Answer: A) Gloom.
Explanation: The tone of a text or sentence is the author's or speaker's attitude towards the audience, the subject or even the characters of the text. There are many different kinds of tones, like: positive, negative, objective, sad, angry, etc. Something gothic is characterized by elements of fear, horror, death, suspense and gloom, as well as romantic elements, such as nature, individuality, and very high emotion. So the word that contributes to the gothic tone of the passage is the corresponding to option A: gloom.