RESPOND, v.i. To make answer, or disclose otherwise a consciousness of… — The Devil's Dictionary
SAPIR 861
RESPOND, v.i. To make answer, or disclose otherwise a consciousness of having inspired an interest in what Herbert Spencer calls "external coexistences," as Satan "squat like a toad" at the ear of Eve, responded to the touch of the angel's spear. To respond in damages is to contribute to the maintenance of the plaintiff's attorney and, incidentally, to the gratification of the plaintiff.
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (WLC), CC BY 4.0