The correct answer is A. smiling.
The wife fainted away, lamenting the death of her husband. This means that she was overcome with grief and sadness at the loss of her husband. She was not smiling, ridiculing, enjoying, or rejoicing.
Smiling is a facial expression that is typically associated with happiness or amusement. It is often used to greet someone, to show appreciation, or to express pleasure.
Ridiculing is an act of making fun of someone or something. It is often done in a cruel or mocking way.
Enjoying is the act of experiencing pleasure or satisfaction from something. It can be used to describe a wide range of activities, from eating a delicious meal to listening to music.
Rejoicing is the act of feeling or expressing great happiness or joy. It is often used to describe the feeling of celebrating a special occasion.
In the context of the question, the wife is not smiling, ridiculing, enjoying, or rejoicing. She is fainting away, lamenting the death of her husband. This means that she is overcome with grief and sadness at the loss of her husband.