Explanation: In literature, the theme is the underlying message of a story, it is what critical belief about life is the author trying to convey in the writing of a novel, play, short story or poem. Usually this belief, or idea, is universal and transcends cultural barriers. In the given excerpt from "The Tell-Tale Heart" we can see developed the theme corresponding to option D: Evil cannot stay hidden for long, because the speaker admit his crime because he cannot stand the beating of the man's heart.
