What is the central idea of the passage? In the Middle Ages, spices that are now ordinary were rare imports from faraway places. The spices at the Champagne fair were from the Middle East, where they were used in cooking. Pepper was highly regarded in Europe, so merchants demanded more and more of it. The Champagne fairs relied on a vast trade network that drove up the prices of new and rare goods.

the right ones are in bold.

daintly refers to the fact she was reaching for what she ate, not necessarily what she is like.

greatest charm as in she possessed (=had) the greatest charm.

pleasant (her demeanor)

speaking (of her sensibility)

dead refers to the hypothetical mouse.

bleeding refers to the hypothetical mouse.

the words “strangest” and “unusual” suggest that the narrator is about to tell the story of an odd or puzzling group of people.