| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Brother of Daphne by Dornford Yates: "Jonah's right," said Daphne. "We'd better stop at Steeple."
"Not I." said I.
"Nor me," said Jill. "Boy and I'll come back to our dear Fallow
and our nice big grate and our own beds."
"Good little girl," said I. Berry emptied his mouth and began to
recite "Excelsior."
At twenty minutes past three the next morning I drove out of the
courtyard of 'The Three Bulls', Steeple Abbas. Alone, too, for
it had begun to snow again, and although I was determined to
sleep that night, or what remained of it, at Fallow, I would not
take Jill with me for such an ugly run. As a matter of fact, I
The Brother of Daphne |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Where There's A Will by Mary Roberts Rinehart: bishop.
"Then--to-night, not later than eight o'clock, get father to play
cribbage, will you? And keep him in the card-room until nine."
"Another escapade!" he said, pretending to be very serious.
"Patty, Patty, you'll be the death of me yet. Is thy servant a
dog, that he should do this thing?"
"Certainly NOT," said Miss Patty. "Just a dear, slightly
bald, but still very distinguished slave!"
The bishop picked up her left hand and looked at the ring and
from that to her face.
"There will be plenty of slaves to kiss this little hand, where
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Amazing Interlude by Mary Roberts Rinehart: attitude of London. And Sara Lee saw only that, and lost faith. She
had come far to help. But here was food in plenty and bands playing
and smiling men in uniform drinking tea and playing for a little. That,
too, Sara Lee was to understand later; but just then she did not. At
home there was more surface depression. The atrocities, the plight of
the Belgians, the honor list in the Illustrated London News - that was
the war to Sara Lee. And here!
But later on, down in a crowded dark little room, things were different.
She was one of a long line, mostly women. They were unhappy and desolate
enough, God knows. They sat or stood with a sort of weary resignation.
Now and then a short heavy man with an upcurled mustache caine out and
|
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 Twilight Land by Howard Pyle: steel, and his sticks of spice-wood and his gray powder, and made
a great fire and smoke just as he had done before. Then again he
tied his handkerchief over the fisherman's eyes. "Remember," said
he, "what I told you when we started upon our journey. Keep your
mouth tight shut, for if you utter so much as a single word you
are a lost man. Now throw your leg over what you feel and hold
fast."
The fisherman had his net over one arm and his cap of gold in the
other hand; nevertheless, there he felt the same hairy thing he
had felt before. He flung his leg over it, and away he was gone
through the air like a sky-rocket.
|
