And the Duke! He soon left the uncle and nephew to their miserable speculations7 about the state of the poll, and took his sullen way, with the air of Ajax, to the terrace. Here he stalked along in a fierce reverie; asked why he had been born; why he did not die; why he should live, and so on. His wounded pride, which had borne so much, fairly got the mastery, and revenged itself for all insults on Love, whom it ejected most scurvily8. He blushed to think how he had humiliated9 himself before her. She was the cause of that humiliation10, and of every disagreeable sensation that he was experiencing. He began, therefore, to imprecate vengeance11, walked himself into a fair, cold-hearted, malicious12 passion, and avowed13 most distinctly that he hated her. As for him, most ardently14 he hoped that, some day or other, they might again meet at six o’clock in the morning in Kensington Gardens, but in a different relation to each other.
It was dark when he entered the Castle. He was about ascending15 to his own room, when he determined16 not to be cowed, and resolved to show himself the regardless witness of their mutual17 loves: so he repaired to the drawing-room. At one end of this very spacious18 apartment, Mr. Dacre and Arundel were walking in deep converse19; at the other sat Miss Dacre at a table reading. The Duke seized a chair without looking at her, dragged it along to the fireplace, and there seating himself, with his arms folded, his feet on the fender, and his chair tilting20, he appeared to be lost in the abstracting contemplation of the consuming fuel.
Some minutes had passed, when a slight sound, like a fluttering bird, made him look up: Miss Dacre was standing21 at his side.
‘Is your head better?’ she asked him, in a soft voice.
‘Thank you, it is quite well,’ he replied, in a sullen one.
There was a moment’s pause, and then she again spoke22.
‘I am sure you are not well.’
‘Perfectly, thank you.’
‘Something has happened, then,’ she said, rather imploringly23.
‘What should have happened?’ he rejoined, pettishly24.
‘You are very strange; very unlike what you always are.’
‘What I always am is of no consequence to myself, or to anyone else; and as for what I am now, I cannot always command my feelings, though I shall take care that they are not again observed.’
‘I have offended you?’
‘Then you have shown your discretion25, for you should always offend the forlorn.’
‘I did not think before that you were bitter.’
‘That has made me bitter which has made all others so.’
‘What?’
‘Disappointment.’
Another pause, yet she did not go.
‘I will not quarrel, and so you need not try. You are consigned26 to my care, and I am to amuse you. What shall we do?’
‘Do what you like, Miss Dacre; but spare, oh! spare me your pity!’
‘You do indeed surprise me. Pity! I was not thinking of pity! But you are indeed serious, and I leave you.’
He turned; he seized her hand.
‘Nay! do not go. Forgive me,’ he said, ‘forgive me, for I am most miserable.’
‘Why, why are you?’
‘Oh! do not ask; you agonise me.’
‘Shall I sing? Shall I charm the evil spirit?’
‘Anything?’
She tripped to the piano, and an air, bursting like the spring, and gay as a village feast, filled the room with its delight. He listened, and each instant the chilly27 weight loosened from his heart. Her balmy voice now came upon his ear, breathing joy and cheerfulness, content and love. Could love be the savage passion which lately subjugated28 his soul? He rose from his seat; he walked about the room; each minute his heart was lighter29, his brow more smooth. A thousand thoughts, beautiful and quivering like the twilight30, glanced o’er his mind in indistinct but exquisite31 tumult32, and hope, like the voice of an angel in a storm, was heard above all. He lifted a chair gently from the ground, and, stealing to the enchantress, seated himself at her side. So softly he reached her, that for a moment he was unperceived. She turned her head, and her eyes met his. Even the ineffable33 incident was forgotten, as he marked the strange gush34 of lovely light, that seemed to say —— what to think of was, after all, madness.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
miserable
|
|
| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
savage
|
|
| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
uncommonly
|
|
| adv. 稀罕(极，非常) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
sullen
|
|
| adj.愠怒的，闷闷不乐的，(天气等)阴沉的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
misery
|
|
| n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
opium
|
|
| n.鸦片；adj.鸦片的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
speculations
|
|
| n.投机买卖( speculation的名词复数 )；思考；投机活动；推断 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
scurvily
|
|
| 下流地，粗鄙地，无礼地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
|
9
humiliated
|
|
| 感到羞愧的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
humiliation
|
|
| n.羞辱 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
vengeance
|
|
| n.报复，报仇，复仇 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
malicious
|
|
| adj.有恶意的，心怀恶意的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
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) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
ardently
|
|
| adv.热心地，热烈地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
ascending
|
|
| adj.上升的，向上的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
determined
|
|
| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
mutual
|
|
| adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
spacious
|
|
| adj.广阔的，宽敞的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
converse
|
|
| vi.谈话，谈天，闲聊；adv.相反的，相反 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
tilting
|
|
| 倾斜，倾卸 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
standing
|
|
| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
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 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
imploringly
|
|
| adv. 恳求地, 哀求地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
pettishly
|
|
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
discretion
|
|
| n.谨慎；随意处理 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
consigned
|
|
| v.把…置于（令人不快的境地）( consign的过去式和过去分词 )；把…托付给；把…托人代售；丟弃 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
chilly
|
|
| adj.凉快的，寒冷的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
subjugated
|
|
| v.征服，降伏( subjugate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
lighter
|
|
| n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
twilight
|
|
| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
exquisite
|
|
| adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
tumult
|
|
| n.喧哗；激动，混乱；吵闹 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
ineffable
|
|
| adj.无法表达的，不可言喻的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
gush
|
|
| v.喷，涌；滔滔不绝(说话)；n.喷，涌流；迸发 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |