| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Salome by Oscar Wilde: Comme ils sont rouges ces petales! On dirait des taches de sang sur
la nappe. Cela ne fait rien. Il ne faut pas trouver des symboles
dans chaque chose qu'on voit. Cela rend la vie impossible. Il
serait mieux de dire que les taches de sang sont aussi belles que
les petales de roses. Il serait beaucoup mieux de dire cela . . .
Mais ne parlons pas de cela. Maintenant je suis heureux. Je suis
tres heureux. J'ai le droit d'etre heureux, n'est-ce pas? Votre
fille va danser pour moi. N'est-ce pas que vous allez danser pour
moi, Salome? Vous avez promis de danser pour moi.
HERODIAS. Je ne veux pas qu'elle danse.
SALOME. Je danserai pour vous, tetrarque.
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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 Mysterious Island by Jules Verne: both birds and quadrupeds, are more timid than formerly. These woods have,
therefore, been recently traversed by the convicts, and we shall certainly
find some traces of them."
And, in fact, in several places they could distinguish traces, more or
less recent, of the passage of a band of men--here branches broken off the
trees, perhaps to mark out the way; there the ashes of a fire, and
footprints in clayey spots; but nothing which appeared to belong to a
settled encampment.
The engineer had recommended his companions to refrain from hunting. The
reports of the firearms might give the alarm to the convicts, who were,
perhaps, roaming through the forest. Moreover, the hunters would
 The Mysterious Island |