The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from A Man of Business by Honore de Balzac: " 'It is indeed a lesson, my pretty lady,' said the guileful Croizeau.
'Meanwhile, I have never seen a man in such a state. Our friend
Denisart cannot tell his left hand from his right; he will not go back
to look at the "scene of his happiness," as he calls it. He has so
thoroughly lost his wits, that he proposes that I should buy all
Hortense's furniture (Hortense was her name) for four thousand
francs.'
" 'A pretty name,' said Antonia.
" Yes. Napoleon's stepdaughter was called Hortense. I built carriages
for her, as you know.'
" 'Very well, I will see,' said cunning Antonia; 'begin by sending
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Turn of the Screw by Henry James: time your eyes are open even wider than mine."
They proved to be so indeed, but she could still blush, almost, to show it.
"I make out now what he must have done at school." And she gave,
in her simple sharpness, an almost droll disillusioned nod. "He stole!"
I turned it over--I tried to be more judicial. "Well--perhaps."
She looked as if she found me unexpectedly calm.
"He stole LETTERS!"
She couldn't know my reasons for a calmness after all
pretty shallow; so I showed them off as I might.
"I hope then it was to more purpose than in this case!
The note, at any rate, that I put on the table yesterday,"
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