Multiple choice

Clark must have known that his sister Janet and not the governess pulled the trigger, but he silently stood by while the jury convicted the governess. Any person of clear conscience would have felt terrible for not having come forward with the information about his sister, and Clark lived with that information until his death 30 years later. Since he was an extremely happy man, however, I conclude that he must have helped Janet commit the crime. Which of the following assumptions must underlie the author's conclusion in the last sentence?

  1. Loyalty to members of one's family is conducive to contentment.

  2. Servants are not to be treated with the same respect as members of the peerage.

  3. Clark never had a bad conscience over his silence because he was also guilty of the crime.

  4. It is better to be a virtuous man than a happy one.

  5. It is actually better to be content in life than to behave morally toward one's fellow humans.
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C Correct answer
Explanation

(3) Clark was unhappy if he had a clear conscience but knew, or Clark was happy if he knew but had an unclear conscience. It is not the case that Clark was unhappy, so he must have been happy. Since he knew, however, his happiness must stem from an unclear conscience.

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