| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Turn of the Screw by Henry James: down to his other house, the proper place for them being
of course the country, and kept them there, from the first,
with the best people he could find to look after them,
parting even with his own servants to wait on them and going
down himself, whenever he might, to see how they were doing.
The awkward thing was that they had practically no other
relations and that his own affairs took up all his time.
He had put them in possession of Bly, which was healthy and secure,
and had placed at the head of their little establishment--
but below stairs only--an excellent woman, Mrs. Grose,
whom he was sure his visitor would like and who had formerly been
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Tono Bungay by H. G. Wells: of muscle and endurance came home to me. Among other things it
obviously wasted and deteriorated the coal.... And I had
imagined great things of the sea!
Well, anyhow, for a time that vocation was stilled.
But such impressions came into my leisure, and of that I had no
excess. Most of my time was spent doing things for Uncle Frapp,
and my evenings and nights perforce in the company of the two
eldest of my cousins. He was errand boy at an oil shop and
fervently pious, and of him I saw nothing until the evening
except at meals; the other was enjoying the midsummer holidays
without any great elation; a singularly thin and abject, stunted
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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 The Pool in the Desert by Sara Jeanette Duncan: She cast a disapproving eye upon the wife of a Conservator of
Forests, who scanned with interest a distant funnel and laid a small
wager that it belonged to the Messageries Maritimes. She looked
with a straightened lip at the crisply stepping women who walked the
deck in short and rather shabby skirts with their hands in their
jacket-pockets talking transfers and promotions; and having got up
at six to make a water-colour sketch of the sunrise, she came to me
in profound indignation to say that she had met a man in his
pyjamas; no doubt; poor wretch, on his way to be shaved. I was
unable to convince her he was not expected to visit the barber in
all his clothes.
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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 Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie: "Do you think we are little children to let you walk out of here
leaving us a pretty story full of promises?"
"No," said Tommy thoughtfully. "Though infinitely simpler for
me, I did not really think you would agree to that plan. Very
well, we must arrange a compromise. How would it be if you
attached little Conrad here to my person. He's a faithful fellow,
and very ready with the fist."
"We prefer," said the German coldly, "that you should remain
here. One of our number will carry out your instructions
minutely. If the operations are complicated, he will return to
you with a report and you can instruct him further."
Secret Adversary |
