| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Glasses by Henry James: "She has other drawbacks," my companion went on. "Those wonderful
eyes are good for nothing but to roll about like sugar-balls--which
they greatly resemble--in a child's mouth. She can't use them."
"Use them? Why, she does nothing else."
"To make fools of young men, but not to read or write, not to do
any sort of work. She never opens a book, and her maid writes her
notes. You'll say that those who live in glass houses shouldn't
throw stones. Of course I know that if I didn't wear my goggles I
shouldn't be good for much."
"Do you mean that Miss Saunt ought to sport such things?" I
exclaimed with more horror than I meant to show.
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Kenilworth by Walter Scott: light from the beams of the moon, which penetrated where the axe
had made openings in the wood. Their path was repeatedly
interrupted by felled trees, or the large boughs which had been
left on the ground till time served to make them into fagots and
billets. The inconvenience and difficulty attending these
interruptions, the breathless haste of the first part of their
route, the exhausting sensations of hope and fear, so much
affected the Countess's strength, that Janet was forced to
propose that they should pause for a few minutes to recover
breath and spirits. Both therefore stood still beneath the
shadow of a huge old gnarled oak-tree, and both naturally looked
 Kenilworth |