| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Glaucus/The Wonders of the Shore by Charles Kingsley: for eight weeks in unchanged salt-water, without any putrefaction
ensuing. The ground, of course, on which the proof rested in this
case was, that if the coralline were, as had often been thought, a
zoophyte, the water would become corrupt, and poisonous to the life
of the small animals in the same jar; and that its remaining fresh
argued that the coralline had re-oxygenated it from time to time,
and was therefore a vegetable.
In 1850, Mr. Robert Warrington communicated to the Chemical Society
the results of a year's experiments, "On the Adjustment of the
Relations between the Animal and Vegetable Kingdoms, by which the
Vital Functions of both are permanently maintained." The law which
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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 Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle: have one take him to be."
"Pah!" quoth Robin Hood, "the sight of such a fellow doth put
a nasty taste into my mouth! Look how he doth hold that fair
flower betwixt his thumb and finger, as he would say, `Good rose,
I like thee not so ill but I can bear thy odor for a little while.'
I take it ye are both wrong, and verily believe that were
a furious mouse to run across his path, he would cry,
`La!' or `Alack-a-day!' and fall straightway into a swoon.
I wonder who he may be."
"Some great baron's son, I doubt not," answered Little John,
"with good and true men's money lining his purse."
The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Case of the Registered Letter by Grace Isabel Colbron and Augusta Groner: his conscientious attention to duty, and would insure praise for
him, whichever way the case turned out. Commissioner Lange saw the
force of this argument, and finally gave Muller permission to handle
the case as he thought best, rather relieved than otherwise for his
own part. The detective's next errand was to the prison, where he
now stood looking up into the deep-set, dark eyes of a tall,
broad-shouldered, black-bearded man, who had arisen from the cot at
his entrance. Albert Graumann had a strong, self-reliant face and
bearing. His natural expression was somewhat hard and stern, but it
was the expression of a man of integrity and responsibility. Muller
had already made some inquiries as to the prisoner's reputation and
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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 Breaking Point by Mary Roberts Rinehart: "Williams thinks there's a page in it for Sunday, anyhow. You've
been on the ground, and there's a human interest element in it. The
last man who talked to Clark; the ranch to-day. That sort of thing."
Bassett went on doggedly sorting his mail.
"You take it from me," he said, "the story's dead, and so is Clark.
The Donaldson woman was crazy. That's all."
XXXIII
David was brought home the next day, a shrivelled and aged David,
but with a fighting fire in his eyes and a careful smile at the
station for the group of friends who met him.
David had decided on a course and meant to follow it. That course
The Breaking Point |
