The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from St. Ives by Robert Louis Stevenson: formidable weapon - and menaced him with the butt. 'Spare you!' I
cried, 'you beast!'
His voice died in his fat inwards, but his lips still vehemently
framed the same words of supplication. My anger began to pass off,
but not all my repugnance; the picture he made revolted me, and I
was impatient to be spared the further view of it.
'Here,' said I, 'stop this performance: it sickens me. I am not
going to kill you, do you hear? I have need of you.'
A look of relief, that I could almost have called beautiful, dawned
on his countenance. 'Anything - anything you wish,' said he.
Anything is a big word, and his use of it brought me for a moment
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Salome by Oscar Wilde: Il est comme un mur de platre ou les viperes sont passees, comme un
mur de platre ou les scorpions ont fait leur nid. Il est comme un
sepulcre blanchi, et qui est plein de choses degoutantes. Il est
horrible, il est horrible ton corps! . . . C'est de tes cheveux que
je suis amoureuse, Iokanaan. Tes cheveux ressemblent e des grappes
de raisins, e des grappes de raisins noirs qui pendent des vignes
d'Edom dans le pays des Edomites. Tes cheveux sont comme les cedres
du Liban, comme les grands cedres du Liban qui donnent de l'ombre
aux lions et aux voleurs qui veulent se cacher pendant la journee.
Les longues nuits noires, les nuits ou la lune ne se montre pas, ou
les etoiles ont peur, ne sont pas aussi noires. Le silence qui
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