| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Circular Staircase by Mary Roberts Rinehart: things happening every day, I consider it my duty. If you don't
read and act on this, I shall give it to that Jamieson, and I'll
venture he'll not go back to the city to-day."
That decided me. If the scraps had anything to do with the
mystery ordinary conventions had no value. So Liddy arranged the
scraps, like working out one of the puzzle-pictures children play
with, and she did it with much the same eagerness. When it was
finished she stepped aside while I read it.
"Wednesday night, nine o'clock. Bridge," I real aloud. Then,
aware of Alex's stare, I turned on Liddy.
"Some one is to play bridge to-night at nine o'clock," I said.
The Circular Staircase |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Aspern Papers by Henry James: "I never receive. But I will see you at noon, when you come
with the money."
"Very good, I shall be punctual;" and I added, "May I shake hands with you,
on our contract?" I thought there ought to be some little form, it would
make me really feel easier, for I foresaw that there would be no other.
Besides, though Miss Bordereau could not today be called personally attractive
and there was something even in her wasted antiquity that bade one stand at
one's distance, I felt an irresistible desire to hold in my own for a moment
the hand that Jeffrey Aspern had pressed.
For a minute she made no answer, and I saw that my proposal
failed to meet with her approbation. She indulged in no movement
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe: leading them in just where I came out, viz. at the top of the
house, where I refreshed them with such provisions as I had, and
showed them all the contrivances I had made during my long, long
inhabiting that place.
All I showed them, all I said to them, was perfectly amazing; but
above all, the captain admired my fortification, and how perfectly
I had concealed my retreat with a grove of trees, which having been
now planted nearly twenty years, and the trees growing much faster
than in England, was become a little wood, so thick that it was
impassable in any part of it but at that one side where I had
reserved my little winding passage into it. I told him this was my
Robinson Crusoe |
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 Gobseck by Honore de Balzac: civil and smooth-spoken of capitalists. Money will be forthcoming if
he has any, or rather, if you can give him adequate security.'
" 'Monsieur,' said he, 'it does not enter into my thoughts to force
you to do me a service, even though you have passed your word.'
" 'Sardanapalus!' said I to myself, 'am I going to let that fellow
imagine that I will not keep my word with him?'
" 'I had the honor of telling you yesterday,' said he, 'that I had
fallen out with Daddy Gobseck most inopportunely; and as there is
scarcely another man in Paris who can come down on the nail with a
hundred thousand francs, at the end of the month, I begged of you to
make my peace with him. But let us say no more about it----'
Gobseck |
