| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Octopus by Frank Norris: The others agreed unanimously and promptly; and old Broderson,
tugging uneasily at his long beard, added:
"No--no--no violence, no UNNECESSARY violence, that is. I should
hate to have innocent blood on my hands--that is, if it IS
innocent. I don't know, that S. Behrman--ah, he is a--a--surely
he had innocent blood on HIS head. That Dyke affair, terrible,
terrible; but then Dyke WAS in the wrong--driven to it, though;
the Railroad did drive him to it. I want to be fair and just to
everybody"
"There's a team coming up the road from Los Muertos," announced
Presley from the door.
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Mistress Wilding by Rafael Sabatini: oval, framed now in the waving masses of his brown wig. Some likeness
to his late Majesty was also discernible, in spite of the wart, out of
which his uncle James made so much capital.
There was a slight flush on his cheeks, an added lustre in his eye, as
he took Wilding's hand and shook it heartily before Wilding had time to
kiss His Grace's.
"You are late," he said, but there was no reproach in his voice. "We
had looked to find you here when we came ashore. You had my letter?"
"I had not, Your Grace," answered Wilding, very grave. "It was stolen."
"Stolen?" cried the Duke, and behind him Grey pressed forward, whilst
even Ferguson paused in his writing to raise his piercing eyes and
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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 Ann Veronica by H. G. Wells: Alderman Dunstable, of the Borough Council of Marylebone. These
were seated in an imperfect semicircle about a very
copper-adorned fireplace, surmounted by a carved wood
inscription:
"DO IT NOW."
And to them were presently added a roguish-looking young man,
with reddish hair, an orange tie, and a fluffy tweed suit, and
others who, in Ann Veronica's memory, in spite of her efforts to
recall details, remained obstinately just "others."
The talk was animated, and remained always brilliant in form even
when it ceased to be brilliant in substance. There were moments
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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 Frances Waldeaux by Rebecca Davis: Lucky fellow! He picks it up!" He told Miss Vance that
there was a curious attraction about her friend, "who, by
the way, should always wear brown velvet and lace."
Miss Vance drew little Lucy aside after dinner. "Do you
see," she said, "the tears in her eyes? It wrenches my
heart. She has become an old woman in a day. I feel as
if Frances were dead, and that was her ghost joking and
laughing."
Lucy said nothing, but she went to Frances and sat beside
her all evening. When the prince arrived and was
presented, going on his triumphant way through the room,
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