Read the passage on the left to answer the following questions:
10)
They attacked him in various ways--with barefaced questions, ingenious suppositions, and distant surmises; but he eluded the skill of them all, and they were at last obliged to accept the second-hand intelligence of their neighbour, Lady Lucas.
What does the term surmises mean as it is used in this sentence?
A) assumptions
B) delays
C) doubts
D) facts