| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain: Then, the fire being out and the storm spent, the voices
and flying footsteps presently ceased, and darkness and
stillness reigned again.
We ventured out, and hurried cautiously away; and
although we were worn out and sleepy, we kept on
until we had put this place some miles behind us.
Then we asked hospitality at the hut of a charcoal
burner, and got what was to be had. A woman was
up and about, but the man was still asleep, on a straw
shake-down, on the clay floor. The woman seemed
uneasy until I explained that we were travelers and had
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Bureaucracy by Honore de Balzac: about her in which the nerves relax and the feelings soften.
"You are ignorant of what is happening," said des Lupeaulx, harshly,
for he still thought it best to make a show of harshness. "Read that."
He gave the two newspapers to the graceful woman, having drawn a line
in red ink round each of the famous articles.
"Good heavens!" she exclaimed, "but this is dreadful! Who is this
Baudoyer?"
"A donkey," answered des Lupeaulx; "but, as you see, he uses means,--
he gives monstrances; he succeeds, thanks to some clever hand that
pulls the wires."
The thought of her debts crossed Madame Rabourdin's mind and blurred
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