"My poor, dear thing, I have helped many like you in the past; yes, many have needed my help to find their footing in this big, cruel world," Mrs. Snow said, earnestly clasping Melinda's hand while appraising her outfit with an eagle eye. How does the author use irony in this sentence to develop the plot?
A. to show that Mrs. Snow understands Melinda's needs better than Melinda does herself
B. to show that Mrs. Snow's actual intentions are different from what she presents them to be
C. to show that Melinda is overly suspicious of Mrs. Snow's good intentions toward her
D. to show that Melinda's understanding of the world is less developed than it should be