| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Early Short Fiction of Edith Wharton by Edith Wharton: him."
The two men looked at each other for a long moment, and this time
Ascham did not laugh.
"Granice!"
"I murdered him--to get his money, as you say."
There was another pause, and Granice, with a vague underlying
sense of amusement, saw his guest's look change from pleasantry
to apprehension.
"What's the joke, my dear fellow? I fail to see."
"It's not a joke. It's the truth. I murdered him." He had
spoken painfully at first, as if there were a knot in his throat;
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Lady Chatterley's Lover by D. H. Lawrence: Clifford was very uneasy. He would not let her go after dinner, and she
had wanted so much to be alone. She looked at him, but was curiously
submissive.
'Shall we play a game, or shall I read to you, or what shall it be?' he
asked uneasily.
'You read to me,' said Connie.
'What shall I read--verse or prose? Or drama?'
'Read Racine,' she said.
It had been one of his stunts in the past, to read Racine in the real
French grand manner, but he was rusty now, and a little self-conscious;
he really preferred the loudspeaker. But Connie was sewing, sewing a
Lady Chatterley's Lover |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from A Voyage to Abyssinia by Father Lobo: us out of the way through horrid deserts destitute of water, or
where what we found was so foul, nauseous, and offensive, that it
excited a loathing and aversion which nothing but extreme necessity
could have overcome.
Having travelled some days, we were met by the King's brother, to
whom, by the advice of Chec Furt, whose intent in following us was
to squeeze all he could from us; we presented some pieces of Chinese
workmanship, such as cases of boxes, a standish, and some
earthenware, together with several pieces of painted calico, which
were so much more agreeable, that he desired some other pieces
instead of our Chinese curiosities; we willingly made the exchange.
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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 Under the Red Robe by Stanley Weyman: 'He looked dead enough, my friend,' the guardsman interposed. He
had not yet left us.
'Bah!' I answered scornfully. 'Have you ever known me make a
mistake When I kill a man I kill him. I put myself to pains, I
tell you, not to kill this Englishman. Therefore he will live.'
'I hope so,' the lieutenant said, with a dry smile. 'And you had
better hope so, too, M. de Berault, For if not--'
'Well?' I said, somewhat troubled. 'If not, what, my friend?'
'I fear he will be the last man you will fight,' he answered.
'And even if he lives, I would not be too sure, my friend. This
time the Cardinal is determined to put it down.'
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