| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Voyage Out by Virginia Woolf: to warn them at tea that day when it was being discussed. But it's
no good saying these sort of things--it only puts people's backs up--
it never makes any difference."
Old Mrs. Paley, hitherto contented with her soup, here intimated,
by raising one hand to her ear, that she wished to know what was
being said.
"You heard, Aunt Emma, that poor Miss Vinrace has died of the fever,"
Susan informed her gently. She could not speak of death loudly
or even in her usual voice, so that Mrs. Paley did not catch a word.
Arthur came to the rescue.
"Miss Vinrace is dead," he said very distinctly.
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Catriona by Robert Louis Stevenson: I had a good revenue before in my frugality; and but for the man's
death - which gratifies me, shame to me that must confess it! - I see
not how anyone is to be bettered by this change."
"Come, come," said he, "you are more affected than you let on, or you
would never make yourself out so lonely. Here are three letters; that
means three that wish you well; and I could name two more, here in this
very chamber. I have known you not so very long, but Catriona, when we
are alone, is never done with the singing of your praises."
She looked up at him, a little wild at that; and he slid off at once
into another matter, the extent of my estate, which (during the most of
the dinner time) he continued to dwell upon with interest. But it was
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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 Enchanted Island of Yew by L. Frank Baum: begged my father to flog me, by way of variety; and he, who could
refuse me nothing, at once consented. For this reason there was less
satisfaction in the operation than I had expected, although for the
time being it was a distinct novelty.
"Now, no one could expect a high-spirited boy to put up with such a
life as mine. With nothing to desire and no chance of doing anything
that would annoy my parents, my days were dreary indeed."
He paused to wipe the tears from his eyes, and the prince murmured,
sympathetically: "Poor boy! Poor boy!"
"Ah, you may well say that!" continued Nerle. "But one day a stranger
came to my father's castle with tales of many troubles he had met
The Enchanted Island of Yew |
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 The Arrow of Gold by Joseph Conrad: panels separated by an order of flat pilasters, presented, depicted
on a black background and in vivid colours, slender women with
butterfly wings and lean youths with narrow birds' wings. The
effect was supposed to be Pompeiian and Rita and I had often
laughed at the delirious fancy of some enriched shopkeeper. But
still it was a display of fancy, a sign of grace; but at that
moment these figures appeared to me weird and intrusive and
strangely alive in their attenuated grace of unearthly beings
concealing a power to see and hear.
Without words, without gestures, Dona Rita was heard again. "It
may have been as near coming to pass as this." She showed me the
The Arrow of Gold |
