Select the correct inference of the given passage from "the cask of amontillado."

"my friend, no. it is not the engagement, but the severe cold with which i perceive you are afflicted. the vaults are insufferably damp. they are encrusted with nitre."

the narrator wants fortunato to think he is concerned for his health.

the narrator wants to make up another reason for fortunato to avoid the vaults.

the narrator doesn’t want to catch a cold in the vaults.

the narrator knows the vaults are damp and covered in nitre.

Plz asap read this sentence from paragraph 3 of the article. the boys and girls are merely asked to obtain the signatures of ten friends or relatives. how does the word "merely" affect the meaning of the sentence? a- it suggests that asking people to subscribe to the washington times is something negative. b- it implies that obtaining ten signatures is not a requirement for receiving a prize. c- it downplays the fact that to win the prize, children must ask people to subscribe to the washington times. d- it emphasizes that children receive the prize only if they obtain ten signatures.