| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from An Unsocial Socialist by George Bernard Shaw: interrupting. "And the more shame for you, because you ought to
know best. I suppose you were educated somewhere. You will not be
satisfied with yourself when your bishop hears of this. Yes," she
added, turning to Trefusis with an infantile air of wanting to
cry and being forced to laugh against her will, "you may laugh as
much as you please--don't trouble to pretend it's only
coughing--but we will write to his bishop, as he shall find to
his cost."
"Hold your tongue, Jane, for God's sake," said Sir Charles,
taking her horse by the bridle and backing him from Trefusis.
"I will not. If you choose to stand here and allow them to walk
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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 Aspern Papers by Henry James: "In the secretary?"
"Yes, in the secretary," said Miss Tita, reddening again.
"Did you tell her you would burn them?"
"No, I didn't--on purpose."
"On purpose to gratify me?"
"Yes, only for that."
"And what good will you have done me if after all you won't show them?"
"Oh, none; I know that--I know that."
"And did she believe you had destroyed them?"
"I don't know what she believed at the last. I couldn't tell--
she was too far gone."
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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 A Prince of Bohemia by Honore de Balzac: tears. She dried her eyes without affectation, and spoke to du Bruel.
" 'Send a note to the /Rocher de Cancale/,' she said, 'and ask your
guests to dine here.'
"She was dressed as only women of the theatre can dress, in a simply-
made gown of some dainty material, neither too costly nor too common,
graceful and harmonious in outline and coloring; there was nothing
conspicuous about her, nothing exaggerated--a word now dropping out of
use, to be replaced by the word 'artistic,' used by fools as current
coin. In short, Tullia looked like a gentlewoman. At thirty-seven she
had reached the prime of a Frenchwoman's beauty. At this moment the
celebrated oval of her face was divinely pale; she had laid her hat
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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 Scenes from a Courtesan's Life by Honore de Balzac: to do nothing that might compromise the character he had assumed, and
had given himself up to the chances of his new life, when he met
Lucien on the road between Angouleme and Paris. In this youth the sham
priest saw a wonderful instrument for power; he saved him from suicide
saying:
"Give yourself over to me as to a man of God, as men give themselves
over to the devil, and you will have every chance of a new career. You
will live as in a dream, and the worst awakening that can come to you
will be death, which you now wish to meet."
The alliance between these two beings, who were to become one, as it
were, was based on this substantial reasoning, and Carlos Herrera
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