| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Rezanov by Gertrude Atherton: mind to holy things, and throw a mantle of un-
reality over those of the world.
He covered his face with his hand as she told her
story. This she did in a few words, disjointed, for
she was both tired and seething. For a few mo-
ments afterward there was a silence; the good priest
was increasingly disturbed and by no means certain
of his course. He was astonished to feel a tug at
his sleeve. Before he could reprove this impenitent
child for audacity she had raised herself that she
might approach her lips more closely to his ear.
Rezanov |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Black Tulip by Alexandre Dumas: "O Cornelius, forgive me, forgive me, it will kill me!"
Seeing Rosa's distress, Cornelius seized the iron bars of
the grating, and furiously shaking them, called out, --
"Rosa, Rosa, we have been robbed, it is true, but shall we
allow ourselves to be dejected for all that? No, no; the
misfortune is great, but it may perhaps be remedied. Rosa,
we know the thief!"
"Alas! what can I say about it?"
"But I say that it is no one else but that infamous Jacob.
Shall we allow him to carry to Haarlem the fruit of our
labour, the fruit of our sleepless nights, the child of our
The Black Tulip |
