If the fact that she didn't come after should logically proceed after they planned a barbecue for Saturday which I think it should. A would be the answer.
The author want the reader to feel terror while reading "The Cask of Amontillado"
Of these four words, the one which is most likely to have a negative flavor or connotation is d)meander. To confuse is the state of being bewildered or unclear in one's mind about something. To distract is to the divided attention of an individual or a group away from the designated object on which the focus should be put on. A harangue is a long speech delivered in front of an audience. To meander is to walk around aimlessly without a fixed direction which contains a negative flavor or connotation.
