| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Lesson of the Master by Henry James: that Miss Fancourt's own manner somehow made everything right.
Overt walked with her into the gallery, and they strolled to the
end of it, looking at the pictures, the cabinets, the charming
vista, which harmonised with the prospect of the summer afternoon,
resembling it by a long brightness, with great divans and old
chairs that figured hours of rest. Such a place as that had the
added merit of giving those who came into it plenty to talk about.
Miss Fancourt sat down with her new acquaintance on a flowered
sofa, the cushions of which, very numerous, were tight ancient
cubes of many sizes, and presently said: "I'm so glad to have a
chance to thank you."
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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 Case of The Lamp That Went Out by Grace Isabel Colbron and Augusta Groner: "Why, yes, sir, just because it was so elaborate. A man like Knoll
would not have had the mind to invent such a story. It must have
been true, on the face of it."
The commissioner's eyes sank again, and he did not speak until the
detective had reached the end of his story. Then he opened a drawer
in his desk and took out a bundle of official blank-forms.
"It is wonderful! Wonderful! Muller, this case will go on record
as one of your finest achievements - and we thought it was so simple
"Oh, indeed, sir, chance favoured me at every turn," replied Muller
modestly.
"There is no such thing as chance," said the commissioner. "We
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| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Philebus by Plato: rather only have the pleasures of health and temperance, which are the
handmaidens of virtue. But still we want truth? That is now added; and so
the argument is complete, and may be compared to an incorporeal law, which
is to hold fair rule over a living body. And now we are at the vestibule
of the good, in which there are three chief elements--truth, symmetry, and
beauty. These will be the criterion of the comparative claims of pleasure
and wisdom.
Which has the greater share of truth? Surely wisdom; for pleasure is the
veriest impostor in the world, and the perjuries of lovers have passed into
a proverb.
Which of symmetry? Wisdom again; for nothing is more immoderate than
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The fourth excerpt represents the element of Earth. It speaks of physical influences and the impact of the unseen on the visible world, and is drawn from Arizona Nights by Stewart Edward White: itself, and so had always been considered immune from attack.
Consequently these steers were very fine ones.
For the first time Buck Johnson lost his head and his dignity.
He ordered the horses.
"I'm going to follow that -- -- into Sonora," he shouted to Jed
Parker. "This thing's got to stop!"
"You can't make her, Buck," objected the foreman. "You'll get
held up by the desert, and, if that don't finish you, they'll
tangle you up in all those little mountains down there, and
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