Question

isabella and he had had an hours interview, during which he tried to elicit from her some sentiment of proper horror for heathcliffs advances: but he could make nothing of her evasive replies, and was obliged to close the examination unsatisfactorily.
in this sentence, evasive means:
causing distress or worry
nervous and unable to relax
deliberately vague or ambiguous
conspicuously loud

Explanation:

The word "evasive" in the context of "evasive replies" implies that Isabella's answers were not straightforward. When someone gives evasive replies, they are trying to avoid giving a clear or direct answer. Among the options, "deliberately vague or ambiguous" fits this meaning as it suggests that the replies lack clarity and precision, which is in line with the idea of being evasive. The other options: "causing distress or worry" (related to emotional impact), "nervous and unable to relax" (about a state of mind), and "conspicuously loud" (about volume) do not match the context of replies that are hard to get a clear meaning from.

Answer:

deliberately vague or ambiguous