| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Ball at Sceaux by Honore de Balzac: looking at his feet, because he thinks them small, and he gazes at
himself in the glass! Besides, he is fair. I don't like fair men."
"Well, then, Monsieur de Beaudenord?"
"He is not noble! he is ill made and stout. He is dark, it is true.--
If the two gentlemen could agree to combine their fortunes, and the
first would give his name and his figure to the second, who should
keep his dark hair, then--perhaps----"
"What can you say against Monsieur de Rastignac?"
"Madame de Nucingen has made a banker of him," she said with meaning.
"And our cousin, the Vicomte de Portenduere?"
"A mere boy, who dances badly; besides, he has no fortune. And, after
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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 Princess of Parms by Edgar Rice Burroughs: high above their heads, leaped from the towering bows of
their mighty craft to an awful death.
Not until the commander of the entire fleet took the fearful
plunge, thus indicating the surrender of the remaining vessels,
did the fighting cease, and the useless sacrifice of brave men
come to an end.
We now signaled the flagship of Helium's navy to approach,
and when she was within hailing distance I called out that
we had the Princess Dejah Thoris on board, and that we
wished to transfer her to the flagship that she might be
taken immediately to the city.
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