Read the given passage and answer the four questions that follow:-
The stranger came early in February, one wintry day, through a biting wind and a driving snow, the last snowfall of the year, over the down, walking from Bramblehurst railway station, carrying a little black portmanteau in his thickly gloved hand. He was wrapped up from head to foot, and the brim of his soft felt hat hid every inch of his face but the shiny tip of his nose; the snow had piled itself against his shoulders and chest, and added a white crest to the burden he carried. He staggered into the 'Coach and Horses' more dead than alive, and flung his portmanteau down. "A fire," he cried, "in the name of human charity! A room and a fire!" He stamped and shook the snow from off himself in the bar, and followed Mrs. Hall into her guest parlour to strike his bargain. And with that much introduction, and a couple of sovereigns flung upon the table, he took up his quarters in the inn.
Mrs. Hall lit the fire and left him there while she went to prepare him a meal with her own hands. A guest to stop at Iping in winter time was an unheard-of piece of luck, let alone a guest who was no "haggler," and she was resolved to show herself worthy of her good fortune.
The apparent mood of the 'stranger' was one of:-
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → annoyance
Annoyance means irritation, the feeling of being slightly angry or impatient. The stranger arrives worn out by the snow and wind, flings his portmanteau down, cries out for a fire "in the name of human charity!" and stamps the snow off himself. These rough, impatient actions show an irritated mood.
Example: To his annoyance, the bus left just as he reached the stop.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: melancholy — Incorrect. Melancholy is a deep, quiet sadness. Contradicted: the stranger is loud and demanding, not sad and quiet.
Example: A mood of melancholy hung over the empty house.
Option 2: optimism — Incorrect. Optimism is hopefulness about the future. Not mentioned: nothing in his cries or actions shows a hopeful, cheerful outlook.
Example: Her optimism kept the team going after the defeat.
Option 4: amusement — Incorrect. Amusement is the feeling of finding something funny. Contradicted: a man who staggers in "more dead than alive" is in no mood to be amused.
Example: The children watched the clown with amusement.