Read the passage from "The Lady, or the Tiger." It mattered not that he might already possess a wife
and family, or that his affections might be engaged
upon an object of his own selection; the king allowed
no such subordinate arrangements to interfere with his great scheme of retribution and reward.

What does the depiction of the king's justice most
likely represent?

A. the wisdom of a good leader
B. the love of a people for the king
C. the carelessness of the ruling class
D. the rewards of a job well done