| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Crisis in Russia by Arthur Ransome: the struggle between a revolutionary and non-revolutionary
countries. I now think that that struggle is a foolish,
unnecesary, lunatic incident which disguised from us the
existence of a far more serious struggle, in which the
revolutionary and non-revolutionary governments are
fighting on the same side. They fight without cooperation,
and throw insults and bullets at each other in the middle of
the struggle, but they are fighting for the same thing. They
are fighting the same enemy. Their quarrel with each other
is for both parties merely a harassing accompaniment of the
struggle to which all Europe is committed, for the salvage 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 Tales and Fantasies by Robert Louis Stevenson: presumably in religious meditation, on the Sabbath mornings.
The old gentleman looked up with that sour, inquisitive
expression that came so near to smiling and was so different
in effect.
'This is a time when I do not like to be disturbed,' he said.
'I know that,' returned John; 'but I have - I want - I've
made a dreadful mess of it,' he broke out, and turned to the
window.
Mr. Nicholson sat silent for an appreciable time, while his
unhappy son surveyed the poles in the back green, and a
certain yellow cat that was perched upon the wall. Despair
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