| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Betty Zane by Zane Grey: "Betty, here is--" began Col. Zane, but Betty passed them with flaming cheeks
and with not so much as a glance at Alfred. It was an awkward moment for him.
"Let us go in," he said composedly, and they filed into the church.
As long as he lived Alfred Clarke never forgot that hour. His pride kept him
chained in his seat. Outwardly he maintained his composure, but inwardly his
brain seemed throbbing, whirling, bursting. What an idiot he had been! He
understood now why his letter had never been answered. Betty loved Miller, a
man who hated him, a man who would leave no stone unturned to destroy even a
little liking which she might have felt for him. Once again Miller had crossed
his path and worsted him. With a sudden sickening sense of despair he realized
that all his fond hopes had been but dreams, a fool's dreams. The dream of
Betty Zane |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Don Quixote by Miquel de Cervantes: opinion people have of tailors; and he told me to see if there would
he enough for two. I guessed what he would be at, and I said 'yes.'
He, still following up his original unworthy notion, went on adding
cap after cap, and I 'yes' after 'yes,' until we got as far as five.
He has just this moment come for them; I gave them to him, but he
won't pay me for the making; on the contrary, he calls upon me to
pay him, or else return his cloth."
"Is all this true, brother?" said Sancho.
"Yes," replied the man; "but will your worship make him show the
five caps he has made me?"
"With all my heart," said the tailor; and drawing his hand from
Don Quixote |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from King James Bible: sword; and they shall know that I am the LORD.
EZE 26:7 For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will bring upon Tyrus
Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, a king of kings, from the north, with
horses, and with chariots, and with horsemen, and companies, and much
people.
EZE 26:8 He shall slay with the sword thy daughters in the field: and
he shall make a fort against thee, and cast a mount against thee, and
lift up the buckler against thee.
EZE 26:9 And he shall set engines of war against thy walls, and with
his axes he shall break down thy towers.
EZE 26:10 By reason of the abundance of his horses their dust shall
King James Bible |
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 Two Brothers by Honore de Balzac: and death for three months, attended by Monsieur Goddet, who was also
attending Philippe.
As soon as Philippe was able to hold a pen, he wrote the following
letters:--
To Monsieur Desroches:
I have already killed the most venomous of the two reptiles; not
however without getting my own head split open by a sabre; but the
rascal struck with a dying hand. The other viper is here, and I
must come to an understanding with her, for my uncle clings to her
like the apple of his eye. I have been half afraid the girl, who
is devilishly handsome, might run away, and then my uncle would
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