| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne: summit of the cone, before this lateral chasm had opened a new way to it.
As to the volcanic chimney which established a communication between the
subterranean layers and the crater, its depth could not be calculated with
the eye, for it was lost in obscurity. But there was no doubt as to the
complete extinction of the volcano.
Before eight o'clock Harding and his companions were assembled at the
summit of the crater, on a conical mound which swelled the northern edge.
"The sea, the sea everywhere!" they cried, as if their lips could not
restrain the words which made islanders of them.
The sea, indeed, formed an immense circular sheet of water all around
them! Perhaps, on climbing again to the summit of the cone, Cyrus Harding
The Mysterious Island |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Daisy Miller by Henry James: American flirt should be "talked about" by low-minded menials.
These people, a day or two later, had serious information to give:
the little American flirt was alarmingly ill. Winterbourne, when the
rumor came to him, immediately went to the hotel for more news.
He found that two or three charitable friends had preceded him,
and that they were being entertained in Mrs. Miller's salon by Randolph.
"It's going round at night," said Randolph--"that's
what made her sick. She's always going round at night.
I shouldn't think she'd want to, it's so plaguy dark.
You can't see anything here at night, except when there's a moon.
In America there's always a moon!" Mrs. Miller was invisible;
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