| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle: all the way down, but after we had passed the Hampshire border he
threw them down and began to admire the scenery. It was an ideal
spring day, a light blue sky, flecked with little fleecy white
clouds drifting across from west to east. The sun was shining
very brightly, and yet there was an exhilarating nip in the air,
which set an edge to a man's energy. All over the countryside,
away to the rolling hills around Aldershot, the little red and
gray roofs of the farm-steadings peeped out from amid the light
green of the new foliage.
"Are they not fresh and beautiful?" I cried with all the
enthusiasm of a man fresh from the fogs of Baker Street.
 The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Westward Ho! by Charles Kingsley: the stubble, with a hawk hanging ten feet over their heads.
"Gentlemen," said Sir Richard blandly, cap in hand, "I fear that
your mails must have been somewhat in your way in this unexpected
gallop. If you will permit my groom, who is behind, to disencumber
you of them and carry them to Chapel, you will both confer an honor
on me, and be enabled yourselves to see the mort more pleasantly."
A twinkle of fun, in spite of all his efforts, played about good
Sir Richard's eye as he gave this searching hint. The two Welsh
gentlemen stammered out clumsy thanks; and pleading great haste and
fatigue from a long journey, contrived to fall to the rear and
vanish with their guides, as soon as the slot had been recovered.
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