Mark Twain

Hi,

Below is an excerpt from Mark Twain, A CONNECTICUT YANKEE IN KING ARTHUR'S COURT. The underlined "should"... Is it to be understood as (A) "have to", something that must be done, that is required to be done", or does it mean (B) out of some logical reason, it is reasonable to think so, or (C) both understanding id possible?

To make clear the distinction between (A) and (B)... Here are examples.

An example of (A) is: You should obey the law, or you will be punished.

An example of (B): I should know that, because I had done the job before.

*** *** ***

The question as to whether there is such a thing as divine right

of kings is not settled in this book. It was found too difficult.

That the executive head of a nation should be a person of lofty

character and extraordinary ability, was manifest and indisputable;

that none but the Deity could select that head unerringly, was

also manifest and indisputable; that the Deity ought to make that

selection, then, was likewise manifest and indisputable; consequently,

that He does make it, as claimed, was an unavoidable deduction.

I mean, until the author of this book encountered the Pompadour,

and Lady Castlemaine, and some other executive heads of that kind;

these were found so difficult to work into the scheme, that it

was judged better to take the other tack in this book (which

must be issued this fall), and then go into training and settle

the question in another book. It is, of course, a thing which

ought to be settled, and I am not going to have anything particular

to do next winter anyway.