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The excerpt represents the core issue or deciding factor on which you must meditate, and is drawn from Juana by Honore de Balzac: would, he thought, innocently reveal her thoughts by a series of
gestures. But no! The singular motions she proceeded to make gave not
a particle of hope to the expectant lover. Juana was amusing herself
by cutting up his missive. But virtue and innocence sometimes imitate
the clever proceedings inspired by jealousy to the Bartholos of
comedy. Juana, without pens, ink, or paper, was replying by snip of
scissors. Presently she refastened the note to the string; the officer
drew it up, opened it, and read by the light of his lamp one word,
carefully cut out of the paper: COME.
"Come!" he said to himself; "but what of poison? or the dagger or
carbine of Perez? And that apprentice not yet asleep, perhaps, in the
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