nor pikes to protect them. Montrose saw, and instantly availed
himself of this advantage. He ordered his whole army to charge,
which they performed with the wild and desperate valour peculiar
to mountaineers. One officer of the Covenanters alone, trained
in the Italian wars, made a desperate defence upon the right
wing. In every other point their line was penetrated at the
first onset; and this advantage once obtained, the Lowlanders
|
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 McTeague by Frank Norris: movement of his head.
"Well, what you got for me?" he said. He left his supper to
grow cold, absorbed at once in the affair.
Then a long wrangle began. Every bit of junk in Maria's
pillow-case was discussed and weighed and disputed. They
clamored into each other's faces over Old Grannis's cracked
pitcher, over Miss Baker's silk gaiters, over Marcus
Schouler's whiskey flasks, reaching the climax of
disagreement when it came to McTeague's instruments.
"Ah, no, no!" shouted Maria. "Fifteen cents for the lot! I
might as well make you a Christmas present! Besides, I got
McTeague |
