In Paragraph 5 of "The Masque of the Red Death,"
the subdued, light laughter
that emerges as the chiming
of the clock fades away
indicates that
A. the people momentarily forgot the
jokes that were being told, but then
remembered again,
B. the revelers did not take the clock
chimes, the passage of time until death,
seriously,
C, the people thought the chimes were
cute -- almost funny,