| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Bride of Lammermoor by Walter Scott: were, therefore, at once about old Caleb's neck, setting up their
throats together by way of welcome.
"Ay, sirs, Mr. Balderstone, and is this you? A sight of you is
gude for sair een. Sit down--sit down; the gudeman will be
blythe to see you--ye nar saw him sae cadgy in your life; but we
are to christen our bit wean the night, as ye will hae heard, and
doubtless ye will stay and see the ordinance. We hae killed a
wether, and ane o' our lads has been out wi' his gun at the moss;
ye used to like wild-fowl."
"Na, na, gudewife," said Caleb; "I just keekit in to wish ye
joy, and I wad be glad to hae spoken wi' the gudeman, but----"
The Bride of Lammermoor |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Lay Morals by Robert Louis Stevenson: stand? Courage, that a poor private carrying a musket has to
spare of; that does not fail a weasel or a rat; that is a
brutish faculty? I to fail there, I wonder? But what is
courage, then? The constancy to endure oneself or to see
others suffer? The itch of ill-advised activity: mere
shuttle-wittedness, or to be still and patient? To inquire
of the significance of words is to rob ourselves of what we
seem to know, and yet, of all things, certainly to stand
still is the least heroic. Nance,' he said, 'did you ever
hear of HAMLET?'
'Never,' said Nance.
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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 Finished by H. Rider Haggard: holder," and I glanced at my revolver.
Seeing that I meant business he made no reply, but turned upon
Marnham who had followed me.
"This is your work, you old villain," he said in a low voice that
was heavy with hate. "You promised your daughter to me. She is
engaged to me, and now I find her in this wanderer's arms."
"What have I to do with it?" said Marnham. "Perhaps she has
changed her mind. You had better ask her."
"There is no need to ask me," interrupted Heda, who now seemed to
have got her nerve again. "I _have_ changed my mind. I never
loved you, Dr. Rodd, and I will not marry you. I love Mr.
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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 Lesser Bourgeoisie by Honore de Balzac: the search gave extraordinary vigilance to her senses, and as she
raised the wooden side-frame she heard the fall of some tiny object on
the floor. Seizing the light she began to search in the mound of filth
of all kinds that was under the bed, and finally laid her hand on a
bit of polished steel about half an inch long, the use of which was to
her inexplicable.
"That's a key!" cried Cerizet, who was standing beside her with some
indifference, but whose imagination now set off at a gallop.
"Ha! ha! you see I was right," cried the Cardinal. "But what can it
open?" she added, on reflection; "nothing bigger than a doll's house."
"No," said Cerizet, "it is a modern invention, and very strong locks
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