| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell: as possible, wishing her skirts were in such condition that she
could dance. It would be so good to dance again. But, of course,
she could do more with Frank in this sequestered alcove than in a
breathless reel and she could listen fascinated to his talk and
encourage him to greater flights of foolishness.
But the music certainly was inviting. Her slipper patted longingly
in time with old Levi's large splayed foot as he twanged a strident
banjo and called the figures of the reel. Feet swished and scraped
and patted as the twin lines danced toward each other, retreated,
whirled and made arches of their arms.
"'Ole Dan Tucker he got drunk--'
Gone With the Wind |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from New Arabian Nights by Robert Louis Stevenson: the morning lay cold and clear over that well-known scene. The
pavilion was but a blackened wreck; the roof had fallen in, one of
the gables had fallen out; and, far and near, the face of the links
was cicatrised with little patches of burnt furze. Thick smoke
still went straight upwards in the windless air of the morning, and
a great pile of ardent cinders filled the bare walls of the house,
like coals in an open grate. Close by the islet a schooner yacht
lay to, and a well-manned boat was pulling vigorously for the
shore.
"The RED EARL!" I cried. "The RED EARL twelve hours too late!"
"Feel in your pocket, Frank. Are you armed?" asked Northmour.
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