| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Europeans by Henry James: he walked away, suddenly, with his hands in his pockets, and then came
back and leaned against his column. Eugenia was now complimenting
her uncle upon his daughter's engagement, and Mr. Wentworth
was listening with his usual plain yet refined politeness.
It is to be supposed that by this time his perception of the mutual
relations of the young people who surrounded him had become more acute;
but he still took the matter very seriously, and he was not
at all exhilarated.
"Felix will make her a good husband," said Eugenia.
"He will be a charming companion; he has a great quality--
indestructible gayety."
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Manon Lescaut by Abbe Prevost: and that she handed him a letter, which he took with a transport
of joy. He had only time to express his delight by kissing the
billet-doux, for she was out of sight in an instant. But she
appeared in unusually high spirits the remainder of the day; and
even after her return to our lodgings, her gaiety continued. I
trembled at every word.
"`Are you perfectly sure,' said I, in an agony of fear, to my
servant, `that your eyes have not deceived you?' He called
Heaven to witness the truth of what he had told me.
"I know not to what excess the torments of my mind would have
driven me, if Manon, who heard me come in, had not met me with an
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