| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Secret Sharer by Joseph Conrad: forward could be seen (the day was Sunday), and the mate pursued:
"There was some little dispute about it. Our chaps took offense.
`As if we would harbor a thing like that,' they said.
`Wouldn't you like to look for him in our coal-hole?' Quite a tiff.
But they made it up in the end. I suppose he did drown himself.
Don't you, sir?"
"I don't suppose anything."
"You have no doubt in the matter, sir?"
"None whatever."
I left him suddenly. I felt I was producing a bad impression,
but with my double down there it was most trying to be on deck. And it
 The Secret Sharer |
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 Marie by H. Rider Haggard: veranda, having come round the burnt part of the house, followed by
Hernan Pereira. Catching sight of me, she ran to the side of my couch
with outstretched arms as though she intended to embrace me. Then
seeming to remember, stopped suddenly at my side, coloured to her hair,
and said in an embarrassed voice:
"Oh, Heer Allan"--she had never called me Heer in her life before--"I am
so glad to find you out! How have you been getting on?"
"Pretty well, I thank you," I answered, biting my lips, "as you would
have learnt, Marie, had you come to see me."
Next moment I was sorry for the words, for I saw her eyes fill with
tears and her breast shake with something like a sob. However, it was
 Marie |