| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from In a German Pension by Katherine Mansfield: you if you don't get dressed this minute."
Anton awoke sufficiently to turn over and kick Hans on a tender part,
whereupon Hans pulled Lena's pigtail until she shrieked for her mother.
"Oh, do be quiet," whispered the Child. "Oh, do get up and dress. You
know what will happen. There--I'll help you."
But the warning came too late. The Frau got out of bed, walked in a
determined fashion into the kitchen, returning with a bundle of twigs in
her hand fastened together with a strong cord. One by one she laid the
children across her knee and severely beat them, expending a final burst of
energy on the Child-Who-Was-Tired, then returned to bed, with a comfortable
sense of her maternal duties in good working order for the day. Very
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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 Rescue by Joseph Conrad: A discord of three voices raised together in a drawling wail
trailed on the sudden immobility of the air.
"Brig ahoy! Give us a rope!"
The first boat-load from the yacht emerged floating slowly into
the pool of purple light wavering round the brig on the black
water. Two men squeezed in the bows pulled uncomfortably; in the
middle, on a heap of seamen's canvas bags, another sat, insecure,
propped with both arms, stiff-legged, angularly helpless. The
light from the poop brought everything out in lurid detail, and
the boat floating slowly toward the brig had a suspicious and
pitiful aspect. The shabby load lumbering her looked somehow as
The Rescue |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Mistress Wilding by Rafael Sabatini: said, his mind obsessed by the other, to him, far weightier matter.
"To Sedgemoor?" gasped Westmacott.
"Aye - to take Feversham by surprise - to destroy King James's soldiers
in their beds. He should be near upon the attack by now. But there!
Spur on and save your breath if we are to overtake Sir Rowland."
They pounded on through the night at a breakneck pace which they never
slackened until, when within a quarter of a mile or so of Penzoy Pound,
where the army was encamped and slumbering by now, they caught sight of
the musketeers' matches glowing in the dark ahead of them. An outpost
barred their progress; but Richard had the watchword, and he spurred
ahead shouting "Albemarle," and the soldiers fell back and gave them
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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 The Secrets of the Princesse de Cadignan by Honore de Balzac: was running through her property on her own account.
These particulars were so well understood in the court circles and in
the faubourg Saint-Germain, that during the last five years of the
Restoration they were considered ancient history, and any one who
mentioned them would have been laughed at. Women never spoke of the
charming duke without praising him; he was excellent, they said, to
his wife; could a man be better? He had left her the entire disposal
of her own property, and had always defended her on every occasion. It
is true that, whether from pride, kindliness, or chivalry, Monsieur de
Maufrigneuse had saved the duchess under various circumstances which
might have ruined other women, in spite of Diane's surroundings, and
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