Answer:
C. describe the main characters' belated arrival at the ball.
Explanation:
From the text written by Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey, originally published in 1803
The first paragraph of the text which goes thus: "Mrs. Allen was so long in dressing that they did not enter the ballroom till late. As for Mr. Allen, he repaired directly to the card-room. With more care for the safety of her new gown than for the comfort of her protegee, Mrs. Allen made her way through the throng of men by the door, as swiftly as the necessary caution would allow;..."
Hence, this shows that, the main purpose of the first paragraph of the text described the belated arrival of the main character at the ball.
Hence, the main purpose of the first paragraph does not to establish the relationship between Catherine and Mrs. Allen, nor show how claustrophobic and crowded the bathroom is.
Also, the friendship between Catherine and Mrs. Allen was not the intention or purpose of the first paragraph of the text.
