| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Jungle by Upton Sinclair: They went, all save the butler.
"You may go too, Hamilton," he said.
"Master Frederick--" the man began.
"Go!" cried the youngster, angrily. "Damn you, don't you hear me?"
The man went out and closed the door; Jurgis, who was as sharp as
he, observed that he took the key out of the lock, in order that
he might peer through the keyhole.
Master Frederick turned to the table again. "Now," he said, "go
for it."
Jurgis gazed at him doubtingly. "Eat!" cried the other. "Pile
in, ole chappie!"
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Arrow of Gold by Joseph Conrad: devouring a slice of pate de foie gras. Not in the least. It
never entered my head. How could it? The Rita that haunted me had
no history; she was but the principle of life charged with
fatality. Her form was only a mirage of desire decoying one step
by step into despair.
Senor Ortega gulped down some more wine and suggested I should tell
him who I was. "It's only right I should know," he added.
This could not be gainsaid; and to a man connected with the Carlist
organization the shortest way was to introduce myself as that
"Monsieur George" of whom he had probably heard.
He leaned far over the table, till his very breast-bone was over
The Arrow of Gold |
