| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Oscar Wilde Miscellaneous by Oscar Wilde: and follows me to my home. At other times I go down to the harbour
and watch the merchants unloading their vessels. Those that come
from Tyre have cloaks of silk and earrings of emerald. Those that
come from Massilia have cloaks of fine wool and earrings of brass.
When they see me coming they stand on the prows of their ships and
call to me, but I do not answer them. I go to the little taverns
where the sailors lie all day long drinking black wine and playing
with dice and I sit down with them.
I made the Prince my slave, and his slave who was a Tyrian I made my
lord for the space of a moon.
I put a figured ring on his finger and brought him to my house. I
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Ursula by Honore de Balzac: January, 1815, the old man actually arrived, installing himself
quietly, almost slyly, with a little girl about ten months old, and a
nurse.
"The child can't be his daughter," said the terrified heirs; "he is
seventy-one years old."
"Whoever she is," remarked Madame Massin, "she'll give us plenty of
tintouin" (a word peculiar to Nemours, meaning uneasiness, anxiety, or
more literally, tingling in the ears).
The doctor received his great-niece on the mother's side somewhat
coldly; her husband had just bought the place of clerk of the court,
and the pair began at once to tell him of their difficulties. Neither
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