The correct answer is A. Earnestly asking for something
Step-by-step explanation:
In the excerpt presented, the word "imploring" is used to describe the actions of Josephine this includes Josephine "kneeling before the closed door" as well as Josephine saying "Louise, open the door! I beg; open the door". This shows, the Josephine is desperate and she is not angry, confused, etc. but just begging or earnestly asking Louise to open the door. According to this, the option that best describes the meaning of the word "begging" according to the context is "Earnestly asking for something".