| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Twenty Years After by Alexandre Dumas: "And with us no other escort but you two?"
"Is it not enough? One of us would suffice."
"Really, my dear Monsieur d'Artagnan," said the cardinal,
"your coolness startles me."
"I should have thought, on the contrary, that it ought to
have inspired you with confidence."
"And Bernouin -- do I not take him with me?"
"There is no room for him, he will rejoin your eminence."
"Let us go," said Mazarin, "since everything must be done as
you wish."
"My lord, there is time to draw back," said D'Artagnan, "and
Twenty Years After |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Ursula by Honore de Balzac: Here the joy of the heirs already fingering their gold was made
manifest in smiles, shrugs, and gestures round the table, and
prevented all notice of Goupil's dissent. This elation, however, was
succeeded by deep silence and uneasiness when the notary uttered his
next word, a terrible "But!"
As if he had pulled the string of a puppet-show, starting the little
people in jerks by means of machinery, Dionis beheld all eyes turned
on him and all faces rigid in one and the same pose.
"BUT no law prevents your uncle from adopting or marrying Ursula," he
continued. "As for adoption, that could be contested, and you would, I
think, have equity on your side. The royal courts would never trifle
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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 Charmides and Other Poems by Oscar Wilde: Shall find their grave-clothes folded? what clear eyes
Shall see them bodily? O it were meet
To roll the stone from off the sepulchre
And kiss the bleeding roses of their wounds, in love of her,
Our Italy! our mother visible!
Most blessed among nations and most sad,
For whose dear sake the young Calabrian fell
That day at Aspromonte and was glad
That in an age when God was bought and sold
One man could die for Liberty! but we, burnt out and cold,
See Honour smitten on the cheek and gyves
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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 Wyoming by William MacLeod Raine: singer, and all that. Now I happen to know he can't sing any more
than a bellowing yearling."
"How do you know?" she asked, her eyes shining with interest.
"Because I heard him try it. 'Twas one day last summer when I was
out cutting trail of a bunch of strays down by Dead Cow Creek.
The day was hot, and I lay down behind a cottonwood and dropped
off to sleep. When I awakened it didn't take me longer'n an hour
to discover what had woke me. Somebody on the other side of the
creek was trying to sing. It was ce'tainly the limit. Pretty soon
he come out of the brush and I seen it was Bannister."
"You're sure it was Bannister?"
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