Read the following passage from The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain.

Poor little Tom, in his rags, approached, and was moving slowly and timidly past the guards, with a beating heart and a rising hope, when all at once he caught sight through the golden bars of a spectacle that almost made him shout for joy.

Which word best describes the mood the author is trying to establish?

Jealousy
Fear
Excitement
Silliness