| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Selected Writings of Guy De Maupassant by Guy De Maupassant: on her arms bracelets of imitation gold.
Her husband frequently remonstrated with her, saying:
"My dear, as you cannot afford to buy real diamonds, you ought to
appear adorned with your beauty and modesty alone, which are the
rarest ornaments of your sex."
But she would smile sweetly, and say:
"What can I do? I am so fond of jewelry. It is my only weakness.
We cannot change our natures."
Then she would roll the pearl necklaces around her fingers, and
hold up the bright gems for her husband's admiration, gently
coaxing him:
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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: wake the dead; it was supposed, by those that heard her, from
a design to have it out with the good man at once. The
house-servants gathered on the stair, because it was a main
interest with them to know which of these two was the better
horse; and for the space of two hours they were heard to go
at the matter, hammer and tongs. Montroymont alleged he was
at the end of possibilities; it was no longer within his
power to pay the annual rents; she had served him basely by
keeping conventicles while he lay in prison for her sake; his
friends were weary, and there was nothing else before him but
the entire loss of the family lands, and to begin life again
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