| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Tapestried Chamber by Walter Scott: apart from the rest of the company, when, turning round upon him
with an air of great solemnity, he addressed him thus:--
"Richard Browne, my old and very dear friend, we are now alone.
Let me conjure you to answer me upon the word of a friend, and
the honour of a soldier. How did you in reality rest during last
night?"
"Most wretchedly indeed, my lord," answered the General, in the
same tone of solemnity--"so miserably, that I would not run the
risk of such a second night, not only for all the lands
belonging to this castle, but for all the country which I see
from this elevated point of view."
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from A Second Home by Honore de Balzac: brief moments when they met free from the active watchfulness of their
families, they had scarcely exchanged a few vague civilities at the
church door or in the street. Their happiest days had been those when,
brought together by one of those country festivities known in Normandy
as /Assemblees/, they could steal a glance at each other from afar.
In the course of the last vacation Granville had twice seen Angelique,
and her downcast eyes and drooping attitude had led him to suppose
that she was crushed by some unknown tyranny.
He was off by seven next morning to the coach office in the Rue Notre-
Dame-des-Victoires, and was so lucky as to find a vacant seat in the
diligence then starting for Caen.
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