I think it's C. both simile and metaphor
Answer:
A direct specific meaning as distinct from an implied or associated idea comparing a word's denotation with its connotations. Angry and agitated have different denotations. (Angry means full of anger, agitated means stirred up. A person could be agitated because it's their wedding and they are worried things might not go well, but they are not angry). Try looney as opposed to mentally disturbed. Or lazy as opposed to reflective. Or sensitive as opposed to whiny.
Explanation:
The newspaper clerk said that he's worried that the newspaper's reputation will go down because of the nonsense Kovaloff has given. This is the reason that the newspaper clerk has given to Major Kovaloff for not being able to run his ad. This part of a story is taken from "The Nose" story written by Nikolai Gogol.
