| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Touchstone by Edith Wharton: Glennard was nettled by his obvious loss of interest. "I rather
think they'd attract a good deal of notice if they were
published."
Flamel still looked uninterested. "Love-letters, I suppose?"
"Oh, just--the letters a woman would write to a man she knew well.
They were tremendous friends, he and she."
"And she wrote a clever letter?"
"Clever? It was Margaret Aubyn."
A great silence filled the room. It seemed to Glennard that the
words had burst from him as blood gushes from a wound.
"Great Scott!" said Flamel, sitting up. "A collection of Margaret
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Great Big Treasury of Beatrix Potter by Beatrix Potter: Pigling Bland listened
gravely; Alexander was hopelessly
volatile.
I pinned the papers, for safety,
inside their waistcoat pockets;
Aunt Pettitoes gave to each a little
bundle, and eight conversation
peppermints with appropriate
moral sentiments in screws of
paper. Then they started.
Pigling Bland and Alexander
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Commission in Lunacy by Honore de Balzac: be seen of the craft pursued by some lodger within. Here long poles
are hung with immense skeins of dyed worsted put out to dry; there, on
ropes, dance clean-washed shirts; higher up, on a shelf, volumes
display their freshly marbled edges; women sing, husbands whistle,
children shout; the carpenter saws his planks, a copper-turner makes
the metal screech; all kinds of industries combine to produce a noise
which the number of instruments renders distracting.
The general system of decoration in this passage, which is neither
courtyard, garden, nor vaulted way, though a little of all, consists
of wooden pillars resting on square stone blocks, and forming arches.
Two archways open on to the little garden; two others, facing the
|
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 Brother of Daphne by Dornford Yates: They were engaged in deep converse as we came up, and it was only
when we were close upon them that they became aware of our
presence. For a few seconds they stared at us, apparently rooted
to the spot, and as if they could not believe their good fortune.
Then one broke into an explosive bellow of delight, while the
other ran off squeaking with excitement to find other devils who
should share the treasure-trove. But, unlike his infamous
predecessor, he was not content with seven. When he returned, it
was but as the van of a fast-swelling rabble. His erstwhile
companion, who had been backing steadily in front of me ever
since he left, and had, after a hurried consideration of the
The Brother of Daphne |
