The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Ball at Sceaux by Honore de Balzac: of contempt.
To hear her, people of respectable corpulence were incapable of
sentiment, bad husbands, and unfit for civilized society. Though it is
esteemed a beauty in the East, to be fat seemed to her a misfortune
for a woman; but in a man it was a crime. These paradoxical views were
amusing, thanks to a certain liveliness of rhetoric. The Count felt
nevertheless that by-and-by his daughter's affections, of which the
absurdity would be evident to some women who were not less clear-
sighted than merciless, would inevitably become a subject of constant
ridicule. He feared lest her eccentric notions should deviate into bad
style. He trembled to think that the pitiless world might already be
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from When the World Shook by H. Rider Haggard: never do for him to set them an example in the use of spirituous
liquors.
"However much we may differ, Bastin, I respect you for that
sentiment," commented Bickley.
"I don't know why you should," answered Bastin; "but if so, you
might follow my example."
That night we slept like logs, trusting to our teak door which
we barricaded, and to Tommy, who was a most excellent watch-dog,
to guard us against surprise. At any rate we took the risk. As a
matter of fact, nothing happened, though before dawn Tommy did
growl a good deal, for I heard him, but as he sank into slumber
 When the World Shook |