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CHAPTER VII THE WORK OF THE INCENDIARY
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Burton awoke from his short and uneasy sleep with a sudden start and the feeling that some one had been near him. The room was, however, empty and gray in the early morning light. As full recollection of the events that had passed came back to his mind, an ugly thought pressed to the front. Was it Henry who was persecuting1 the doctor? Or, rather, was there a possibility that it was not Henry? It certainly was Henry who had been abroad at two in the night,--that was indisputable. Burton had seen him too clearly to be in doubt. Was it not straining incredulity to doubt that it was Henry who had tried to enter his room a few minutes later? If it had been a stranger, would Henry not have been aroused by the opening and shutting of the outside door? It was not a pleasant idea that Miss Underwood's brother was the culprit in the case, but it appeared that he had already laid himself open to suspicion in connection with the series of petty annoyances2 which his sister had narrated3. The local police might not be expert detectives, but they must have average intelligence and experience. And that Henry was moved by a sort of dumb antagonism4 toward his father was quite obvious.

Burton jumped up from the couch, where he had been revolving5 the situation, and a scrap6 of paper, dislodged from his clothing, fell to the floor. He picked it up and read:

"Spy!
"Go back, spy, or you'll be sorry."

In spite of nerves that were ordinarily steady enough, Burton felt a thrill of something like dismay. An unfriendly presence had bent7 over him while he slept, left this message of sinister8 import, and vanished as he had vanished into the night when pursued. The thought that he had lain helpless under the scrutiny9 of this soft-footed, invisible enemy was more disturbing than the threat itself. It gave him a sensation of repulsion that made him understand Miss Underwood's feeling. The situation was not merely bizarre. It was intolerable.

He examined the slip of paper carefully. It was long and narrow and soft,--such a strip as might have been torn from the margin11 of a newspaper. The writing was with a very soft, blunt pencil. A pencil such as he had seen carpenters use in marking boards might have made those heavy lines. The hand was obviously disguised and not very skilfully13, for while occasional strokes were laboriously14 unsteady, others were rapid and firm.

He folded the paper and put it carefully away in his pocketbook. If this were Henry's work, he undoubtedly15 was also the author of the anonymous16 typewritten notices which had been circulated in the town. Why was the message written this time instead of typewritten? A typewriter in the corner of the room caught his eye, as though it were itself the answer to his question. With a swift suspicion in his mind, he sat down before it and wrote a few lines. Upon comparing these with the typewritten slip which the doctor had shown him the evening before, and which still lay on the mantel, it was perfectly17 clear that they had both been produced by the same machine. Some one who had easy and unquestioned access to this room used the doctor's typewriter to tick off insinuations against its owner! It seemed like substantial proof of Henry's guilt18. Who else could use this room without exciting comment? The audacity19 of the scheme was hardly more surprising than its simple-mindedness. Burton crushed his sheet in his hand and tossed it into the wastepaper basket with a feeling of contempt.

While he made a camp toilet he wondered why he had let himself in for all this. He had acted on a foolish impulse. There were roily depths in the matter which it would probably be better not to stir up, and it must now be his immediate20 care to get out of the whole connection as soon as possible. He had no desire to play detective against Miss Underwood's brother. Thank heaven that her acceptance of his tender for Philip had been so conditioned! He would withdraw while the matter was still nebulous.

There came a tap at the door and Mrs. Bussey entered.

"Breakfast's ready," she announced. Then she waited a moment and added in a shamefaced undertone that betrayed the unfamiliarity21 of the message, "Miss Underwood's compliments!" and vanished in obvious embarrassment22.

Burton had to laugh at that, and with more cheerfulness than he would have thought possible he found his way to the breakfast room. Miss Underwood herself smiled a welcome at him from the head of the table.

"You are to breakfast tête-à-tête with me," she said, answering his unconscious look of inquiry23. "Mother always breakfasts in her room, and poor father will have to do the same this morning. Henry has been gardening for hours. So you have only myself left!"

"I can imagine worse fates," said Burton. And then, with a curiosity about Henry which was none the less keen because he did not intend to make it public, he asked: "Is your brother an enthusiastic gardener?"

"It is the only thing he cares about, but it would be stretching the word to call him enthusiastic, I'm afraid. Poor Henry!"

"Why?"

"I mean because of Ben Bussey."

"Oh, yes."

"It has made him so moody24 and strange. You see, he has had Ben before him all his life as an object lesson on the effects of temper, and mother has rather pointed25 the moral. She thinks that all troubles are the punishment of some wrongdoing, and she has had a good deal of influence with Henry always. It has made him resentful toward every one."

"It's unfortunate. Wouldn't it be better to send Ben away?"

"Father hoped to cure him, so he kept him here. Besides, he couldn't afford to keep him anywhere else, I'm afraid. It would be expensive to send him to a hospital,--and father can do everything for him that any one could. No one realizes as I do how father has worried over the whole unhappy situation. He has tried everything for Ben,--even to electricity. And that made trouble, too!"

"Why? Did Ben object?"

"No, but his mother did. I think the popular prejudice against father on all sides is largely the effect of Mrs. Bussey's talking. She is an ignorant woman, as you can see."

"What is Ben's attitude? Is he resentful?"

"Not at all. He is a quiet, sensible fellow, who takes things philosophically26. He knows it was all an accident, of course. And he knows that father has done everything possible, besides taking on himself the support of both Ben and his mother for life."

"That is more than mere10 justice."

"Oh, father is like that! Besides, they would be helpless. Ben's father was a roving character who lived for years among the Indians. He hasn't been heard of for years, and no one knows whether he is dead or alive. He had practically deserted27 them years before Ben's accident. So father felt responsible for them, because of Henry."

"I see," said Burton thoughtfully.

Just then the door was thrown suddenly open, and Mrs. Bussey popped in, her face curiously28 distorted with excitement.

"The Spriggs' house is burnt!" she exclaimed, with obvious enjoyment29 in chronicling great news.

"How do you know?" demanded Leslie.

"Milkman told me. Burnt to the ground."

"Was any one hurt?"

"No," she admitted regretfully. Then she cheered up, and added: "But the house was burnt to the ground! Started at two o'clock in the night, and they had ter get outer the winder to save their lives. Not a rag of clothes to their backs. Jest smoking ashes now."

"I must go and see them immediately after breakfast," said Leslie. And, by way of dismissal, she added: "Please bring some hot toast now."

As soon as Mrs. Bussey was out of the room she turned to Burton.

"That is the family whose children threw stones at father yesterday. I'm awfully30 sorry this happened."

"Yes?"

"Because--oh, you can't imagine how people talk!--some one is sure to say that it happened because they stoned him."

"Oh, how absurd! Who would say that?"

She shook her head with a hopeless gesture. "You don't realize how eager people are to believe evil. It is like the stories of the wolves who devour31 their companions when they fall. They can't prove anything, but they are all the more ready to talk as though they thought it might be true. But at any rate, they can't claim that he set fire to the Sprigg house since he can't walk. Oh dear, I'm glad he sprained32 his ankle yesterday!"

"Filial daughter!" said Burton lightly. But his mind was busy with what he had seen in the night. Where had Henry been when he came back from town at two o'clock in the night? It would be fortunate if popular suspicion did indeed fall upon the doctor in this case, since he could more easily prove an alibi33 than some other members of his family.

"You will see father before you leave, will you not?" asked Leslie, after a moment.

"Yes. And if you really think it wise to visit the scene of disaster this morning, will you not permit me to accompany you?"

"Wise!" she said, with a look of wonder and a cheerless little laugh. "My family is not conspicuous34 for its wisdom. But I shall be very glad to have you go with me. I am going immediately. Will you see my father first?"

"Yes," he said, rising.

Dr. Underwood had already heard the news. He was up and nearly dressed when he answered Burton's knock at his door.

"So you think you're all right again," the latter said.

"It doesn't make any difference whether I am all right or not," the doctor said impetuously. "I've got to get out. You've heard about the fire?"

"Yes."

"I would have given my right hand to prevent it."

"You weren't given the choice," said Burton coolly, "so your hand is saved to you and you will probably find use for it. What's more, you are going back to bed, and you will stay there until I give you leave to get up."

"The devil I am! What for?"

"Because you can't walk a step on account of your sprained ankle."

Underwood turned to look at him in amaze.

"Oh, can't I?"

"Not a step."

"Suppose I don't agree with you?"

"If my orders are not obeyed, of course I shall throw up the case."

Underwood sat down on the edge of the bed. "So you think it's as bad as that!" he muttered. Suddenly he lifted his head with a keen look at Burton, but if a question were on his lips he checked it there. "All right," he said wearily. "I--I'll leave the case in your hands, Doctor. By the way, you didn't have any reward for your vigil last night, did you? There was no attempt to enter the surgery?"

"Oh, an amateur can't always expect to bag his game at the first shot," Burton said lightly.

He found Miss Underwood ready and waiting when he came downstairs, and they set out at once for the scene of the fire. She looked so thoughtful and preoccupied35 that he could not fail to realize how serious this affair must seem to her. Could it be that she entertained any of his own uncomfortable doubts as to the accidental character of the fire?

"I am consumed with wonder as to why you are going to visit the Spriggs," he said, as they went out into the shaded street. "Is it pure humanitarianism36?"

"No," she said slowly. "I am worried. Of course they can't connect father with it, and yet--I am worried."

"And so you want to be on the field of battle?"

"Yes."

"Well, that's gallant37, at any rate."

"But not wise?" she asked seriously.

"I withdraw that word. It is always wise to meet things with courage."

She walked on in silence a few moments.

"But they can't connect father with this, can they?" she asked earnestly.

"Of course not," he said,--and wished they need prepare to face no more serious attack than one on the doctor.

There was a small crowd about the smoking ruins of what had been a sprawling38 frame dwelling-house. A couple of firemen were still on the grounds, and uncounted boys were shouting with excitement and running about with superfluous39 activity. The nucleus40 of the crowd seemed to be an excited and crying woman, and Miss Underwood pressed toward this point. A large man, pompous41 even at this early morning hour, whose back was toward them as they approached, was talking.

"I have no doubt you are right, ma'am. I heard him say myself that fire would come down and burn them because they threw stones at him. It is an outrage42 that such a man should be loose in the community. We are none of us safe in our beds."

It was Hadley. Some exclamation43 made him turn at that moment and he saw Leslie Underwood, and suddenly fell silent. But the woman to whom he had been talking did not fall silent. Instead, she rushed up to Leslie and screamed at her, between angry sobs44:

"Yes, you'd better come and look at your father's work. I wonder that you dare show your face! Burnt in our beds we might have been and that's what he meant, and all because the boys threw some bits of stones playful-like at his old buggy. Every one of us might have been burnt to death, and where are our things and our clothes and our home, and where are we going to live? Burnt up by that wicked old man, and I wonder you will show your face in the street!"

Miss Underwood shrank back, speechless and dismayed, before the furious woman, and Burton put himself before her.

"Mrs. Sprigg, your misfortune will make Miss Underwood overlook your words, but nothing will justify45 or excuse them. You have suffered a loss and we are all sorry for you, and Miss Underwood came here for the express purpose of offering to help you if there is anything she can do. But you must not slander46 an innocent man. And as for the rest of you," he added, turning with blazing anger to the crowd as a whole, "you must remember that such remarks as I heard when I came up will make you liable to an action for defamation47 of character. The law does not permit you to charge a man with arson48 without any ground for doing so."

"If Dr. Underwood didn't do it, who did? Tell me that," a man in the crowd called out.

"I don't have to tell you. That's nonsense. Probably it caught from the chimney."

"The chief says it's incendiary all right. Started in a bedroom on the second floor, in a pile of clothes near a window."

"Even if it were incendiary,--though I don't believe it was--that has nothing to do with Dr. Underwood. He's laid up with a sprained ankle and can't walk a step, let alone climb up to a second story window."

"Well, Henry Underwood hasn't sprained an ankle, has he?" This came from Selby, whom Burton had not noticed before. He thrust himself forward now, and there was something almost like triumph in his excited face.

"What do you mean by bringing his name in?" Burton asked sternly.

"It looks like his work all right. More than one fire has been started by him in High Ridge49 before this. There are people who haven't forgotten his tricks here six years ago, writing letters about his father, and burning clothes and keeping the whole place stirred up. I'm not surprised he has come to this."

"He ought to be hung for this, that's what he ought," burst in Mrs. Sprigg. "Burning people's houses over their heads, in the dead of night! Hanging's too good for him."

"You have not an atom of evidence to go on," cried Burton, exasperated50 into argument. "You might just as well accuse me, or Mr. Selby, or any one else. Henry Underwood has no ill-will against you,--"

"The doctor said that fire would come and burn the children up; Mr. Hadley heard him."

"That was nonsense. I heard what he said, too. He was just joking. Besides, that was the doctor, it wasn't Henry."

"If the doctor had a wanted to a done it, he could," said an old man, judicially51. "He knows too much for his own good, he does, and too much for the good of the people that go agin him. 'Tain't safe to go agin him. He can make you lay on your back all your life, like he done with Ben Bussey. He'd a been well long afore this if the doctor had treated him right."

"Come away from this," said Burton in a low voice to Leslie. "You see you can do no good. There is no reason why you should endure this."

She let him guide her through the crowd, but as they turned away, Selby called to Burton:

"You say we haven't any evidence. I'm going to get it. There is no one in High Ridge but Henry Underwood who would do such a trick, and I am going to prove it against him. We've stood this just long enough."

Burton made no answer. He was now chiefly anxious to hurry Leslie from an unpleasant scene. But again they were interrupted. Mr. Hadley came puffing52 after them, with every sign of anxiety in his face.

"Say, Miss Leslie," he began breathlessly, "I didn't mean what I said about not being safe in our beds. You won't mention that to your father, will you? I don't want to get him set against me. I'm sure he wouldn't harm me for the world. I know I'm perfectly safe in my bed, Miss Leslie."

She swept him with a withering53 look of scorn, and hurried on without a word.

"You see," she said to Burton.

"Yes, I see. It is simply intolerable."

"How can they believe it?"

"I think your father should know what is being said. May I go home with you, and report the affair to him?"

"I shall be thankful if you will."

"You really mean that, don't you? Of course I know that I am nearly a stranger and that I may seem to be pressing into purely54 family matters. But apart from my interest in anything that concerns Philip, I shall be glad on my own account if I can be of any help to you in a distressing55 situation."

"Thank you," she said gravely. And after a moment she added, with a whimsical air that was like her father's: "It would hardly be worth while for us to pretend to be strangers, after turning our skeleton-closet into a guest-chamber for you. You know all about us!"

Burton wasn't so sure of that. And he was even less assured after his half-hour conversation with the doctor, whom he found dressed, but certainly not wholly in his right mind.

"I have come to report the progress of the plot," said Burton. "I am glad to inform you that you are not suspected of having fired the Sprigg house with your own hand. Your sprained ankle served you well in that emergency. But your son Henry had no sprained ankle to protect him, so they have quite concluded that it was his doing."

Dr. Underwood looked at him thoughtfully, with no change of expression to indicate that the news was news to him.

"Was the fire incendiary?" he asked after a moment.

"So they assert."

The doctor closed his eyes with his finger-tips and sat silent for a moment.

"Was there any talk of--arrest?"

"There was wild talk, but of course there was nothing to justify an arrest,--no evidence."

"There never is," said the doctor. "This disturber of our peace is very skilful12. He swoops56 down out of the dark, with an accompaniment of mystery and malice57, and leaves us blinking, and that's all the satisfaction we get out of it. And the anonymous letters he scatters58 about are always typewritten."

"Not always," said Burton, resolving swiftly to throw the game into the doctor's hands. He laid before him the slip of paper that had been served upon himself in the night. "You don't, by any chance, recognize that handwriting?"

The doctor took the slip into his own hands and read the message gravely.

"Where did you get this?"

Burton told him the night's adventures in outline, mentioning casually59 Henry's return to the house at two, and the subsequent attempt of some one to enter his room, and his ineffectual pursuit.

Dr. Underwood listened with a more impassive face than was altogether natural. At the end of the recital60 he picked up the slip of paper again and studied it.

"I think one of those handwriting experts who analyze61 forgeries62 and that sort of thing would say that this was my handwriting, somewhat disguised," he said.

"Yours!" Burton exclaimed, taken by surprise.

"That's what struck me at first sight,--its familiarity. It is like seeing your own ghost. Of course it is obviously disguised, but some of the words look like my writing. You see how I am putting myself into your hands by this admission."

Burton fancied he saw something else, also, and the pathetic heroism63 of it made his heart swell64 with sudden emotion.

"A clue!" he cried gaily65. "You did it in your sleep! And you wrote those typewritten letters and handbills on the typewriter in your surgery, when you were in the same somnambulic condition! I examined the work of that machine this morning. It corresponds so closely with the sheet you showed me last night that I have no doubt an expert would be able to work out a proof of identity."

"I'll see that the room is locked hereafter at night," said the doctor, with an effort.

"You'd be more likely to catch the villain66 by leaving the door unlocked and keeping a watch," said Burton, lightly assuming that the capture of the miscreant67 was still their joint68 object. "And I'll leave you this new manuscript to add to your collection. It is of no value to me."

'And he presented the incriminating paper to the doctor with a smile and took his leave. To himself, he hoped that enough had been said to make the doctor realize that if the disturber of the peace of High Ridge was not to be caught, it would be best to--get him away.

As he walked toward the hotel, he let himself face the situation frankly69. If Henry was, as a matter of fact, the criminal, his firing of the Sprigg house was probably less from malice toward the Spriggs than from the conviction that it would be attributed to the agency of the doctor, whose rash speech about calling down fire on his persecutors had fitted so neatly70 into the outcome. Like the freakish pranks71 of which Miss Underwood had told, it was designed to hold the doctor up to public reprobation72. Only this was much more serious than those earlier pranks. If a man would go so far as to imperil the lives of an entire family to feed fat his grudge73 against some one else, and that one his own father, it argued a dangerous degree of abnormality. Was it possible that Leslie Underwood's brother was criminally insane? Suddenly Rachel Overman's face rose before him. He saw just how she would look if such a question were raised about a member of the family from which Philip had chosen his wife.

"Oh, good Lord!" Burton muttered to himself.


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 persecuting 668e268d522d47306d7adbfe4e26738d     
(尤指宗教或政治信仰的)迫害(~sb. for sth.)( persecute的现在分词 ); 烦扰,困扰或骚扰某人
参考例句:
  • This endurance made old Earnshaw furious, when he discovered his son persecuting the poor, fatherless child, as he called him. 当老恩萧发现他的儿子这样虐待他所谓的可怜的孤儿时,这种逆来顺受使老恩萧冒火了。
  • He is possessed with the idea that someone is persecuting him. 他老是觉得有人要害他。
2 annoyances 825318190e0ef2fdbbf087738a8eb7f6     
n.恼怒( annoyance的名词复数 );烦恼;打扰;使人烦恼的事
参考例句:
  • At dinner that evening two annoyances kept General Zaroff from perfect enjoyment one. 当天晚上吃饭时,有两件不称心的事令沙洛夫吃得不很香。 来自辞典例句
  • Actually, I have a lot of these little annoyances-don't we all? 事实上我有很多类似的小烦恼,我们不都有这种小烦恼吗? 来自互联网
3 narrated 41d1c5fe7dace3e43c38e40bfeb85fe5     
v.故事( narrate的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • Some of the story was narrated in the film. 该电影叙述了这个故事的部分情节。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Defoe skilfully narrated the adventures of Robinson Crusoe on his desert island. 笛福生动地叙述了鲁滨逊·克鲁索在荒岛上的冒险故事。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
4 antagonism bwHzL     
n.对抗,敌对,对立
参考例句:
  • People did not feel a strong antagonism for established policy.人们没有对既定方针产生强烈反应。
  • There is still much antagonism between trades unions and the oil companies.工会和石油公司之间仍然存在着相当大的敌意。
5 revolving 3jbzvd     
adj.旋转的,轮转式的;循环的v.(使)旋转( revolve的现在分词 );细想
参考例句:
  • The theatre has a revolving stage. 剧院有一个旋转舞台。
  • The company became a revolving-door workplace. 这家公司成了工作的中转站。
6 scrap JDFzf     
n.碎片;废料;v.废弃,报废
参考例句:
  • A man comes round regularly collecting scrap.有个男人定时来收废品。
  • Sell that car for scrap.把那辆汽车当残品卖了吧。
7 bent QQ8yD     
n.爱好,癖好;adj.弯的;决心的,一心的
参考例句:
  • He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
  • We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。
8 sinister 6ETz6     
adj.不吉利的,凶恶的,左边的
参考例句:
  • There is something sinister at the back of that series of crimes.在这一系列罪行背后有险恶的阴谋。
  • Their proposals are all worthless and designed out of sinister motives.他们的建议不仅一钱不值,而且包藏祸心。
9 scrutiny ZDgz6     
n.详细检查,仔细观察
参考例句:
  • His work looks all right,but it will not bear scrutiny.他的工作似乎很好,但是经不起仔细检查。
  • Few wives in their forties can weather such a scrutiny.很少年过四十的妻子经得起这么仔细的观察。
10 mere rC1xE     
adj.纯粹的;仅仅,只不过
参考例句:
  • That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
  • It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。
11 margin 67Mzp     
n.页边空白;差额;余地,余裕;边,边缘
参考例句:
  • We allowed a margin of 20 minutes in catching the train.我们有20分钟的余地赶火车。
  • The village is situated at the margin of a forest.村子位于森林的边缘。
12 skilful 8i2zDY     
(=skillful)adj.灵巧的,熟练的
参考例句:
  • The more you practise,the more skilful you'll become.练习的次数越多,熟练的程度越高。
  • He's not very skilful with his chopsticks.他用筷子不大熟练。
13 skilfully 5a560b70e7a5ad739d1e69a929fed271     
adv. (美skillfully)熟练地
参考例句:
  • Hall skilfully weaves the historical research into a gripping narrative. 霍尔巧妙地把历史研究揉进了扣人心弦的故事叙述。
  • Enthusiasm alone won't do. You've got to work skilfully. 不能光靠傻劲儿,得找窍门。
14 laboriously xpjz8l     
adv.艰苦地;费力地;辛勤地;(文体等)佶屈聱牙地
参考例句:
  • She is tracing laboriously now. 她正在费力地写。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • She is laboriously copying out an old manuscript. 她正在费劲地抄出一份旧的手稿。 来自辞典例句
15 undoubtedly Mfjz6l     
adv.确实地,无疑地
参考例句:
  • It is undoubtedly she who has said that.这话明明是她说的。
  • He is undoubtedly the pride of China.毫无疑问他是中国的骄傲。
16 anonymous lM2yp     
adj.无名的;匿名的;无特色的
参考例句:
  • Sending anonymous letters is a cowardly act.寄匿名信是懦夫的行为。
  • The author wishes to remain anonymous.作者希望姓名不公开。
17 perfectly 8Mzxb     
adv.完美地,无可非议地,彻底地
参考例句:
  • The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
  • Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。
18 guilt 9e6xr     
n.犯罪;内疚;过失,罪责
参考例句:
  • She tried to cover up her guilt by lying.她企图用谎言掩饰自己的罪行。
  • Don't lay a guilt trip on your child about schoolwork.别因为功课责备孩子而使他觉得很内疚。
19 audacity LepyV     
n.大胆,卤莽,无礼
参考例句:
  • He had the audacity to ask for an increase in salary.他竟然厚着脸皮要求增加薪水。
  • He had the audacity to pick pockets in broad daylight.他竟敢在光天化日之下掏包。
20 immediate aapxh     
adj.立即的;直接的,最接近的;紧靠的
参考例句:
  • His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
  • We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。
21 unfamiliarity Dkgw4     
参考例句:
  • And unfamiliarity with a new electoral system may also deter voters. 而对新的选举体系的不熟悉,也会妨碍一些选民投票。 来自互联网
  • Her temporary shyness was due to her unfamiliarity with the environment. 她暂时的害羞是因为对环境不熟悉。 来自互联网
22 embarrassment fj9z8     
n.尴尬;使人为难的人(事物);障碍;窘迫
参考例句:
  • She could have died away with embarrassment.她窘迫得要死。
  • Coughing at a concert can be a real embarrassment.在音乐会上咳嗽真会使人难堪。
23 inquiry nbgzF     
n.打听,询问,调查,查问
参考例句:
  • Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
  • The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。
24 moody XEXxG     
adj.心情不稳的,易怒的,喜怒无常的
参考例句:
  • He relapsed into a moody silence.他又重新陷于忧郁的沉默中。
  • I'd never marry that girl.She's so moody.我决不会和那女孩结婚的。她太易怒了。
25 pointed Il8zB4     
adj.尖的,直截了当的
参考例句:
  • He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
  • She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。
26 philosophically 5b1e7592f40fddd38186dac7bc43c6e0     
adv.哲学上;富有哲理性地;贤明地;冷静地
参考例句:
  • He added philosophically that one should adapt oneself to the changed conditions. 他富于哲理地补充说,一个人应该适应变化了的情况。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Harry took his rejection philosophically. 哈里达观地看待自己被拒的事。 来自《简明英汉词典》
27 deserted GukzoL     
adj.荒芜的,荒废的,无人的,被遗弃的
参考例句:
  • The deserted village was filled with a deathly silence.这个荒废的村庄死一般的寂静。
  • The enemy chieftain was opposed and deserted by his followers.敌人头目众叛亲离。
28 curiously 3v0zIc     
adv.有求知欲地;好问地;奇特地
参考例句:
  • He looked curiously at the people.他好奇地看着那些人。
  • He took long stealthy strides. His hands were curiously cold.他迈着悄没声息的大步。他的双手出奇地冷。
29 enjoyment opaxV     
n.乐趣;享有;享用
参考例句:
  • Your company adds to the enjoyment of our visit. 有您的陪同,我们这次访问更加愉快了。
  • After each joke the old man cackled his enjoyment.每逢讲完一个笑话,这老人就呵呵笑着表示他的高兴。
30 awfully MPkym     
adv.可怕地,非常地,极端地
参考例句:
  • Agriculture was awfully neglected in the past.过去农业遭到严重忽视。
  • I've been feeling awfully bad about it.对这我一直感到很难受。
31 devour hlezt     
v.吞没;贪婪地注视或谛听,贪读;使着迷
参考例句:
  • Larger fish devour the smaller ones.大鱼吃小鱼。
  • Beauty is but a flower which wrinkle will devour.美只不过是一朵,终会被皱纹所吞噬。
32 sprained f314e68885bee024fbaac62a560ab7d4     
v.&n. 扭伤
参考例句:
  • I stumbled and sprained my ankle. 我摔了一跤,把脚脖子扭了。
  • When Mary sprained her ankles, John carried her piggyback to the doctors. 玛丽扭伤了足踝,约翰驮她去看医生。
33 alibi bVSzb     
n.某人当时不在犯罪现场的申辩或证明;借口
参考例句:
  • Do you have any proof to substantiate your alibi? 你有证据表明你当时不在犯罪现场吗?
  • The police are suspicious of his alibi because he already has a record.警方对他不在场的辩解表示怀疑,因为他已有前科。
34 conspicuous spszE     
adj.明眼的,惹人注目的;炫耀的,摆阔气的
参考例句:
  • It is conspicuous that smoking is harmful to health.很明显,抽烟对健康有害。
  • Its colouring makes it highly conspicuous.它的色彩使它非常惹人注目。
35 preoccupied TPBxZ     
adj.全神贯注的,入神的;被抢先占有的;心事重重的v.占据(某人)思想,使对…全神贯注,使专心于( preoccupy的过去式)
参考例句:
  • He was too preoccupied with his own thoughts to notice anything wrong. 他只顾想着心事,没注意到有什么不对。
  • The question of going to the Mount Tai preoccupied his mind. 去游泰山的问题盘踞在他心头。 来自《简明英汉词典》
36 humanitarianism 7478eb317dab14a74327004046f6acd1     
n.博爱主义;人道主义;基督凡人论
参考例句:
  • Humanitarianism is apt to be forgotten when the balloon goes up. 一旦战争爆发,人道主义往往就被抛到脑后了。 来自互联网
  • We must heal the wounded, rescue the dying, practicing revolutionary humanitarianism. 我们要救死扶伤,实行革命的人道主义。 来自互联网
37 gallant 66Myb     
adj.英勇的,豪侠的;(向女人)献殷勤的
参考例句:
  • Huang Jiguang's gallant deed is known by all men. 黄继光的英勇事迹尽人皆知。
  • These gallant soldiers will protect our country.这些勇敢的士兵会保卫我们的国家的。
38 sprawling 3ff3e560ffc2f12f222ef624d5807902     
adj.蔓生的,不规则地伸展的v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的现在分词 );蔓延;杂乱无序地拓展;四肢伸展坐着(或躺着)
参考例句:
  • He was sprawling in an armchair in front of the TV. 他伸开手脚坐在电视机前的一张扶手椅上。
  • a modern sprawling town 一座杂乱无序拓展的现代城镇
39 superfluous EU6zf     
adj.过多的,过剩的,多余的
参考例句:
  • She fined away superfluous matter in the design. 她删去了这图案中多余的东西。
  • That request seemed superfluous when I wrote it.我这样写的时候觉得这个请求似乎是多此一举。
40 nucleus avSyg     
n.核,核心,原子核
参考例句:
  • These young people formed the nucleus of the club.这些年轻人成了俱乐部的核心。
  • These councils would form the nucleus of a future regime.这些委员会将成为一个未来政权的核心。
41 pompous 416zv     
adj.傲慢的,自大的;夸大的;豪华的
参考例句:
  • He was somewhat pompous and had a high opinion of his own capabilities.他有点自大,自视甚高。
  • He is a good man underneath his pompous appearance. 他的外表虽傲慢,其实是个好人。
42 outrage hvOyI     
n.暴行,侮辱,愤怒;vt.凌辱,激怒
参考例句:
  • When he heard the news he reacted with a sense of outrage.他得悉此事时义愤填膺。
  • We should never forget the outrage committed by the Japanese invaders.我们永远都不应该忘记日本侵略者犯下的暴行。
43 exclamation onBxZ     
n.感叹号,惊呼,惊叹词
参考例句:
  • He could not restrain an exclamation of approval.他禁不住喝一声采。
  • The author used three exclamation marks at the end of the last sentence to wake up the readers.作者在文章的最后一句连用了三个惊叹号,以引起读者的注意。
44 sobs d4349f86cad43cb1a5579b1ef269d0cb     
啜泣(声),呜咽(声)( sob的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • She was struggling to suppress her sobs. 她拼命不让自己哭出来。
  • She burst into a convulsive sobs. 她突然抽泣起来。
45 justify j3DxR     
vt.证明…正当(或有理),为…辩护
参考例句:
  • He tried to justify his absence with lame excuses.他想用站不住脚的借口为自己的缺席辩解。
  • Can you justify your rude behavior to me?你能向我证明你的粗野行为是有道理的吗?
46 slander 7ESzF     
n./v.诽谤,污蔑
参考例句:
  • The article is a slander on ordinary working people.那篇文章是对普通劳动大众的诋毁。
  • He threatened to go public with the slander.他威胁要把丑闻宣扬出去。
47 defamation FY3zV     
n.诽谤;中伤
参考例句:
  • Character defamation can be either oral or written.人格诽谤既可以是口头的也可以是书面的。
  • The company sued for defamation.这个公司因受到诽谤而提起诉讼。
48 arson 3vOz3     
n.纵火,放火
参考例句:
  • He was serving a ten spot for arson.他因纵火罪在服十年徒刑。
  • He was arraigned on a charge of arson.他因被指控犯纵火罪而被传讯。
49 ridge KDvyh     
n.山脊;鼻梁;分水岭
参考例句:
  • We clambered up the hillside to the ridge above.我们沿着山坡费力地爬上了山脊。
  • The infantry were advancing to attack the ridge.步兵部队正在向前挺进攻打山脊。
50 exasperated ltAz6H     
adj.恼怒的
参考例句:
  • We were exasperated at his ill behaviour. 我们对他的恶劣行为感到非常恼怒。
  • Constant interruption of his work exasperated him. 对他工作不断的干扰使他恼怒。
51 judicially 8e141e97c5a0ea74185aa3796a2330c0     
依法判决地,公平地
参考例句:
  • Geoffrey approached the line of horses and glanced judicially down the row. 杰弗里走进那栏马,用审视的目的目光一匹接一匹地望去。
  • Not all judicially created laws are based on statutory or constitutional interpretation. 并不是所有的司法机关创制的法都以是以成文法或宪法的解释为基础的。
52 puffing b3a737211571a681caa80669a39d25d3     
v.使喷出( puff的现在分词 );喷着汽(或烟)移动;吹嘘;吹捧
参考例句:
  • He was puffing hard when he jumped on to the bus. 他跳上公共汽车时喘息不已。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • My father sat puffing contentedly on his pipe. 父亲坐着心满意足地抽着烟斗。 来自《简明英汉词典》
53 withering 8b1e725193ea9294ced015cd87181307     
使人畏缩的,使人害羞的,使人难堪的
参考例句:
  • She gave him a withering look. 她极其蔑视地看了他一眼。
  • The grass is gradually dried-up and withering and pallen leaves. 草渐渐干枯、枯萎并落叶。
54 purely 8Sqxf     
adv.纯粹地,完全地
参考例句:
  • I helped him purely and simply out of friendship.我帮他纯粹是出于友情。
  • This disproves the theory that children are purely imitative.这证明认为儿童只会单纯地模仿的理论是站不住脚的。
55 distressing cuTz30     
a.使人痛苦的
参考例句:
  • All who saw the distressing scene revolted against it. 所有看到这种悲惨景象的人都对此感到难过。
  • It is distressing to see food being wasted like this. 这样浪费粮食令人痛心。
56 swoops 34cb21d205ccf6df9390b85e36d2b05a     
猛扑,突然下降( swoop的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • He fixes his eyes on the greyish spine of the old wolf as he swoops down. 他两眼死死盯住老狼灰黑的脊背。 来自汉英文学 - 现代散文
  • An owl swoops from the ridge top, noiseless but as flame. 蓦地,山脊上一只夜枭飞扑直下,悄无声响而赫然如一道火光。
57 malice P8LzW     
n.恶意,怨恨,蓄意;[律]预谋
参考例句:
  • I detected a suggestion of malice in his remarks.我觉察出他说的话略带恶意。
  • There was a strong current of malice in many of his portraits.他的许多肖像画中都透着一股强烈的怨恨。
58 scatters 803ecee4ca49a54ca72e41929dab799f     
v.(使)散开, (使)分散,驱散( scatter的第三人称单数 );撒
参考例句:
  • He scatters money about as if he were rich. 他四处挥霍,好像很有钱。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Truth raises against itself the storm that scatters its seeds broadcast. 真理引起了反对它自己的狂风骤雨,那场风雨吹散了真理的广播的种子。 来自辞典例句
59 casually UwBzvw     
adv.漠不关心地,无动于衷地,不负责任地
参考例句:
  • She remarked casually that she was changing her job.她当时漫不经心地说要换工作。
  • I casually mentioned that I might be interested in working abroad.我不经意地提到我可能会对出国工作感兴趣。
60 recital kAjzI     
n.朗诵,独奏会,独唱会
参考例句:
  • She is going to give a piano recital.她即将举行钢琴独奏会。
  • I had their total attention during the thirty-five minutes that my recital took.在我叙述的35分钟内,他们完全被我吸引了。
61 analyze RwUzm     
vt.分析,解析 (=analyse)
参考例句:
  • We should analyze the cause and effect of this event.我们应该分析这场事变的因果。
  • The teacher tried to analyze the cause of our failure.老师设法分析我们失败的原因。
62 forgeries ccf3756c474249ecf8bd23166b7aaaf1     
伪造( forgery的名词复数 ); 伪造的文件、签名等
参考例句:
  • The whole sky was filled with forgeries of the brain. 整个天空充满了头脑里臆造出来的膺品。
  • On inspection, the notes proved to be forgeries. 经过检查,那些钞票证明是伪造的。
63 heroism 5dyx0     
n.大无畏精神,英勇
参考例句:
  • He received a medal for his heroism.他由于英勇而获得一枚奖章。
  • Stories of his heroism resounded through the country.他的英雄故事传遍全国。
64 swell IHnzB     
vi.膨胀,肿胀;增长,增强
参考例句:
  • The waves had taken on a deep swell.海浪汹涌。
  • His injured wrist began to swell.他那受伤的手腕开始肿了。
65 gaily lfPzC     
adv.欢乐地,高兴地
参考例句:
  • The children sing gaily.孩子们欢唱着。
  • She waved goodbye very gaily.她欢快地挥手告别。
66 villain ZL1zA     
n.反派演员,反面人物;恶棍;问题的起因
参考例句:
  • He was cast as the villain in the play.他在戏里扮演反面角色。
  • The man who played the villain acted very well.扮演恶棍的那个男演员演得很好。
67 miscreant fDUxJ     
n.恶棍
参考例句:
  • Local people demanded that the District Magistrate apprehend the miscreants.当地人要求地方法官逮捕那些歹徒。
  • The days of a judge telling a miscreant to join the army or go to jail are over.由法官判一名无赖不去当兵就得坐牢的日子过去了。
68 joint m3lx4     
adj.联合的,共同的;n.关节,接合处;v.连接,贴合
参考例句:
  • I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤,肩膀脫臼了。
  • We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。
69 frankly fsXzcf     
adv.坦白地,直率地;坦率地说
参考例句:
  • To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说,我一点也不赞成这个主意。
  • Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说,我不反对改革。
70 neatly ynZzBp     
adv.整洁地,干净地,灵巧地,熟练地
参考例句:
  • Sailors know how to wind up a long rope neatly.水手们知道怎样把一条大绳利落地缠好。
  • The child's dress is neatly gathered at the neck.那孩子的衣服在领口处打着整齐的皱褶。
71 pranks cba7670310bdd53033e32d6c01506817     
n.玩笑,恶作剧( prank的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Frank's errancy consisted mostly of pranks. 法兰克错在老喜欢恶作剧。 来自辞典例句
  • He always leads in pranks and capers. 他老是带头胡闹和开玩笑。 来自辞典例句
72 reprobation TVTxX     
n.斥责
参考例句:
  • Nearly everyone had something to say in reprobation of the views suggested by Owen. 几乎每个人都说几句话来表示反对欧文的见解。 来自辞典例句
73 grudge hedzG     
n.不满,怨恨,妒嫉;vt.勉强给,不情愿做
参考例句:
  • I grudge paying so much for such inferior goods.我不愿花这么多钱买次品。
  • I do not grudge him his success.我不嫉妒他的成功。


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