The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from An Historical Mystery by Honore de Balzac: grand and devoted during the last twelve years. If disaster were to
overtake my cousins now I should die of it--No," she added, quickly,
"I would live long enough to kill Bonaparte."
"There will be two of us to do that when all is lost," said Michu.
Laurence took his rough hand and wrung it warmly, as the English do.
Michu looked at his watch; it was midnight.
"We must leave here at any cost," he said. "Death to the gendarme who
attempts to stop me! And you, madame la comtesse, without presuming to
dictate, ride back to Cinq-Cygne as fast as you can. The police are
there by this time; fool them! delay them!"
The hole once opened, Michu flung himself down with his ear to the
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Alexander's Bridge by Willa Cather: the rear end of the long train swept by him,
the lawyer noticed at one of the windows a
man's head, with thick rumpled hair.
"Curious," he thought; "that looked like
Alexander, but what would he be doing back
there in the daycoaches?"
It was, indeed, Alexander.
That morning a telegram from Moorlock
had reached him, telling him that there was
serious trouble with the bridge and that he
was needed there at once, so he had caught
Alexander's Bridge |