“Death” in the passage below most likely refers to

... He had been saying to himself-"It is nothing but the wind in the chimne
has made a single chirp." Yes, he has been trying to comfort himself with th
Death, in approaching him, had stalked with his black shadow before him a
unperceived shadow that caused him to feel-although he....
A. the narrator
B. the old man
O C. a spirit or higher power
O D. none of the above