| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Vailima Letters by Robert Louis Stevenson: that the climate of Samoa must be favourable to cousins.
Then we went out on the verandah in a lovely moonlight,
drinking port, hearing the cousin play and sing, till
presently we were informed that our boys had got up a siva in
Lafaele's house to which we were invited. It was entirely
their own idea. The house, you must understand, is one-half
floored, and one-half bare earth, and the dais stands a
little over knee high above the level of the soil. The dais
was the stage, with three footlights. We audience sat on
mats on the floor, and the cook and three of our work-boys,
sometimes assisted by our two ladies, took their places
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Baby Mine by Margaret Mayo: "_I_ haven't done you any harm," she continued wildly. "It's
only what you think your friends think."
"You haven't done me any harm?" repeated Alfred, in her same
tragic key, "Oh no! Oh no! You've only cheated me out of
everything I expected to get out of life! That's all!"
Zoie came to a full stop and waited for him to enumerate the
various treasures that he had lost by marrying her. He did so.
"Before we were married," he continued, "you pretended to adore
children. You started your humbugging the first day I met you.
I refer to little Willie Peck."
A hysterical giggle very nearly betrayed her. Alfred continued:
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