As soon as the bacon was well under way, and Millie, her lymphatic aid, had been brisked up a bit by a few deftly chosen expressions of contempt, she carried the cloth, plates, and glasses into the parlour and began to lay them with the utmost eclat'. What does the term eclat mean as it is used in the sentence?

A) contempt

B) elegance

C) lethargy

D) quickness

Eclat

noun

Meaning:brilliant display or effect

Synonym: elegance

Answer is B

B) elegance

In the sentence the woman has begun to make a meal. Then she has some words with Millie because something was not to the woman's liking. After this, the woman carries the things she needs to set the table into the parlour and begins to lay them down. The formality with which the woman is described makes it seem as though she is rather formal and uppity. She probably wants everything to look and be perfect for the meal, so we can assume that she is laying down the linens and china in a way that is very elegant. The list of things she accomplishes makes it seem as though she is not slow or lethargic. On the other hand, she does not seem to be doing it quickly. While the woman does seem to have some negative feelings towards Millie, she doesn't have them towards the table settings, so she is not putting them down with contempt.