| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Touchstone by Edith Wharton: "Oh, we all know you haven't any principles," Mrs. Armiger
declared; and Alexa Glennard, lifting an indolent smile, said: "I
shall never write you a love-letter, Mr. Flamel."
Glennard moved away impatiently. Such talk was as tedious as the
buzzing of gnats. He wondered why his wife had wanted to drag him
on such a senseless expedition. . . . He hated Flamel's crowd--
and what business had Flamel himself to interfere in that way,
standing up for the publication of the letters as though Glennard
needed his defence? . . .
Glennard turned his head and saw that Flamel had drawn a seat to
Alexa's elbow and was speaking to her in a low tone. The other
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from In the South Seas by Robert Louis Stevenson: different manner, Kooamua established a forest law. It was
observed the cocoa-palms were suffering, for the plucking of green
nuts impoverishes and at last endangers the tree. Now Kooamua
could tapu the reef, which was public property, but he could not
tapu other people's palms; and the expedient adopted was
interesting. He tapu'd his own trees, and his example was imitated
over all Hatiheu and Anaho. I fear Taipi might have tapu'd all
that he possessed and found none to follow him. So much for the
esteem in which the dignity of an appointed chief is held by
others; a single circumstance will show what he thinks of it
himself. I never met one, but he took an early opportunity to
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