Today's Stichomancy for Meyer Lansky

The excerpt represents the core issue or deciding factor on which you must meditate, and is drawn from The Contrast by Royall Tyler:

Hold him, hold him,--I can command my passion.

Enter JONATHAN.

JONATHAN

What the rattle ails you? Is the old one in you? Let the colonel alone, can't you? I feel chock-full of fight,--do you want to kill the colonel?--

MANLY

Be still, Jonathan; the gentleman does not want to hurt me.

JONATHAN

Gor! I--I wish he did; I'd shew him Yankee