The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from In a German Pension by Katherine Mansfield: From the pine forest streamed a wild perfume, the branches swayed together,
rhythmically, sonorously. I felt so light and free and happy--so childish!
I wanted to poke my tongue out at the circle on the grass, who, drawing
close together, were whispering meaningly.
"Perhaps you do not know," cried a voice from one of the cells, "to swing
is very upsetting for the stomach? A friend of mine could keep nothing
down for three weeks after exciting herself so."
I went to the bath shelter and was hosed.
As I dressed, someone tapped on the wall.
"Do you know," said a voice, "there is a man who LIVES in the Luft Bad next
door? He buries himself up to the armpits in mud and refuses to believe in
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from In the Cage by Henry James: of it in her manner of holding her head, she continued not to move-
-she only smiled at him. The evening had thickened now; the
scattered lamps were red; the Park, all before them, was full of
obscure and ambiguous life; there were other couples on other
benches whom it was impossible not to see, yet at whom it was
impossible to look. "But I've walked so much out of my way with
you only just to show you that--that"--with this she paused; it was
not after all so easy to express--"that anything you may have
thought is perfectly true."
"Oh I've thought a tremendous lot!" her companion laughed. "Do you
mind my smoking?"
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