Question

the strange case of dr. jekyll and mr. hyde by robert louis stevenson chapter 3: dr. jekyll was quite at ease a fortnight later, by excellent good fortune, the doctor gave one of his pleasant dinners to some five or six old cronies, all intelligent, reputable men and all judges of good wine, and mr. utterson so contrived that he remained behind after the others had departed. this was no new arrangement, but a thing that had befallen many scores of times. where utterson was liked, he was liked well. hosts loved to detain the dry lawyer, when the light - hearted and loose - tongued had already their foot on the threshold, they liked to sit a while in his unobtrusive company, practising for solitude, sobering their minds in the man’s rich silence after the expense and strain of gaiety. to this rule, dr. jekyll was no exception; and as he now sat resisted the action of the fire, the other half of the stick was found behind the door, and as this clinched his suspicions, the officer declared himself delighted where in the plot is this excerpt found? falling action rising action resolution

Explanation:

In a story's plot structure, the rising action builds tension and develops the conflict. This excerpt shows Utterson interacting with Jekyll, setting up events that will lead to the conflict's escalation (about Jekyll and Hyde's mystery). Falling action occurs after the climax, and resolution is the end. So this is rising action.

Answer:

rising action