| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Under the Red Robe by Stanley Weyman: might make the difference between life and death, love and death;
and I wavered. But at last I settled what I would do. At noon
the next day, the time at which I should have presented myself if
I had not heard this news, at that time I would still present
myself. Not earlier; I owed myself the chance. Not later; that
was due to him.
Having so settled it, I thought to rest in peace. But with the
first light I was awake, and it was all I could do to keep myself
quiet until I heard Frison stirring. I called to him then to
know if there was any news, and lay waiting and listening while
he went down to the street to learn. It seemed an endless time
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Menexenus by Plato: attacked by all mankind. And that reputation was a true one, for the
defeat which came upon us was our own doing. We were never conquered by
others, and to this day we are still unconquered by them; but we were our
own conquerors, and received defeat at our own hands. Afterwards there was
quiet and peace abroad, but there sprang up war at home; and, if men are
destined to have civil war, no one could have desired that his city should
take the disorder in a milder form. How joyful and natural was the
reconciliation of those who came from the Piraeus and those who came from
the city; with what moderation did they order the war against the tyrants
in Eleusis, and in a manner how unlike what the other Hellenes expected!
And the reason of this gentleness was the veritable tie of blood, which
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Underground City by Jules Verne: tartan kilt, plaid and sporran complete. His whole thought was to reach
Callander where Harry Ford was supposedly awaiting him.
The better to understand this narrative, it will be as well to hear
a few words on the origin of coal. During the geological epoch,
when the terrestrial spheroid was still in course of formation,
a thick atmosphere surrounded it, saturated with watery vapors,
and copiously impregnated with carbonic acid. The vapors gradually
condensed in diluvial rains, which fell as if they had leapt
from the necks of thousands of millions of seltzer water bottles.
This liquid, loaded with carbonic acid, rushed in torrents over
a deep soft soil, subject to sudden or slow alterations of
|
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 Off on a Comet by Jules Verne: what interest do you ask?"
Faltering and undecided still, the Jew went on. "Very scarce, you know.
Ten francs a day, I think, would not be unreasonable, considering--"
The count had no patience to allow him to finish what he was about
to say. He flung down notes to the value of several rubles.
With a greediness that could not be concealed, Hakkabut grasped them all.
Paper, indeed, they were; but the cunning Israelite knew that they
would in any case be security far beyond the value of his cash.
He was making some eighteen hundred per cent. interest, and accordingly
chuckled within himself at his unexpected stroke of business.
The professor pocketed his French coins with a satisfaction far
|
