The two have no children, and her husband being so simply provided for, Mrs. Weston has plenty of leisure to pursue her own weird4 life. She began, as most students of the faddish6 side of life do, by using her excellent physical health as a starting-point for hypochondria, and proceeded to cure herself of imaginary ailments8 with such ruthless ferocity that if she had not stopped in time, she might really have become ill. As it was,{50} she arrested her downward course of healing before it had done anything more than make her thin, and took to another fad5. But she resumed her pleasant plumpness when she embraced spiritualism, for spiritualism for some obscure reason almost invariably causes people to lay on flesh.
To begin at the beginning of her quackings, she was about thirty when the shattering conviction came over her, after reading a little book about gout, that she entirely9 consisted of uric acid. This painful self-revelation caused her husband to become a regular habitué of the Carlton grill-room, for he was not strong enough to stand the ideal régime which blasted his once comfortable home. For a day or two he insisted on continuing his suicidal diet, but he found it impossible to enjoy his cutlet when his wife told him that all he ate turned the moment he had swallowed it, into waste products, and that his apparent appetite was merely the result of fermentation. Such news when he was at lunch quite spoiled his pleasure and stopped his fermentation. For herself, she proceeded to obtain body-building materials out of nuts and cheese, and calorics out of the oil with which she soaked the salads that were hoary11 with vegetable salts. All tea and coffee were, of course, forbidden, since they reeked12 of purins,{51} while if you drank anything at meals, you might just as well have a glass of prussic acid then and there, in order to get it over quicker. Probably if anyone had told her only to eat between meals, she would have tried that too. But all day the kitchen boiler13 rumbled14 with the ebullition of the oceans of hot water that had to be drunk in the middle of the morning and the middle of the afternoon, and before going to bed. It had to be sipped15, and since at each sitting a quart or so must be lodged16 within her, the process was a lengthy17 one, and she could not get out of doors very much. But exercise and air were provided for by courses of stretchings and bendings and flickings and kickings done by an open window in front of a chart and a looking-glass, followed by spells of complete relaxation18 (which meant lying down on the floor). Then there were deep-breathing exercises, in which Mrs. Weston had to draw in her breath very slowly, hold it till she got purple in the face and the veins19 stood out like cords on her benignant forehead, and emit it all in one hurricane-puff. The dizziness and queer sensations that sometimes followed she took to be a proof of how much good it was doing her. Strange hungry-looking visitors used to arrive at queer hours, and talk to their enthralled20 pupil in an excited manner{52} about arterio-sclerosis, and chromagens, and produce out of their pockets little packets of tough food, tasting of travelling-bags, which they masticated21 very thoroughly22, and which in the space of a square inch contained the nutritive value of eight mutton chops and two large helpings24 of apple tart7. Fortified25 by this they launched into the functions and derangements of the principal organs of the body, with an almost obscene wealth of detail, while Mrs. Weston used to sit in rapt attention to those sybils and long for dinner time to come in order that she might thwart26 her uric acid again.
She pursued her meatless course for several weeks with fanatic27 enthusiasm, and having been perfectly28 well before, found that, apart from a slight falling away of flesh, her iron constitution stood the strain remarkably29 well. Then while the nuts were yet in her mouth, so to speak, it struck her that she ought to go in for breathing exercises more thoroughly, and found that they led straight into the lap of the wisdom of the Yogis. This philosophy instantly claimed her whole attention, and she steeped herself in its manuals, and advertised in the Morning Post for a Guru. An individual in a turban answered this in person, but as, after his second visit she found that a valuable ring was missing, which at his bidding she had taken off her finger in order to be less trammelled by material bonds, she decided30 to be her own Guru, and with the chapter on ‘Postures31’ open before her, practised tying herself into knots. Her abstinence from meat came in useful, since a light diet was recommended by her new ideal in life, so also did her practice in deep-breathing, for Pranayama was entirely concerned with that, and when you had mastered Postures and Pranayama you would live in perfect health and vigour32, as long as you chose. Again her superb physical health stood her in good stead, and she neither dislocated her limbs from Postures, nor had a single stroke of apoplexy from holding her breath. During the Yogi attack her husband ceased to take his meals at the Carlton grill-room, for he was allowed meat again in moderation. But he always used to go out for a walk when the great breathings began in the middle of the morning, since he hated the idea that in the next room Jane was sitting cross-legged on the floor, exhaling33 her long-held breath through one nostril34 while she closed the other with her finger, muttering ‘Om! Om!’ Long periods of absolute silence alternated with these mutterings, and it gave him an uncomfortable{54} feeling to know that Jane was holding her breath all that time. Away from Chesterfield Street the image of her was less vivid, and when he returned for lunch Postures were over too, and though rather stiff and tired, she would declare that she never had known before what real health meant. This was always a pleasant hearing, and he would congratulate her on her convalescence35, and instantly repent36 of his cordiality, because she urged him just to do a couple of Postures a day and see how he felt.
Then a misfortune which within a couple of days she temporarily called the turning-point of her life, befell Mrs. Weston, for she caught a chill (manifestly from posturing38 on a cold damp day in front of an open window) which indicated its presence by a simultaneous attack of lumbago and a streaming cold in the head. This latter made the inhalation of breath through the nostrils39 quite impossible, and the former, Postures. So shut out from the practice of Pranayama and Postures, she came winging it back from the East, and, happening to come across a copy of the Christian40 Science Journal, flew to the bosom41 of Mrs. Eddy42. Her only regret was that she had not left the heathen fold in time to frustrate43 the false claims of her indisposition, which had taken{55} a firm and painful hold of her, but she had scarcely learned by heart the True Statement of Being when the severity of the symptoms began sensibly to diminish. In point of fact within three days she was perfectly well again, as she might have been all along if she had only known in time that there was no such thing as lumbago. Neither was there such a thing as uric acid or chromagens, and in consequence, since there was nothing to fear from disorders44 that had no existence, she ordered an excellent dinner that evening, and over ox-tail soup and fish and a roast pheasant, of all of which she ate heartily45, she discoursed46 to her husband on the new truth that had risen like dawn over her previously47 benighted48 horizon. But, such is the ingratitude49 of man, he felt that he would sooner have eaten his dinner in silence at the grill-room than at home to the accompaniment of such preposterous50 harangues51. And when, after dinner, just as he was settling down to a game of patience, Jane asked him to join with her in the recital52 of the True Statement of Being, he replied with some asperity53 that a True Statement of Balderdash was a fitter name for such nonsense.
Christian Science made Mrs. Weston brighter and younger and more robust54 than ever. Being{56} quite convinced that there were no such things as discomfort55 or evil or disease or death, she recognised with increased vividness that the world was an exceedingly pleasant place, and went about all day with a brilliant smile. This smile became rather hard and fixed56 when small false claims put in their appearance, as, for instance, when a fish-bone seemingly stuck in her throat, or when, reciting the True Statement of Being as she went upstairs, she forgot the last step and tumbled rather heavily on to her knees. Thus, in the semblance57 of choking or of agonising pain in the knee-cap, it was necessary to tie the smile on, so to speak, lest the false claim should get a foothold. What made the house more uncomfortable for her husband was that his false claims were ignored also, so that if his study fire was found not to be lit, and the room in consequence like an ice-house, instead of sympathising with him over the carelessness of the housemaid, Jane continued to assure him that there was no such thing as cold, though her teeth were chattering58 in her head. She got into touch with other sufferers from these cheerful delusions59, who seemed to him to resemble gargoyles60 with their fixed inflexible61 smiles, and their attitudes of determined62 hilarity63, and the house became a perfect{57} Bedlam64 of invincible65 cheerfulness, which was depressing to the last degree. He had a moment of reviving hope when Jane woke one morning with a very plausible66 claim in a wisdom-tooth, which the uninitiated would have called a raging toothache, and which he hoped might convince her. But learning, by telephone, from a healer that though the pain would certainly vanish with absent treatment, it was permissible67 to go to a dentist in order to save time, for mere10 manipulation (in other words having the tooth out), his hopes faded again. Mrs. Eddy herself, it appeared, had consulted a dentist in such circumstances, and Mrs. Weston did the same, and came home, brighter than ever, having had the tooth extracted quite painlessly under laughing-gas. The last thing she had said to herself, so she triumphantly68 announced, before she went off was that the extraction wouldn’t hurt at all, and it didn’t. The True Statement of Being had scored one triumph the more in completely annihilating69 not only the sense of pain, but commonsense70 also.
Now the insidiousness71 of fads72 is that they are invariably based on something which is true and reasonable, and thus have an appeal to reasonable persons. In this they are unlike superstitions73, for{58} superstition74 is in its essence unreasonable75, and Mrs. Weston would no more have bowed to the new moon (seen not through glass) or turned her money, than she would have been made miserable76 by breaking a looking-glass. She knew perfectly well that the fact of her seeing the new moon could not affect the prosperity of her investments, while if that amiable77 satellite had any power over her money it would certainly exercise it whether she curtsied or not. But her embrace of the vegetarian78 and Christian Science faith was undoubtedly79 based on reason: it was true that fleshless foods contained less uric acid than sirloin of beef: it was true also that if she or anybody else had a slight headache, that headache would in all probability efface80 itself quicker if she occupied herself in other matters, and, instead of sitting down to think about her headache denied it in principle by disregarding it. But it is easily possible to stretch a reasonable proposition too far, and make it applicable to things to which it does not apply, and it is exactly here that the faddist81 begins to differ from reasonable people. A sufficiently82 excruciating pain cannot be banished83 from the consciousness, and it is not the slightest use asserting that it does not exist. At this point, with regard to her wisdom-tooth, she{59} became momentarily reasonable again, and had it out with laughing-gas like a sensible person. But then her mind rushed back again, like air into an exhausted84 receiver, into the vacuum of faddishness85, and she became happier and more ridiculous than ever. The effect must never be denied: the faddist while convinced of her fad is extremely cheerful, as is natural to one who has found out and is putting in practice the secret of ideal existence. It made poor Mr. Weston very uncomfortable, but since one of the strongest characteristics of Christian Scientists is their inhuman86 disregard of other people, she did not take any notice of a little thing like that, and proceeded to make home unhappy with utter callousness87.
But it was not her way to attach herself for very long to one creed88: she flew, like a bee gathering89 honey from every flower, to suck the sweetness out of every fad, and presently she turned her volatile90 mind to the study of the unseen world that she suddenly felt to be surrounding her. Christian Science no doubt had its basis in the unseen, but in its application it was chiefly concerned with bodily ailments and discomforts91, and the True Statement of Being harnessed itself, so to speak, to a congested liver or a sore{60} throat. But now she went deeper yet, and took the final plunge92 of the faddist and the credulous93 into the sea of spiritualism.
Now in this highly organised city of London, if you want anything you can always get on the track of something of the sort by a few enquiries, and one of Mrs. Weston’s discarded vegetarians94 introduced her to the celebrated95 medium, and general fountain-head in the matters of table-turning, crystal-gazing, automatic writing, materialisation, séances, planchettes and auras, the Princess Spookoffski. Nobody could produce positive proof that she was not a Russian Princess, for Russia is a very large place, and has probably many princesses, nor that her companion, a small man with a chin-beard and a positive passion for going into trances, was not a Polish refugee of high birth. This august lady was beginning to do very good business in town, for London, ever Athenian in its desire for some new thing, had just turned its mind to psychical96 matters, and held séances with quenched97 lights in the comfortable hour between tea and dinner, and had much helpful converse98 with the spirits of departed dear ones, and discarnate intelligences, that were not always remarkably intelligent.{61}
Mrs. Weston accordingly went by appointment to the Princess’s flat in a small street off Charing99 Cross Road, and was received by the Polish refugee of high birth, who conducted her through several small rooms, opening out of each other, to the presence of the sybil. These rooms had a lot of muslin draped about them, and were dimly lit with small oil lamps in front of shrines100 containing images or portraits hung with faded yellow jasmine of the great spiritual guides from Moses down to Madame Blavatsky, and a faint smell of incense101 and cigarettes hung about them. In the last of these the Princess was sitting lost in profound meditation102. She wore a blue robe, serpents of yellow and probably precious metal writhed103 up her arm, and she had a fat pasty face with eyebrows104 so black and abundant as to be wholly incredible. Eventually she raised her head, and with a deep sigh fixed her beady eyes on Mrs. Weston. Then in a throaty voice she said:
‘My child, you ’ave a purple ’alo.’
This was very gratifying, especially when the Princess explained that only the most elect souls have purple halos, and the man with the chin-beard, whom the Princess called Gabriel dear, said that the moment he touched Mrs. Westo{62}n’s hand he knew she had power. Thereupon the Princess’s fingers began to twitch105 violently, and Gabriel dear, explaining that Raschia, the spirit of an ancient Egyptian priestess, possessed106 her, brought a writing-pad and a pencil, and the Princess, with Raschia to guide her, dashed off several pages of automatic script. This was written in curious broken English, and the Princess gaily107 explained that darling Raschia was not very good at English yet, for she was only learning. But the message was quite intelligible108, and clearly stated that this new little friend, Mrs. Weston, was a being of the brightest psychical gifts, which must instantly be cultivated. It ended ‘Ta, ta, darlings. Raschia must fly away. God bless you all.’
It was not to be wondered at that after so cordial a welcome, Mrs. Weston joined Princess Spookoffski’s circle, and went there again next day for a regular séance, price two guineas a head. There were four other persons beside the Princess and Gabriel and they all had purple halos, for the Princess was so great an aristocrat109 in the spiritual world (as well as being a Princess on the mortal plane) that she only ‘took’ purple halos. The room swam with incense, a small musical-box was placed in the middle of the table,{63} and hardly had the lights been put out and the circle made, when Gabriel, who was to be the medium, went off into a deep trance, as his stertorous110 breathing proved, and the musical-box began to play ‘Lead, kindly111 Light.’ On which the Princess said—
‘Ah, perhaps the dear Cardinal112 will come to us. Let us all sing.’
Thereupon they all began helping23 the Cardinal to come by joining in to the best of their powers, with the gratifying result that before they were half-way through the second verse, a stentorian113 baritone suddenly joined in too, and that was the Cardinal singing his own hymn114. He had a quantity of wholly edifying115 things to say when the hymn was over, such as ‘beyond the darkness there is light,’ and ‘beyond death there is life,’ and ‘beyond trouble there is peace.’ Having delivered himself of these illuminating116 truths, he said ‘Good-bye, Benedictine, my children,’ and left the mortal plane. Thereupon there was dead silence again, except for Gabriel’s stertorous breathing.
A perfect tattoo117 of raps followed, and amid peals118 of spiritual laughter, Pocky announced that he was coming. Pocky was a dear naughty boy, the Princess explained to Mrs. Weston, so full{64} of fun, and so mischievous119, and had been, when on earth, a Hungarian violinist. Pocky’s presence was soon announced by a shrill120 scream from the lady on Mrs. Weston’s right, who said the naughty boy had given her such a slap. Then he pulled the Princess’s hair, and a voice close to Mrs. Weston said ‘’Ullo, ’ullo, ’ere is a new friend. What a nice lady! Kiss me, ducky,’ and Mrs. Weston distinctly felt a touch on her neck below her ear. Then after another bastinado of raps, Pocky’s face, swathed in white muslin and faintly luminous121, appeared above the middle of the table. They had had lovely music that day, he told them, ‘on the other side,’ and Pocky had played to them. If they all said ‘please,’ he would play to them now, and after they had all said ‘please,’ play to them he did on a violin. His tune37 was faintly reminiscent of a Brahms valse, but as it was a spirit air it could not have been that. Then with a clatter122 the violin descended123 on to the middle of the table, and Pocky, after blowing kisses to them all, went away in peals of happy laughter.
Thereafter Mrs. Weston became a prey124 to psychical things. She gazed into the crystal she purchased from the Princess; she sat for hours, pencil in hand, waiting for automatic script to{65} outline itself on her virgin125 paper; she took excursions into astrology; she frequented a fashionable palmist, who gave her the most gratifying information about her future, and assured her that marvellous happiness and success would attend her every step in life, so long as she regularly consulted Mrs. Jones, say once a week at seven and sixpence. The Princess and Gabriel gave a séance in Chesterfield Street, and put her into communication with her great-uncle, whose portrait by Lawrence happened to be hung in the hall. The Princess had been struck with this the moment she saw it, for the purpleness of the halo (even in the oil-picture) astonished her, and she asked who that saint was. He had not been recognised as such while on the earth, but no doubt he had learned much afterwards, for his remarks at the séance that evening equalled Cardinal Newman’s for spiritual beauty. To clinch126 the matter, he materialised at the next séance, and apart from his nose, which certainly did resemble Gabriel’s, his great-niece found that he exactly corresponded with her childish remembrances of him.
For several months these spiritual experiences were a source of great happiness to Mrs. Weston, but, though encouraged to persevere127, she{66} could never see anything in her crystal except the distorted reflection of the room, nor would Raschia do anything in the way of automatic script except cover the paper with angled lines which resembled fortifications. Similarly at the séances, Pocky and Uncle Robert and Cardinal Newman did not seem to get on, but remained on their respective levels of mischievousness128 and saintliness, without any further revelations. Her attendances became less frequent and her crystal grew dusty from disuse, while she found that whether she consulted Mrs. Jones or not, her life moved forward on a quite prosperous course. But fortunately about this time, she encountered a disciple129 of the Higher Thought, and soared away again into the bright zenith of another enthusiasm, which still at present holds her.
She is one of the happiest freaks in all Mayfair, with never a dull or a despondent130 moment. The limits of a normal lifetime are not large enough to allow her to exhaust all the quackeries with which from time immemorial the inquisitive131 sons of men have deluded132 and delighted themselves, and if she lives till ninety, which is quite probable, she will continue to find fresh outlets133 for her exuberant134 credulity. Just now she finds that Higher Thought is much assisted by walking{67} with bare feet through wet grass for a quarter of an hour every morning. The only sufficiently private grass in London is a small sooty patch in her own back-garden. But it is grass, and it is usually wet in the early morning, and she has her bath afterwards.
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1
abstruse
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| adj.深奥的，难解的 | |
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perennially
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| adv.经常出现地；长期地；持久地；永久地 | |
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procures
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| v.（努力）取得， （设法）获得( procure的第三人称单数 )；拉皮条 | |
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weird
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| adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的 | |
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fad
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| n.时尚；一时流行的狂热；一时的爱好 | |
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faddish
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| adj.好赶时髦的；一时流行的 | |
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tart
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| adj.酸的；尖酸的，刻薄的；n.果馅饼；淫妇 | |
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ailments
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| 疾病（尤指慢性病），不适( ailment的名词复数 ) | |
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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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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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hoary
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| adj.古老的；鬓发斑白的 | |
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reeked
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| v.发出浓烈的臭气( reek的过去式和过去分词 )；散发臭气；发出难闻的气味 (of sth)；明显带有（令人不快或生疑的跡象） | |
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boiler
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| n.锅炉；煮器(壶，锅等) | |
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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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sipped
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| v.小口喝，呷，抿( sip的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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lodged
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| v.存放( lodge的过去式和过去分词 )；暂住；埋入；（权利、权威等）归属 | |
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lengthy
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| adj.漫长的，冗长的 | |
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relaxation
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| n.松弛，放松；休息；消遣；娱乐 | |
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veins
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| n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理 | |
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enthralled
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| 迷住，吸引住( enthrall的过去式和过去分词 )； 使感到非常愉快 | |
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masticated
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| v.咀嚼( masticate的过去式和过去分词 )；粉碎，磨烂 | |
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thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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helpings
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| n.（食物）的一份( helping的名词复数 )；帮助，支持 | |
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fortified
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| adj. 加强的 | |
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thwart
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| v.阻挠，妨碍，反对；adj.横(断的) | |
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fanatic
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| n.狂热者，入迷者；adj.狂热入迷的 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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remarkably
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| ad.不同寻常地，相当地 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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postures
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| 姿势( posture的名词复数 )； 看法； 态度； 立场 | |
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vigour
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| （=vigor）n.智力，体力，精力 | |
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exhaling
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| v.呼出，发散出( exhale的现在分词 )；吐出（肺中的空气、烟等），呼气 | |
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nostril
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| n.鼻孔 | |
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convalescence
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| n.病后康复期 | |
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repent
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| v.悔悟，悔改，忏悔，后悔 | |
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tune
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| n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整 | |
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posturing
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| 做出某种姿势( posture的现在分词 ) | |
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nostrils
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| 鼻孔( nostril的名词复数 ) | |
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Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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41
bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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eddy
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| n.漩涡，涡流 | |
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frustrate
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| v.使失望；使沮丧；使厌烦 | |
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disorders
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| n.混乱( disorder的名词复数 )；凌乱；骚乱；（身心、机能）失调 | |
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45
heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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46
discoursed
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| 演说（discourse的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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47
previously
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| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
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benighted
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| adj.蒙昧的 | |
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49
ingratitude
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| n.忘恩负义 | |
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50
preposterous
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| adj.荒谬的，可笑的 | |
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51
harangues
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| n.高谈阔论的长篇演讲( harangue的名词复数 )v.高谈阔论( harangue的第三人称单数 ) | |
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52
recital
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| n.朗诵，独奏会，独唱会 | |
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53
asperity
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| n.粗鲁，艰苦 | |
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54
robust
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| adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的 | |
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55
discomfort
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| n.不舒服，不安，难过，困难，不方便 | |
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56
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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57
semblance
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| n.外貌，外表 | |
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58
chattering
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| n. （机器振动发出的）咔嗒声，(鸟等)鸣，啁啾 adj. 喋喋不休的，啾啾声的 动词chatter的现在分词形式 | |
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59
delusions
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| n.欺骗( delusion的名词复数 )；谬见；错觉；妄想 | |
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60
gargoyles
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| n.怪兽状滴水嘴( gargoyle的名词复数 ) | |
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61
inflexible
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| adj.不可改变的，不受影响的，不屈服的 | |
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62
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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63
hilarity
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| n.欢乐；热闹 | |
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64
bedlam
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| n.混乱，骚乱；疯人院 | |
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65
invincible
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| adj.不可征服的，难以制服的 | |
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66
plausible
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| adj.似真实的，似乎有理的，似乎可信的 | |
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67
permissible
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| adj.可允许的，许可的 | |
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68
triumphantly
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| ad.得意洋洋地；得胜地；成功地 | |
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69
annihilating
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| v.（彻底）消灭( annihilate的现在分词 )；使无效；废止；彻底击溃 | |
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70
commonsense
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| adj.有常识的；明白事理的；注重实际的 | |
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71
insidiousness
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| 潜伏，阴险； 隐袭性 | |
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72
fads
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| n.一时的流行，一时的风尚( fad的名词复数 ) | |
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73
superstitions
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| 迷信，迷信行为( superstition的名词复数 ) | |
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74
superstition
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| n.迷信，迷信行为 | |
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75
unreasonable
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| adj.不讲道理的，不合情理的，过度的 | |
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76
miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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amiable
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| adj.和蔼可亲的，友善的，亲切的 | |
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78
vegetarian
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| n.素食者；adj.素食的 | |
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undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
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80
efface
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| v.擦掉，抹去 | |
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81
faddist
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| n.趋于时尚者，好新奇的人 | |
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82
sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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83
banished
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| v.放逐，驱逐( banish的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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84
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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85
faddishness
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| n.faddish（风行一时的，一时流行的）的变形 | |
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86
inhuman
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| adj.残忍的，不人道的，无人性的 | |
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87
callousness
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88
creed
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| n.信条；信念，纲领 | |
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89
gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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90
volatile
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| adj.反复无常的，挥发性的，稍纵即逝的，脾气火爆的；n.挥发性物质 | |
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91
discomforts
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| n.不舒适( discomfort的名词复数 )；不愉快，苦恼 | |
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92
plunge
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| v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲 | |
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credulous
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| adj.轻信的，易信的 | |
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94
vegetarians
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| n.吃素的人( vegetarian的名词复数 )；素食者；素食主义者；食草动物 | |
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95
celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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psychical
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| adj.有关特异功能现象的；有关特异功能官能的；灵魂的；心灵的 | |
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97
quenched
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| 解（渴）( quench的过去式和过去分词 )； 终止（某事物）； （用水）扑灭（火焰等）； 将（热物体）放入水中急速冷却 | |
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98
converse
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| vi.谈话，谈天，闲聊；adv.相反的，相反 | |
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99
charing
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| n.炭化v.把…烧成炭，把…烧焦( char的现在分词 )；烧成炭，烧焦；做杂役女佣 | |
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100
shrines
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| 圣地，圣坛，神圣场所( shrine的名词复数 ) | |
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101
incense
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| v.激怒；n.香，焚香时的烟，香气 | |
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102
meditation
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| n.熟虑，（尤指宗教的）默想，沉思，（pl.）冥想录 | |
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103
writhed
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| （因极度痛苦而）扭动或翻滚( writhe的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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104
eyebrows
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| 眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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105
twitch
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| v.急拉，抽动，痉挛，抽搐；n.扯，阵痛，痉挛 | |
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106
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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107
gaily
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| adv.欢乐地，高兴地 | |
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108
intelligible
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| adj.可理解的，明白易懂的，清楚的 | |
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109
aristocrat
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| n.贵族，有贵族气派的人，上层人物 | |
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110
stertorous
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| adj.打鼾的 | |
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111
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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112
cardinal
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| n.(天主教的)红衣主教；adj.首要的，基本的 | |
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113
stentorian
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| adj.大声的，响亮的 | |
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114
hymn
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| n.赞美诗，圣歌，颂歌 | |
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115
edifying
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| adj.有教训意味的，教训性的，有益的v.开导，启发( edify的现在分词 ) | |
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116
illuminating
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| a.富于启发性的，有助阐明的 | |
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117
tattoo
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| n.纹身，(皮肤上的)刺花纹；vt.刺花纹于 | |
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118
peals
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| n.（声音大而持续或重复的）洪亮的响声( peal的名词复数 )；隆隆声；洪亮的钟声；钟乐v.（使）（钟等）鸣响，（雷等）发出隆隆声( peal的第三人称单数 ) | |
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119
mischievous
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| adj.调皮的，恶作剧的，有害的，伤人的 | |
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120
shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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121
luminous
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| adj.发光的，发亮的；光明的；明白易懂的；有启发的 | |
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122
clatter
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| v./n.(使)发出连续而清脆的撞击声 | |
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123
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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124
prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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125
virgin
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| n.处女，未婚女子；adj.未经使用的；未经开发的 | |
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126
clinch
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| v.敲弯，钉牢；确定；扭住对方 [参]clench | |
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127
persevere
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| v.坚持，坚忍，不屈不挠 | |
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128
mischievousness
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| 恶作剧 | |
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129
disciple
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| n.信徒，门徒，追随者 | |
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130
despondent
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| adj.失望的，沮丧的，泄气的 | |
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131
inquisitive
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| adj.求知欲强的，好奇的，好寻根究底的 | |
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132
deluded
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| v.欺骗，哄骗( delude的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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133
outlets
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| n.出口( outlet的名词复数 )；经销店；插座；廉价经销店 | |
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134
exuberant
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| adj.充满活力的；（植物）繁茂的 | |
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