The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Early Short Fiction of Edith Wharton by Edith Wharton: of work. As she stood there, balancing her impulses, the
esoteric Trimmle returned with the announcement of luncheon, and
Mary, thus impelled, opened the door and went into the library.
Boyne was not at his desk, and she peered about her, expecting to
discover him at the book-shelves, somewhere down the length of
the room; but her call brought no response, and gradually it
became clear to her that he was not in the library.
She turned back to the parlor-maid.
"Mr. Boyne must be up-stairs. Please tell him that luncheon is
ready."
The parlor-maid appeared to hesitate between the obvious duty of
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Ferragus by Honore de Balzac: night. Yes, monsieur, since then some extraordinary evil has developed
in me. My hair appears to distil an inward fever and a deadly languor
through my skull; I know who clutched my hair at that ball."
Monsieur de Maulincour then related, without omitting a single fact,
his platonic love for Madame Jules, and the details of the affair in
the rue Soly which began this narrative. Any one would have listened
to him with attention; but Madame Jules' husband had good reason to be
more amazed than any other human being. Here his character displayed
itself; he was more amazed than overcome. Made a judge, and the judge
of an adored woman, he found in his soul the equity of a judge as well
as the inflexibility. A lover still, he thought less of his own
Ferragus |