| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Two Poets by Honore de Balzac: valetudinarian of her factotum; she coddled him and doctored him; she
crammed him with delicate fare, as if he had been a fine lady's lap-
dog; she embroidered waistcoats for him, and pocket-handkerchiefs and
cravats until he became so used to wearing finery that she transformed
him into a kind of Japanese idol. Their understanding was perfect. In
season and out of season Zizine consulted Francis with a look, and
Francis seemed to take his ideas from Zizine's eyes. They frowned and
smiled together, and seemingly took counsel of each other before
making the simplest commonplace remark.
The largest landowner in the neighborhood, a man whom every one
envied, was the Marquis de Pimentel; he and his wife, between them,
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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 Outlaw of Torn by Edgar Rice Burroughs: think of naught more horrible than to fall into his
hands."
"Why, Mary, thou didst but recently say thy very
self that Norman of Torn was most courteous to thee
when he sacked this, thy father's castle. How be it
thou so soon has changed thy mind?"
"Yes, Bertrade, he was indeed respectful then, but
who knows what horrid freak his mind may take, and
they do say that he be cruel beyond compare. Again,
forget not that thou be Leicester's daughter and Henry's
niece; against both of whom the Outlaw of Torn open-
The Outlaw of Torn |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Woodlanders by Thomas Hardy: some sort. "If our wedding can be at church, I say yes," she
answered, in a measured voice. "If not, I say no."
Fitzpiers was generous in his turn. "It shall be so," he
rejoined, gracefully. "To holy church we'll go, and much good may
it do us."
They returned through the bushes indoors, Grace walking, full of
thought between the other two, somewhat comforted, both by
Fitzpiers's ingenious explanation and by the sense that she was
not to be deprived of a religious ceremony. "So let it be," she
said to herself. "Pray God it is for the best."
From this hour there was no serious attempt at recalcitration on
The Woodlanders |
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 Tono Bungay by H. G. Wells: began with painting, Ponderevo, and found I was colour-blind,
colour-blind enough to stop it. I've drawn about and thought
about--thought more particularly. I give myself three days a
week as an art student, and the rest of the time I've a sort of
trade that keeps me. And we're still in the beginning of things,
young men starting. Do you remember the old times at Goudhurst,
our doll's-house island, the Retreat of the Ten Thousand Young
Holmes and the rabbits, eh? It's surprising, if you think of it,
to find we are still young. And we used to talk of what we would
be, and we used to talk of love! I suppose you know all about
that now, Ponderevo?"
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