It was clear that several motives would induce him to put every obstacle in Arthur's way, and chief of these was the harm it would do him if it were discovered that he had given a certificate of death carelessly.

很明显，有几种动机会促使他在 Arthur 的道路上设置一切障碍， 其中最主要的是如果被发现他粗心地给出了死亡证明， 这会对他造成伤害。