| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Foolish Virgin by Thomas Dixon: carelessly. "It's all the same five minutes after,
anyhow. Well, don't you like 'em? Why don't you say
something?"
"They're wonderful, Jim. Where--where--did you buy
them?"
He held her gaze in silence for an instant and
fenced.
"Isn't that a funny question, Kiddo?" he said in
low tones. "I once heard the old man I worked with in
the shop say that you shouldn't look a gift horse in
the mouth."
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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 Travels of Sir John Mandeville by Sir John Mandeville: The fourth river is clept Euphrates, that is to say, well-bearing;
for there grow many goods upon that river, as corns, fruits and
other goods enough plenty.
And ye shall understand that no man that is mortal ne may not
approach to that Paradise. For by land no man may go for wild
beasts that be in the deserts, and for the high mountains and great
huge rocks that no man may pass by, for the dark places that be
there, and that many. And by the rivers may no man go. For the
water runneth so rudely and so sharply, because that it cometh down
so outrageously from the high places above, that it runneth in so
great waves, that no ship may not row ne sail against it. And the
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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 Scaramouche by Rafael Sabatini: furnished, untenanted antechamber. From a room beyond, the door of
which was closed, came the stamping of feet, the click and slither
of steel upon steel, and dominating these sounds a vibrant sonorous
voice speaking a language that was certainly French; but such
French as is never heard outside a fencing-school.
"Coulez! Mais, coulez donc!....So! Now the flanconnade - en
carte....And here is the riposte....Let us begin again. Come! The
ward of fierce....Make the coupe, and then the quinte par dessus
les armes....0, mais allongez! Allongez! Allez au fond!" the voice
cried in expostulation. "Come, that was better." The blades ceased.
"Remember: the hand in pronation, the elbow not too far out. That
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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 Wrecker by Stevenson & Osbourne: stream of insignificant information not to be diverted, led me
through the picture gallery, the music-room, the great dining-
room, the long drawing-room, the Indian room, the theatre, and
every corner (as I thought) of that interminable mansion. There
was but one place reserved; the garden-room, whither Lady
Ann had now retired. I paused a moment on the outside of the
door, and smiled to myself. The situation was indeed strange,
and these thin boards divided the secret of the Flying Scud.
All the while, as I went to and fro, I was considering the visit
and departure of Bellairs. That he had got the address, I was
quite certain: that he had not got it by direct questioning, I was
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