We were, of course, as I took care we should be, quite free from any trouble at night, and it soon became a proud boast with us that while the inhabitants of other townships and suburbs cowered4 shiveringly behind closed doors directly dusk had fallen — we went about our nightly avocations5 and amusements in a perfectly6 normal manner.
The Adelaide ‘Advertiser’ sent down a Special Commission to investigate and make known our methods, and the next morning, in a long three-column article, spoke7 most highly of the efficiency and thoroughness of our organisation. It described the perfect system of patrols we had initiated8, the remarkable9 way in which all our arrangements dovetailed into one another, and it pointed10 significantly to the security and safety our districts had enjoyed, from the very first moment we had taken things in hand.
The article made an immense impression on the city, and were were inundated11 with enquiries from other districts.
I was asked repeatedly to speak at hastily summoned public meetings and nearly always complied with the requests.
Rather to my astonishment12 still, I found I was a first-class public speaker; indeed, I was more than that — I was an orator13.
No matter how important and how influential14 were the other speakers on a platform, no one could quite so please the public as did I.
Big men of the city got up on their legs and with laborious15 notes made ponderous16 heavy speeches of the council chamber17 style. They bored their audiences to stiffness, and it would have been quite possible to photograph the relieved look on the faces of the crowd as they sat down.
But when I got up I always made things hum. I was light and easy to listen to, and spoke quite clearly so that everyone could hear. There was no hesitation18 at all in my manner, and I had no difficulty in choosing my words. I could reel off sentence after sentence as smoothly19 and as evenly as if I had previously20 written it all down. My audiences soon got warmed up. I could make them laugh, and I could make them cry. They would clap and stamp until the dust rose from the floor in clouds and then, with one quick turning of my tongue, I would bring so deep a hush21 into the hall that it could be almost felt. Their faces would grow still and stiff, their eyes would hang on every movement of my lips, and they would sit like statues, carved in stone.
I could play on all their feelings and hand out the sob-stuff or the burning words, just as I chose. When it at last came to the peroration22, I would sometimes wind them up to such a pitch of enthusiasm that they would break into my last sentences with a hoarse23 storm of cheers, so as to make it quite impossible for me to conclude what I had intended to say.
The Lord Mayor remarked feelingly one night, “If ever the hour has produced the man — today has given us Peter Wacks.”
In less than three weeks all the suburbs of Adelaide had got their Vigilance Societies. Prospect24 and Unley came in last of all. For a few days they turned up their noses and would have nothing to do with us. On two consecutive25 nights, however, they each had their share of trouble, with the result that they very quickly and very humbly26 came to heel.
In due course all the local Vigilance Societies were affiliated27 together and I was elected President and Patrol Inspector-inChief.
A rich resident placed a fine car at my disposal so that, as I thought fit, I could visit all the Vigilance Society centres in turn and see nothing was being neglected for the public safety.
The days sped by and looking back down the newspaper files of the time, one can see plainly that the horror of the city was widening and deepening in intensity28.
The crimes undoubtedly29 were fewer in number and their occurrence was more irregular and spasmodic now, but still the fear of sudden death was over all, and gradually, too, the dreadful feeling was eating into men’s minds that the murderer would never be found out.
Murder, too, was not the only thing to be dreaded30 now. Fires had taken to breaking out in altogether totally unexpected quarters and the railways and bridges had now to be guarded.
My mentality31 at this time is very difficult for me to analyse. As Chairman of the Vigilance Society I had most thoroughly32 and most efficiently33 organised the city patrols; as maniac34 under the influence of the drug, I was doing my utmost to bring all this elaborate machinery36 to nothing.
It was like some devilish kind of sport to me. I could work only on the darkest nights now, and even then I had to take terrible risks in getting about.
Any pedestrian by himself at night was always an object of suspicion and liable to be stopped and searched at any moment.
This, I knew, would have been quite fatal for me, for I still always carried with me my incriminating bar of iron.
One night, late, I was prowling somewhere round St. Peters and espied37 three men coming down the road in my direction.
I dodged38 into a garden to avoid them, but unfortunately a wretched little pom started yapping and the men stopped when they came up.
“I would swear I saw someone in front of us,” remarked one of them meditatively39, “and if I did, he disappeared about here. Just flash your lamp will you, Josh? Yes, just over by that tree.”
I stood motionless where I was in the shadows, and should probably have escaped detection altogether, if the dog hadn’t seen me and rushed down.
I am always quick in my decisions and it was my quickness alone that saved me then.
I had vaulted40 over into the road quite five seconds before any of the men had realised what had happened, and was well away before they even thought to sound their whistles.
I ran down the road like a hare, but, unfortunately for me, it was a bad place to be chased in. There were villas41 almost on every side and no vacant lands with any chance of hiding if systematic42 search were to be made.
I intended to slip over into the Botanic Garden and chance it among the trees, but just where I was intending to get over, I heard voices and saw lights flashing, and so had to run on. My pursuers were still clamoring and whistling behind me.
The worst of it was that I was now running hard towards the city and any moment the police or patrols might appear and block my way.
Just when I reached the corner wall of Government House, I heard answering whistles in front of me, and saw the lights of two bicycles coming down towards me. As they came under a lamp I saw they were two of the cycle police.
Things were getting desperate, for I was almost exhausted44 with the long run.
I must get over into the Governor’s garden, I told myself. There was no help for it, although it was almost the last place I should have wished to take refuge in. It was the best guarded house in Adelaide, I knew, and there were always heaps of police within call.
I pulled myself up quickly by the thick strands45 of ivy46 and lay panting on the top of the wall. The ivy was thick and high there, and for the moment I was completely hidden in the shadow of a big tree.
My pursuers met the two policemen a few yards from where I lay, and the latter at once got off their machines.
“Seen him?” gasped47 one of my pursuers. “He can’t have got by here.”
“Seen who?” asked one of the policemen quickly. “What are you running after?”
“A man we caught hiding in a front garden. He ran like hell, directly we turned the light on him.”
“What was he doing in the garden?” went on the policeman judicially48.
“We don’t know, but he cut directly we saw him, so he couldn’t have been up to any good.”
“Where did you lose him then — come on, be quick.”
“Well,” panted the man, still out of breath, “if he didn’t pass you, he must have got over the Governor’s wall here.”
“Why the devil didn’t you say that before?” cut in the policeman roughly. “Now look here — you help us, and we’ll catch him sure. Two of you run down along the wall there, and see that he doesn’t escape from that end, and you sir,” to the third man, “go back to the main entrance and tell the sergeant49 you’ll see there exactly what you’ve told us — that an unknown man’s gone into the Vice-regal garden. Be quick — don’t make a noise now; we’ll wait here in case he tries to bolt back the same way he came, which he probably will do.”
Off went the three men as they were bid, and the policemen were left alone. They propped50 their bicycles against a tree and crept stealthily to the corner angle of the wall.
“Not a sound, Billy,” I heard one say. “He’ll be somewhere close here. If he hears nothing maybe he’ll pop over again. He knows he can’t get away inside.”
They knelt down under the ivy and craning their necks out cautiously, expectantly regarded the long length of wall that lay round the corner.
Their backs were now turned to me, and I didn’t hesitate a second. I dropped softly down from the wall, landing without a sound in the flower bed just underneath51.
For a moment I lay prone52, and then finding my descent had passed quite unnoted, wriggled53 slowly and softly towards the tree, against which the two bicycles were still leaning.
I tried to make out which was the smaller one, but in the dark they seemed both about the same size, and I had to chance not being able to ride the one I was going to select. Lying flat on my stomach, I reached out and felt for the valve caps of the one I was going to leave. They were dreadfully hard to turn and it seemed ages before I at last heard the gentle hissing54 of the air escaping from the tyres.
To make doubly sure, I reached up to the wallet just below the saddle, and abstracting an adjustable56 wrench57, thoroughly loosened the nuts holding the front wheel into the fork.
Then I rose up suddenly and, still without a sound, started to trundle the other bicycle along the stretch of grass running down alongside the path.
I counted on getting at least fifty yards start before I should be noticed, and I was not far wrong. Indeed, I might have sneaked58 off altogether, if it had not been for kicking against a stone.
I knew instantly they had heard me, for there was a shout and a damn, followed by a scuttling59 over the gravel60 path; the sound of a bicycle falling down and then — more damns.
But I had leaped on to the machine I had taken and was flying for my life back along the road where I had been chased. No one came after me. There was apparently61 no pursuit at all; I had evidently put the other bicycle clean out of action. I could not have wished for a luckier or more easy escape.
Having gone about half a mile, I turned off into a by-road and put out my light. Then I made off towards home, as quick as I could. I was twice challenged that night, but, happily, both times I had got well by my challengers, before they had caught sight of me, and as they were both times on foot, I, of course, got easily away again.
About a mile from home I knew of a long disused gravel pit, at the back of a small wood. Hardly anyone ever went there because it was supposed to be infested62 with snakes. At the bottom it was covered with a rank undergrowth that had been undisturbed for years. I chanced the snakes and cautiously carrying the bicycle down over the rather steep side, hid it carefully where I should easily be able to find it again. I had thought, when riding home, that it might come in useful on future occasions.
The next day all sorts of rumors63 were going about the city. The Governor had been attacked — an attempt had been made to get at his two children — a policeman had been killed in Government House — the murderer had been chased in the garden, &c.
There were many contradictions and explanations in the course of the afternoon, and most of the incidents that had been reported were later strenuously64 denied. But stripped of all gossip and exaggeration, at bottom, it was clear something had happened at Government House and the public were profoundly moved.
That the assassin should have had the audacity65 to penetrate66 into the Vice-regal garden, and, moreover, that having done so and his presence having become known, he should have been able to baffle and defy the police, struck the public significantly as a very terrible and incomprehensible thing.
The whole police organisation must be rotten, they said, and once and for all, special constables68 must be sworn in.
Pressure was brought on the Government from all sides, the Governor himself was reported as having vigorously spoken his own mind, and, in the end the authorities gave way.
At first they spitefully intended altogether to ignore our organisation, and just published a bare announcement that special constables would be sworn in in the usual way with no reference at all to the Vigilance Societies that already existed.
But I wasn’t having anything like that.
At once I got our head-quarters committee together and a great public meeting was arranged for the next night. We invited representatives of the Government, of the City Council, and of the police authorities to be present, and I publicly stated pertinently69 that reasons must be forthcoming from them why our organisation should not be adopted en bloc43.
In view of the state of public opinion, they all thought it wise to accept the invitation, and, when evening came, the platform was crowded with the big-wigs of the city and the State. The Premier70 came in person, and the Lord Mayor and a fair sprinkling of the alderman and councillors were also there, and last, but not least, Major Young, the Chief Commissioner71 of the Adelaide Police.
I was introduced to the last just before the meeting opened. He was a fine, tall, good-looking man and gave me a careless, but very politely frigid72 bow. I knew that he credited much of the ill-favor in which the police undoubtedly then were to the remarks I had been continually making about them.
I didn’t know whether our guests by turning up in force expected to take a rise out of me, but if they did they were very much mistaken.
I was in the chair and I never for one moment let any of them forget it.
I rose to a storm of cheers and opened my remarks at once by saying I was quite sure the great audience then before me had not been gathered together in any spirit of antagonism73 to one another. Rather had they come in a friendly spirit of patriotism74 and loyalty75 to determine exactly what was the best for the care and safely of the dear city that they all loved so well.
They cheered appreciatively at this, and I went on to describe the peculiar76 situation that had arisen amongst us. One Man — most probably, only one man — was defying the community. He was setting at naught77 all those laws that they had framed for mutual78 safety. He was destroying the peace of the city and was making a nightly shambles79 of our roads and streets. He had been doing it now for over six weeks, and who he was, and where he was, and where he came from, were just as much secrets today as they were when he first started on his ghastly game.
As they were all aware, his cunning had been too great for the police. It was easy, I knew, to blame the police, but we must remember they were being called upon to face very unusual circumstances.
We must not, for a moment, be too hasty in discrediting80 the great efforts they had undoubtedly made to effect the arrest of the malefactor81. But — and here I dropped my voice impressively, and spoke slowly and deliberately82 — while we must be kind and charitable in our thoughts towards those who were doing their utmost to carry out their appointed duties, at an admittedly very difficult time, we must have no pity whatsoever83 for any official blindness or red tapeism that refused to take advantage of one single thing that would make for the safety of the city. Otherwise, there would be placed round the neck of those willing and anxious to help a halter too heavy and too grievous to be borne.
They cheered enthusiastically here, and I gave them two instances as showing the inability of the police to cope with the present danger, owing to the paucity84 of their numbers. The first, when Policeman Holthusen was killed on the park lands, and the second, only two nights gone, when the unknown man escaped, so easily, from the Vice-regal gardens.
“Policeman Holthusen, gentlemen,” I cried, “died almost in his comrades’ arms, and the assassin, surprised and seen, seen, mark you, escaped without the very slightest difficulty through what should have been one of the most carefully guarded suburbs of the city; and that with lights flashing and with whistles blowing for assistance in all directions. Then the night before last — what do we have here? An unknown prowler, hiding and disturbed in a main road garden in St. Peters, is chased for upwards85 of a mile by three unofficial pursuers.
“The fugitive86 runs for safety, not towards lonely parklands, not towards the outskirts87 of the city — but right to the very heart of the city itself, just as if he were sure of there shaking off his pursuers. Well — after running as I say for over a mile — he sees two policemen coming up on bicycles, and is, no doubt, considerably88 surprised by their totally unexpected appearance”— the hall rocked with laughter here —“he climbs over, and takes refuge in the Governor’s garden. The police confer with the man’s pursuers and learn from them where he has gone, and take all the immediate89 measures possible to them to apprehend90 him. Well, what was the result? Not only did they fail to catch him, but he actually borrowed one of the policemen’s bicycles and went off without, I believe, even condescending91 to say good-night.
“Now, gentlemen, North terrace is one of the few places that is not under the protection of our Vigilance patrols. We have always understood Government House and its immediate neighborhood to be so strongly guarded as to render it quite unnecessary for us to take them under our special control. Had we done so, however, last night’s happening would have been quite impossible. The instant the first whistle sounded it would have been picked up in every direction by our patrols and a cordon92 would have been at once formed.
“Of course, we do not know who was this unknown man who climbed so quickly in and out of the Vice-regal garden. He may have been only an ordinary harmless pedestrian, frightened for the moment out of his wits and common sense. I say he may have been, but from the cunning of his movements, from his resource — do you know he actually stopped to let the wind out of the tyres of the other bicycle, before mounting the one he got away with — and from his general reckless disregard of danger, I am strongly of opinion that the man who got away last night is the very man we have been looking for all these weeks.”
I went on, that with dangers such as now threatened us it was indisputable that we had not enough police. Some of us had recognised it weeks ago — officialdom was recognising it today.
They asked us now for special constables and the whole question was in a nutshell.
Were the authorities to obtain these special constables from the single and spasmodic swearing in of individuals, a proceeding93 that might entail94 days and weeks of delay, or were they to take advantage of an already highly organised body and obtain all that they required in a single minute and by a single sweep of the pen?
Surely we deserve some consideration and some thanks from the authorities — nay95, more — surely we deserve some honor and some respect, too. For had we not anticipated, by at least a month, the tardy96 movement they were now making today?
Instead of asking generally for special constables, the more statesmanlike and dignified97 proceeding on the part of the authorities would have been to have taken over the Vigilance Society en bloc and so give us at once the official status we had been asking for all these weeks. And it would be no favor they would be granting us either. We should be turning over to them a going concern — an organisation that had been tested and in whose structure every man was dovetailed. We had no misfits amongst us.
I spoke for about twenty minutes, and there was no question, but that I carried the entire meeting with me. Indeed, they cheered for so long that at last I had to stand up and appeal for silence.
The Premier was the next to speak. He was an old parliamentary hand and a suave98, cynical99 master of craft. Never, perhaps, were his powers shown to greater advantage than in his reply to me.
An election was shortly coming on; it was necessary to keep every vote for his side, and he saw unmistakably the direction in which public opinion was set. So he just drifted along with the current, as if all the time that had been the one precise direction in which he had intended to go. He agreed entirely100 with me that they had better take over the existing organisation we had formed. Obviously, it was the only thing to do, and if that were the sole reason for calling the meeting tonight then — shrugging his shoulders — we might just as well not have called it at all. A word, either in his ear, or in the ear of the Chief Commissioner of the Police, would have been quite sufficient. At the same time — and here he smiled and bowed most politely to me — if the meeting had not been called, speaking for himself, he would have missed one of the greatest treats of oratory101 he had enjoyed for a long time. He only wondered where I had been hiding the great gifts that I undoubtedly possessed102 in so remarkable a degree.
As I say, the Premier’s speech was a very crafty103 one, but it gave as all we wanted and put the meeting on excellent terms with itself.
Two other speakers followed, and then someone called for the Chief Commissioner of the Police. The Chief had been sitting the whole time, as if very bored, crossing and uncrossing his legs, and continually taking out his watch to look at the time. Apparently he was not over-anxious to speak, for at first he smiled coldly and shook his head, when the audience asked for him.
But the calls becoming more insistent104 and the Premier leaning round and whispering something, he came forward to comply with the request.
Now he was no fool; anyone could see that by looking at him, and his speech was quite a little model, in its way.
He said he was a soldier, and a policeman, and always averse105 to talking about his work. Just now, his work was very unpleasant and he was quite aware he was most unpopular. But then, policemen were always unpopular, it was just part of their calling to be unpopular. One-half of the world was always wanting the other half to be locked up, and they offended some people when they took them up and offended others when they didn’t. They were in for a bad time, anyway. If things were going all right, people looked upon them as unnecessary and a needless expense. If things went wrong, everybody blamed them and asked, “What the devil are the police doing?”
Speaking for himself, if anyone wanted to take on his job they were welcome to. He got more kicks than halfpence every day. As to the Vigilance Societies, he should be most happy to have them to work under him, but — here he squared his jaw106 and looked very sternly at me — anybody who was sworn in as a special constable67 would have to sink his individuality and be amenable107 to discipline in the usual way. Let them, please, remember that.
He resumed his seat without having made many friends, but he left behind him the impression of being a strong and capable man.
I met him next day at luncheon108 at Government House. I learned afterwards that the Governor had purposely arranged the meeting in order to soften109 down any antagonism there might be between us. There was also present Sir Bartle Elkin — the great mental expert — perhaps the greatest authority on diseases of the mind that the Commonwealth110 has ever produced. He was a long-faced, lean, clean-shaven man with the abstract dreamy look that is so often seen on the faces of those placed over the care of the insane. Our main topic of conversation was, of course, the terror that was hanging over the city, and I enjoyed the discussion in a strange, impersonal111 sort of way.
The Governor asked me presently, if I had formed any decided112 opinions as to the kind of man the malefactor was.
I hesitated for a moment, and he went on smilingly.
“Come, Mr. Wacks, you must surely have some idea in your own mind as to the personality of the man against whom you have built up that fine organization of yours.”
“Well, sir,” I replied cautiously, “I regard him, as I suppose we all do, as a madman of a kind.”
“What do you mean ‘of a kind’?”
“Well, he can’t be mad always, he can’t carry about him any sign of his madness, for instance, or he would have been spotted113 long ago.”
“Exactly, Mr. Wacks,” broke in Sir Bartle, “and that’s where our difficulty lies. Probably if the man were here with us at this table today, he would be just like you and me, or our friend here, the Chief Commissioner of the Police. No one would possibly be able to certify114 him as insane.”
“I have often mildly speculated too, Sir Bartle,” I continued coolly, “as to whether, indeed, he might not be a member of my own troop.”
“Most possibly so, Mr. Wacks,” smiled back the great specialist thoughtfully, “indeed, you yourself might be he. In fact, and I know you won’t mind my saying so — to me, as a mental student, you yourself exhibit many of the characteristics that this gentleman who is so troubling us today must possess.”
“Oh, come, doctor,” interrupted the Governor laughingly, “I can’t have you putting down all the trouble to Mr. Wacks — at my own table, too.”
“No, no, not for a moment, my lord — I didn’t say that. What I meant was — our friend here has shown himself to be suddenly the possessor of characteristics as totally unexpected as all the characteristics of the man we are looking for. An unknown quantity a few weeks ago, today Mr. Wacks is easily the second most interesting personality in the State. I was at the meeting last night, and it struck me then that exactly as some unknown force acting55 on the mentality of one man has given us a secret, a hidden criminal, so another unknown force acting on the mentality of another man — in this case Mr. Peter Wacks — has given us a fine organiser and a great orator. I know Mr. Wacks will forgive me the comparison, but as I say, as a very humble115 student of the workings of the mind, both men exhibit to me the same wonderful new-born qualities of power — ability and resource. One, of course, using these qualities for the well-being116 of the community — the other for its harm. You follow me, don’t you, Mr. Wacks?”
“Oh yes,” I assented117 laughing, “you mean I am under suspicion.”
“Not at all — not at all, but you are a surprise to us, just as the other man is, but happily in a very different way.”
“Well, it seems to me,” said the Commissioner of the Police, looking highly amused, “that at any rate I shall have to keep my eye on our friend here.”
We all laughed good naturedly. I felt quite at ease, notwithstanding the dangerous turn the conversation had taken. It didn’t seem to trouble me in the least. As far as I was concerned, they might have been talking about another man.
“What puzzles me,” went on Sir Bartle meditatively, “what I don’t understand is how the madman has managed to maintain his anonymity118 for so long. How it is these dreadful bouts119 of mania35, extending for over six weeks now, have not wholly broken down his mind and so betrayed him. In his lucid120 intervals121, he must go back very completely to a state of mental quietness, or his brain must have generally given way long before now.
“Then, if he does go back to comparative sanity122 in the intervals between his paroxysms — what is it that stirs him up again?”
“What are the stimuli123 that bring him, almost nightly, to a state of mania? Is it a drug? I know of nothing that could keep up its effect for so long. It is quite beyond me.”
We were all silent from different motives124, and after a few moments the great specialist went on:—
“One thing I do notice now — the violence of his mania seems rather to be fading away.”
“Fading away, is it?” growled125 the Chief Commissioner. “I haven’t seen any fading away. That affair up at Gilberton last Sunday was as bad as anything we have had — quite.”
“Oh — I was referring, rather, to the frequency of the attacks, not to their violence when they actually occur. Look here; it’s just over six weeks since these crimes started and the man has had, say, twenty-seven nights when the moon allowed him to carry on his dreadful work. Twenty-seven nights when he could work in darkness, between half-past eight and eleven. I believe all his attacks have taken place between those hours — haven’t they?”
“Yes, that’s so,” replied the Chief resignedly. “He’s been always most particular to finish in time so that he could catch his tram or his train — confound him.”
“Well, in the first fourteen of these favorable nights we hear of him on eleven occasions — in the last thirteen favorable nights, he troubles us upon only seven, and in the last six nights, only twice. You see my point, Chief, don’t you?”
“Oh, yes, I follow you there, Sir Bartle, but what do you argue from that?”
“Well — I am wondering if by any chance his mania is beginning to exhaust itself, and that after a few days everything may die down, and we may hear nothing more of him. It’s quite possible.”
“Do you mean to say,” frowned the Chief Commissioner, “that he may suddenly subside126 to normal life again, and that we may hear nothing further of him?”
“Quite possible, at any rate for a time, until his mania may perhaps break out again.”
“The saints preserve us!” ejaculated the Chief. “I want to live a few years longer. The early grave business is not in my line.”
“Well, we ought to know soon now — it will be seven weeks on Tuesday since the first manifestation127 began.
“No it was earlier than that, doctor,” said the Chief, shaking his head; “we know now they began on the Monday.”
“But surely poor old Bentley was killed on the Tuesday.”
“Yes, but on the Monday something else happened.”
We all looked interestedly at the Chief. He evidently enjoyed our puzzled looks, for it was quite a minute before he went on.
“Yes, Mr. Wacks, here, didn’t know everything, although I may say frankly128 that I have been surprised several times by what he does know. What happened on the Monday was this. A man in Bowden had seven rabbits killed. No — you needn’t laugh. I firmly believe their killing129 was the work of this same hand.
“Someone, in the middle of the night, went into this man’s garden, opened seven rabbit hutches, killed seven rabbits and put them all back, one by one, just as he had found them. We have gone most carefully into the matter and can conceive of no earthly reason for it at all. It was just as insane and purposeless as all these later crimes — and in the manner of its execution, it is quite on all fours with them.”
“This is most interesting, Major. I ought to have been told of it before. Give me the details most minutely now.”
I sat silent in great astonishment, and for the first time for many weeks there flashed through my mind the possibility that I might be found out. I dropped my eyes to think. I had quite forgotten about Boulter and his rabbits, and it positively130 amazed me that anyone had so wonderfully grasped the significance of their deaths. It must be Meadows, of course. I must look after him — lately, I had never given him a thought.
I intently regarded the Doctor and the Chief as they discussed the matter. How very, very different were their faces, I thought, and yet — and yet I fancied I could see the cold, clear, icy reasoning in them both. The power to push away the lines of thought not wanted, and sink like a plummet131 to the very bottom rock of facts.
I was a fool, I told myself. They had evidently been throwing a wide net around, and all the time I had never given a thought to the possibilities of what they might drag in. I must be careful.
I went back to the office that afternoon rather depressed132. I longed for the time when I could get home and fly again to the paste.
The next day it was, of course, in all the morning papers that Sir Bartle Elkin, the Chief Commissioner of the Police, and I had lunched with the Governor at Government House. It was very amusing to feel the almost awed133 respect they now had for me in the office. Even the hated Waller was subdued134 in his manner when he spoke to me, and there was always quite a hush when I gave orders or spoke to them. They had really become very proud of me, and, I knew, referred to me outside the office, as “Our Peter Wacks.”
The firm, too, were very pleased with the position I now occupied in the public eye. Old Mr. Winter had had me up to dinner in his big mansion135, in the most select part of North Adelaide, and his daughter from the first had made quite a fuss of me.
She was a woman of about thirty, and, unused though I was to the ways of her sex, I could not but help noticing the interest she at once took in me. Of a strong, independent nature herself — a woman who, in the ordinary way, was not much attracted by men — I must have struck some chord in her that brought out the inherent longing136 of every woman to be the care and fond desire of some one man.
Anyhow, she was most nice to me, and in a tactful friendly way made me feel at once at my ease. There were nine of us at table, and I joined naturally and unrestrainedly in all the talk that went on.
During dinner the conversation happened to turn on chess, and I told them all about Captain Barker and the many games I had had with him.
A keen looking, hawk-faced man, who, I learned afterwards, was Professor of Mathematics at the Adelaide University, was most interested, and asked me what sort of game the old man played.
“Oh,” I replied, “he was in a way a really marvellous player. He had quite a natural genius for the game.”
“And yourself,” queried137 the Professor smiling, “I should say you would be a devout138 disciple139?”
“Well, I can play,” I admitted, “but I have met so few really good players that I hardly exactly know my strength.”
“Or your weakness,” smiled back the Professor. “Well, I must give you a game — I rather fancy myself, you know.”
“Don’t take him on, Mr. Wacks,” advised Miss Winter, shaking her head emphatically. “He’s a very hard nut to crack, and by far the best player here.”
But I felt quite confident, and when, later on in the evening, the Professor set out the chessmen, I sat down to the board without any qualms140 at all.
“If you don’t mind I’ll take first move,” he said, “and, of course, we must play quickly. I just want to get some idea of what your old sea captain’s teaching was worth.”
Everyone stood round to watch the game.
He opened at once with a most slashing141 attack, and in the first few moves boldly made the sacrifice of a pawn142. I wasn’t in the slightest degree nonplussed143, however, but met his onslaught patiently, and with the perfect confidence of later reprisals144. After 10 moves he was thinking harder than I, and after 15 I could feel his attack had weakened right away. He began to hesitate in making his moves, but I was ready always on the instant with my replies.
He looked up soon, and smilingly asked what I thought of the prospects145 of the game.
“No, don’t hesitate, Mr. Wacks, give me your honest opinion. Remember, I am trying to test your knowledge of the game.”
“Well,” I replied bluntly, rather nettled146 with his patronising air, “you haven’t a chance at all. You are a pawn down, your attack has failed, and in half a dozen moves at most your position will be so cramped147 that you’ll have to sacrifice a piece to get elbow room.”
He thought for a minute. “Quite true — quite true,” he slowly remarked at length. “It’s as you say, I’ll give you this game. Now you open, please. Perhaps I’ll have better luck this time.”
I opened in exactly the same way as he had done and at once offered the sacrifice of a pawn. He screwed up his face to an amused grimace148. “You’re cruel, sir, very cruel,” he remarked; “it’s just like smacking149 a naughty child.”
He took the pawn, however, and started to follow the line of defence that I had adopted in the previous game. But I varied150 the attack considerably, and, playing strongly and fearlessly, in a few moves offered the sacrifice of a piece. For a long time he hesitated — so long that old Mr. Winter banteringly implored151 him to buck152 up. Then he suddenly whipped off his knight153 with a jerk, and, leaning back in his chair, looked round complacently154 as if quite assured that he had at last done a good thing. Three moves later however, he had got both his hands on to his forehead, and it was my turn to assume the pose of all things going well.
He didn’t wait very long this time, but looked across to me, with quite a sad smile.
“Well, Master,” he said with a fine exaggeration of disappointment, “what do you think of the game now?”
“Mate in three,” I replied laconically155, “or you lose your queen.” He downed his king with a little bow and got up from the table.
“You’re quite a player, Mr. Wacks,” he said, “a fine player. I don’t deny I’m chagrined156 a bit, and I confess I feel very humble. I dare say in a match I should give you a better game than I’ve given you now, but still you’re stronger than I in every way. Speaking off-hand, I should say you’re quite good enough to play in a Masters’ tourney; I know something about the game, too; for five years I took on all comers in Sydney.”
Miss Winter was quite delighted that I had beaten the Professor, and in saying good-bye, hoped I should often come up now. She said I must give her some lessons in chess.
A few days later I was called into the private office of the firm, and given the post of general secretary to the Company.
It meant a tremendous boost for me, for the salary was nearly three times what I had been receiving in the invoice157 room.
“We pride ourselves as a firm in being enterprising, Wacks,” laughed Mr. William, “and it would be hardly up to our principles to keep any gentleman of such organising ability as yours in the lowly position of a clerk in the invoice room.”
When I told Lucy that night of what had happened she threw her arms round my neck in delighted surprise.
“Oh, Peter dear, I’m so happy,” she said. “Everything seems so different to me now since you love me. When I wake up in the morning I hear the birds calling to me through the window, and all day long I want to sing. I’m always thinking about you and just longing for the time when I shall be all yours.”
I strained her to me passionately158, but somewhere deep down in my subconscious159 mind there was something stirring that made me feel uneasy, and part afraid. Was I beginning to think?
点击收听单词发音
1 overlapped | |
_adj.重叠的v.部分重叠( overlap的过去式和过去分词 );(物体)部份重叠;交叠;(时间上)部份重叠 | |
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2 organisation | |
n.组织,安排,团体,有机休 | |
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3 friction | |
n.摩擦,摩擦力 | |
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4 cowered | |
v.畏缩,抖缩( cower的过去式 ) | |
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5 avocations | |
n.业余爱好,嗜好( avocation的名词复数 );职业 | |
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6 perfectly | |
adv.完美地,无可非议地,彻底地 | |
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7 spoke | |
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说 | |
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8 initiated | |
n. 创始人 adj. 新加入的 vt. 开始,创始,启蒙,介绍加入 | |
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9 remarkable | |
adj.显著的,异常的,非凡的,值得注意的 | |
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10 pointed | |
adj.尖的,直截了当的 | |
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11 inundated | |
v.淹没( inundate的过去式和过去分词 );(洪水般地)涌来;充满;给予或交予(太多事物)使难以应付 | |
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12 astonishment | |
n.惊奇,惊异 | |
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13 orator | |
n.演说者,演讲者,雄辩家 | |
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14 influential | |
adj.有影响的,有权势的 | |
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15 laborious | |
adj.吃力的,努力的,不流畅 | |
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16 ponderous | |
adj.沉重的,笨重的,(文章)冗长的 | |
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17 chamber | |
n.房间,寝室;会议厅;议院;会所 | |
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18 hesitation | |
n.犹豫,踌躇 | |
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19 smoothly | |
adv.平滑地,顺利地,流利地,流畅地 | |
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20 previously | |
adv.以前,先前(地) | |
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21 hush | |
int.嘘,别出声;n.沉默,静寂;v.使安静 | |
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22 peroration | |
n.(演说等之)结论 | |
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23 hoarse | |
adj.嘶哑的,沙哑的 | |
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24 prospect | |
n.前景,前途;景色,视野 | |
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25 consecutive | |
adj.连续的,联贯的,始终一贯的 | |
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26 humbly | |
adv. 恭顺地,谦卑地 | |
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27 affiliated | |
adj. 附属的, 有关连的 | |
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28 intensity | |
n.强烈,剧烈;强度;烈度 | |
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29 undoubtedly | |
adv.确实地,无疑地 | |
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30 dreaded | |
adj.令人畏惧的;害怕的v.害怕,恐惧,担心( dread的过去式和过去分词) | |
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31 mentality | |
n.心理,思想,脑力 | |
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32 thoroughly | |
adv.完全地,彻底地,十足地 | |
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33 efficiently | |
adv.高效率地,有能力地 | |
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34 maniac | |
n.精神癫狂的人;疯子 | |
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35 mania | |
n.疯狂;躁狂症,狂热,癖好 | |
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36 machinery | |
n.(总称)机械,机器;机构 | |
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37 espied | |
v.看到( espy的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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38 dodged | |
v.闪躲( dodge的过去式和过去分词 );回避 | |
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39 meditatively | |
adv.冥想地 | |
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40 vaulted | |
adj.拱状的 | |
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41 villas | |
别墅,公馆( villa的名词复数 ); (城郊)住宅 | |
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42 systematic | |
adj.有系统的,有计划的,有方法的 | |
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43 bloc | |
n.集团;联盟 | |
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44 exhausted | |
adj.极其疲惫的,精疲力尽的 | |
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45 strands | |
n.(线、绳、金属线、毛发等的)股( strand的名词复数 );缕;海洋、湖或河的)岸;(观点、计划、故事等的)部份v.使滞留,使搁浅( strand的第三人称单数 ) | |
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46 ivy | |
n.常青藤,常春藤 | |
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47 gasped | |
v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 );喘息;倒抽气;很想要 | |
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48 judicially | |
依法判决地,公平地 | |
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49 sergeant | |
n.警官,中士 | |
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50 propped | |
支撑,支持,维持( prop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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51 underneath | |
adj.在...下面,在...底下;adv.在下面 | |
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52 prone | |
adj.(to)易于…的,很可能…的;俯卧的 | |
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53 wriggled | |
v.扭动,蠕动,蜿蜒行进( wriggle的过去式和过去分词 );(使身体某一部位)扭动;耍滑不做,逃避(应做的事等) | |
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54 hissing | |
n. 发嘶嘶声, 蔑视 动词hiss的现在分词形式 | |
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55 acting | |
n.演戏,行为,假装;adj.代理的,临时的,演出用的 | |
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56 adjustable | |
adj.可调整的,可校准的 | |
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57 wrench | |
v.猛拧;挣脱;使扭伤;n.扳手;痛苦,难受 | |
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58 sneaked | |
v.潜行( sneak的过去式和过去分词 );偷偷溜走;(儿童向成人)打小报告;告状 | |
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59 scuttling | |
n.船底穿孔,打开通海阀(沉船用)v.使船沉没( scuttle的现在分词 );快跑,急走 | |
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60 gravel | |
n.砂跞;砂砾层;结石 | |
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61 apparently | |
adv.显然地;表面上,似乎 | |
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62 infested | |
adj.为患的,大批滋生的(常与with搭配)v.害虫、野兽大批出没于( infest的过去式和过去分词 );遍布于 | |
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63 rumors | |
n.传闻( rumor的名词复数 );[古]名誉;咕哝;[古]喧嚷v.传闻( rumor的第三人称单数 );[古]名誉;咕哝;[古]喧嚷 | |
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64 strenuously | |
adv.奋发地,费力地 | |
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65 audacity | |
n.大胆,卤莽,无礼 | |
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66 penetrate | |
v.透(渗)入;刺入,刺穿;洞察,了解 | |
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67 constable | |
n.(英国)警察,警官 | |
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68 constables | |
n.警察( constable的名词复数 ) | |
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69 pertinently | |
适切地 | |
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70 premier | |
adj.首要的;n.总理,首相 | |
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71 commissioner | |
n.(政府厅、局、处等部门)专员,长官,委员 | |
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72 frigid | |
adj.寒冷的,凛冽的;冷淡的;拘禁的 | |
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73 antagonism | |
n.对抗,敌对,对立 | |
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74 patriotism | |
n.爱国精神,爱国心,爱国主义 | |
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75 loyalty | |
n.忠诚,忠心 | |
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76 peculiar | |
adj.古怪的,异常的;特殊的,特有的 | |
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77 naught | |
n.无,零 [=nought] | |
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78 mutual | |
adj.相互的,彼此的;共同的,共有的 | |
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79 shambles | |
n.混乱之处;废墟 | |
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80 discrediting | |
使不相信( discredit的现在分词 ); 使怀疑; 败坏…的名声; 拒绝相信 | |
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81 malefactor | |
n.罪犯 | |
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82 deliberately | |
adv.审慎地;蓄意地;故意地 | |
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83 whatsoever | |
adv.(用于否定句中以加强语气)任何;pron.无论什么 | |
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84 paucity | |
n.小量,缺乏 | |
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85 upwards | |
adv.向上,在更高处...以上 | |
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86 fugitive | |
adj.逃亡的,易逝的;n.逃犯,逃亡者 | |
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87 outskirts | |
n.郊外,郊区 | |
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88 considerably | |
adv.极大地;相当大地;在很大程度上 | |
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89 immediate | |
adj.立即的;直接的,最接近的;紧靠的 | |
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90 apprehend | |
vt.理解,领悟,逮捕,拘捕,忧虑 | |
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91 condescending | |
adj.谦逊的,故意屈尊的 | |
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92 cordon | |
n.警戒线,哨兵线 | |
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93 proceeding | |
n.行动,进行,(pl.)会议录,学报 | |
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94 entail | |
vt.使承担,使成为必要,需要 | |
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95 nay | |
adv.不;n.反对票,投反对票者 | |
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96 tardy | |
adj.缓慢的,迟缓的 | |
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97 dignified | |
a.可敬的,高贵的 | |
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98 suave | |
adj.温和的;柔和的;文雅的 | |
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99 cynical | |
adj.(对人性或动机)怀疑的,不信世道向善的 | |
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100 entirely | |
ad.全部地,完整地;完全地,彻底地 | |
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101 oratory | |
n.演讲术;词藻华丽的言辞 | |
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102 possessed | |
adj.疯狂的;拥有的,占有的 | |
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103 crafty | |
adj.狡猾的,诡诈的 | |
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104 insistent | |
adj.迫切的,坚持的 | |
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105 averse | |
adj.厌恶的;反对的,不乐意的 | |
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106 jaw | |
n.颚,颌,说教,流言蜚语;v.喋喋不休,教训 | |
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107 amenable | |
adj.经得起检验的;顺从的;对负有义务的 | |
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108 luncheon | |
n.午宴,午餐,便宴 | |
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109 soften | |
v.(使)变柔软;(使)变柔和 | |
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110 commonwealth | |
n.共和国,联邦,共同体 | |
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111 impersonal | |
adj.无个人感情的,与个人无关的,非人称的 | |
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112 decided | |
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的 | |
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113 spotted | |
adj.有斑点的,斑纹的,弄污了的 | |
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114 certify | |
vt.证明,证实;发证书(或执照)给 | |
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115 humble | |
adj.谦卑的,恭顺的;地位低下的;v.降低,贬低 | |
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116 well-being | |
n.安康,安乐,幸福 | |
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117 assented | |
同意,赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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118 anonymity | |
n.the condition of being anonymous | |
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119 bouts | |
n.拳击(或摔跤)比赛( bout的名词复数 );一段(工作);(尤指坏事的)一通;(疾病的)发作 | |
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120 lucid | |
adj.明白易懂的,清晰的,头脑清楚的 | |
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121 intervals | |
n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 );间隔时间;[数学]区间;(戏剧、电影或音乐会的)幕间休息 | |
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122 sanity | |
n.心智健全,神智正常,判断正确 | |
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123 stimuli | |
n.刺激(物) | |
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124 motives | |
n.动机,目的( motive的名词复数 ) | |
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125 growled | |
v.(动物)发狺狺声, (雷)作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 );低声咆哮着说 | |
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126 subside | |
vi.平静,平息;下沉,塌陷,沉降 | |
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127 manifestation | |
n.表现形式;表明;现象 | |
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128 frankly | |
adv.坦白地,直率地;坦率地说 | |
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129 killing | |
n.巨额利润;突然赚大钱,发大财 | |
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130 positively | |
adv.明确地,断然,坚决地;实在,确实 | |
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131 plummet | |
vi.(价格、水平等)骤然下跌;n.铅坠;重压物 | |
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132 depressed | |
adj.沮丧的,抑郁的,不景气的,萧条的 | |
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133 awed | |
adj.充满敬畏的,表示敬畏的v.使敬畏,使惊惧( awe的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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134 subdued | |
adj. 屈服的,柔和的,减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词 | |
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135 mansion | |
n.大厦,大楼;宅第 | |
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136 longing | |
n.(for)渴望 | |
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137 queried | |
v.质疑,对…表示疑问( query的过去式和过去分词 );询问 | |
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138 devout | |
adj.虔诚的,虔敬的,衷心的 (n.devoutness) | |
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139 disciple | |
n.信徒,门徒,追随者 | |
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140 qualms | |
n.不安;内疚 | |
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141 slashing | |
adj.尖锐的;苛刻的;鲜明的;乱砍的v.挥砍( slash的现在分词 );鞭打;割破;削减 | |
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142 pawn | |
n.典当,抵押,小人物,走卒;v.典当,抵押 | |
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143 nonplussed | |
adj.不知所措的,陷于窘境的v.使迷惑( nonplus的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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144 reprisals | |
n.报复(行为)( reprisal的名词复数 ) | |
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145 prospects | |
n.希望,前途(恒为复数) | |
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146 nettled | |
v.拿荨麻打,拿荨麻刺(nettle的过去式与过去分词形式) | |
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147 cramped | |
a.狭窄的 | |
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148 grimace | |
v.做鬼脸,面部歪扭 | |
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149 smacking | |
活泼的,发出响声的,精力充沛的 | |
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150 varied | |
adj.多样的,多变化的 | |
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151 implored | |
恳求或乞求(某人)( implore的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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152 buck | |
n.雄鹿,雄兔;v.马离地跳跃 | |
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153 knight | |
n.骑士,武士;爵士 | |
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154 complacently | |
adv. 满足地, 自满地, 沾沾自喜地 | |
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155 laconically | |
adv.简短地,简洁地 | |
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156 chagrined | |
adj.懊恼的,苦恼的v.使懊恼,使懊丧,使悔恨( chagrin的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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157 invoice | |
vt.开发票;n.发票,装货清单 | |
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158 passionately | |
ad.热烈地,激烈地 | |
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159 subconscious | |
n./adj.潜意识(的),下意识(的) | |
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