| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde: fashionable any more. [CECILY looks angrily at her, takes up the
tongs and puts four lumps of sugar into the cup.]
CECILY. [Severely.] Cake or bread and butter?
GWENDOLEN. [In a bored manner.] Bread and butter, please. Cake
is rarely seen at the best houses nowadays.
CECILY. [Cuts a very large slice of cake, and puts it on the
tray.] Hand that to Miss Fairfax.
[MERRIMAN does so, and goes out with footman. GWENDOLEN drinks the
tea and makes a grimace. Puts down cup at once, reaches out her
hand to the bread and butter, looks at it, and finds it is cake.
Rises in indignation.]
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Dawn O'Hara, The Girl Who Laughed by Edna Ferber: of that day's work finds one looking out at the world
with eyes that are very tired and as old as the world
itself.
I'm spoiled for sewing bees and church sociables and
afternoon bridges. A hunger for the city is upon me.
The long, lazy summer days have slipped by. There is an
autumn tang in the air. The breeze has a touch that is
sharp.
Winter in a little northern town! I should go mad.
But winter in the city! The streets at dusk on a frosty
evening; the shop windows arranged by artist hands for
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| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Unconscious Comedians by Honore de Balzac: breach: 'Heaven knows what I shall say to them.' A mad desire to laugh
overcame me, and as one mustn't laugh on the ministerial bench I
rushed out, for my youth does come back to me most unseasonably at
times."
"At last," cried Gazonal, "I've found an honest man in Paris! You must
be a very superior man," he added, looking at the stranger.
"Ah ca! who is this gentleman?" said the ci-devant young man,
examining Gazonal.
"My cousin," said Leon, hastily. "I'll answer for his silence and his
honor as for my own. It is on his account we have come here now; he
has a case before the administration which depends on your ministry.
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The fourth excerpt represents the element of Earth. It speaks of physical influences and the impact of the unseen on the visible world, and is drawn from Catherine de Medici by Honore de Balzac: added in a piteous tone; "and ask the Grand Master for an order to pay
certain sums that are due to my father, for he is at his wit's end
just now for money."
The cardinal and the duke glanced at each other and seemed satisfied.
"Now leave us," said the duke to the surgeon, making him a sign. "And
you my friend," turning to Christophe; "do your errand quickly and
return to Paris. My secretary will give you a pass, for it is not
safe, /mordieu/, to be travelling on the high-roads!"
Neither of the brothers formed the slightest suspicion of the grave
importance of Christophe's errand, convinced, as they now were, that
he was really the son of the good Catholic Lecamus, the court furrier,
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