| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Philosophy 4 by Owen Wister: the Earl of Leicester"? He had sung them quite in his usual manner,
conversing freely between whiles. In fact, to see and hear him, no one
would have suspected-- "It must have been that extra silver-fizz you
took before dinner," said Bertie. "Yes," said Billy;" that's what it
must have been." Bertie supplied the gap in his memory,--a matter of
several hours, it seemed. During most of this time Billy had met the
demands of each moment quite like his usual agreeable self--a
sleep-walking state. It was only when the hair incident was reached
that his conduct had noticeably crossed the line. He listened to all
this with interest intense.
"John does owe me ten, I think," said he.
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Scaramouche by Rafael Sabatini: you; I could help you, perhaps, to go very far if you would permit
yourself to be helped after my fashion."
"Yes," he thought, "help me to a halter by sending me on treasonable
missions to Austria on the Queen's behalf, like M. de Plougastel.
That would certainly end in a high position for me."
Aloud he answered more as politeness prompted. "I am grateful,
madame. But you will see that, holding the ideals I have expressed,
I could not serve any cause that is opposed to their realization."
"You are misled by prejudice, Andre-Louis, by personal grievances.
Will you allow them to stand in the way of your advancement?"
"If what I call ideals were really prejudices, would it be honest
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