| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Deputy of Arcis by Honore de Balzac: interest, which has, in fact, brought me here. I mean Monsieur de
Sallenauve."
"Has Monsieur de Sallenauve," said Madame de l'Estorade, with marked
coldness of manner, "sent you here with a message to my husband?"
"No, madame," replied Jacques Bricheteau, "he has unfortunately given
me no message. I cannot find him. I went to Ville d'Avray this
morning, and was told that he had started on a journey with Monsieur
Marie-Gaston. The servant having told me that the object and direction
of this journey were probably known to you--"
"Not in any way," interrupted Madame de l'Estorade.
Not as yet perceiving that his visit was unacceptable and that no
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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 Altar of the Dead by Henry James: friends and whose deposition from this eminence had practically
left it without an occupant. He had seen him after their rupture,
but hadn't now seen him for years. Standing there before the fire
he turned cold as he read what had befallen him. Promoted a short
time previous to the governorship of the Westward Islands, Acton
Hague had died, in the bleak honour of this exile, of an illness
consequent on the bite of a poisonous snake. His career was
compressed by the newspaper into a dozen lines, the perusal of
which excited on George Stransom's part no warmer feeling than one
of relief at the absence of any mention of their quarrel, an
incident accidentally tainted at the time, thanks to their joint
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