Answer: D) to a tree marked with lines by Time and Care to be cut down later.
Step-by-step explanation: In the given excerpt we can see the description of Dombey and Son while they are laying in front of a fire. From the given options, the one that represents to what is Dombey compared in the paragraph, is the corresponding to option D: to a tree marked with lines by Time and Care to be cut down later, we can see that in the phrase "On the brow of Dombey, Time and his brother Care had set some marks, as on a tree that was to come down in good time-remorseless twins they are for striding through their human forests, notching as they go-while."