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The excerpt represents the core issue or deciding factor on which you must meditate, and is drawn from Catriona by Robert Louis Stevenson: us ere now; doubtless they were some common rogues hired for my
undoing, perhaps to kidnap, perhaps to murder me outright. From the
position of those engaged, the first was the more likely; from what I
knew of their character and ardency in this business, I thought the
second very possible; and the blood ran cold about my heart.
I had a mad idea to loosen my sword in the scabbard; for though I was
very unfit to stand up like a gentleman blade to blade, I thought I
could do some scathe in a random combat. But I perceived in time the
folly of resistance. This was no doubt the joint "expedient" on which
Prestongrange and Fraser were agreed. The first, I was very sure, had
done something to secure my life; the second was pretty likely to have
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