| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Melmoth Reconciled by Honore de Balzac: rather face ruin than make the admissions: "I cannot----" "My means
will not permit----" "I cannot afford----"
When, therefore, Castanier saw that if he meant to emerge from the
abyss of debt into which he had plunged, he must part with Aquilina
and live upon bread and water, he was so unable to do without her or
to change his habits of life, that daily he put off his plans of
reform until the morrow. The debts were pressing, and he began by
borrowing money. His position and previous character inspired
confidence, and of this he took advantage to devise a system of
borrowing money as he required it. Then, as the total amount of debt
rapidly increased, he had recourse to those commercial inventions
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Confidence by Henry James: along a sort of winding lane, where two or three fishermen's cottages,
with old brown nets suspended on the walls and drying in the sun,
stood open to the road, on the other side of which was
a patch of salt-looking grass, browsed by a donkey that was
not fastidious.
"It 's so long since we parted, and we have so much to say to each other!"
Bernard exclaimed at last, and he accompanied this declaration with a laugh
much more spontaneous than the one he had given a few moments before.
It might have gratified him, however, to observe that his companion appeared
to see no ground for joking in the idea that they should have a good deal
to say to each other.
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