The underlined sentence, “He was wondering whether Mrs. Sappleton was in the married or widowed state,” suggests that Framton is unfamiliar with his surroundings. He doesn’t know much about Mrs. Sappleton and is curious about her status, indicating that he is not fully aware of the social context or relationships in the area. Therefore, the best answer is:
C. It suggests that Framton is unfamiliar with his surroundings.