| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Rescue by Joseph Conrad: mad?
"The talk would be of peace," declared impressively the shadow
which had drifted much closer to the hulk now.
"It isn't for me to talk with great chiefs," Jorgenson returned,
cautiously.
"But Tengga is a friend," argued the nocturnal messenger. "And by
that fire there are other friends--your friends, the Rajah Hassim
and the lady Immada, who send you their greetings and who expect
their eyes to rest on you before sunrise."
"That's a lie," remarked Jorgenson, perfunctorily, and fell into
thought, while the shadowy bearer of words preserved a
The Rescue |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Reminiscences of Tolstoy by Leo Tolstoy: touch on for fear of causing us pain. I shall never forget how
once in Moscow I found him sitting writing at the table in my room
when I dashed in suddenly to change my clothes.
My bed stood behind a screen, which hid him from me.
When he heard my footsteps he said, without looking round:
"Is that you, Ilyá?"
"Yes, it's I."
"Are you alone? Shut the door. There's no one to hear us,
and we can't see each other, so we shall not feel ashamed. Tell
me, did you ever have anything to do with women?"
When I said no, I suddenly heard him break out sobbing, like
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