Which word best describes the mood of this excerpt from Anton Chekhov's "The Three Sisters"? (In PROSOROV'S house.
A sitting-room with pillars; behind is seen a large dining-room. It is midday,
the sun is shining brightly outside. In the dining-room the table is being laid for lunch.)
(OLGA, in the regulation blue dress of a teacher at a girl's high school, is walking about correcting
exercise books; MASHA, in a black dress, with a hat on her knees, sits and reads a book; IRINA, in
white, stands about, with a thoughtful expression.)

OLGA: It's just a year since father died last May the fifth, on your name-day, Irina. It was very
cold then, and snowing. I thought I would never survive it, and you were in a dead faint. And
now a year has gone by and we are already thinking about it without pain, and you are wearing
a white dress and your face is happy. (Clock strikes twelve) And the clock struck just the same
way then. (Pause) I remember that there was music at the funeral, and they fired a volley in the
cemetery. He was a general in command of a brigade but there were few people present. Of
course, it was raining then, raining hard, and snowing.

IRINA: Why think about it!

A. excited
B. mysterious
C. comical
D. joyous
E. sentimental

Please help, 18 Points!