The twelfth hour of the night had already been announced from half the steeples of England’s metropolis2, and the echoes of its last stroke lingered in mournful cadences3 among the vaulted4 aisles5 of Westminster. It was not then, as now, the season of festivity, the high-tides of the banquet and the ball, that witching time of night. No din6 of carriages or glare of torches disturbed the sober silence of the streets, illuminated8 only by the waning9 light of an uncertain moon; no music streamed upon the night-wind from the latticed casements10 of the great, who were contented11, in the days of their lion-queen, to portion out their hours for toil12 or merriment, for action or repose13, according to the ministration of those great lights which rule the heavens with an indifferent and impartial14 sway, and register their brief career of moments to the peer as to the peasant by one unvarying standard.
A solitary15 lamp burned dim and cheerlessly before a low-browed portal in St. Stephen’s; and a solitary warder, in the rich garb16 still preserved by the yeomen of the guard, walked to and fro with almost noiseless steps—his corslet and the broad394 head of his shouldered partisan17 flashing momentarily out from the shadow of the arch, as he passed and repassed beneath the light which indicated the royal residence—distinguished18 by no prouder decorations—of her before whose wrath19 the mightiest20 of Europe’s sovereigns shuddered21. A pile of the clumsy fire-arms then in use, stacked beneath the eye of the sentinel, and the dark outlines of several bulky figures outstretched in slumber22 upon the pavement, seemed to prove that some occurrences of late had called for more than common vigilance in the guarding of the place.
The prolonged cry of the watcher, telling at each successive hour that all was well, had scarcely passed his lips, before the distant tramp of a horse, and the challenge of a sentry23 from the bridge, came heavily up the wind. For a moment the yeoman listened with all his senses; then, as it became evident that the rider was approaching, he stirred the nearest sleeper24 with the butt25 of his heavy halbert. “Up, Gilbert! up, man, and to your tools, ere they be wanted. What though the earl’s proud head lie low?—he hath friends and fautors enough in the city, I trow, to raise a coil whene’er it lists them!” The slumbers26 of the yeomen were exchanged on the instant for the guarded bustle27 of preparations; and, before the horseman, whose approach had caused so much excitement, drew bridle28 at the palace-gate, a dozen bright sparks glimmering29 under the dark portal, like glow-worms beneath some bushy coppice, announced the readiness of as many levelled matchlocks.
“Stand, ho! the word—”
“A post to her grace of England!” was the irregular reply, as the rider, hastily throwing himself from off his jaded30 hackney, advanced toward the yeoman.
“Stand there, I say!—no nearer, on your life! Shoot, Gilbert, shoot, an’ he stir but a hand-breadth!”
395 “Tush! friend, delay me not,” replied the intruder, halting, however, as he was required to do; “my haste is urgent, and that which I bear with me passeth ceremony—a letter to the queen! On your heads be it, if I meet impediment! See that ye pass it to her grace forthwith.”
“A letter? ha! There may be some device in this; yet pass it hitherward.” A broad parchment, secured by a fold of floss silk, with its deeply-sealed wax attached, was placed in his hand. A light was obtained from the hatch of a caliver, and the superscription, evidently too important for delay, hurried the guards to action. “The earl of Nottingham”—it ran—“to his most high and sovereign lady, Elizabeth of England. For life! for life! for life!—Ride and run—haste, haste, post-haste, till this be delivered!”
After a moment’s conference among the warders, the bearer was directed to advance; a yeoman led the panting horse away to the royal meuf; and the corporal of the guard, striking the wicket with his dagger-hilt, shortly obtained a hearing and admission from the gentleman-pensioner on duty. Within the palace no result was immediately perceived from the occurrence which had caused so much bustle outside the gates; the soldiers on duty conversed32 for a while in stifled33 whispers, then relapsed into their customary silence; the night wore on without further interruption to their watch, and ere they were relieved they had well nigh forgotten the messenger’s arrival.
Not so, however, was the letter received by the inmates34 of the royal residence. Ushers35 and pages were awakened36, lights glanced, and hurried steps and whispering voices echoed through the corridors. The chamberlain, so great was considered the urgency of the matter, was summoned from his pillow; and he with no small trepidation38 proceeded at once to the apartment of Elizabeth. His hesitating tap at the door of the ante-chamber37—occupied by the ladies whose duty it was to watch the person of their imperious mistress by night—failed indeed to396 excite the attention of the sleeping maidens39, but caught at once the ear of the extraordinary woman whom they served.
“Without there!” she cried, in a clear, unbroken tone, although full sixty winters had passed over her head.
“Hunsdon, so please your grace, with a despatch40 of import from the earl of Nottingham.”
“God’s death! ye lazy wenches! hear ye not the man without, that I must rive my throat with clamoring? Up, hussies, up—or, by the soul of my father, ye shall sleep for ever!” The frightened girls sprang from their couches at the raised voice of their angry queen, like a covey of partridges at the yelp41 of the springer, and for a moment all was confusion.
“What now, ye fools!” she cried again, in harsh and excited accents, that reached the ears of the old earl without—“hear ye not that my chamberlain awaits an audience? Fling yonder robe of velvet42 o’er our person, and rid us of this night-gear—so!—the mirror now! my ruff and curch! and now—admit him!”
“Admit him! an’ it list your grace, it were scarce seemly in ladies to appear thus disarrayed—”
“Heard ye, or heard ye not? I say, admit him! Think ye old Hunsdon cares to look upon such trumpery43 as ye, or must I wait upon my wenches’ pleasure? God’s head, but ye grow malapert!”
The old queen’s voice had not yet ceased, before the door was opened; and although the ladies had taken the precaution of extinguishing the light, and seeking such concealment44 as the angles of the chamber afforded, the sturdy old earl—who, notwithstanding the queen’s assertion, had as quick an eye for beauty as many a younger gallant—could easily discover that the modesty46 which had demurred47 to the admission of a man was not by any means uncalled for or even squeamish. Had he been, however, much more inclined to linger by the way397 than his old-fashioned courtesy permitted, he must have been a bold man to delay; for twice, ere he could cross the floor to her chamber, did his name reach his ears in the impatient accents of Elizabeth: “Hunsdon! I say—Hunsdon! ’s death! art thou crippled, man?”
There was little of the neatness or taste of modern days displayed in the decorations of the royal chamber. Tapestries48 there were, and velvet hangings, carpets from Turkey, and huge mirrors of Venetian steel; but a plentiful49 lack of linen50, and of those thousand nameless comforts, which a peasant’s dame51 would miss to-day, uncared for in those rude times by princesses. Huge waxen torches flared52 in the wind, which found its way through the ill-constructed lattice; and a greater proportion of the smoke, from the logs smouldering in the jams of a chimney wider than that of a modern kitchen, reeked53 upward to the blackened rafters of the unceiled roof.
Rigid54 and haughty55, in the midst of this strange medley56 of negligence57 and splendor58, sat the dreaded59 monarch60, approached by none even of her most favored ministers save with fear and trembling. Her person, tall and slender from her earliest years, and now emaciated61 to almost superhuman leanness by the workings of her own restless spirit, even more than by her years, presented an aspect terrible, yet magnificent withal. It seemed as though the dauntless firmness of a more than masculine soul had won the power to support and animate62 a frame which it had rescued from the grave; it seemed as though the years which had blighted63 had failed in their efforts to destroy; it seemed as though that faded tenement64 of clay might yet endure, like the blasted oak, for countless65 years, although the summer foliage66, which rendered it so beautiful of yore, had long since been scattered67 by the wild autumnal hurricane, or seared by the nipping frosts of winter. Her eye alone, in the general decay of her person, retained its wonted brilliancy, shining398 forth31 from her pale and withered69 features with a lustre70 so remarkable71 as to appear almost supernatural.
“So! give us the letter—there! Pause not for thy knee, man; give us the letter!”—and tearing the frail72 band by which it was secured asunder73, she was in a moment entirely74 engrossed75, as it would seem, in its contents. Her countenance76 waxed paler and paler as she read; and the shadows of an autumn morning flit not more changefully across the landscape, as cloud after cloud is driven over the sun’s disk, than did the varying expressions of anxiety, doubt, and sorrow, chase one another from the speaking lineaments of Elizabeth.
“Ha!” she exclaimed, after a long pause, “this must be looked to. See that our barge77 be manned forthwith, and tarry not for aught of state or ceremony. Thyself will go with us, and stop not thou to don thy newest-fashioned doublet: this is no matter that brooks78 ruffling79!—’Sdeath, man! ’tis life or death! And now begone, sir! we lack our tirewoman’s service!”
An hour had not elapsed before a barge—easily distinguished as one belonging to the royal household, by its decorations, and the garb of the rowers—shot through a side arch of Westminster bridge, and passed rapidly, under sail and oar80, down the swift current of the river, now almost at ebb81 tide. It was not, however, the barge of state, in which the progresses of the sovereign were usually made; nor was it followed by the long train of vessels82, freighted with ladies of the court, guards, and musicians, which were wont68 to follow in its wake. In the stern-sheets sat two persons: a man advanced in years, and remarkable for an air of nobility, which could not be disguised even by the thick boat-cloak he had wrapped about him, as much perhaps to afford protection against the eyes of the inquisitive84 as against the dense85 mists of the Thames; and a lady, whose tall person was folded in wrappings so voluminous as to defy399 the closest scrutiny86. At a short distance in the rear, another boat came sweeping87 along, in the crew and passengers of which it would have required a penetrating88 glance to discover a dozen or two of the yeomen of the guard, in their undress liveries of gray and black, without either badge or cognizance, and their carbines concealed89 beneath a pile of cloaks.
It was Elizabeth herself, who, in compliance90 with the mysterious despatch she had so lately received, was braving the cold damps of the river at an hour so unusual, and in a guise83 so far short of her accustomed state. The moon had already set, and the stars were feebly twinkling through the haze91 that rose in massive volumes from the steaming surface of the water, but no symptoms of approaching day were as yet visible in the east; the buildings on the shore were entirely shrouded92 from view by the fog, and the few lighters93 and smaller craft, moored94 here and there between the bridges, could scarcely be discovered in time to suffer the barge to be sheered clear of their moorings. It was perhaps on account of these obstacles that their progress was less rapid than might reasonably have been expected from the rate at which they cut the water.
Of the six stately piles which may now be seen spanning the noble stream, but two were standing45 at the period of which we write; and several long reaches were to be passed before the fantastic mass of London bridge, with its dwelling95-houses and stalls for merchandise towering above the irregular thoroughfares of the city, loomed96 darkly up against the horizon. Scarcely had they threaded its narrow and cavern-like arches, before a pale and sickly light, of a faint yellow hue97, more resembling the glare of torches than the blessed radiance of the sun, gilded98 the decreasing fog-wreaths, and glanced upon the level water. The sun had risen, and for a time hung blinking on the misty99 horizon, and shorn of half his beams, till a fresh breeze from the westward100 brushed the vapors101 aloft, and hurried400 them seaward with a velocity102 which shortly left the scenery to be viewed in unobscured beauty. Just as this change was wrought103 upon the face of nature, the royal barge was darting104, with a speed that increased every instant, before the esplanade and frowning artillery105 of the Tower; the short waves were squabbling and splashing beneath the dark jaws107 and lowered portcullis of the “Traitor’s Gate,” that fatal passage through which so many of the best and bravest of England’s nobility had entered, never to return!
Brief as was the moment of their transit108 in front of that sad portal, Hunsdon had yet time to mark the terrible expression of misery109, almost of despair, that gleamed across the features of the queen. She spoke110 not, but she wrung111 her hands with a sigh, that uttered volumes of repentance112 and regret, too late to be availing; and the stern old chamberlain, who felt his heart yearn113 at the sorrows of a mistress whom he loved no less than he revered114, knew that the mute gesture and the painful sigh were extorted115 from that masculine bosom116 only by the extremity117 of anguish118. She had not looked upon that “den of drunkards with the blood of princes” since it had been glutted119 with its last and noblest victim. Essex, the princely, the valiant120, the generous, and the noble Essex—the favorite of the people, the admired of men, the idol121, the cherished idol of Elizabeth—had gone, a few short moons before, through that abhorred122 gateway—had gone to die—had died by her unwilling123 mandate124! Bitter and long had been the struggle between her wounded pride and her sincere affection; between her love for the man and her wrath against the rebel: thrice had she signed the fatal warrant, and as often consigned125 it to the flames; and when at length her indignation prevailed, and she affixed126 her name to the fell scroll—which, once executed, she never smiled again—that indignation was excited, not so much by the violence of his proceedings128 against her crown, as by his obstinate129 delay401 in claiming pity and pardon from an offended but indulgent mistress.
Onward130, onward they went, the light boat dancing over the waves that added to its speed, the canvass131 fluttering merrily, and the swell132 which their own velocity excited laughing in their wake. It was a time and a scene to enliven every bosom, to make every English heart bound happily and proudly. Vessels-of-war, and traders, galliot, and caravel, and bark, and ship, lay moored in the centre of the pool and along the wharves133, the thousand dwellings134 of a floating city. All this Elizabeth herself had done: the commerce of England was the fruit of her fostering; the power of her courage and sagacity; the mighty135 navy of her creation.
They passed below the dark broadsides and massive armaments of forty ships-of-war, some of the unwonted bulk of a thousand tons, with the victorious136 flags of Howard, Hawkins, Frobisher, and Drake, streaming from mast and yard; but not a smile chased the dull expression of fixed127 grief from the brow of her who had “marred the Armada’s pride;” nor did the slightest symptom on board her three most chosen vessels—the Speedwell, the Tryeright, or the Blak-Galley137, the very models of the world for naval138 architecture—show that the queen and mistress of them all was gliding139 in such humble140 trim below their victorious batteries.
The limits of the city were already left far behind; green meadows and noble trees now filled the place of the crowded haunts of wealth and industry, while here and there a lordly dwelling, with its trim avenues, and terraced gardens sloping to the water’s edge, adorned141 the prospect142. The turrets143 of Nottingham house, the suburban144 palace of that powerful peer, were soon in view; when a pageant145 swept along the river, stemming the ebb tide with a proud and stately motion—a pageant which, at any other period, would have been calculated, above all402 things else, to wake the lion-like exultation146 of the queen, though now it was passed in silence, and unheeded. The rover CavendishH—who, a few years before, a gentleman of wealth and worship, had dissipated his paternal147 fortunes, and in the southern seas and on the Spanish main had become a famous free-booter—was entering the river with his prizes in goodly triumph. The flag-ship, a caravel of a hundred and twenty tons only, led the van, close-hauled and laden148 almost gunwale-deep with the precious spoils of Spain. Her distended149 topsail flashed in the sunlight like a royal banner, a single sheet of the richest cloth of gold; her courses were of crimson150 damask, her mariners151 clad in garments of the finest silk; banners flaunted152 from every part of the rigging; and over all the “meteor flag of England,” the red cross of St. George, streamed rearward, as if pointing to the long train of prizes which followed. Nineteen vessels, of every size and description then in use—carracks of the western Indies, galleons153 of Castile and Leon, with the flag of Spain, so late the mistress of the sea, disgracefully reversed beneath the captor’s ensign—sailed on in long and even array; while in the rear of all, the remainder of the predatory squadron, two little sea-wasps of forty and sixty tons burden, presented themselves in proud contrast to their bulky prizes, the hardy154 crews filling the air with clamors, and the light cannon155 booming in feeble but proud exultation. Time was when such a sight had roused her enthusiastic spirit almost to frenzy156, but now that spirit was occupied, engrossed by cares peculiarly its own. The coxswain of the royal barge, his eye kindling157 with patriotic158 pride, and presuming a little on his long and faithful services, put up the helm, as if about to run alongside403 of the leading galley; but a cold frown and a forward wafture of the hand repelled159 his ardor160; and the men their oars161 bending to the work, the barge was at her moorings ere many minutes had elapsed, by the water-gate of Nottingham-house—and the queen made her way, unannounced and almost unattended, to the chamber of the aged162 countess.
H This incident, which is strictly163 historical, even to the smallest details, did in fact occur several years earlier; as the death of Elizabeth did not take place until the year 1603, whereas the triumphant164 return of Thomas Cavendish is related by Hume as having happened A. D. 1587. It is hoped that the anachronism will be pardoned, in behalf of the picture of the times afforded by its introduction.
The sick woman had been for weeks wasting away beneath a slow and painful malady165; her strength had failed her, and for days her end had been almost hourly expected. Still, with that strange and unnatural166 tenacity167 through which the dying sometimes cling to earth, even after every rational hope of a day’s prolonged existence has been extinguished—she had hovered168 as it were on the confines of life and death, the vital flame flickering169 like that of a lamp whose aliment has long since been exhausted170, fitfully playing about the wick which can no longer support it. Her reason, which had been partially171 obscured during the latter period of her malady, had been restored to its full vigor172 on the preceding evening; but the only fruit of its restoration was the utmost anguish of mental suffering and conscientious173 remorse174. From the moment when the messenger, whose arrival we have already witnessed, had been despatched on his nocturnal mission, she had passed the time in fearful struggles with the last foe175, wrestling as it were bodily with the dark angel; now pleading with the Almighty176, and adjuring177 him by her sufferings and by her very sins, to spare her yet a little while; now shrieking178 on the name of Elizabeth, and calling her, as she valued her soul’s salvation179, to make no long tarrying. In the opinion of the leeches180 who watched around her pillow, and of the terrified preacher who communed with his own heart and was still, her life was kept up only by this fierce and feverish181 excitement.
At a glance she recognised the queen, before another eye had marked her entrance. “Ha!” she groaned183, in deep, sepulchral404 tones, “she is come, before whose coming my guilty soul had not the power to pass away! She is come to witness the damnation of an immortal184 spirit! to hear a tale of sin and sorrow that has no parallel! Hear my words, O queen! hear my words now, and laugh—laugh if you can; for, by Him who made us both, and is now dealing185 with me according to my merits, never shall you laugh again! Hereafter you shall groan182, and weep, and tremble, and curse yourself, as I do! Laugh, I say, Elizabeth of England—laugh now, or never laugh again!”
For a moment the spirit of the queen, manly186 and strong as it was, beyond perhaps all precedent187, was fairly overawed and cowed by the fierce intensity188 of the dying woman’s manner. Not long, however, could that proud soul quail189 to any created thing.
“’Fore God, woman,” she cried, “thou art bewitched, or desperately190 wicked! What, in the fiend’s name, mean ye?”
“In the fiend’s name truly, for he alone inspired me! Look here—and then pardon me, Elizabeth; in God’s name, pardon me!”
As she spoke, she held aloft, in her thin and bird-like fingers, a massive ring of gold, from which a sapphire191 of rare price gleamed brilliantly, casting a bright, dancing spark of blue reflection upon her hollow, ghastly features. “Know you,” she screamed, “this token?”
“Where got you it, woman? Speak, I say, speak, or I curse you!—where got you that same token?” The proud queen shook and shuddered as she spoke, like one in an ague-fit.
“Essex!” sighed the dying countess, through her set teeth—“the murthered Essex!”
“Murthered? God’s death, thou liest! He was a traitor—done to death! O God! O God! I know not what I say!” and a big tear-drop—the first in many a year, 405the first perhaps that ever had bedewed that iron cheek—slid slowly down the face of Elizabeth, and fell heavily on the brow of the glaring sufferer, who still held the ring aloft, in hands clasped close in attitude of supplication192. “Speak,” she said again, in milder accents, “speak, Nottingham: what of—of Essex?”
“That ring he gave to me, to bear it to thy footstool, and to pray a gracious mistress’s favor to an erring193 but a grateful servant—”
“And thou, woman—thou!” absolutely shrieked194 the queen.
“Gave it not to thee—that Essex might die, not live!” was the steady reply. “Pardon me before I die; pardon me, as God shall pardon thee!—”
“God shall not pardon me, woman!—neither do I pardon thee! He, an’ he will, may pardon thee; but that will I do never! never!—by the life of the Eternal, NEVER!”—and, in the overpowering fury and agitation195 of the moment, she seized the dying sinner with an iron gripe, and shook her in the bed, till the ponderous196 fabric197 creaked and quivered. Not another word, not another sob7 passed the lips of the old countess: her frame was shaken by a mightier198 hand than that of the indignant queen; a deep, harsh rattle199 came from her chest; she raised one skinny arm aloft, and after the jaw106 had dropped, and the glaring eyeball fixed, that wretched limb stood erect200, appealing as it were from a mortal to an immortal Judge!
The paroxysm was over. Speechless, and all but motionless, the miserable201 queen was borne by her attendants to the barge; the tide had shifted, and was still in their favor, though their course was altered. On their return, they again passed the triumphant fleet of Cavendish, bearing the mightiest sovereign of the world, the envied of all the earth—a wretched, feeble, heart-broken woman, grovelling202 like a crushed worm beneath the bitterest of human pangs203, the agonies of self-merited misery! A few hours found her outstretched upon the floor of406 her chamber, giving away to anguish uncontrolled and uncontrollable. Refusing the earnest prayers of her women, and of her physicians, to suffer herself to be disrobed, and to recline upon her bed; feeding on tears and groans204 alone; uttering no sound but the name of Essex, in one plaintive205 and oft-repeated cry; mocking at all consolation206; acknowledging no comforter except despair—ten long days and nights she lingered thus, in pangs a thousand times more intolerable than those which she had inflicted207 on her Scottish rival: and when, at length, the council of the state assembled, in her last moments, around the death-bed of a sovereign truly and not metaphorically208 lying in dust and ashes—she named to them, as her successor in the kingdom, the son of that same rival. Who shall say that the death of Mary Stuart went unavenged?
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| adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者 | |
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metropolis
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| n.首府；大城市 | |
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cadences
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| n.（声音的）抑扬顿挫( cadence的名词复数 )；节奏；韵律；调子 | |
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vaulted
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aisles
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din
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| n.喧闹声，嘈杂声 | |
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sob
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| n.空间轨道的轰炸机；呜咽，哭泣 | |
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illuminated
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| adj.被照明的；受启迪的 | |
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waning
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| adj.（月亮）渐亏的，逐渐减弱或变小的n.月亏v.衰落( wane的现在分词 )；（月）亏；变小；变暗淡 | |
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casements
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contented
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| adj.满意的，安心的，知足的 | |
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toil
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| vi.辛劳工作，艰难地行动；n.苦工，难事 | |
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repose
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| v.(使)休息；n.安息 | |
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impartial
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| adj.(in,to)公正的，无偏见的 | |
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solitary
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| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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garb
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partisan
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distinguished
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wrath
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mightiest
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| adj.趾高气扬( mighty的最高级 )；巨大的；强有力的；浩瀚的 | |
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shuddered
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slumber
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sentry
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sleeper
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butt
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slumbers
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bustle
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bridle
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glimmering
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jaded
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| adj.精疲力竭的；厌倦的；（因过饱或过多而）腻烦的；迟钝的 | |
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31
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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32
conversed
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| v.交谈，谈话( converse的过去式 ) | |
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33
stifled
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| （使）窒息， （使）窒闷( stifle的过去式和过去分词 )； 镇压，遏制； 堵 | |
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34
inmates
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| n.囚犯( inmate的名词复数 ) | |
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35
ushers
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| n.引座员( usher的名词复数 )；招待员；门房；助理教员v.引，领，陪同( usher的第三人称单数 ) | |
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36
awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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37
chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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38
trepidation
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| n.惊恐，惶恐 | |
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39
maidens
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| 处女( maiden的名词复数 )； 少女； 未婚女子； （板球运动）未得分的一轮投球 | |
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40
despatch
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| n./v.(dispatch)派遣；发送；n.急件；新闻报道 | |
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41
yelp
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| vi.狗吠 | |
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42
velvet
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| n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的 | |
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43
trumpery
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| n.无价值的杂物；adj.（物品）中看不中用的 | |
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44
concealment
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| n.隐藏, 掩盖，隐瞒 | |
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45
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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46
modesty
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| n.谦逊，虚心，端庄，稳重，羞怯，朴素 | |
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47
demurred
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| v.表示异议，反对( demur的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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48
tapestries
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| n.挂毯( tapestry的名词复数 )；绣帷，织锦v.用挂毯（或绣帷）装饰( tapestry的第三人称单数 ) | |
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49
plentiful
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| adj.富裕的，丰富的 | |
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50
linen
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| n.亚麻布，亚麻线，亚麻制品；adj.亚麻布制的，亚麻的 | |
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51
dame
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| n.女士 | |
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52
Flared
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| adj. 端部张开的, 爆发的, 加宽的, 漏斗式的 动词flare的过去式和过去分词 | |
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53
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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54
rigid
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| adj.严格的，死板的；刚硬的，僵硬的 | |
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55
haughty
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| adj.傲慢的，高傲的 | |
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56
medley
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| n.混合 | |
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57
negligence
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| n.疏忽，玩忽，粗心大意 | |
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58
splendor
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| n.光彩；壮丽，华丽；显赫，辉煌 | |
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59
dreaded
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| adj.令人畏惧的；害怕的v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的过去式和过去分词) | |
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60
monarch
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| n.帝王，君主，最高统治者 | |
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61
emaciated
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| adj.衰弱的，消瘦的 | |
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62
animate
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| v.赋于生命，鼓励；adj.有生命的，有生气的 | |
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63
blighted
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| adj.枯萎的，摧毁的 | |
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64
tenement
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| n.公寓；房屋 | |
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65
countless
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| adj.无数的，多得不计其数的 | |
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66
foliage
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| n.叶子，树叶，簇叶 | |
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67
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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68
wont
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| adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯 | |
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69
withered
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| adj. 枯萎的，干瘪的，（人身体的部分器官）因病萎缩的或未发育良好的 动词wither的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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70
lustre
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| n.光亮，光泽；荣誉 | |
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71
remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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72
frail
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| adj.身体虚弱的；易损坏的 | |
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73
asunder
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| adj.分离的，化为碎片 | |
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74
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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75
engrossed
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| adj.全神贯注的 | |
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76
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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77
barge
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| n.平底载货船，驳船 | |
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78
brooks
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| n.小溪( brook的名词复数 ) | |
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79
ruffling
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| 弄皱( ruffle的现在分词 )； 弄乱； 激怒； 扰乱 | |
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80
oar
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| n.桨，橹，划手；v.划行 | |
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81
ebb
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| vi.衰退，减退；n.处于低潮，处于衰退状态 | |
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82
vessels
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| n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人 | |
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83
guise
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| n.外表，伪装的姿态 | |
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84
inquisitive
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| adj.求知欲强的，好奇的，好寻根究底的 | |
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85
dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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86
scrutiny
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| n.详细检查，仔细观察 | |
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87
sweeping
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| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
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88
penetrating
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|
| adj.（声音）响亮的，尖锐的adj.（气味）刺激的adj.（思想）敏锐的，有洞察力的 | |
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89
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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90
compliance
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| n.顺从；服从；附和；屈从 | |
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91
haze
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| n.霾，烟雾；懵懂，迷糊；vi.(over)变模糊 | |
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92
shrouded
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| v.隐瞒( shroud的过去式和过去分词 )；保密 | |
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93
lighters
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| n.打火机，点火器( lighter的名词复数 ) | |
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94
moored
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| adj. 系泊的 动词moor的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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95
dwelling
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| n.住宅，住所，寓所 | |
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96
loomed
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| v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的过去式和过去分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近 | |
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97
hue
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| n.色度；色调；样子 | |
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98
gilded
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| a.镀金的，富有的 | |
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99
misty
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| adj.雾蒙蒙的，有雾的 | |
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100
westward
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| n.西方，西部；adj.西方的，向西的；adv.向西 | |
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101
vapors
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| n.水汽，水蒸气，无实质之物( vapor的名词复数 )；自夸者；幻想 [药]吸入剂 [古]忧郁（症）v.自夸，（使）蒸发( vapor的第三人称单数 ) | |
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102
velocity
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| n.速度，速率 | |
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103
wrought
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| v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的 | |
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104
darting
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的现在分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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105
artillery
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| n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队) | |
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106
jaw
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| n.颚，颌，说教，流言蜚语；v.喋喋不休，教训 | |
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107
jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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108
transit
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| n.经过，运输；vt.穿越，旋转；vi.越过 | |
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109
misery
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| n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦 | |
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110
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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111
wrung
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| 绞( wring的过去式和过去分词 )； 握紧（尤指别人的手）； 把（湿衣服）拧干； 绞掉（水） | |
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112
repentance
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| n.懊悔 | |
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113
yearn
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| v.想念；怀念；渴望 | |
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114
revered
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| v.崇敬，尊崇，敬畏( revere的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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115
extorted
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| v.敲诈( extort的过去式和过去分词 )；曲解 | |
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116
bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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117
extremity
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| n.末端，尽头；尽力；终极；极度 | |
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118
anguish
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| n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼 | |
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119
glutted
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| v.吃得过多( glut的过去式和过去分词 )；（对胃口、欲望等）纵情满足；使厌腻；塞满 | |
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120
valiant
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| adj.勇敢的，英勇的；n.勇士，勇敢的人 | |
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121
idol
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| n.偶像，红人，宠儿 | |
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122
abhorred
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| v.憎恶( abhor的过去式和过去分词 )；（厌恶地）回避；拒绝；淘汰 | |
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123
unwilling
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| adj.不情愿的 | |
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124
mandate
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| n.托管地；命令，指示 | |
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125
consigned
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| 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 | |
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126
affixed
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| adj.[医]附着的，附着的v.附加( affix的过去式和过去分词 )；粘贴；加以；盖（印章） | |
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127
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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128
proceedings
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| n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报 | |
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129
obstinate
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| adj.顽固的，倔强的，不易屈服的，较难治愈的 | |
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130
onward
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| adj.向前的，前进的；adv.向前，前进，在先 | |
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131
canvass
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| v.招徕顾客，兜售；游说；详细检查，讨论 | |
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132
swell
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| vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强 | |
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133
wharves
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| n.码头，停泊处( wharf的名词复数 ) | |
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134
dwellings
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| n.住处，处所( dwelling的名词复数 ) | |
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135
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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136
victorious
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| adj.胜利的，得胜的 | |
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137
galley
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| n.（飞机或船上的）厨房单层甲板大帆船；军舰舰长用的大划艇； | |
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138
naval
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| adj.海军的，军舰的，船的 | |
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139
gliding
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| v. 滑翔 adj. 滑动的 | |
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140
humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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141
adorned
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| [计]被修饰的 | |
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142
prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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143
turrets
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| （六角）转台( turret的名词复数 )； （战舰和坦克等上的）转动炮塔； （摄影机等上的）镜头转台； （旧时攻城用的）塔车 | |
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144
suburban
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| adj.城郊的，在郊区的 | |
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145
pageant
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| n.壮观的游行；露天历史剧 | |
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146
exultation
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| n.狂喜，得意 | |
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147
paternal
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| adj.父亲的，像父亲的，父系的，父方的 | |
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148
laden
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| adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的 | |
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149
distended
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| v.（使）膨胀，肿胀( distend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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150
crimson
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| n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色 | |
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151
mariners
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| 海员，水手（mariner的复数形式） | |
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152
flaunted
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| v.炫耀，夸耀( flaunt的过去式和过去分词 )；有什么能耐就施展出来 | |
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153
galleons
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| n.大型帆船( galleon的名词复数 ) | |
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154
hardy
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| adj.勇敢的，果断的，吃苦的；耐寒的 | |
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155
cannon
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| n.大炮，火炮；飞机上的机关炮 | |
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156
frenzy
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| n.疯狂，狂热，极度的激动 | |
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157
kindling
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| n. 点火, 可燃物 动词kindle的现在分词形式 | |
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158
patriotic
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| adj.爱国的，有爱国心的 | |
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159
repelled
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| v.击退( repel的过去式和过去分词 )；使厌恶；排斥；推开 | |
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160
ardor
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| n.热情，狂热 | |
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161
oars
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| n.桨，橹( oar的名词复数 )；划手v.划（行）( oar的第三人称单数 ) | |
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aged
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| adj.年老的，陈年的 | |
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163
strictly
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| adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地 | |
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164
triumphant
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| adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的 | |
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165
malady
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| n.病，疾病(通常做比喻) | |
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166
unnatural
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| adj.不自然的；反常的 | |
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167
tenacity
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| n.坚韧 | |
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168
hovered
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| 鸟( hover的过去式和过去分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫 | |
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169
flickering
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| adj.闪烁的，摇曳的，一闪一闪的 | |
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170
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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171
partially
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| adv.部分地，从某些方面讲 | |
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172
vigor
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| n.活力，精力，元气 | |
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173
conscientious
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| adj.审慎正直的，认真的，本着良心的 | |
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174
remorse
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| n.痛恨，悔恨，自责 | |
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175
foe
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| n.敌人，仇敌 | |
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176
almighty
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| adj.全能的，万能的；很大的，很强的 | |
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adjuring
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| v.（以起誓或诅咒等形式）命令要求( adjure的现在分词 )；祈求；恳求 | |
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178
shrieking
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| v.尖叫( shriek的现在分词 ) | |
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179
salvation
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| n.（尤指基督）救世，超度，拯救，解困 | |
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leeches
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| n.水蛭( leech的名词复数 )；蚂蟥；榨取他人脂膏者；医生 | |
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181
feverish
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| adj.发烧的，狂热的，兴奋的 | |
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182
groan
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| vi./n.呻吟，抱怨；(发出)呻吟般的声音 | |
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183
groaned
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| v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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184
immortal
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| adj.不朽的；永生的，不死的；神的 | |
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185
dealing
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| n.经商方法，待人态度 | |
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186
manly
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| adj.有男子气概的；adv.男子般地，果断地 | |
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187
precedent
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| n.先例，前例；惯例；adj.在前的，在先的 | |
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188
intensity
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| n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度 | |
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189
quail
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| n.鹌鹑；vi.畏惧，颤抖 | |
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190
desperately
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| adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地 | |
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191
sapphire
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| n.青玉，蓝宝石；adj.天蓝色的 | |
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192
supplication
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| n.恳求，祈愿，哀求 | |
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193
erring
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| 做错事的，错误的 | |
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194
shrieked
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| v.尖叫( shriek的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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195
agitation
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| n.搅动；搅拌；鼓动，煽动 | |
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196
ponderous
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| adj.沉重的，笨重的，(文章)冗长的 | |
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197
fabric
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| n.织物，织品，布；构造，结构，组织 | |
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198
mightier
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| adj. 强有力的，强大的，巨大的 adv. 很，极其 | |
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199
rattle
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| v.飞奔，碰响；激怒；n.碰撞声；拨浪鼓 | |
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erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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201
miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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202
grovelling
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| adj.卑下的，奴颜婢膝的v.卑躬屈节，奴颜婢膝( grovel的现在分词 )；趴 | |
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203
pangs
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| 突然的剧痛( pang的名词复数 )； 悲痛 | |
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204
groans
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| n.呻吟，叹息( groan的名词复数 )；呻吟般的声音v.呻吟( groan的第三人称单数 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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205
plaintive
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| adj.可怜的，伤心的 | |
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206
consolation
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| n.安慰，慰问 | |
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207
inflicted
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| 把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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208
metaphorically
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| adv. 用比喻地 | |
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