| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from In the Cage by Henry James: particular word about it--they were talking so of other things--
they crossed the street and went in and sat down on a bench. She
had gathered by this time one magnificent hope about him--the hope
he would say nothing vulgar. She knew thoroughly what she meant by
that; she meant something quite apart from any matter of his being
"false." Their bench was not far within; it was near the Park Lane
paling and the patchy lamplight and the rumbling cabs and 'buses.
A strange emotion had come to her, and she felt indeed excitement
within excitement; above all a conscious joy in testing him with
chances he didn't take. She had an intense desire he should know
the type she really conformed to without her doing anything so low
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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 Chouans by Honore de Balzac: tempted me. I cannot bear to leave this empty world without at least
attempting to gather the flowers that it owes me,--whether I perish in
the attempt or not. But remember, for the honor of my memory, that had
I ever been a happy woman, the sight of their great knife, ready to
fall upon my neck, would not have driven me to accept a part in this
tragedy--for it is a tragedy. But now," she said, with a gesture of
disgust, "if it were countermanded, I should instantly fling myself
into the Sarthe. It would not be destroying life, for I have never
lived."
"Oh, Saint Anne of Auray, forgive her!"
"What are you so afraid of? You know very well that the dull round of
 The Chouans |