On this particular evening I could see that the weather had made up its mind to be thundery, indeed it had been working up for it all day. The air was so close that it seemed as if one could scarcely breathe. Inside the hotel the atmosphere was so thick that, to use a common expression, one could almost cut it with a knife. Feeling as if I could not bear it, I went on to the verandah and threw myself down in a long cane11 chair near the water bag. Lightning was playing continually away to the west, accompanied at intervals12 by the low rumble13 of distant thunder. As a rule, mosquitoes do not trouble me very much, but on this particular night they would not leave me alone, smoke as I would. Flaxman had gone to his room with a bad headache, the result, no doubt, of the peculiar condition of the atmosphere. Personally, I was not in the best of spirits. Our long journeying and our inability to discover what we wanted, weighed on such nerves as I possessed14. I wanted to be settled down and to feel that I had once more a place that I could look upon as a home. I was tired of wandering in this aimless fashion, and longed to be at work once more. From the bar behind me came the raucous15 voices of its patrons, while under a verandah across the street a drunken man was challenging another and more sober comrade to fight him for a bottle of whisky. Heavy clouds were rising in the sky, and anyone might have been forgiven for supposing that rain was imminent16. I knew Queensland too well, however, by this time to place much faith in such manifestations17. It would be time enough to believe when we actually saw the rain falling. Thunder and lightning and dark sullen19 clouds did not by any means foretell20 a deluge21. I have known it, away on the Great Plains, look like a storm every night for weeks on end, so like it indeed that one waited almost breathlessly for the clouds to burst and the welcome roar of rain to sound upon the roof, but nothing resulted save disappointment, and in the morning every vestige22 of a cloud would have passed away, leaving behind a sky of dazzling, pitiless blue.
I had been seated on the verandah upwards23 of a quarter of an hour, and was halfway24 through my second pipe, when an old man, whose personality had interested me a great deal during the last few days, made his appearance from the bar, and, after stepping on to the pavement to examine the sky, returned and dropped into a chair beside me. He was an old man, as I have just said, possibly close upon seventy years of age, with snowy hair, a clean shaven, not unhandsome face, and an air of being out of keeping with his rough surroundings. Only that afternoon I had commented to Flaxman on his likeness25 to the typical aged26 nobleman of conventional drama. He was possessed of one or two peculiarities27; he took snuff, but did not smoke; he wore a black silk stock, after the fashion of our great grandfathers; he always looked spruce and neat, which is not the invariable rule with Bushmen; moreover, he used no oaths, but talked with the air of a cultured gentleman. From the first moment I set eyes upon him I took a fancy to the man, and was very glad now to be permitted an opportunity of talking to him. His voice was refined, and I noticed also that he occasionally employed little phrases that are to-day but seldom used. While talking to him one almost felt as if one were conversing28 with a character in a book, though I cannot liken him to any personage in fiction with whom I am acquainted, unless it might be dear old Colonel Newcome.
“I believe I am addressing Mr. Tregaskis,” he began, when he had been seated in his chair some moments. “I had your name from our landlord, who tells me you have come in from the West.”
“Yes, my name is Tregaskis,” I answered, “and the landlord was quite correct in saying that my friend and I have been out in the Far West. We managed to get as far as the other side of the Herbert River. Do you happen to be acquainted with that district, may I ask?”
“No,” he replied, “I have never travelled so far, and now I do not think that I ever shall. There was a time when I knew no greater happiness than roving about the world, and this Continent in particular; but when one finds oneself on the borderland of seventy one does not contemplate29 doing much more of that sort of thing. Forgive my impertinence, but you are perhaps native born?”
“I am,” I observed. “My companion, however, is an Englishman, but has been out here some few years.”
“I thought as much. I also fancy I should not be very far from the mark if I were to hazard the guess that he is an Oxford30 man. May I ask if I happen to be right? It is merely a supposition on my part.”
“Yes, you are quite right,” I answered. “His college was Christ Church, and I believe he did rather well there. At any rate, he certainly should have done so, for he is an undeniably clever man.”
“He has a clever head--a distinctly clever head,” continued the old fellow. “I commented on it to myself the first moment that I saw him. I am delighted to hear you speak so well of your friend, and, with your permission, I will add that I should much enjoy making his acquaintance.”
“I am quite sure the pleasure would be reciprocated,” I replied politely. “I must find an opportunity of making you known to each other. He has gone to bed now, I am sorry to say, with a severe headache, otherwise I know he would be delighted.”
He was silent for a few minutes, while the thunder rumbled32 in the distance and the lightning played above the housetops opposite. I was wondering, for my part, what it was that had brought this charming old man out to Australia and had induced him to take up a life for which one might have been excused had one deemed him quite unfitted. If Flaxman’s past were a mystery, here was evidently a greater one, and though I am not as a rule curious in such matters, I must confess that I should much have liked to have known his secret. When he next spoke33 it was as if he had been turning some important matter over in his mind. It struck me that he was a little nervous as to what he was about to say, and not knowing, of course, his reason I was unable to help him.
“Am I right in supposing, Mr. Tregaskis,” he said at last, taking snuff as he spoke and tapping the lid of the box afterwards, “that you and your companion are out in this part of the country on the look-out for a pastoral property of moderate dimensions? At least, that was the information which was communicated to me.”
“Your informant was quite right,” I answered. “That is our reason for being here. Unfortunately, however, we have so far been entirely34 unsuccessful; the particular description of place we require seems to exist nowhere save in our imaginations. It is disheartening, to say the least of it. The more so as it is impossible to say how long these good seasons may last.”
“Perhaps you would not mind letting me know what it is you are so anxious to secure,” he continued. “It is within the bounds of possibility that I may be in a position to help you. I have a very fair knowledge of this country from the Gulf35 as far down as Boulia. Will you not confide36 in me?”
His manner was so genial37, and his offer was evidently so kindly38 meant, that I told him everything. He heard me out in silence, and then promised to sleep on it, after which he bade me good-night, promising39 to let me know the result of his cogitations in the morning. For upwards of an hour I continued to smoke in the verandah, to the growling40 accompaniment of the thunder, after which I too sought my couch and was soon in the arms of Morpheus.
Next morning I was standing3 on the verandah once more, waiting for Flaxman, who had gone out to the hotel paddock to look at our horses, when Mr. Densford, my old friend of the previous night, made his appearance and accosted41 me. He was as neat as ever, and, as usual, looked better fitted to play the host in some ancestral hall than to waste his good looks on the barren desert of a Bush hotel.
“Good morning,” he said, giving me his hand. “I see our storm of last night has blown itself away without leaving any rain behind for our benefit, as usual. Are you at liberty to spare me a few minutes?”
I replied to the effect that I would do so with much pleasure, and we accordingly seated ourselves in the chairs we had occupied on the previous evening. He took a pinch of snuff with all the elegance42 of a Beau Brummel, and then prepared himself for conversation.
“I have been thinking over what you said to me last evening,” he began. “It has afforded me considerable pleasure to think that I may be of service to you, my dear sir. There is nothing more delightful43 in this world than the knowledge that one is in a position to prove of use to one’s fellowman. I take it your desire is to obtain a property not too large and not too small, compact, well grassed and watered, sheltered, and capable of carrying a fair number of sheep or cattle, as the case may be. You would require as comfortable a house as could be obtained under the circumstances, with hut accommodation for, shall we say, six men?”
“You have described our need exactly,” I answered. “But where are we to find such a place?”
“I am delighted to inform you that I have the exact place in my mind’s eye,” he declared. “Your description tallies44 with it most admirably. I know that the owner is anxious to dispose of it, having determined45 to return at an early date to the Mother Country, where, please God, he will end his days. It is a most attractive property from a picturesque46 point of view; the house is old-fashioned, but comfortable, while the run itself possesses the various advantages you are so anxious to secure. What is more, it is to be sold at a sacrifice and for what is probably less than half its real value.”
“You make my mouth water,” I said. “And where is this wonderful place? Is it far from here?”
“Not more than thirty-five miles,” he answered. “If you would care to inspect it, I would guide you to it myself, for I shall be starting in that direction to-morrow, all being well. What do you say to my proposition?”
“I will consult my partner as soon as he returns,” I answered. “The prospect47 seems such a glowing one that I am sure he will agree with me we ought not to allow the opportunity of inspecting it to slip through our fingers. Would you mind my asking the name of the place and of its owner?”
“There is no objection to your knowing both,” he replied. “The name of the station is Montalta, and its owner is--well, its owner is none other than myself. Pray do not think I am attempting to take advantage of you. It is a charming little place in every sense of the word, chosen with great care, and it has the merit, not a small one as you will admit, of having helped me to amass48 a very fair competency, which I intend to enjoy on my return to my native land.”
“But forgive my saying so, is it not possible that we may not be in a position to pay the price you are asking for such a desirable property? Neither my partner nor I are wealthy enough to afford a big figure.”
He smiled indulgently. “I don’t think we shall be likely to quarrel on that score,” he remarked. “If I were going to stay in Australia I should not sell it at all, but surely if I am compelled by the exigencies49 of circumstances to do so, an old man may be permitted to indulge his fancy. I have ever been a man of moods. Since I took possession of it I have made the place my hobby, and it would cut me to the heart to allow it to pass into the hands of people who perhaps might not appreciate it. Perhaps it may not have struck you, or you may not have noticed, how few people there are who have any real affection for the work of their own hands; who, that is to say, when they have built up a place and the time comes for them to leave it, would rather demolish50 it altogether than permit another to enjoy the fruit of their handiwork. This is not my way, believe me. My sole desire is to feel sure that my place will be well cared for when I have left it, and that all I have done will not have been in vain. I will pay you the compliment of telling you that I have received many offers for it, but, as you can see for yourself, I have not accepted one of them. If I wished to dispose of it, I intended that it should be to someone whom I could trust to carry on the good work I had begun.”
I thanked him for the compliment he was paying us, and assured him that should we take the place we would endeavour to deserve it. Then he left me to think over what he had said. Fortunately, Flaxman put in an appearance just in the nick of time, so that we were able to halve51 the labour. I told him the news, and with his usual impetuosity he jumped at it. He affirmed that we could not have been luckier. Everything sounded most propitious52, and if I were willing he was quite prepared to stake all he possessed upon the experiment.
So much pleased were we with our new-made friend’s description of the place, that we were not only willing, but anxious to set out for it without delay. Accordingly, next morning, shortly after daybreak, we had our horses brought in from the paddock outside the township, saddled and packed them, and then, accompanied by our venerable friend, left Hughenden for Montalta Station. The track, for it was little more than a track, ran first beside the Flinders River, and then, at a distance of some ten or twelve miles from the township, commenced to ascend53 almost abruptly54. Thereafter it became picturesque in the extreme, threading its way sometimes through deep ravines, later over the bold faces of hills, diving deep down into valleys where tiny torrents55 brawled56 unceasingly. So far it certainly did not belie18 the good account we had received of it. Flaxman was enraptured57. I’m afraid, however, he was thinking more of the pictures he would paint than of the cattle we should there breed. But there! I suppose it would be impossible for us all to look at matters in the same light. We should probably quarrel if we did.
At mid-day we halted for a couple of hours to give our horses a rest, and then pushed on again, the scenery, as we progressed, becoming more and more romantic. Suddenly, on turning a corner, we found ourselves confronted with a gate.
“This,” said our conductor, “is the boundary of Montalta. I offer you a hearty58 welcome, gentlemen. We shall catch a glimpse of the homestead very shortly.”
True enough, we did so half a mile or so further on, and a pretty picture it made. The house itself was situated on a natural plateau on the hillside, and commanded a magnificent view down the valley. It was not a large building, but was compact, old-fashioned, and capable of accommodating more people than one would have at first supposed. It possessed a broad verandah on three sides, while the men’s hut and the stockyard were situated some hundred and fifty yards further to the right. In front of the house was a small garden, enclosed with a white fence, from which the track led down to the valley below. Both Flaxman and I expressed our appreciation59 of the excellent judgment60 which had been displayed in the selection of such a spot for a residence.
That the old gentleman was proud of it I could tell by the way he received this compliment. “Yes,” he observed, “time has proved to me that I did not make a mistake when I chose this site. It was my first camping place when I came out here to take the country up. The place is hallowed by many associations. Here my son was born, here in my absence he was killed by blacks, and there he lies beside his mother in that little graveyard61 you can see across the valley. For fifteen years I have been alone, and at one time had made up my mind to live and die here. But man proposes and God disposes, and now in my old age I am returning to the land of my birth, to end my days among such as remain of my own kindred. But enough of that, let us push on to the house.”
We accordingly urged our horses forward and ascended62 the somewhat steep track that wound its way round the hillside up to the plateau on which the house was built. At last we reached the garden gate, where we found a couple of black boys waiting to take our horses. That they entertained a great affection for their master it was easy to see by the way they grinned all over their ugly faces when he spoke to them. It would have been strange had they not done so, for a more kindly old fellow I never met. Having unstrapped our valises, we walked up the garden path under the spreading banana fronds63 towards the house. On closer inspection64, it looked even more comfortable than it had done from a distance. The creeper-covered verandah was broad and cool, just the place for a comfortable lounge with one’s pipe and a book on a hot Sunday afternoon. On either side of the front door were French windows, admitting to two rooms. That on the right was the living room, that on the left a bedroom. There were two other bedrooms behind, with a smaller room, which was used as an office. The kitchen and Chinese cook’s room were on the further side of a small yard. Behind all rose the hill, covered with fine timber to its very summit. From the front verandah one could look down the valley for miles and see the river gliding65 along like a silver snake until it disappeared round the elbow of the hill, at the foot of which we had camped at mid-day. If cattle would not do well here, I told myself, they would not do so anywhere. There was food, water, and shelter in abundance.
The house itself was plainly but comfortably furnished. It could not be said that its owner had permitted himself many luxuries, but all that he had was good and substantial of its kind. What was more, from front door to back it was as clean and tidy as a new pin. On learning from our host that the Chinaman was responsible for this perfection, I registered a mental vow66 that if we took over the place, Ah Chow should be induced to remain with us.
The day following was devoted67 to a tour of inspection of the property. We started early in the morning, and by the middle of the afternoon had seen enough to enable us to judge of its worth and its capabilities68. Our host had certainly under-rated rather than over-rated its capabilities. It was, however, evident to anyone with eyes in his head that for some years past he had been allowing the working of the run to go very much as it pleased. A large proportion of the stock might very well have been got rid of with advantage to his pocket instead of having been allowed to remain eating their bovine69 heads off to the detriment70 of themselves and his profit. However, those were matters which could very easily be remedied.
When we returned to the homestead and were alone together, Flaxman and I exchanged ideas. On one thing we were both determined, and that was that by hook or crook71 Montalta must become our property, and as soon as possible. Next morning we accordingly broached72 the subject to our host, and a business discussion commenced. Never was a property disposed of with less haggling73, and seldom, if ever, have two men discovered so good a bargain. At the very moment we were beginning to believe that we should be compelled to give up the search in despair, we had alighted on our feet. By mid-day we were, to all intents and purposes, the owners of Montalta.
“God bless you, dear old George,” said Flaxman, as we shook hands upon our partnership74. “This is just about the happiest day of my life. Let us hope it is the beginning of real prosperity for both of us.”
“Amen,” I answered to that.
Yet if we had only been able to pierce the veil of the future, what should we both have seen? I think we should have fled the place and never have gone near it again. Though a long time has elapsed since the things I am telling you of happened, I can never look back upon my life at Montalta without a shudder75. Small wonder, you will doubtless observe when you know everything.
The next fortnight was a busy one for us all. The stock had to be mustered76 and examined, and arrangements made for sending away for sale such as were not to be kept. We had agreed to purchase the furniture of the house, so that the worry and expense of procuring77 any other was obviated78. At last everything was completed, and on one memorable79 Monday morning our old friend, who had spent so many years of his life there, bade us farewell, looked his last at the home that had been the theatre of his happiness, as well as of his sorrow, and, with a wave of his hand, rode off down the track. We stood on the verandah and watched him depart; we saw him cross the river at the ford31 and vanish from our sight among the trees, only to reappear later within a hundred yards or so of the little burial ground where his wife and son lay at rest. Without the aid of a glass we could see him dismount and kneel beside the stone that marked the double grave. Presently he rose, remounted his horse, and in less time almost than it takes to tell had vanished completely from our gaze for ever. Since that moment I have neither seen nor heard of him. I do not even know whether he is alive or dead, nor have I ever been able to learn his history. That it was a strange one, and would be worth hearing, I have not the least doubt. The Australian Bush is the home of many strange pasts.
Being now formally settled in at the station, you may be sure we were not allowed to remain idle. Our work was divided as follows: while Flaxman looked after the store, kept the books and attended to the victualling of the men and our own immediate80 domestic affairs, interviewed such strangers as called, and generally controlled the correspondence and banking81 part of the firm’s business, I, on my side, managed the run proper and gave my whole attention to the cattle and their needs. A healthy and a jolly life I found it. The possibilities of the place were comparatively boundless82, and every month that went by found me more and more contented83 with my lot. By the time we had been there a year, and I had got matters fixed84 up according to my liking85, I would not have changed places with anyone. To add to my satisfaction, the season proved an excellent one, and when I handed over our first mob to the drover who was to take them south for sale, I can assure you I was a proud man. They were as prime a lot of beasts as any lover of cattle could desire to run his eye over, and I flattered myself they would come upon the market just in the very nick of time. And sure enough they did so, and a nice price it was that they brought us in.
“This is better than clerking in a Melbourne office, George, my lad,” said Flaxman, when we had read our agent’s congratulatory letter. “Old Brownlow, the banker, will open his eyes when he sees this draft.”
“I hope he’ll see a good many more like it, before we’ve done with him,” I answered. “We’re only just beginning, my boy! Given two or three more good seasons like the last and we’ll be thinking of buying our next-door neighbour out. Then we’ll show them what we can do.”
Our next-door neighbour, as we called him, owned the property to the north of us, a run somewhat larger than our own, which, had it been properly managed, would have paid equally well. The owner, however, was a wild, dissipated Irishman, who neglected everything but the whisky keg. In consequence, his affairs were trembling in the balance, and, not for the first time, he found himself hovering86 on the verge87 of ruin. His stock had deteriorated88 for want of fresh blood, his home life was as unhappy as it could well be, while his children, the descendants of Irish kings as he was wont89 to describe them when in his cups, were well nigh as savage90 as their pagan ancestors. Ever since we had come to Montalta I had cast envious91 eyes on the place, and Flaxman and I were thoroughly92 determined to acquire it as soon as an opportunity should present itself. But close as he often ventured to the edge of the precipice93, O’Donoghue never actually lost his balance. Where others would have toppled over and have been lost to sight for ever, he invariably managed by some cunning trick to wriggle94 back into a position of safety once more. Fortunately for us we saw but little of him, and what little we did see usually had the effect of making us less and less desirous of developing a more intimate acquaintance. Flaxman and I found we were quite good enough company for each other, and, therefore, we could dispense95 with his companionship. That was perhaps the reason that gained us the reputation for unsociability in the little township thirty miles away to the north-east.
“Never mind what they say,” remarked my partner one day some two years after we had taken over the station, when something had reached my ears and made me angry. “What does it matter? We can afford to laugh at them. We’re happy enough, and they’re miserable96 because they can’t sponge on us, as they’d like to do. That’s the long and the short of it, you may take my word for it.”
“It’s Mr. O’Donoghue who’s at the bottom of it,” I growled97. “He hates us like poison, because he knows we want his run. But, by Jove, we’ll have it sooner or later, just see if we don’t. If he wants to show his teeth, he shall have good reason to do so.”
“Live and let live, old man,” replied my partner soothingly98. “He’s his own enemy, so let him go his way in peace. It is no business of ours.”
“It’s all very well to say let him go in peace,” I retorted hotly, for somehow Flaxman’s equable temper always added fuel to my rage. “I decidedly object to having it said that we jewed the old man out of this place and that our heads are now so swollen99 by success that we cannot put our hats on. If O’Donoghue says that in such a way that I can bring it home to him, I’ll give him something that will induce him to mind his own business for the future, and chance the upshot.”
“You’ll do no good, my dear fellow,” replied my partner. “He’d like to quarrel with you, if only to get himself talked about. Besides, it is in his blood; he cannot help a liking for what he would probably call ‘the devil’s own cousin of a row.’ Don’t worry about him. Give him rope enough and he’ll hang himself in his own good time.”
“Yes, and then we’ll step into his shoes,” I answered; “we’ll unite the two places and run sheep on one, and cattle on the other. Forgive me, old boy, for losing my temper just now. But you know how easily offended I am, and what rages I get into about things you would not trouble a snap of the fingers about. However, we won’t quarrel, will we?”
He laid his hand gently on my shoulder and looked me in the face.
“It would take a great deal to make me quarrel with you, George,” he said.
I shall remember that speech to my dying day, and perhaps afterwards--that is to say, if the dead can remember anything.
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kerosene
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| n.(kerosine)煤油，火油 | |
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ardent
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，强烈的，烈性的 | |
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standing
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abode
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situated
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| adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的 | |
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transacted
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peculiar
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dealers
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agitators
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| n.（尤指政治变革的）鼓动者( agitator的名词复数 )；煽动者；搅拌器；搅拌机 | |
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bakers
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cane
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intervals
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| 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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rumble
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possessed
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raucous
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imminent
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manifestations
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belie
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sullen
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foretell
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deluge
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vestige
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upwards
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halfway
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likeness
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aged
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peculiarities
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conversing
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contemplate
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| vt.盘算，计议；周密考虑；注视，凝视 | |
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Oxford
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| n.牛津（英国城市） | |
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Ford
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| n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过 | |
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rumbled
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| 发出隆隆声，发出辘辘声( rumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 轰鸣着缓慢行进； 发现…的真相； 看穿（阴谋） | |
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spoke
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| 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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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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gulf
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| n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂 | |
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confide
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| v.向某人吐露秘密 | |
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genial
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| adj.亲切的，和蔼的，愉快的，脾气好的 | |
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kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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promising
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| adj.有希望的，有前途的 | |
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growling
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| n.吠声, 咆哮声 v.怒吠, 咆哮, 吼 | |
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accosted
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| v.走过去跟…讲话( accost的过去式和过去分词 )；跟…搭讪；（乞丐等）上前向…乞讨；（妓女等）勾搭 | |
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elegance
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| n.优雅；优美，雅致；精致，巧妙 | |
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delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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tallies
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| n.账( tally的名词复数 )；符合；（计数的）签；标签v.计算，清点( tally的第三人称单数 )；加标签（或标记）于；（使）符合；（使）吻合 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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picturesque
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| adj.美丽如画的，（语言）生动的，绘声绘色的 | |
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prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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amass
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| vt.积累，积聚 | |
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exigencies
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| n.急切需要 | |
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demolish
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| v.拆毁(建筑物等)，推翻(计划、制度等) | |
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halve
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| vt.分成两半，平分；减少到一半 | |
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propitious
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| adj.吉利的；顺利的 | |
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ascend
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| vi.渐渐上升，升高；vt.攀登，登上 | |
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abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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torrents
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| n.倾注；奔流( torrent的名词复数 )；急流；爆发；连续不断 | |
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brawled
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| 打架，争吵( brawl的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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enraptured
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| v.使狂喜( enrapture的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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hearty
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| adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的 | |
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appreciation
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| n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨 | |
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judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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graveyard
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| n.坟场 | |
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ascended
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| v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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fronds
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| n.蕨类或棕榈类植物的叶子( frond的名词复数 ) | |
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inspection
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| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
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gliding
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| v. 滑翔 adj. 滑动的 | |
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vow
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| n.誓(言)，誓约；v.起誓，立誓 | |
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devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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capabilities
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| n.能力( capability的名词复数 )；可能；容量；[复数]潜在能力 | |
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bovine
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| adj.牛的；n.牛 | |
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detriment
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| n.损害；损害物，造成损害的根源 | |
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crook
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| v.使弯曲；n.小偷，骗子，贼；弯曲(处) | |
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broached
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| v.谈起( broach的过去式和过去分词 )；打开并开始用；用凿子扩大（或修光）；（在桶上）钻孔取液体 | |
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haggling
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| v.讨价还价( haggle的现在分词 ) | |
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partnership
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| n.合作关系，伙伴关系 | |
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shudder
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| v.战粟，震动，剧烈地摇晃；n.战粟，抖动 | |
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mustered
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| v.集合，召集，集结（尤指部队）( muster的过去式和过去分词 )；（自他人处）搜集某事物；聚集；激发 | |
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procuring
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| v.（努力）取得， （设法）获得( procure的现在分词 )；拉皮条 | |
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obviated
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| v.避免，消除（贫困、不方便等）( obviate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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memorable
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| adj.值得回忆的，难忘的，特别的，显著的 | |
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immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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81
banking
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| n.银行业，银行学，金融业 | |
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82
boundless
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| adj.无限的；无边无际的；巨大的 | |
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83
contented
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| adj.满意的，安心的，知足的 | |
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84
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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85
liking
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| n.爱好；嗜好；喜欢 | |
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86
hovering
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| 鸟( hover的现在分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫 | |
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87
verge
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| n.边，边缘；v.接近，濒临 | |
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88
deteriorated
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| 恶化，变坏( deteriorate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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89
wont
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| adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯 | |
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savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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envious
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| adj.嫉妒的，羡慕的 | |
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thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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93
precipice
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| n.悬崖，危急的处境 | |
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94
wriggle
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| v./n.蠕动，扭动；蜿蜒 | |
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95
dispense
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| vt.分配，分发；配(药)，发(药)；实施 | |
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miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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97
growled
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| 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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98
soothingly
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| adv.抚慰地，安慰地；镇痛地 | |
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swollen
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| adj.肿大的，水涨的；v.使变大，肿胀 | |
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