| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Recruit by Honore de Balzac: The countess made a gesture of denial; but she had turned pale, the
muscles of her face contracted from the effort that she made to
exhibit firmness, and the implacable eye of the public prosecutor lost
none of her movements.
"Well, receive him," continued the functionary of the Revolution, "but
do not keep him under your roof later than seven o'clock in the
morning. To-morrow, at eight, I shall be at your door with a
denunciation."
She looked at him with a stupid air that might have made a tiger
pitiful.
"I will prove," he continued in a kindly voice, "the falsity of the
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Almayer's Folly by Joseph Conrad: Almayer felt uneasy owing to a deep and ineradicable distrust as
to that ruler's disposition towards himself. Still, Dain had
returned at last. Evidently he meant to keep to his bargain.
Hope revived, and that night Almayer slept soundly, while Nina
watched the angry river under the lash of the thunderstorm
sweeping onward towards the sea.
CHAPTER VI.
Dain was not long in crossing the river after leaving Almayer.
He landed at the water-gate of the stockade enclosing the group
of houses which composed the residence of the Rajah of Sambir.
Evidently somebody was expected there, for the gate was open, and
Almayer's Folly |
