I would say the tone of this sentence is formal.
The person narrating has committed a murder and shoved the corpse under his floorboards. As some time passes the heart beat is a glimpse into his insanity, and how he is delusional over hearing non existent sounds. He believes he hears the heart of the person he murdered under the floorboards, which is a delusion, most likely made out of paranoia. When the police come to ask about the victim, the man almost fools them until he breaks down and confesses. He expressed annoyance at the victim earlier, saying that he could not get away from their eye, I believe. He tried to solve this by killing them, but his mind would not let him do so by making up false realities.
Basically, Polyphemus the cyclops greets Odysseus and his men in a fairly friendly manner, but that doesn't last. When he sees them in his cave, the first thing Polyphemus asks is who they are. He asks if they are traders or fugitives. But then he gets a lot scarier.
This quizlet might have the answer to this question :) https://quizlet.com/135876206/to-kill-a-mockingbird-chapters-1-8-flash-cards/
