| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Case of The Lamp That Went Out by Grace Isabel Colbron and Augusta Groner: "I come from Siemens & Halske; I was to ask whether the other man - "
"Has been here already?" interrupted Franz, adding in an irritated
tone, "No, he hasn't been here at all."
"Well, I guess he didn't get through at the other place in time.
I'll see what the trouble is," said the stranger, whom Franz
naturally supposed to be the electrician, lie opened the gate and
asked the other to come in, leading him into the house. Under a
cloudy sky the day was fading rapidly. Muller knew that it would
not occur to the real electrician to begin any work as late as this,
and that he was perfectly safe in the examination he wanted to make.
"Well, what's the trouble here? Why did you write to our firm?"
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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 Koran: O ye who believe! raise not your voices above the voice of the
prophet, and do not speak loud to him as ye speak loud to one another,
lest your works become vain, while ye do not perceive.
Verily, those who lower their voice before the Apostle of God,
they are those whose hearts God has proved for piety, for them is
forgiveness and a mighty hire.
Verily, those who cry out to thee from behind the inner chambers,
most of them have no sense; but did they wait until thou come out to
them, it were better for them;-but God is forgiving, merciful.
O ye who believe! if there come to you a sinner with an information,
then discriminate, lest ye fall upon a people in ignorance and on
The Koran |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Ferragus by Honore de Balzac: so calm and peaceful where a deadly storm was gathering.
"Did you go out to-day?" he asked, as though mechanically.
He was impelled to ask the question by the last of a myriad of
thoughts which had gathered themselves together into a lucid
meditation, though jealousy was actively prompting them.
"No," she answered, in a tone that was falsely candid.
At that instant Jules saw through the open door of the dressing-room
the velvet bonnet which his wife wore in the mornings; on it were
drops of rain. Jules was a passionate man, but he was also full of
delicacy. It was repugnant to him to bring his wife face to face with
a lie. When such a situation occurs, all has come to an end forever
Ferragus |
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 Red Seal by Natalie Sumner Lincoln: the questions the desk sergeant put to him, and that was all,"
stated 0' Ryan.
Penfield laid down his memorandum pad. "All right, O'Ryan; you may
retire," and at the words the policeman left the platform and the
room. He was followed by the police sergeant who had been on desk
duty at the Eighth Precinct on Tuesday morning. His testimony
simply corroborated O'Ryan's statement that the prisoner had done
and said nothing which would indicate that he was other than he
seemed - a housebreaker.
Coroner Penfield paused before calling the next witness and drank
a glass of ice water; the weather had turned unseasonably hot, and
The Red Seal |
