Question

read the paragraph from \the wife\ by washington irving. i must confess, notwithstanding all i had said, i felt some concern about the result. who can calculate on the fortitude of one whose life has been a round of pleasures? her gay spirits might revolt at the dark, downward path of low humility suddenly pointed out before her. besides, ruin in fashionable life is accompanied by so many galling mortifications, to which, in other ranks, it is a stranger. in short, i could not meet leslie, the next morning, without trepidation. he had made the disclosure. what is most likely the meaning of trepidation as it is used in the paragraph? resentment conviction apprehension enthusiasm

Explanation:

The context shows the narrator had concerns ("I felt some concern about the result") and was anxious about meeting Leslie. "Trepida - tion" should relate to this anxious feeling. "Apprehension" means anxiety or fear about something that might happen, which fits the context. "Resentment" is anger or bitterness; "conviction" is a strong belief; "enthusiasm" is eagerness. None of these fit as well as "apprehension".

Answer:

apprehension