| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Almayer's Folly by Joseph Conrad: companion and not his slave, and promised to herself to act
accordingly.
So when the Flash freighted with materials for building a new
house left the harbour of Batavia, taking away the young couple
into the unknown Borneo, she did not carry on her deck so much
love and happiness as old Lingard was wont to boast of before his
casual friends in the verandahs of various hotels. The old
seaman himself was perfectly happy. Now he had done his duty by
the girl. "You know I made her an orphan," he often concluded
solemnly, when talking about his own affairs to a scratch
audience of shore loafers--as it was his habit to do. And the
Almayer's Folly |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Out of Time's Abyss by Edgar Rice Burroughs: he came to was ajar, letting a faint light into the well. As he
paused, the girl climbed to his side, and together they looked
through the crack into a low-ceiled chamber in which were several
Galu women and an equal number of hideous little replicas of the
full-grown Wieroos with which Bradley was not quite familiar.
He could feel the body of the girl pressed close to his tremble
as her eyes rested upon the inmates of the room, and involuntarily
his arm encircled her shoulders as though to protect her from some
danger which he sensed without recognizing.
"Poor things," she whispered. "This is their horrible fate--to
be imprisoned here beneath the surface of the city with their
Out of Time's Abyss |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Ursula by Honore de Balzac: "You are not strong enough for Parisian life," said Rastignac.
"Let us consider the matter," said de Marsay, looking Savinien over as
a jockey examines a horse. "You have fine blue eyes, well opened, a
white forehead well shaped, magnificent black hair, a little moustache
which suits those pale cheeks, and a slim figure; you've a foot that
tells race, shoulders and chest not quite those of a porter, but
solid. You are what I call an elegant male brunette. Your face is of
the style Louis XII., hardly any color, well-formed nose; and you have
the thing that pleases women, a something, I don't know what it is,
which men take no account of themselves; it is in the air, the manner,
the tone of the voice, the dart of the eye, the gesture,--in short, in
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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 Poor and Proud by Oliver Optic: rent. When Dr. Flynch comes for the money, you show him this, and
he will be satisfied;" and she handed her the receipt.
Katy took it, and thanked the good lady, assuring her that her
mother would certainly pay the money as soon as she got well.
"My mother is poor and proud, just as the grocer said, and she
don't ask any one to give her anything. I am going to earn some
money myself, and I hope I shall be able to pay the next month's
rent," added Katy, as she moved towards the door.
"But the watch, mother?" interposed Grace.
"If the little girl will come here this afternoon or to-morrow
morning, we will take her to the mayor who will have the case
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