In the meantime Sir Lucius Grafton apparently11 was running his usual course of triumph. It is fortunate that those who will watch and wonder about everything are easily satisfied with a reason, and are ever quick in detecting a cause; so Mrs. Dallington Vere was the fact that duly accounted for the Baronet’s intimacy12 with the Dacres. All was right again between them. It was unusual, to be sure, these rifacimentos; still she was a charming woman; and it was well known that Lucius had spent twenty thousand on the county. Where was that to come from, they should like to know, but from old Dallington Vere’s Yorkshire estates, which he had so wisely left to his pretty wife by the pink paper codicil13?
And this lady of so many loves, how felt she? Most agreeably, as all dames14 do who dote upon a passion which they feel convinced will be returned, but which still waits for a response. Arundel Dacre would yield her a smile from a face more worn by thought than joy; and Arundel Dacre, who was wont15 to muse16 alone, was now ever ready to join his cousin and her friends in the ride or the promenade17. Miss Dacre, too, had noticed to her a kindly18 change in her cousin’s conduct to her father. He was more cordial to his uncle, sought to pay him deference19, and seemed more desirous of gaining his good-will. The experienced eye, too, of this pretty woman allowed her often to observe that her hero’s presence was not particularly occasioned, or particularly inspired, by his cousin. In a word, it was to herself that his remarks were addressed, his attentions devoted20, and often she caught his dark and liquid eye fixed21 upon her beaming and refulgent22 brow.
Sir Lucius Grafton proceeded with that strange mixture of craft and passion which characterised him. Each day his heart yearned23 more for the being on whom his thoughts should never have pondered. Now exulting24 in her increased confidence, she seemed already his victim; now awed25 by her majestic26 spirit, he despaired even of her being his bride. Now melted by her unsophisticated innocence27, he cursed even the least unhallowed of his purposes; and now enchanted28 by her consummate29 loveliness, he forgot all but her beauty and his own passion.
Often had he dilated30 to her, with the skill of an arch deceiver, on the blessings31 of domestic joy; often, in her presence, had his eye sparkled, when he watched the infantile graces of some playful children. Then he would embrace them with a soft care and gushing32 fondness, enough to melt the heart of any mother whom he was desirous to seduce33, and then, with a half-murmured sigh, he regretted, in broken accents, that he, too, was not a father.
In due time he proceeded even further. Dark hints of domestic infelicity broke unintentionally from his ungoverned lips. Miss Dacre stared. He quelled34 the tumult35 of his thoughts, struggled with his outbreaking feelings, and triumphed; yet not without a tear, which forced its way down a face not formed for grief, and quivered upon his fair and downy cheek. Sir Lucius Grafton was well aware of the magic of his beauty, and used his charms to betray, as if he were a woman.
Miss Dacre, whose soul was sympathy, felt in silence for this excellent, this injured, this unhappy, this agreeable man. Ill could even her practised manner check the current of her mind, or conceal9 from Lady Aphrodite that she possessed her dislike. As for the young Duke, he fell into the lowest abyss of her opinions, and was looked upon as alike frivolous36, heartless, and irreclaimable.
But how are the friends with whom we dined yesterday? Frequent were the meetings, deep the consultations37, infinite the suggestions, innumerable the expedients38. In the morning they met and breakfasted with Annesley; in the afternoon they met and lunched with Lord Squib; in the evening they met and dined with Lord Darrell; and at night they met and supped at the Alhambra. Each council only the more convinced them that the scheme was feasible, and must be glorious. At last their ideas were matured, and Annesley took steps to break a great event to the world, who were on the eve of being astonished.
He repaired to Lady Bloomerly. The world sometimes talked of her Ladyship and Mr. Annesley; the world were quite wrong, as they often are on this subject. Mr. Annesley knew the value of a female friend. By Lady Bloomerly’s advice, the plan was entrusted39 in confidence to about a dozen dames equally influential40. Then a few of the most considered male friends heard a strange report. Lord Darrell dropped a rumour41 at the Treasury42; but with his finger on the mouth, and leaving himself out of the list, proceeded to give his favourable43 opinion of the project, merely as a disinterested44 and expected guest. Then the Duke promised Peacock Piggott one night at the Alhambra, but swore him to solemn secrecy45 over a vase of sherbet. Then Squib told his tailor, in consideration that his bill should not be sent in; and finally, the Bird of Paradise betrayed the whole affair to the musical world, who were, of course, all agog46. Then, when rumour began to wag its hundred tongues, the twelve peeresses found themselves bound in honour to step into the breach47, yielded the plan their decided48 approbation49, and their avowed50 patronage51 puzzled the grumblers, silenced the weak, and sneered53 down the obstinate54.
The invitations began to issue, and the outcry against them burst forth55. A fronde was formed, but they wanted a De Retz; and many kept back, with the hope of being bribed56 from joining it. The four cavaliers soon found themselves at the head of a strong party, and then, like a faction57 who have successfully struggled for toleration, they now openly maintained their supremacy58. It was too late to cabal59. The uninvited could only console themselves by a passive sulk or an active sneer52; but this would not do, and their bilious60 countenances61 betrayed their chagrin62.
The difficulty now was, not to keep the bores away, but to obtain a few of the beauties, who hesitated. A chaperon must be found for one; another must be added on to a party, like a star to the cluster of a constellation63. Among those whose presence was most ardently64 desired, but seemed most doubtful, was Miss Dacre. An invitation had been sent to her father; but he was out of town, and she did not like to join so peculiar65 a party without him: but it was unanimously agreed that, without her, the affair would be a failure; and Charles Annesley was sent, envoy66 extraordinary, to arrange. With the good aid of his friend Mrs. Dallington all was at length settled; and fervid67 prayers that the important day might be ushered68 in by a smiling sun were offered up during the next fortnight, at half-past six every morning, by all civilised society, who then hurried to their night’s rest.
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1 possessed | |
adj.疯狂的;拥有的,占有的 | |
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2 accomplished | |
adj.有才艺的;有造诣的;达到了的 | |
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3 admiration | |
n.钦佩,赞美,羡慕 | |
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4 constrained | |
adj.束缚的,节制的 | |
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5 divested | |
v.剥夺( divest的过去式和过去分词 );脱去(衣服);2。从…取去…;1。(给某人)脱衣服 | |
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6 imposing | |
adj.使人难忘的,壮丽的,堂皇的,雄伟的 | |
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7 courteous | |
adj.彬彬有礼的,客气的 | |
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8 concealed | |
a.隐藏的,隐蔽的 | |
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9 conceal | |
v.隐藏,隐瞒,隐蔽 | |
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10 pique | |
v.伤害…的自尊心,使生气 n.不满,生气 | |
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11 apparently | |
adv.显然地;表面上,似乎 | |
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12 intimacy | |
n.熟悉,亲密,密切关系,亲昵的言行 | |
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13 codicil | |
n.遗嘱的附录 | |
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14 dames | |
n.(在英国)夫人(一种封号),夫人(爵士妻子的称号)( dame的名词复数 );女人 | |
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15 wont | |
adj.习惯于;v.习惯;n.习惯 | |
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16 muse | |
n.缪斯(希腊神话中的女神),创作灵感 | |
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17 promenade | |
n./v.散步 | |
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18 kindly | |
adj.和蔼的,温和的,爽快的;adv.温和地,亲切地 | |
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19 deference | |
n.尊重,顺从;敬意 | |
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20 devoted | |
adj.忠诚的,忠实的,热心的,献身于...的 | |
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21 fixed | |
adj.固定的,不变的,准备好的;(计算机)固定的 | |
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22 refulgent | |
adj.辉煌的,灿烂的 | |
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23 yearned | |
渴望,切盼,向往( yearn的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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24 exulting | |
vi. 欢欣鼓舞,狂喜 | |
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25 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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26 majestic | |
adj.雄伟的,壮丽的,庄严的,威严的,崇高的 | |
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27 innocence | |
n.无罪;天真;无害 | |
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28 enchanted | |
adj. 被施魔法的,陶醉的,入迷的 动词enchant的过去式和过去分词 | |
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29 consummate | |
adj.完美的;v.成婚;使完美 [反]baffle | |
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30 dilated | |
adj.加宽的,扩大的v.(使某物)扩大,膨胀,张大( dilate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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31 blessings | |
n.(上帝的)祝福( blessing的名词复数 );好事;福分;因祸得福 | |
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32 gushing | |
adj.迸出的;涌出的;喷出的;过分热情的v.喷,涌( gush的现在分词 );滔滔不绝地说话 | |
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33 seduce | |
vt.勾引,诱奸,诱惑,引诱 | |
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34 quelled | |
v.(用武力)制止,结束,镇压( quell的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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35 tumult | |
n.喧哗;激动,混乱;吵闹 | |
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36 frivolous | |
adj.轻薄的;轻率的 | |
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37 consultations | |
n.磋商(会议)( consultation的名词复数 );商讨会;协商会;查找 | |
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38 expedients | |
n.应急有效的,权宜之计的( expedient的名词复数 ) | |
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39 entrusted | |
v.委托,托付( entrust的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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40 influential | |
adj.有影响的,有权势的 | |
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41 rumour | |
n.谣言,谣传,传闻 | |
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42 treasury | |
n.宝库;国库,金库;文库 | |
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43 favourable | |
adj.赞成的,称赞的,有利的,良好的,顺利的 | |
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44 disinterested | |
adj.不关心的,不感兴趣的 | |
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45 secrecy | |
n.秘密,保密,隐蔽 | |
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46 agog | |
adj.兴奋的,有强烈兴趣的; adv.渴望地 | |
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47 breach | |
n.违反,不履行;破裂;vt.冲破,攻破 | |
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48 decided | |
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的 | |
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49 approbation | |
n.称赞;认可 | |
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50 avowed | |
adj.公开声明的,承认的v.公开声明,承认( avow的过去式和过去分词) | |
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51 patronage | |
n.赞助,支援,援助;光顾,捧场 | |
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52 sneer | |
v.轻蔑;嘲笑;n.嘲笑,讥讽的言语 | |
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53 sneered | |
讥笑,冷笑( sneer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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54 obstinate | |
adj.顽固的,倔强的,不易屈服的,较难治愈的 | |
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55 forth | |
adv.向前;向外,往外 | |
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56 bribed | |
v.贿赂( bribe的过去式和过去分词 );向(某人)行贿,贿赂 | |
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57 faction | |
n.宗派,小集团;派别;派系斗争 | |
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58 supremacy | |
n.至上;至高权力 | |
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59 cabal | |
n.政治阴谋小集团 | |
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60 bilious | |
adj.胆汁过多的;易怒的 | |
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61 countenances | |
n.面容( countenance的名词复数 );表情;镇静;道义支持 | |
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62 chagrin | |
n.懊恼;气愤;委屈 | |
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63 constellation | |
n.星座n.灿烂的一群 | |
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64 ardently | |
adv.热心地,热烈地 | |
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65 peculiar | |
adj.古怪的,异常的;特殊的,特有的 | |
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66 envoy | |
n.使节,使者,代表,公使 | |
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67 fervid | |
adj.热情的;炽热的 | |
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68 ushered | |
v.引,领,陪同( usher的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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