The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Faith of Men by Jack London: "Nothing of the sort," came the reply. "I merely implied that you
were trying to be clumsily witty."
"Make your bets, gentlemen," the dealer protested.
"But I tell you it's true," Nick Inwood insisted.
"And I have told you I've five hundred that says it's not in that
paper," Pentfield answered, at the same time throwing a heavy sack
of dust on the table.
"I am sorry to take your money," was the retort, as Inwood thrust
the newspaper into Pentfield's hand.
Pentfield saw, though he could not quite bring himself to believe.
Glancing through the headline, "Young Lochinvar came out of the
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Four Arthurian Romances by Chretien DeTroyes: mid-career, the knights strike each other so fiercely that there
is nothing left of the lances in their hands. Each brings the
other to earth; however, they are not dismayed, but they rise at
once and attack each other with their sharp drawn swords. The
burning sparks fly in the air from their helmets. They assail
each other so bitterly with the drawn swords in their hands that,
as they thrust and draw, they encounter each other with their
blows and will not pause even to catch their breath. The king in
his grief and anxiety called the Queen, who had gone up in the
tower to look out from the balcony: he begged her for God's sake,
the Creator, to let them be separated. "Whatever is your
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