| 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: unwavering desire which alone attains its end. And still the end
eluded him! It would not always, of course--he had full faith in
the dark star of his destiny. And he could prove it best by
repeating his story, persistently and indefatigably, pouring it
into indifferent ears, hammering it into dull brains, till at
last it kindled a spark, and some one of the careless millions
paused, listened, believed. . .
It was a mild March day, and he had been loitering on the west-
side docks, looking at faces. He was becoming an expert in
physiognomies: his eagerness no longer made rash darts and
awkward recoils. He knew now the face he needed, as clearly as
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Arrow of Gold by Joseph Conrad: He declined dully. He had had enough. But he drained the last of
a bottle into his glass and accepted a cigar which I offered him.
While he was lighting it I had a sort of confused impression that
he wasn't such a stranger to me as I had assumed he was; and yet,
on the other hand, I was perfectly certain I had never seen him
before. Next moment I felt that I could have knocked him down if
he hadn't looked so amazingly unhappy, while he came out with the
astounding question: "Senor, have you ever been a lover in your
young days?"
"What do you mean?" I asked. "How old do you think I am?"
"That's true," he said, gazing at me in a way in which the damned
The Arrow of Gold |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Persuasion by Jane Austen: attention, and the Admiral had it all his own way.
"Poor Frederick!" said he at last. "Now he must begin all over again
with somebody else. I think we must get him to Bath. Sophy must write,
and beg him to come to Bath. Here are pretty girls enough, I am sure.
It would be of no use to go to Uppercross again, for that other
Miss Musgrove, I find, is bespoke by her cousin, the young parson.
Do not you think, Miss Elliot, we had better try to get him to Bath?"
Chapter 19
While Admiral Croft was taking this walk with Anne, and expressing
his wish of getting Captain Wentworth to Bath, Captain Wentworth
was already on his way thither. Before Mrs Croft had written,
Persuasion |
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 Thuvia, Maid of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs: not tell Jav that he remembered something else that the
Lotharian had let drop--something that was but a conjecture,
possibly, and yet one well worth pinning a forlorn hope to,
should necessity arise.
Carthoris started to leave the room. Jav stepped before him,
barring his way.
"I have learned to like you, red man," he said;
"but do not forget that Tario is still my jeddak,
and that Tario has commanded that you remain here."
Carthoris was about to reply, when there came faintly
to the ears of both a woman's cry for help.
Thuvia, Maid of Mars |
