Question

Excerpt from Ethan Frome Edith Wharton 5 The ‘smash-up’ it was—I gathered from the same informant—which, besides drawing the red gash across Ethan Frome’s forehead, had so shortened and warped his right side that it cost him a visible effort to take the few steps from his buggy to the post-office window. He used to drive in from his farm every day at about noon, and as that was my own hour for fetching my mail I often passed him in the porch or stood beside him while we waited on the motions of the distributing hand behind the grating. I noticed that, though he came so punctually, he seldom received anything but a copy of the Bettsbridge Eagle, which he put without a glance into his sagging pocket.
What does punctually mean, as used in the third sentence of section
A) poorly dressed
B) very hungry
C) promptly
D) carefully

Answer 1

The correct answer is C. Promptly

Explanation:

In the third sentence, the word "punctually" is used to refer to the urgency of a male character for collecting his mail, this explained by the narrator as "he came so punctually" that shows when it was time the man was always there, this idea is contrasted by the fact this man rarely received any important mail "he seldom received anything but a copy of the Bettsbridge Eagle". This implies, the word "punctually" refers to the readiness or promptness of the man to collect the mail and thus, this word means promptly.

Answer 2

Your answer is C promptly