| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Underground City by Jules Verne: All complied with the old overman's instructions.
As he said, by groping carefully, they could not mistake the way.
It was only necessary to make the hands take the place of the eyes,
and to trust to their instinct, which had with Simon Ford
and his son become a second nature.
James Starr and his companions walked on in the order agreed.
They did not speak, but it was not for want of thinking. It became
evident that they had an adversary. But what was he, and how were they
to defend themselves against these mysteriously-prepared attacks?
These disquieting ideas crowded into their brains. However, this was
not the moment to get discouraged.
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Juana by Honore de Balzac: courtyard; but in vain; he saw no gleam of light except from the
windows of the old couple, whom he could see and hear as they went and
came and talked and coughed. Of the young girl, not a shadow!
Montefiore was far too wary to risk the future of his passion by
exploring the house nocturnally, or by tapping softly on the doors.
Discovery by that hot patriot, the mercer, suspicious as a Spaniard
must be, meant ruin infallibly. The captain therefore resolved to wait
patiently, resting his faith on time and the imperfection of men,
which always results--even with scoundrels, and how much more with
honest men!--in the neglect of precautions.
The next day he discovered a hammock in the kitchen, showing plainly
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