The following is from an 1899 novel. The drawing room glittered with crystal and candlelight, and Lady Hartwell's guests murmured admiring comments about the new portrait above the mantel. Eleanor stood apart, near the window, her gloved fingers tracing the edge of the velvet curtain. When Lady Hartwell turned to seek her opinion, Eleanor offered a smile that did not quite reach her eyes and remarked only that the frame was very fine.
Which conclusion most logically follows from the passage?
- A
Eleanor is the artist who painted the portrait
- B
Eleanor is unfamiliar with portraiture and lacks an opinion
- Ccheck_circle
Eleanor's comment likely conceals a less favorable view of the painting itself
- D
Eleanor genuinely admires the new portrait but is too shy to say so
Explanation
Praising only the frame, the smile that doesn't reach her eyes, and standing apart suggest concealed disapproval of the painting. A contradicts the unenthused smile; B is unsupported; D has no textual basis.