| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Door in the Wall, et. al. by H. G. Wells: asked himself, had really happened on the line? Was he deluding
himself with his own fancies, or had Horrocks actually held him
back in the way of the train? Had he just been within an ace of
being murdered?
Suppose this slouching, scowling monster DID know
anything? For a minute or two then Raut was really afraid for his
life, but the mood passed as he reasoned with himself. After all,
Horrocks might have heard nothing. At any rate, he had pulled him
out of the way in time. His odd manner might be due to the mere
vague jealousy he had shown once before. He was talking now of the
ash-heaps and the canal. "Eigh?" said Horrocks.
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Atheist's Mass by Honore de Balzac: you. If, to make a stand against this armament of pigmies, you
collect your best powers, your best friends will cry out that you
want to have everything, that you aim at domineering, at tyranny.
In short, your good points will become your faults, your faults
will be vices, and your virtues crime.
"If you save a man, you will be said to have killed him; if he
reappears on the scene, it will be positive that you have secured
the present at the cost of the future. If he is not dead, he will
die. Stumble, and you fall! Invent anything of any kind and claim
your rights, you will be crotchety, cunning, ill-disposed to
rising younger men.
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Twilight Land by Howard Pyle: had gone the robbers fought for it with one another until they
were all killed. So now the world is rid of them, and travellers
can come and go as they please."
Back jogged the travelling servant, and the next day came to the
town and to the house of the sorrowful young man. There, lo and
behold! Instead of being dark and silent, as it was before, all
was ablaze with light and noisy with the sound of rejoicing and
merriment. There happened to be one of the household standing at
the door, and he knew the servant as the companion of that one
who had stolen the ruby ring. Up he came and laid hold of the
servant by the collar, calling to his companions that he had
|
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 Falk by Joseph Conrad: I may note that the idea of suicide apparently
did not enter his head for a single moment. It oc-
curred to me to ask:
"Where was it that this shipwreck of yours took
place?"
"Down south," he said vaguely with a start.
"You are not down south now," I said. "Vio-
lence won't do. They would take her away from
you in no time. And what was the name of the
ship?"
"Borgmester Dahl," he said. "It was no ship-
Falk |
