Now, however, that the charming object of his distraction4 was out of sight he could deliberate, and measure, and weigh things with some approach to keenness. The substance of his queries5 was, What change had come over Margery — whence these new notions?
Ponder as he would he could evolve no answer save one, which, eminently6 unsatisfactory as it was, he felt it would be unreasonable7 not to accept: that she was simply skittish8 and ambitious by nature, and would not be hunted into matrimony till he had provided a well-adorned home.
Jim retrod the miles to the kiln9, and looked to the fires. The kiln stood in a peculiar10, interesting, even impressive spot. It was at the end of a short ravine in a limestone11 formation, and all around was an open hilly down. The nearest house was that of Jim’s cousin and partner, which stood on the outskirts12 of the down beside the turnpike-road. From this house a little lane wound between the steep escarpments of the ravine till it reached the kiln, which faced down the miniature valley, commanding it as a fort might command a defile13.
The idea of a fort in this association owed little to imagination. For on the nibbled14 green steep above the kiln stood a bye-gone, worn-out specimen15 of such an erection, huge, impressive, and difficult to scale even now in its decay. It was a British castle or entrenchment16, with triple rings of defence, rising roll behind roll, their outlines cutting sharply against the sky, and Jim’s kiln nearly undermining their base. When the lime-kiln flared17 up in the night, which it often did, its fires lit up the front of these ramparts to a great majesty18. They were old friends of his, and while keeping up the heat through the long darkness, as it was sometimes his duty to do, he would imagine the dancing lights and shades about the stupendous earthwork to be the forms of those giants who (he supposed) had heaped it up. Often he clambered upon it, and walked about the summit, thinking out the problems connected with his business, his partner, his future, his Margery.
It was what he did this evening, continuing the meditation19 on the young girl’s manner that he had begun upon the road, and still, as then, finding no clue to the change.
While thus engaged he observed a man coming up the ravine to the kiln. Business messages were almost invariably left at the house below, and Jim watched the man with the interest excited by a belief that he had come on a personal matter. On nearer approach Jim recognized him as the gardener at Mount Lodge20 some miles away. If this meant business, the Baron21 (of whose arrival Jim had vaguely22 heard) was a new and unexpected customer.
It meant nothing else, apparently23. The man’s errand was simply to inform Jim that the Baron required a load of lime for the garden.
‘You might have saved yourself trouble by leaving word at Mr. Vine’s,’ said Jim.
‘I was to see you personally,’ said the gardener, ‘and to say that the Baron would like to inquire of you about the different qualities of lime proper for such purposes.’
‘Couldn’t you tell him yourself?’ said Jim.
‘He said I was to tell you that,’ replied the gardener; ‘and it wasn’t for me to interfere25.’
No motive26 other than the ostensible27 one could possibly be conjectured29 by Jim Hayward at this time; and the next morning he started with great pleasure, in his best business suit of clothes. By eleven o’clock he and his horse and cart had arrived on the Baron’s premises30, and the lime was deposited where directed; an exceptional spot, just within view of the windows of the south front.
Baron von Xanten, pale and melancholy31, was sauntering in the sun on the slope between the house and the all-the-year-round. He looked across to where Jim and the gardener were standing32, and the identity of Hayward being established by what he brought, the Baron came down, and the gardener withdrew.
The Baron’s first inquiries33 were, as Jim had been led to suppose they would be, on the exterminating34 effects of lime upon slugs and snails35 in its different conditions of slaked36 and unslaked, ground and in the lump. He appeared to be much interested by Jim’s explanations, and eyed the young man closely whenever he had an opportunity.
‘And I hope trade is prosperous with you this year,’ said the Baron.
‘Very, my noble lord,’ replied Jim, who, in his uncertainty37 on the proper method of address, wisely concluded that it was better to err24 by giving too much honour than by giving too little. ‘In short, trade is looking so well that I’ve become a partner in the firm.’
‘Indeed; I am glad to hear it. So now you are settled in life.’
‘Well, my lord; I am hardly settled, even now. For I’ve got to finish it — I mean, to get married.’
‘That’s an easy matter, compared with the partnership38.’
‘Now a man might think so, my baron,’ said Jim, getting more confidential39. ‘But the real truth is, ’tis the hardest part of all for me.’
‘Your suit prospers40, I hope?’
‘It don’t,’ said Jim. ‘It don’t at all just at present. In short, I can’t for the life o’ me think what’s come over the young woman lately.’ And he fell into deep reflection.
Though Jim did not observe it, the Baron’s brow became shadowed with self-reproach as he heard those simple words, and his eyes had a look of pity. ‘Indeed — since when?’ he asked.
‘Since yesterday, my noble lord.’ Jim spoke41 meditatively42. He was resolving upon a bold stroke. Why not make a confidant of this kind gentleman, instead of the parson, as he had intended? The thought was no sooner conceived than acted on. ‘My lord,’ he resumed, ‘I have heard that you are a nobleman of great scope and talent, who has seen more strange countries and characters than I have ever heard of, and know the insides of men well. Therefore I would fain put a question to your noble lordship, if I may so trouble you, and having nobody else in the world who could inform me so trewly.’
‘Any advice I can give is at your service, Hayward. What do you wish to know?’
‘It is this, my baron. What can I do to bring down a young woman’s ambition that’s got to such a towering height there’s no reaching it or compassing it: how get her to be pleased with me and my station as she used to be when I first knew her?’
‘Truly, that’s a hard question, my man. What does she aspire43 to?’
‘She’s got a craze for fine furniture.’
‘How long has she had it?’
‘Only just now.’
The Baron seemed still more to experience regret.
‘What furniture does she specially44 covet45?’ he asked.
‘Silver candlesticks, work-tables, looking-glasses, gold tea-things, silver tea-pots, gold clocks, curtains, pictures, and I don’t know what all — things I shall never get if I live to be a hundred — not so much that I couldn’t raise the money to buy ’em, as that to put it to other uses, or save it for a rainy day.’
‘You think the possession of those articles would make her happy?’
‘I really think they might, my lord.’
‘Good. Open your pocket-book and write as I tell you.’
Jim in some astonishment46 did as commanded, and elevating his pocket-book against the garden-wall, thoroughly47 moistened his pencil, and wrote at the Baron’s dictation:
‘Pair of silver candlesticks: inlaid work-table and work-box: one large mirror: two small ditto: one gilt48 china tea and coffee service: one silver tea-pot, coffee-pot, sugar-basin, jug49, and dozen spoons: French clock: pair of curtains: six large pictures.’
‘Now,’ said the Baron, ‘tear out that leaf and give it to me. Keep a close tongue about this; go home, and don’t be surprised at anything that may come to your door.’
‘But, my noble lord, you don’t mean that your lordship is going to give —’
‘Never mind what I am going to do. Only keep your own counsel. I perceive that, though a plain countryman, you are by no means deficient50 in tact51 and understanding. If sending these things to you gives me pleasure, why should you object? The fact is, Hayward, I occasionally take an interest in people, and like to do a little for them. I take an interest in you. Now go home, and a week hence invite Marg — the young woman and her father, to tea with you. The rest is in your own hands.’
A question often put to Jim in after times was why it had not occurred to him at once that the Baron’s liberal conduct must have been dictated52 by something more personal than sudden spontaneous generosity53 to him, a stranger. To which Jim always answered that, admitting the existence of such generosity, there had appeared nothing remarkable54 in the Baron selecting himself as its object. The Baron had told him that he took an interest in him; and self-esteem, even with the most modest, is usually sufficient to over-ride any little difficulty that might occur to an outsider in accounting55 for a preference. He moreover considered that foreign noblemen, rich and eccentric, might have habits of acting56 which were quite at variance57 with those of their English compeers.
So he drove off homeward with a lighter58 heart than he had known for several days. To have a foreign gentleman take a fancy to him — what a triumph to a plain sort of fellow, who had scarcely expected the Baron to look in his face. It would be a fine story to tell Margery when the Baron gave him liberty to speak out.
Jim lodged59 at the house of his cousin and partner, Richard Vine, a widower60 of fifty odd years. Having failed in the development of a household of direct descendants this tradesman had been glad to let his chambers61 to his much younger relative, when the latter entered on the business of lime manufacture; and their intimacy62 had led to a partnership. Jim lived upstairs; his partner lived down, and the furniture of all the rooms was so plain and old fashioned as to excite the special dislike of Miss Margery Tucker, and even to prejudice her against Jim for tolerating it. Not only were the chairs and tables queer, but, with due regard to the principle that a man’s surroundings should bear the impress of that man’s life and occupation, the chief ornaments63 of the dwelling64 were a curious collection of calcinations, that had been discovered from time to time in the lime-kiln — misshapen ingots of strange substance, some of them like Pompeian remains65.
The head of the firm was a quiet-living, narrow-minded, though friendly, man of fifty; and he took a serious interest in Jim’s love-suit, frequently inquiring how it progressed, and assuring Jim that if he chose to marry he might have all the upper floor at a low rent, he, Mr. Vine, contenting himself entirely66 with the ground level. It had been so convenient for discussing business matters to have Jim in the same house, that he did not wish any change to be made in consequence of a change in Jim’s domestic estate. Margery knew of this wish, and of Jim’s concurrent67 feeling; and did not like the idea at all.
About four days after the young man’s interview with the Baron, there drew up in front of Jim’s house at noon a waggon68 laden69 with cases and packages, large and small. They were all addressed to ‘Mr. Hayward,’ and they had come from the largest furnishing ware-houses in that part of England.
Three-quarters of an hour were occupied in getting the cases to Jim’s rooms. The wary70 Jim did not show the amazement71 he felt at his patron’s munificence72; and presently the senior partner came into the passage, and wondered what was lumbering73 upstairs.
‘Oh — it’s only some things of mine,’ said Jim coolly.
‘Bearing upon the coming event — eh?’ said his partner.
‘Exactly,’ replied Jim.
Mr. Vine, with some astonishment at the number of cases, shortly after went away to the kiln; whereupon Jim shut himself into his rooms, and there he might have been heard ripping up and opening boxes with a cautious hand, afterwards appearing outside the door with them empty, and carrying them off to the outhouse.
A triumphant74 look lit up his face when, a little later in the afternoon, he sent into the vale to the dairy, and invited Margery and her father to his house to supper.
She was not unsociable that day, and, her father expressing a hard and fast acceptance of the invitation, she perforce agreed to go with him. Meanwhile at home, Jim made himself as mysteriously busy as before in those rooms of his, and when his partner returned he too was asked to join in the supper.
At dusk Hayward went to the door, where he stood till he heard the voices of his guests from the direction of the low grounds, now covered with their frequent fleece of fog. The voices grew more distinct, and then on the white surface of the fog there appeared two trunkless heads, from which bodies and a horse and cart gradually extended as the approaching pair rose towards the house.
When they had entered Jim pressed Margery’s hand and conducted her up to his rooms, her father waiting below to say a few words to the senior lime-burner.
‘Bless me,’ said Jim to her, on entering the sitting-room75; ‘I quite forgot to get a light beforehand; but I’ll have one in a jiffy.’
Margery stood in the middle of the dark room, while Jim struck a match; and then the young girl’s eyes were conscious of a burst of light, and the rise into being of a pair of handsome silver candlesticks containing two candles that Jim was in the act of lighting76.
‘Why — where — you have candlesticks like that?’ said Margery. Her eyes flew round the room as the growing candle-flames showed other articles. ‘Pictures too — and lovely china — why I knew nothing of this, I declare.’
‘Yes — a few things that came to me by accident,’ said Jim in quiet tones.
‘And a great gold clock under a glass, and a cupid swinging for a pendulum77; and O what a lovely work-table — woods of every colour — and a work-box to match. May I look inside that work-box, Jim? — whose is it?’
‘O yes; look at it, of course. It is a poor enough thing, but ’tis mine; and it will belong to the woman I marry, whoever she may be, as well as all the other things here.’
‘And the curtains and the looking-glasses: why I declare I can see myself in a hundred places.’
‘That tea-set,’ said Jim, placidly78 pointing to a gorgeous china service and a large silver tea-pot on the side table, ‘I don’t use at present, being a bachelor-man; but, says I to myself, “whoever I marry will want some such things for giving her parties; or I can sell em”— but I haven’t took steps for’t yet —’
‘Sell ’em — no, I should think not,’ said Margery with earnest reproach. ‘Why, I hope you wouldn’t be so foolish! Why, this is exactly the kind of thing I was thinking of when I told you of the things women could want — of course not meaning myself particularly. I had no idea that you had such valuable —’
Margery was unable to speak coherently, so much was she amazed at the wealth of Jim’s possessions.
At this moment her father and the lime-burner came upstairs; and to appear womanly and proper to Mr. Vine, Margery repressed the remainder of her surprise.
As for the two elderly worthies79, it was not till they entered the room and sat down that their slower eyes discerned anything brilliant in the appointments. Then one of them stole a glance at some article, and the other at another; but each being unwilling80 to express his wonder in the presence of his neighbours, they received the objects before them with quite an accustomed air; the lime-burner inwardly trying to conjecture28 what all this meant, and the dairyman musing81 that if Jim’s business allowed him to accumulate at this rate, the sooner Margery became his wife the better. Margery retreated to the work-table, work-box, and tea-service, which she examined with hushed exclamations82.
An entertainment thus surprisingly begun could not fail to progress well. Whenever Margery’s crusty old father felt the need of a civil sentence, the flash of Jim’s fancy articles inspired him to one; while the lime-burner, having reasoned away his first ominous83 thought that all this had come out of the firm, also felt proud and blithe84.
Jim accompanied his dairy friends part of the way home before they mounted. Her father, finding that Jim wanted to speak to her privately85, and that she exhibited some elusiveness86, turned to Margery and said; ‘Come, come, my lady; no more of this nonsense. You just step behind with that young man, and I and the cart will wait for you.’
Margery, a little scared at her father’s peremptoriness87, obeyed. It was plain that Jim had won the old man by that night’s stroke, if he had not won her.
‘I know what you are going to say, Jim,’ she began, less ardently88 now, for she was no longer under the novel influence of the shining silver and glass. ‘Well, as you desire it, and as my father desires it, and as I suppose it will be the best course for me, I will fix the day — not this evening, but as soon as I can think it over.
点击收听单词发音
1 retraced | |
v.折回( retrace的过去式和过去分词 );回忆;回顾;追溯 | |
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2 simplicity | |
n.简单,简易;朴素;直率,单纯 | |
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3 rustics | |
n.有农村或村民特色的( rustic的名词复数 );粗野的;不雅的;用粗糙的木材或树枝制作的 | |
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4 distraction | |
n.精神涣散,精神不集中,消遣,娱乐 | |
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5 queries | |
n.问题( query的名词复数 );疑问;询问;问号v.质疑,对…表示疑问( query的第三人称单数 );询问 | |
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6 eminently | |
adv.突出地;显著地;不寻常地 | |
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7 unreasonable | |
adj.不讲道理的,不合情理的,过度的 | |
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8 skittish | |
adj.易激动的,轻佻的 | |
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9 kiln | |
n.(砖、石灰等)窑,炉;v.烧窑 | |
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10 peculiar | |
adj.古怪的,异常的;特殊的,特有的 | |
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11 limestone | |
n.石灰石 | |
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12 outskirts | |
n.郊外,郊区 | |
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13 defile | |
v.弄污,弄脏;n.(山间)小道 | |
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14 nibbled | |
v.啃,一点一点地咬(吃)( nibble的过去式和过去分词 );啃出(洞),一点一点咬出(洞);慢慢减少;小口咬 | |
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15 specimen | |
n.样本,标本 | |
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16 entrenchment | |
n.壕沟,防御设施 | |
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17 Flared | |
adj. 端部张开的, 爆发的, 加宽的, 漏斗式的 动词flare的过去式和过去分词 | |
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18 majesty | |
n.雄伟,壮丽,庄严,威严;最高权威,王权 | |
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19 meditation | |
n.熟虑,(尤指宗教的)默想,沉思,(pl.)冥想录 | |
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20 lodge | |
v.临时住宿,寄宿,寄存,容纳;n.传达室,小旅馆 | |
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21 baron | |
n.男爵;(商业界等)巨头,大王 | |
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22 vaguely | |
adv.含糊地,暖昧地 | |
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23 apparently | |
adv.显然地;表面上,似乎 | |
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24 err | |
vi.犯错误,出差错 | |
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25 interfere | |
v.(in)干涉,干预;(with)妨碍,打扰 | |
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26 motive | |
n.动机,目的;adv.发动的,运动的 | |
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27 ostensible | |
adj.(指理由)表面的,假装的 | |
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28 conjecture | |
n./v.推测,猜测 | |
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29 conjectured | |
推测,猜测,猜想( conjecture的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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30 premises | |
n.建筑物,房屋 | |
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31 melancholy | |
n.忧郁,愁思;adj.令人感伤(沮丧)的,忧郁的 | |
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32 standing | |
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的 | |
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33 inquiries | |
n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 );疑问;探究;打听 | |
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34 exterminating | |
v.消灭,根绝( exterminate的现在分词 ) | |
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35 snails | |
n.蜗牛;迟钝的人;蜗牛( snail的名词复数 ) | |
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36 slaked | |
v.满足( slake的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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37 uncertainty | |
n.易变,靠不住,不确知,不确定的事物 | |
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38 partnership | |
n.合作关系,伙伴关系 | |
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39 confidential | |
adj.秘(机)密的,表示信任的,担任机密工作的 | |
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40 prospers | |
v.成功,兴旺( prosper的第三人称单数 ) | |
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41 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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42 meditatively | |
adv.冥想地 | |
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43 aspire | |
vi.(to,after)渴望,追求,有志于 | |
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44 specially | |
adv.特定地;特殊地;明确地 | |
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45 covet | |
vt.垂涎;贪图(尤指属于他人的东西) | |
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46 astonishment | |
n.惊奇,惊异 | |
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47 thoroughly | |
adv.完全地,彻底地,十足地 | |
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48 gilt | |
adj.镀金的;n.金边证券 | |
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49 jug | |
n.(有柄,小口,可盛水等的)大壶,罐,盂 | |
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50 deficient | |
adj.不足的,不充份的,有缺陷的 | |
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51 tact | |
n.机敏,圆滑,得体 | |
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52 dictated | |
v.大声讲或读( dictate的过去式和过去分词 );口授;支配;摆布 | |
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53 generosity | |
n.大度,慷慨,慷慨的行为 | |
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54 remarkable | |
adj.显著的,异常的,非凡的,值得注意的 | |
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55 accounting | |
n.会计,会计学,借贷对照表 | |
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56 acting | |
n.演戏,行为,假装;adj.代理的,临时的,演出用的 | |
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57 variance | |
n.矛盾,不同 | |
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58 lighter | |
n.打火机,点火器;驳船;v.用驳船运送;light的比较级 | |
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59 lodged | |
v.存放( lodge的过去式和过去分词 );暂住;埋入;(权利、权威等)归属 | |
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60 widower | |
n.鳏夫 | |
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61 chambers | |
n.房间( chamber的名词复数 );(议会的)议院;卧室;会议厅 | |
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62 intimacy | |
n.熟悉,亲密,密切关系,亲昵的言行 | |
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63 ornaments | |
n.装饰( ornament的名词复数 );点缀;装饰品;首饰v.装饰,点缀,美化( ornament的第三人称单数 ) | |
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64 dwelling | |
n.住宅,住所,寓所 | |
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65 remains | |
n.剩余物,残留物;遗体,遗迹 | |
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66 entirely | |
ad.全部地,完整地;完全地,彻底地 | |
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67 concurrent | |
adj.同时发生的,一致的 | |
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68 waggon | |
n.运货马车,运货车;敞篷车箱 | |
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69 laden | |
adj.装满了的;充满了的;负了重担的;苦恼的 | |
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70 wary | |
adj.谨慎的,机警的,小心的 | |
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71 amazement | |
n.惊奇,惊讶 | |
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72 munificence | |
n.宽宏大量,慷慨给与 | |
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73 lumbering | |
n.采伐林木 | |
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74 triumphant | |
adj.胜利的,成功的;狂欢的,喜悦的 | |
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75 sitting-room | |
n.(BrE)客厅,起居室 | |
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76 lighting | |
n.照明,光线的明暗,舞台灯光 | |
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77 pendulum | |
n.摆,钟摆 | |
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78 placidly | |
adv.平稳地,平静地 | |
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79 worthies | |
应得某事物( worthy的名词复数 ); 值得做某事; 可尊敬的; 有(某人或事物)的典型特征 | |
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80 unwilling | |
adj.不情愿的 | |
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81 musing | |
n. 沉思,冥想 adj. 沉思的, 冥想的 动词muse的现在分词形式 | |
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82 exclamations | |
n.呼喊( exclamation的名词复数 );感叹;感叹语;感叹词 | |
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83 ominous | |
adj.不祥的,不吉的,预兆的,预示的 | |
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84 blithe | |
adj.快乐的,无忧无虑的 | |
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85 privately | |
adv.以私人的身份,悄悄地,私下地 | |
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86 elusiveness | |
狡诈 | |
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87 peremptoriness | |
n.专横,强制,武断 | |
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88 ardently | |
adv.热心地,热烈地 | |
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