Refer to Explorations in Literature for a complete version of the story. Read this excerpt from "After Twenty Years" by O. Henry.

There was now a fine, cold drizzle falling, and the wind had risen from its uncertain puffs into a steady blow. The few foot passengers astir in that quarter hurried dismally and silently along with coat collars turned high and pocketed hands. And in the door of the hardware store the man who had come a thousand miles to fill an appointment, uncertain almost to absurdity, with the friend of his youth, smoked his cigar and waited.

Which statement best describes how the pacing of this passage affects the story?

A). The pacing slows down the text with deliberate and descriptive language, which gives the story a mysterious atmosphere.

B). The pacing allows for a lengthy description of the man and clear description of the setting, which creates an alarming tone in the story.

There is only one answer.