So fatigued12 was Madame de Tessé and her guests by the day's proceedings13, that it was late when they set off from the rue14 Dauphine for the palace. Mr. Morris had the honor of driving alone with Madame de Tessé (Lafayette and d'Azay declining to attend this levee, having paid their respects to the King on Saturday), while Mr. Jefferson, whose coach had remained at Versailles, begged the pleasure of Madame de St. André's company for himself and Mr. Calvert. She came down the marble steps in her laces and gaze d'or, her dark hair unpowdered and unadorned save for a white rose, half-opened, held in the coil by a diamond buckle15, and she looked so lovely and so much the grand princess that Mr. Jefferson could not forbear complimenting her as he handed her into the coach. As for Mr. Calvert, he stood by in silence, quite dazzled by her beauty. She took Mr. Jefferson's compliments and Calvert's silent admiration16 complacently17 and as though they were no more than her just due, and talked gayly and graciously enough with the minister, though she had scarce a word for the younger man, whom she treated in a fashion even more than usually imperious, and to which he submitted with his unvarying composure and good-nature.
In the Place d'Armes the crush of coaches was so great that the American Minister's carriage could move but slowly from that point into the Cour Royale, and 'twas with much difficulty that Mr. Jefferson and Calvert, finally alighting, forced a passage through the crowd for Madame de St. André. At the foot of the great Escalier des Ambassadeurs they found Madame de Tessé and Mr. Morris, who had just arrived. Mounting together, they passed through the state apartments of the King, upon the ceilings and panellings of which Mr. Calvert noted18 the ever recurring19 sun-disk, emblem20 of the Roi Soleil whose sun had set so ingloriously long before; through the Salle de la Guerre, from whose dome21 that same Sun-King, vanquished22 so easily by Death, hurled23 thunder-bolts of wrath24 before which Spain and Holland cowered25 in fear; until they at length came into the Galérie des Glaces, where their Majesties26 were to receive.
Not even the splendor27 of the Salle des Menus could rival for an instant the beauty of the vast hall, brilliantly lighted by great golden lustres set in double row up and down its length, in which Mr. Calvert now found himself. These lights burned themselves out in endless reflections in the seventeen great mirrors set between columns on one side of the hall. Opposite each of these mirrors was a window of equal proportions giving upon the magnificent gardens and terraces. The vaulted28 ceiling of this great gallery was dedicated29, in a series of paintings by Lebrun, to the glorification30 of Louis XIV, from the moment when, on the death of Mazarin, in 1661, he took up the reins31 of government ('twas the theme of the great central fresco32, Le Roi gouverne par6 lui-même, wherein, according to the fashion of the day, the very Olympian deities33 were subject to the princes of France, and Mercury announced this kingly resolve to the other powers of Europe) to the peace of Nymwegen, which closed that unjust and inglorious war with Holland. Lebrun, being a courtier as well as an artist, had made these military operations under Turenne and Condé resemble prodigious34 success, and from The Passage of the Rhine to The Capture of Ghent, Louis was always the conqueror35 over the young Stadtholder, William of Orange.
These and many other details Mr. Calvert had time to note as he made a tour of the princely apartment in the train of Madame de St. André and Madame de Tessé. Their progress was necessarily slow, as the gallery was thronged36 with the deputies of the noblesse, the higher clergy, and the invited guests. But the members of the tiers, whose presence had been especially desired by His Majesty, were conspicuous37 by their absence. Here and there one saw a commoner in black coat and simple white tie, but he seemed to be separated from the rest of the splendid company by some invisible barrier, constrained38, uneasy. Indeed, there was over the whole scene that same feeling of constraint39, a sense of danger, and an air of apathy40, too, that killed all gayety.
"If this is a fair sample, court balls must be but dreary41 affairs," said Mr. Morris to Calvert, in a low tone, as they moved slowly about. And yet, in spite of this indefinite but sensible pall42 over everything, the company was both numerous and brilliant. The ladies of the Queen's household and many others of the highest nobility were present, dazzling in jewels, powder, feathers, and richest court dresses. As for the gentlemen, they were as resplendent as the women in their satins and glittering orders and silver dress swords. Mr. Morris alone of all the company was without the dress sword, this concession43 having been granted him on account of his lameness44 and through the application of Mr. Jefferson.
"It is a grim jest to give a man an extra arm when he needs a leg, Mr. Jefferson. Can't you see to it that I am spared being made a monstrosity of?" Mr. Morris had said, whimsically. "I can hear Ségur or Beaufort now making some damned joke about the unequal distribution of my members," and Mr. Jefferson had made a formal request to the master of ceremonies to allow Mr. Morris to be presented to His Majesty without a sword. With that exception, however, he was in full court costume and stumped45 his way about the Galérie des Glaces with his accustomed savoir faire, attracting almost as much attention and interest as Mr. Jefferson. That gentleman, in his gray cloth, with some fine Mechlin lace at throat and wrists, and wearing only his order of the Cincinnati, overtopped all the other ambassadors in stately bearing, and looked more noble than did most of the marquises and counts and dukes in their brocades and powdered perukes and glittering decorations—or, at least, so thought Calvert, who was himself very good to look at in his white broadcloth and flowered satin waistcoat.
The slow progress of the party around the room was not entirely46 to Mr. Calvert's liking47, for at each step Madame de St. André was forced to stop and speak to some eager courtier who presented himself, and, by the time they were half-way through the tour and opposite the Oeil de Beef, such a retinue48 was following the beauty that he found himself quite in the rear and completely separated from her.
"I feel like the remnant of a beleaguered49 army cut off from the base of supplies," said Mr. Morris, smiling at the young man. He and Mr. Jefferson had dropped behind, having given way to younger and more pressing claimants for Madame de St. André's favor. "Shall we make a masterly retreat while there is time?"
While he was yet speaking a sudden silence fell upon the company, and Monsieur de Brézé, throwing open the doors leading into the Gallery of Mirrors from Louis's council chamber50, announced the King and Queen. Their Majesties entered immediately, attended at a respectful distance by a small retinue of gentlemen, among whom Calvert recognized the Duc de Broglie, Monsieur de la Luzerne, and Monsieur de Montmorin. At this near sight of the King—for he found himself directly opposite the door by which their Majesties entered—Mr. Calvert felt a shock of surprise. Surrounded by all the pomp and circumstance of a most imposing51 ceremonial and seen across the vast Salle des Menus, Louis XVI. had appeared to the young American kingly enough. But this large, awkward, good-natured-looking man who now made his way quietly and with a shambling gait into the brilliant room, crowded with the most splendid courtiers of Europe, had no trace of majesty about him, unless it was a certain look of benignity52 and kindliness53 that shone in the light-blue eyes. His dress of unexpected simplicity54 and the unaffected style of his whole deportment were unlocked for by Calvert. Indeed, but for the splendid decorations he wore and the humility55 of his courtiers, the young gentleman would have found it hard to believe himself in such exalted56 company, and thought privately57 that General Washington or Mr. Jefferson or many another great American whom he had known had a more commanding presence and a more noble countenance58 than this descendant of kings.
But if Louis XVI was awkward and unprepossessing he had the kindest manners in the world, and when Mr. Jefferson presented Mr. Calvert to His Majesty as "son jeune et bien-aimé secrétaire, qui avait servi dans la guerre de l'indépendence sous le drapeau de la France, commandé par Monsieur de Lafayette, pour qu'il avait un respect le plus profond et une amitié la plus vive," the young man was quite overcome by the graciousness of his reception and retained for the rest of his life a very lively impression of the King's kind treatment of him. He never had speech with that unhappy, but well-intentioned, ruler but once afterward59, and very possibly 'twas as much the memory of the courtesy shown him as the wish to see justice done and royalty60 in distress61 succored62 that made him, on the occasion of his second interview, offer himself so ardently63 in the dangerous service of the King.
Perhaps it was the presence at his side of his beautiful consort64 that accentuated65 all of Louis's awkwardness. As Mr. Calvert bowed low before the Queen, Marie Antoinette, he thought to himself that surely there was no other princess in all Europe to compare with her, and but one beauty. Certain it was that she bore herself with a pride of race, a majesty, a divine grace that were peerless. It must have been some such queen as this who first inspired the artists with the idea of representing the princes of this earth as Olympic deities, for assuredly no goddess was ever more beautiful. Though care and grief and humiliation66 had already touched her, though there were fine lines around the proudly curving lips and an anxious shadow in the large eyes, her complexion67 was still transcendently brilliant, her figure still youthful and marvellously graceful68, and there was that in her carriage and glance that attracted all eyes. She was dressed in a silver gauze embroidered69 in laurier roses so cunningly wrought70 that they looked as if fresh plucked and scattered71 over the lacy fabric72. Her hair, which was worn simply—she had set the fashion for less extravagance in the style of head-dress—was piled up in lightly powdered coils, ornamented73 only with a feather and a star of brilliants.
"Ainsi, Monsieur, vous connaissez notre cher de Lafayette" (she hated and feared him) "et tout74 jeune que vous êtes vous avez déjà vu la guerre—la mort, la victorie, et la déroute!" She spoke75 with a certain sadness, and Calvert, bowing low again, and speaking only indifferent French in his agitation76, told her that under Lafayette it had been "la mort et la victoire," but never defeat.
She glanced around the assemblage. "Monsieur de Lafayette is not come to-night," she said, coldly, to the young man, and then, with a sudden accession of interest, she went on: "We heard much of that America of yours from him when he returned from your war" ('twas she herself who had obtained his forgiveness from the King and a command for him in the Roi Dragons). "I think he loves it and your General Washington better than he does his own King and country," she said, smiling a little bitterly. "Is it, then, so beautiful a country?"
"Tis a very beautiful and a very grateful country, Your Majesty," replied Calvert. "America desires nothing so much as to do some service for Your Majesty in return for all the benefits and assistance France has rendered her."
"We are glad to know that she is grateful. Ingratitude77 is the last of vices," said the Queen, quietly, looking at the young man with a sombre light in her beautiful eyes. "But, indeed, we fear France hath given her something she can never repay," and she passed on with the King. Together they walked the length of the salon78 between the ranks of courtiers, after which they mingled79 freely and without formality with their guests. Though it was easy to see that the Queen was suffering, so charming and easy were her manners, so brilliant her very presence, that a new animation80 and gayety was diffused81 throughout the entire assemblage. Mr. Morris, whom she had also treated with the utmost graciousness, was enchanted82 with her.
"I think Venus herself was not more beautiful," he said, enthusiastically, to Calvert when Her Majesty had passed on. "'Tis no wonder the wits have dubbed83 the King Vulcan. And this is the paragon84 of beauty and grace whom her ungallant subjects chose to insult this morning! Have they no hearts, no senses to be charmed with her loveliness, her majesty, her sorrows? I think you and I, Ned, ought to be loyal servants of both the King and Queen, for surely royalty could not have been more courteous85 in its treatment of two untitled and unimportant gentlemen."
"Certainly their Majesties were most amiable," said Mr. Jefferson, dryly, "and your reception was as unlike the ungracious notice which King George took of Mr. Adams and myself in '86 at Buckingham Palace as possible. But, come, I want to show you a view of the gardens," he went on, pushing back the heavy drapery and drawing the two gentlemen into the embrasure of one of the great windows, from which a perfect view of the extensive park, the bosquets, the artificial lakes and tapis vert, the fountains and statues, was to be had. A thousand lanterns lighted up the scene, though they shone with but a yellow, ineffectual radiance in the moonlight, which rested in splendor on the grass and water, turning to milky87 whiteness the foam88 in the basins of the fountains and throwing long shadows on the close-clipped lawns and marble walks.
The three gentlemen gazed for some minutes in silence at the enchanting89 scene before them.
"'Tis a fitting-setting for the palace of a king," said Mr. Morris, at length.
"Yes—" returned Mr. Jefferson, slowly, "if 'tis ever fitting that a king should arrogate90 to his sole use the wealth, the toil91, the bounty92 of an empire. I confess I never look at this stately palace, at these magnificent gardens, but I shudder93 to think of the hundred millions of francs this impoverished94 nation has been goaded95 into giving; of the thousands of lives lost in the building of these aqueducts; of the countless96 years and countless energy spent in devising and carrying out these schemes for royal aggrandizement97 and pleasure. We come here and gape98 and wonder at it all, and little think at what stupendous cost our senses are so gratified.
"'The man of wealth and pride
Takes up a space that many poor supplied—
Space for his lake, his park's extended bounds,
Space for his horses, equipage, and hounds;
The robe that wraps his limbs in silken sloth99
Has robb'd the neighboring fields of half their growth;
His seat, where solitary100 sports are seen,
Indignant spurns101 the cottage from the green;
Around the world each needful product flies,
For all the luxuries the world supplies:
While thus the land adorn'd for pleasure—all
In barren splendor feebly waits the fall.'"
As Mr. Jefferson finished quoting the lines, the sound of voices and exclamations102 of astonishment103 came to the gentlemen from the other side of the curtain. Looking into the salon they saw Monsieur de St. Aulaire surrounded by a little group of ladies and gentlemen. He was speaking quite audibly, so that his words reached the astonished group in the embrasure of the window.
"'Tis the latest from the Club des Enragés—the King abdicates104 to-morrow!" He passed on amid a chorus of dismayed ejaculations.
"What is this?" said Mr. Jefferson, in alarm. "'Tis impossible that it should be true. Yonder I see Montmorin. I will ask him the meaning of this," and he passed hurriedly into the salon, leaving Mr. Morris and Calvert alone.
"'Tis some infernal deviltry of St. Aulaire's, I'll be bound," said Mr. Morris. "I think I will go, too, Ned," he said, after a minute's silence, "and see if I can't find Madame de Flahaut. She will know what this wild report amounts to. Oh, you need not stand there smiling at me with those serious eyes of yours, my young Sir Galahad! She's a very pretty and a very interesting woman, if a good deal of the intrigante, and as for me, I know excellently well how to take care of myself. I wonder if you do!" and with that he passed out, laughing and drawing the velvet105 curtains of the window together behind him.
Mr. Calvert, thus left alone, and being shut off from the great gallery by the drapery of the window, folded his arms, and, leaning against the open casement106, gazed out at the beautiful scene before him. And as he looked up in the heavens at the moon shining with such effulgence107 on this scene of splendor, the thought came to him that she was shining on other and far different scenes, too—on the tides of the ocean and on the cold snows of the mountain-peaks; on squalor and wretchedness and agitation in the great city so near; and especially did he think of one tranquil108 and beloved spot across the sea, on which he had seen this self-same moon shining with as serene109 a radiance many, many times. The sounds of laughter and animated110 talk, the click of silver swords, the strains of music from the musicians in the gallery above the OEil de Beef came faintly to him. Suddenly he was aware that the curtains had been lifted, and turning around, he saw Madame de St. André standing111 in the light, one hand pulling back the velvet hangings, and, behind her, Monsieur de Beaufort and St. Aulaire.
"I am come to congratulate you, Monsieur," she said, smiling, and coming into the embrasure of the window, followed by the two gentlemen—it was so deep that the four could stand at ease in it, even when the curtains had been dropped. "I am come to congratulate you! Your courtesy to the King was perfection itself. I was over against the OEil de Beef and could see very well what passed. I am sure had His Majesty been General Washington himself you could not have excelled it. You must know, gentlemen," she said, laughing maliciously112 and turning to St. Aulaire and Beaufort, "you must know that when I expressed my great desire to see how an American would salute113 a king, Monsieur told me that I need have no fear, as he had paid his respects to General Washington!"
"Monsieur does not mean to compare General Washington with His Majesty
Louis XVI, does he?" drawled St. Aulaire, insolently115.
"No, Monsieur—no," says Calvert, turning to the nobleman, who was leaning negligently117 against the ledge118 of the window. "There can be no comparison. Who, indeed, can be compared with him?" he breaks out suddenly. "There is none like him. None so wise or courageous119 or truly royal. How can the kings of this world, born in the purple, who, through no act, nor powers, nor fitness of their own, reign120 over their people; how can they be compared to one who, by the greatness of his talents, the soundness of his judgment121, the firmness of his will, the tenderness of his heart, the overtopping majesty of his whole nature, hath raised himself so gloriously above his fellows? To one, the kingly estate is but a gift blindly bestowed122; to the other, 'tis the divine right of excelling merit. The one is ruler by sufferance; the other, by acclamation. And do you think, Madame," he goes on, turning to Adrienne, "that that ruler who has been elevated to his greatness by the choice of a people would betray that confidence, abandon that trust, as Monsieur de St. Aulaire has just announced that the King of France is about to do? Surely General Washington would not. Ah, Madame! Could you but see him; but see the noble calm of his countenance, the commanding eye, the consummate123 majesty of his presence, you would say with me, 'there is no king like him!'"
As Calvert finished his impassioned eulogy124 of his great commander, there was a slight stir near him and, looking around, he beheld125 the King draw back the heavy curtains and, standing in the flood of light, look quietly into the embrasure of the window. Behind him was Mr. Jefferson, pale and concerned-looking, but with a glow of ill-concealed pride on his countenance at the patriotic126 words he had just heard uttered. On either side of His Majesty stood Monsieur le Due de Broglie and Monsieur de Montmorin, white with anger and consternation127. As the King stepped forward, Madame de St. André sank almost to the ground in a deep courtesy, while Beaufort and St. Aulaire dropped on their knees before him. Calvert alone retained his composure and stood before the King, pale, with folded arms.
For an instant there was a profound silence, and then Louis, drawing himself up to his full height and looking around upon the stricken company, turned to Calvert with so much benignity in his gaze and mien128 that the young American was startled and awed129. He never forgot that unexpected graciousness nor ceased to feel grateful for it.
"Monsieur," said the King, and there was a thrill of deep feeling in his voice, "believe me, whatever failings crowned monarchs130 may have, they at least know how to value such deep devotion as you give your uncrowned ruler. Tis as you say—this kingly estate is thrust upon us; it is not of our seeking, perhaps it would not be of our choosing; how much more grateful to us, then, is the loyalty131 and the love of those over whom we find ourselves involuntarily placed and who must of their own free wills give us their faith and service or else withhold132 them entirely! Gentlemen, proud as I am of my kingdom and my subjects, I still find it in my heart to envy General Washington! And yet, have I not as loyal subjects?" He turned and looked at the company about him. At his glance a hundred cries of "Vive le roi!" were heard, and there was a sharp ring of silver swords as they leaped from their sheaths and were held aloft. The King stood smiling and triumphant133. Seeing him thus, with his courtiers about him, who could dream that the 6th of October was but a few months off!
"Ah, gentlemen, I am no 'king by trade,' as our cousin of Austria hath called himself. At this moment I feel that I am indeed your King." The tumult134 of applause which followed these words was suddenly stilled as the King lifted his hand and pointed135 to St. Aulaire.
"But, Monsieur," says Louis, a sombre expression clouding the triumph in his face as he looked hard at St. Aulaire, "what is the meaning of this speech of yours to which Monsieur Calvert makes reference?"
"Nom de diable!" whispered St. Aulaire to Calvert, deathly pale and almost ready to faint from consternation. "You have ruined me!" He managed to make a step forward and sank down before the King, who glowered136 at him.
"'Twas but a plaisanterie, Your Majesty!" and if such a jest, with a king for the butt137, seems incredible, let one remember that already Louis had been refused his cour plénière and the Queen lampooned138 and hissed139 at the theatre.
"Monsieur le Baron140 de St. Aulaire, we have heard before of your plaisanteries," said Louis, his light-blue eyes flashing more wrathfully than one could have believed possible, the red heels of his shoes clicking together, and his heavy figure bent141 forward menacingly, "but this audacity142 passes belief. The court of Louis the Sixteenth needs no jester. For a season you can be spared attendance upon us. Your estates in Brittany doubtless need your presence. This unpardonable levity143, Monsieur," he went on, severely144, "contrasts strangely with the attitude and language of this American subject," and he bowed slightly to Calvert as he turned away.
St. Aulaire, pallid145 with consternation, stretched out an imploring146 hand to the King. "Your Majesty," he said, "'twas but a thoughtless jest, too idle to be believed or repeated. Will Your Majesty not deign147 to remember that St. Aulaire's life and sword have been ever at Your Majesty's service?"
As the prostrate148 nobleman began to speak, the King hesitated, turned back, and looked perplexedly at him. As he gazed, a look of indecision, of distaste and weariness, crept into his countenance. All the passion, dignity, and just anger which had lit it up faded away. The brief revelation of majesty was quenched149, and the customary commonplace, vacant, good-natured expression held sway once more.
"Rise, Monsieur de St. Aulaire," he said, wearily. "We forgive you this unfortunate plaisanterie, since its execrable taste carries with it its own worst punishment. But be careful, sir, how you offend again!" With a last glance of warning, which, however, had lost its severity, the King turned away, followed by the Due de Broglie, and, seeking the Queen, their Majesties retired150 very shortly.
With the Queen's withdrawal151, all the zest152 and animation of the function disappeared, too, and Mr. Calvert, wearying of the brilliant company, determined to leave the scene and stroll through the gardens. He descended153 by the Grand Escalier des Ambassadeurs, up which he had come, and, passing out through the Marble Court, quickly found himself on the broad terrace beneath the windows of the Gallery of Mirrors. From this, marble steps led down to a beautiful parterre, below which the Fountain of Latona played in the white moonlight. Standing on the terrace, Calvert could see the marble nymph through the mist of spray flung upon her from the hideous154 gaping155 mouths of the gilded156 frogs lying along the edge of the basin. 'Twas the story of Jupiter's wrath against the Lyceans which the sculptor157 had told, and Calvert remembered it out of his Ovid. Beyond this lovely fountain the green level of the tapis vert fell away to the great Bassin d'Appollon, where the sun-god disported158 himself among his Tritons, the foamy159 tops of the great jets of water blown from their shell-trumpets rising high in the air and scattered into spray by the night wind.
It was a scene not to be forgotten, and Mr. Calvert stood gazing at it a long while—at the softly playing fountains and the sombre bosquets and the sculptured groups on every hand, showing faintly in the moonlight. Fauns and satyrs peeped from the dense160 foliage161. Here there showed a Venus sculptured in some Ionian isle162 before ever Caesar and his cohorts had pressed the soil of Gallia beneath their Roman sandals; there, a Ganymede or a Ceres or a Minerva gleamed wan86 and beautiful; beneath an ilex-tree a Bacchus leaned lightly on his marble thyrsus. It seemed as if all the hierarchy163 of Olympus had descended to dwell in this royal pleasure-ground at the bidding of the Roi Soleil.
Filled with the unrivalled beauty of the scene, Calvert at length turned away and, passing down the great flight of marble steps leading to the Orangery, slowly made his way into the park. The shadows were so dense here that the statues looked ghostly in the dim light. Now and then he could hear a low laugh and catch the flutter of a silken gown along the shadowy walks, or the glint of a stray moonbeam on a silver sword. He strolled about, scarcely knowing whither, guided by the sound of splashing water, and coming upon many a beautiful spot in his solitary ramble164, among them that famous Bosquet de la Reine where the scoundrelly, frightened Rohan had sworn the Queen had stooped to him. He passed by the place, all unconscious of its unhappy history, and so on down a broad pathway toward the tapis vert.
As he walked slowly along, charmed with the beauty of the scene around him, and smiling now and again to think that fortune should have placed him in the midst of such unaccustomed splendors165, he suddenly heard the sounds of a lute114 near him, fingered in tentative accord, and an instant later he recognized St. Aulaire's voice.
"'Twas written for you, Madame, and 'tis called 'Le Pays du Tendre,'" he said, still fingering the strings166. "I would wander in the land with you, Madame." Suddenly he begins to sing softly, and, in the silence and perfume of the summer night, his hushed voice sounded like a caress167:
Land of the madrigal168 and ode,
Of rainbow air and cloudless weather,
Tell me what ferny, elfin road
Will lead my eager footsteps thither169.
Tricked out with gems170 shall I go hither?
Or in a carriage à la mode,
Land of the madrigal and ode,
Of rainbow air and cloudless weather?
Or in the garb171 by Love bestow'd?
With roses crown'd and sprigs of heather,
With mandolin and dart172 enbow'd
Shall Cupid and I go together—
Land of the madrigal and ode,
Of rainbow air and cloudless weather?
As the last tinkling173 notes of the lute died away, Calvert was about to go, but he was suddenly startled by hearing a faint scream. Turning quickly and noiselessly in the direction from which the sound seemed to have come, he found himself in an instant in a thick and beautiful bosquet. A double row of ilex-trees, inside of which ran a colonnade174 of white marble, completely encircled and shut in a cleared space, in the centre of which bubbled a fountain. Into this secluded175 spot the moon, high in the heavens, shone with unclouded radiance, so that he saw, as clearly as though 'twere noonday, Madame de St. André standing at the edge of the basin, her lips white and parted in fear, one hand pressed against her throat, the other held roughly in the grasp of Monsieur de St. Aulaire, who knelt before her, his lute fallen at his side. The rose which she had worn in her hair had escaped from its diamond loop and lay upon the ground; the delicate gaze d'or of her dress was torn and crushed.
For an instant Calvert stood in the shadow of one of the Grecian columns and looked at the scene before him in sick amazement176. So it was to Adrienne that St. Aulaire was singing love-songs in this isolated177 spot at midnight! As he hesitated, Monsieur de St. Aulaire rose from his knees.
"You did not always treat me with such contempt, Madame," he said, with a mocking laugh, "and by God, I have no mind to stand it now," and, putting one arm around her quivering shoulders and crushing in his the hand with which she would have pushed him from her, he leaned lightly over to kiss her.
As he did so, Calvert stepped quietly forward ('twas wonderful how, though he always seemed to move slowly, he was ever in the right place at the right time) and, seizing St. Aulaire by the collar, hurled him backward with such force that he fell heavily against one of the gleaming marble columns and lay, for an instant, stunned178 and motionless. Feeling herself thus violently released from St. Aulaire's embrace, Adrienne sprang back, uttering a low cry and gazing in surprise at Calvert. The ease with which he had flung off the larger and heavier man aroused her wonder as well as her admiration, for she never imagined Calvert's slender, boyish figure to be possessed179 of so much brute180 strength, and, since the days of Hercules and Omphale, brute strength in man has ever appealed to woman. Before either of them could speak, St. Aulaire struggled to his feet and, wrenching181 his dress sword from its sheath, staggered toward Calvert, thrusting wildly and ineffectually at him.
"Put up your sword, my lord," says Calvert, contemptuously, knocking up the silver blade with his own, which he had drawn182. "We cannot fight with these toys. Should you wish to pursue this affair with swords or pistols, if you prefer the English mode, you know where to find me. And now, begone, sir!"
The quiet sternness with which the young man spoke filled Adrienne with fresh wonder and something like fear. She glanced from Calvert's face, with its look of calm authority, to St. Aulaire's convulsed countenance. The nobleman's face, usually so debonair183, was now white and seamed with anger. All the hidden evil traits of his soul came out and stamped themselves visibly on his countenance, in that heat of passion, like characters written in a secret ink and brought near a flame.
"Monsieur l'Américain," he said, lowering his point and coming up quite close to Calvert, "Monsieur, you have a trick of being damnably mal apropos184. I have had a lesson from you in skating and one in singing, but I need none in love-making. My patience—never very great, I fear—is at an end, sir! This intrusion, Monsieur l'Américain, is unpardonable," he went on, recovering his composure with a great effort, "unpardonable—unless, indeed, Monsieur hoped to gain what I have just lost," he added, smiling his brilliant, insolent116 smile, though he had to half-kneel for support upon the marble edge of the fountain.
"Silence!" said Calvert, his white face filled with such sudden horror and disgust that Monsieur de St. Aulaire burst out laughing.
"A poor compliment to you, Madame," he said to Adrienne.
At the words and the mocking laughter, Calvert's wrath blazed up uncontrollably. He went over to St. Aulaire, where he knelt on the basin, and, catching185 him again by the collar, shook him to and fro without mercy.
"Another word, sir, and I will toss you into this fountain with the hope that you break your head against the bottom! And now, go!"
The water in the marble basin was not very deep, but St. Aulaire did not covet186 a ducking—'twould be too good a theme for jests at his expense; and though he could still laugh and talk insolently, he felt weak and in no condition to prevent Calvert from carrying out his threat. Retreat seemed to be all left to him. With a sour smile he got upon his feet, and, making an elaborate courtesy to Madame de St. André, passed through the colonnade from the bosquet.
When he had quite disappeared, Calvert turned to the young girl. She still stood by the bubbling fountain, pale between anger and fright, one hand yet pressed against her throat, the other clenched187 and hanging by her side. At her feet the white rose lay crushed and unheeded. As Calvert looked at the wilful188, beautiful girl before him, he comprehended for the first time that he loved her—loved and mistrusted her. The shock of surprise that this cruel conviction brought with it held him rooted to the spot for an instant. Love had ever been a vague dream to him, but certainly no woman could be further from his ideal than this brilliant, volatile189, worldly creature.
A smile rippled190 over her face, to which the color was gradually returning.
"Well done, sir! I am only sorry you did not drop him into the fountain, as you threatened. 'Twould have been a light enough punishment, and, for once, we should have had the pleasure of seeing Monsieur de St. Aulaire in something besides his customary immaculate attire191!" and she laughed faintly.
As for Calvert, he could not reply to her light banter192, but stood looking at her in silence.
"Well, sir, why do you look at me so?" demanded Adrienne, petulantly193, after an instant. "Have you nothing to say? But, indeed, I know you have! I can see you are dying to rebuke194 me for this indiscretion—this stroll with Monsieur de St. Aulaire!" and she gave him a mutinous195 side glance and tapped the gravel196 with her satin slipper197. "One who dares express himself so frankly198 before the King will not hesitate to say his mind to a woman!"
"Ah, Madame, I fear, indeed, that you can never forgive me for having betrayed my republican sentiments so freely in the presence of your monarch—unconscious though I was of doing so."
"Oh, no, Monsieur, you mistake," said Adrienne, maliciously. "I can forgive you for having betrayed your republican sentiments, but I can never forgive the King for not having properly rebuked199 them!"
At these words Calvert let his gaze rest on the haughty200 face before him for a moment, and then, making a profound obeisance201, he said, quietly:
"When you are quite ready, Madame, permit me to escort you back to the palace." He spoke with such formality and dignity that Adrienne blushed scarlet202 and bit her lips.
"Before I accept Monsieur Calvert's escort, I wish to explain—" but
Calvert interrupted her.
"No explanation is necessary, Madame, surely," he said, a little wearily.
She blushed yet more deeply and raised her head imperiously. "You are right, Monsieur. 'Tis not necessary, as you say, but I will accept no favor—not even a safe-conduct back to the palace—from one whose manner"—she hesitated, as if at a loss for words—"whose manner is an accusation203. But though I am hurt, I should not be surprised by it, sir!" she went on, advancing a step and drawing herself up proudly. "It has ever been your attitude toward me. From that first night we met I have felt myself under the ban of your disapproval204. Poor Monsieur de St. Aulaire and I!" and she laughed mockingly.
"I pray you, Madame, do not name yourself in the same breath with that scoundrel!" said Calvert, in a low voice.
"And why not, Monsieur? We are both of the same world, we have both been brought up after the same fashion, we are probably much alike. Ah, Monsieur," she went on, defiantly205, "is it the Quaker in you—Monsieur Jefferson has told me that your mother was a Quakeress—that makes you hate the world, the flesh, and the devil so? Is Paris, then, so much more wicked than your Virginia? Are we so different from the women of your world?" She went up to him and put her beautiful face close to his disturbed one. "Are you so different from the men of our world, Monsieur, or is it only those grand yeux of yours, with their serious expression, that make you seem different—and better?" and her eyes smiled mockingly into his. "Pshaw, sir, you make me feel like a naughty school-girl when you reprove me so. Upon my word, I don't know why I submit to it! Though I am younger than you, sir, I feel a hundred years older in experience—and yet—and yet—there is something about you—" She broke off and again tapped the gravel impatiently with her foot.
"I have said nothing, Madame." Calvert was quiet and unsmiling.
"No, Monsieur, 'tis that I most object to—you keep silence, but your eyes reprove me. Oh, I have seen you looking at me with that reproving glance many times when you did not know I saw it! Am I to blame, sir, for being of the great world of which you do not approve? Am I to be rebuked—even silently—for coming here with Monsieur de St. Aulaire, by you, Monsieur?" Suddenly she dropped her defiant206 tone and, leaning against the edge of the marble basin, looked intently and silently at the splashing water gleaming white in the moonlight.
"Can you not see?—Do you not understand, Monsieur?" she said at length, hurriedly, and in a low voice. "Do not misjudge me. I have been brought up in this court life, which is the life of intrigue207 and dissimulation208 and wickedness—yes, wickedness! We know nothing else. There is no one in our world so pure as to be above suspicion. The walls of this great palace, thick and massive as they are, cannot keep out the whispers of calumny209 against the Queen herself. Is it so different in your country? Sometimes I abhor210 this life and would hear of another. Sometimes I hate all this," she went on, speaking as if more to herself than to Calvert. "As for Monsieur de St. Aulaire, I loathe211 him! I thank you, Monsieur, for ridding me of his presence. If I seemed ungrateful, believe me, I was not! 'Tis but my pride which stands no rebuke. But it is late! Will you do me the favor, Monsieur, of taking me back to the Galérie des Glaces?" She turned her eyes away from the fountain, at which she had gazed steadily212 while speaking, and looked at Calvert. He saw that they were full of tears. The mask was down again. There was an humbled213, shamed expression on that lovely face usually so imperious. The look of appeal and distress went to his heart like a knife. She made him think of some brilliant bird cruelly wounded.
For an instant she looked at him so, and then resuming her imperious air with a palpable effort and forcing a smile to her lips, she gathered up her trailing gown and passed slowly beneath the colonnade, Calvert following at her side. As she turned away, he stooped quickly and picked up the white rose she had worn where it had fallen on the path.
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收听单词发音
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1
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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displeasing
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| 不愉快的，令人发火的 | |
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3
banished
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| v.放逐，驱逐( banish的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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majesty
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| n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权 | |
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clergy
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| n.[总称]牧师，神职人员 | |
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6
par
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| n.标准，票面价值，平均数量；adj.票面的，平常的，标准的 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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fatality
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| n.不幸，灾祸，天命 | |
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tardy
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| adj.缓慢的，迟缓的 | |
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10
inefficient
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| adj.效率低的，无效的 | |
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11
hauteur
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| n.傲慢 | |
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12
fatigued
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| adj. 疲乏的 | |
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13
proceedings
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| n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报 | |
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14
rue
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| n.懊悔，芸香，后悔；v.后悔，悲伤，懊悔 | |
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15
buckle
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| n.扣子，带扣；v.把...扣住，由于压力而弯曲 | |
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16
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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17
complacently
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| adv. 满足地, 自满地, 沾沾自喜地 | |
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18
noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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19
recurring
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| adj.往复的，再次发生的 | |
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20
emblem
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| n.象征，标志；徽章 | |
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21
dome
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| n.圆屋顶，拱顶 | |
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22
vanquished
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| v.征服( vanquish的过去式和过去分词 )；战胜；克服；抑制 | |
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23
hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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24
wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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25
cowered
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| v.畏缩，抖缩( cower的过去式 ) | |
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26
majesties
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| n.雄伟( majesty的名词复数 )；庄严；陛下；王权 | |
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27
splendor
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| n.光彩；壮丽，华丽；显赫，辉煌 | |
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28
vaulted
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| adj.拱状的 | |
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29
dedicated
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| adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的 | |
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30
glorification
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| n.赞颂 | |
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31
reins
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| 感情，激情； 缰( rein的名词复数 )； 控制手段； 掌管； （成人带着幼儿走路以防其走失时用的）保护带 | |
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32
fresco
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| n.壁画；vt.作壁画于 | |
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33
deities
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| n.神，女神( deity的名词复数 )；神祗；神灵；神明 | |
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34
prodigious
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| adj.惊人的，奇妙的；异常的；巨大的；庞大的 | |
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35
conqueror
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| n.征服者，胜利者 | |
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36
thronged
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| v.成群，挤满( throng的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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37
conspicuous
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| adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的 | |
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38
constrained
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| adj.束缚的,节制的 | |
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39
constraint
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| n.(on)约束，限制；限制(或约束)性的事物 | |
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40
apathy
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| n.漠不关心，无动于衷；冷淡 | |
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41
dreary
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| adj.令人沮丧的，沉闷的，单调乏味的 | |
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42
pall
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| v.覆盖，使平淡无味；n.柩衣，棺罩；棺材；帷幕 | |
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43
concession
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| n.让步，妥协；特许(权) | |
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44
lameness
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| n. 跛, 瘸, 残废 | |
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45
stumped
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| 僵直地行走，跺步行走( stump的过去式和过去分词 )； 把（某人）难住； 使为难； （选举前）在某一地区作政治性巡回演说 | |
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46
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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47
liking
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| n.爱好；嗜好；喜欢 | |
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48
retinue
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| n.侍从；随员 | |
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49
beleaguered
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| adj.受到围困[围攻]的；包围的v.围攻( beleaguer的过去式和过去分词)；困扰；骚扰 | |
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50
chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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51
imposing
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| adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的 | |
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52
benignity
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| n.仁慈 | |
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53
kindliness
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| n.厚道，亲切，友好的行为 | |
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54
simplicity
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| n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯 | |
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55
humility
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| n.谦逊，谦恭 | |
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56
exalted
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| adj.(地位等)高的，崇高的；尊贵的，高尚的 | |
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57
privately
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| adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地 | |
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58
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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59
afterward
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| adv.后来；以后 | |
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60
royalty
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| n.皇家，皇族 | |
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61
distress
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| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
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62
succored
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| v.给予帮助( succor的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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63
ardently
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| adv.热心地，热烈地 | |
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64
consort
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| v.相伴；结交 | |
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65
accentuated
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| v.重读( accentuate的过去式和过去分词 )；使突出；使恶化；加重音符号于 | |
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66
humiliation
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| n.羞辱 | |
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67
complexion
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| n.肤色；情况，局面；气质，性格 | |
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68
graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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69
embroidered
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| adj．绣花的 | |
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70
wrought
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| v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的 | |
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71
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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72
fabric
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| n.织物，织品，布；构造，结构，组织 | |
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73
ornamented
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| adj.花式字体的v.装饰，点缀，美化( ornament的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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74
tout
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| v.推销，招徕；兜售；吹捧，劝诱 | |
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75
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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76
agitation
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| n.搅动；搅拌；鼓动，煽动 | |
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77
ingratitude
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| n.忘恩负义 | |
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78
salon
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| n.[法]沙龙；客厅；营业性的高级服务室 | |
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79
mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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80
animation
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| n.活泼，兴奋，卡通片／动画片的制作 | |
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81
diffused
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| 散布的，普及的，扩散的 | |
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82
enchanted
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| adj. 被施魔法的，陶醉的，入迷的 动词enchant的过去式和过去分词 | |
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83
dubbed
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| v.给…起绰号( dub的过去式和过去分词 )；把…称为；配音；复制 | |
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84
paragon
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| n.模范，典型 | |
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85
courteous
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| adj.彬彬有礼的，客气的 | |
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86
wan
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| (wide area network)广域网 | |
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87
milky
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| adj.牛奶的，多奶的；乳白色的 | |
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88
foam
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| v./n.泡沫，起泡沫 | |
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89
enchanting
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| a.讨人喜欢的 | |
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90
arrogate
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| v.冒称具有...权利，霸占 | |
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91
toil
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| vi.辛劳工作，艰难地行动；n.苦工，难事 | |
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92
bounty
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| n.慷慨的赠予物，奖金；慷慨，大方；施与 | |
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93
shudder
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| v.战粟，震动，剧烈地摇晃；n.战粟，抖动 | |
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94
impoverished
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| adj.穷困的，无力的，用尽了的v.使（某人）贫穷( impoverish的过去式和过去分词 )；使（某物）贫瘠或恶化 | |
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95
goaded
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| v.刺激( goad的过去式和过去分词 )；激励；（用尖棒）驱赶；驱使（或怂恿、刺激）某人 | |
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96
countless
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| adj.无数的，多得不计其数的 | |
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97
aggrandizement
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| n.增大，强化，扩大 | |
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98
gape
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| v.张口，打呵欠，目瞪口呆地凝视 | |
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99
sloth
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| n.[动]树懒；懒惰，懒散 | |
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100
solitary
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| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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101
spurns
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| v.一脚踢开，拒绝接受( spurn的第三人称单数 ) | |
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102
exclamations
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| n.呼喊( exclamation的名词复数 )；感叹；感叹语；感叹词 | |
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103
astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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104
abdicates
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| 放弃（职责、权力等）( abdicate的第三人称单数 )； 退位，逊位 | |
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105
velvet
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| n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的 | |
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106
casement
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| n.竖铰链窗；窗扉 | |
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107
effulgence
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| n.光辉 | |
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108
tranquil
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| adj. 安静的, 宁静的, 稳定的, 不变的 | |
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109
serene
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| adj. 安详的，宁静的，平静的 | |
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110
animated
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| adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的 | |
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111
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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112
maliciously
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| adv.有敌意地 | |
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113
salute
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| vi.行礼，致意，问候，放礼炮；vt.向…致意，迎接，赞扬；n.招呼，敬礼，礼炮 | |
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114
lute
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| n.琵琶，鲁特琴 | |
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115
insolently
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| adv.自豪地，自傲地 | |
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116
insolent
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| adj.傲慢的，无理的 | |
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117
negligently
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118
ledge
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| n.壁架，架状突出物；岩架，岩礁 | |
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119
courageous
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| adj.勇敢的，有胆量的 | |
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120
reign
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| n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势 | |
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121
judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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122
bestowed
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| 赠给，授予( bestow的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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123
consummate
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| adj.完美的；v.成婚；使完美 [反]baffle | |
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124
eulogy
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| n.颂词；颂扬 | |
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125
beheld
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| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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126
patriotic
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| adj.爱国的，有爱国心的 | |
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127
consternation
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| n.大为吃惊，惊骇 | |
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128
mien
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| n.风采；态度 | |
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129
awed
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| adj.充满敬畏的，表示敬畏的v.使敬畏，使惊惧( awe的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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130
monarchs
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| 君主，帝王( monarch的名词复数 ) | |
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131
loyalty
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| n.忠诚，忠心 | |
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132
withhold
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| v.拒绝，不给；使停止，阻挡 | |
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133
triumphant
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| adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的 | |
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134
tumult
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| n.喧哗；激动，混乱；吵闹 | |
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135
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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136
glowered
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| v.怒视( glower的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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137
butt
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| n.笑柄；烟蒂；枪托；臀部；v.用头撞或顶 | |
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138
lampooned
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| v.冷嘲热讽，奚落( lampoon的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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139
hissed
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| 发嘶嘶声( hiss的过去式和过去分词 )； 发嘘声表示反对 | |
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140
baron
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| n.男爵；(商业界等)巨头，大王 | |
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141
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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142
audacity
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| n.大胆，卤莽，无礼 | |
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143
levity
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| n.轻率，轻浮，不稳定，多变 | |
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144
severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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145
pallid
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| adj.苍白的，呆板的 | |
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146
imploring
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| 恳求的，哀求的 | |
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147
deign
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| v. 屈尊, 惠允 ( 做某事) | |
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148
prostrate
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| v.拜倒，平卧，衰竭；adj.拜倒的，平卧的，衰竭的 | |
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149
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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150
retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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151
withdrawal
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| n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销 | |
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152
zest
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| n.乐趣；滋味，风味；兴趣 | |
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153
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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154
hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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155
gaping
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| adj.口的；张口的；敞口的；多洞穴的v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的现在分词 )；张开，张大 | |
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156
gilded
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| a.镀金的，富有的 | |
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157
sculptor
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| n.雕刻家，雕刻家 | |
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158
disported
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| v.嬉戏，玩乐，自娱( disport的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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159
foamy
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| adj.全是泡沫的，泡沫的，起泡沫的 | |
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160
dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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161
foliage
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| n.叶子，树叶，簇叶 | |
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162
isle
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| n.小岛，岛 | |
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163
hierarchy
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| n.等级制度；统治集团，领导层 | |
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164
ramble
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| v.漫步，漫谈，漫游；n.漫步，闲谈，蔓延 | |
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165
splendors
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| n.华丽( splendor的名词复数 )；壮丽；光辉；显赫 | |
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166
strings
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| n.弦 | |
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167
caress
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| vt./n.爱抚，抚摸 | |
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168
madrigal
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| n.牧歌；（流行于16和17世纪无乐器伴奏的）合唱歌曲 | |
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169
thither
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| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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170
gems
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| growth； economy； management； and customer satisfaction 增长 | |
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171
garb
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| n.服装，装束 | |
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172
dart
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| v.猛冲，投掷；n.飞镖，猛冲 | |
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173
tinkling
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| n.丁当作响声 | |
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174
colonnade
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| n.柱廊 | |
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175
secluded
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| adj.与世隔绝的；隐退的；偏僻的v.使隔开，使隐退( seclude的过去式和过去分词) | |
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176
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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177
isolated
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| adj.与世隔绝的 | |
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178
stunned
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| adj. 震惊的，惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词 | |
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179
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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180
brute
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| n.野兽，兽性 | |
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181
wrenching
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| n.修截苗根，苗木铲根（铲根时苗木不起土或部分起土）v.（猛力地）扭( wrench的现在分词 )；扭伤；使感到痛苦；使悲痛 | |
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182
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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183
debonair
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| adj.殷勤的，快乐的 | |
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184
apropos
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| adv.恰好地；adj.恰当的；关于 | |
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185
catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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186
covet
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| vt.垂涎；贪图(尤指属于他人的东西) | |
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187
clenched
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| v.紧握，抓紧，咬紧( clench的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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188
wilful
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| adj.任性的，故意的 | |
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189
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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190
rippled
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| 使泛起涟漪（ripple的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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191
attire
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| v.穿衣，装扮[同]array；n.衣着；盛装 | |
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192
banter
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| n.嘲弄，戏谑；v.取笑，逗弄，开玩笑 | |
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193
petulantly
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194
rebuke
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| v.指责，非难，斥责 [反]praise | |
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195
mutinous
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| adj.叛变的，反抗的；adv.反抗地，叛变地；n.反抗，叛变 | |
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196
gravel
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| n.砂跞；砂砾层；结石 | |
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197
slipper
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| n.拖鞋 | |
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198
frankly
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| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
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199
rebuked
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| 责难或指责( rebuke的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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200
haughty
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| adj.傲慢的，高傲的 | |
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201
obeisance
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| n.鞠躬，敬礼 | |
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202
scarlet
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| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
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203
accusation
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| n.控告，指责，谴责 | |
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204
disapproval
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| n.反对，不赞成 | |
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205
defiantly
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| adv.挑战地，大胆对抗地 | |
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206
defiant
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| adj.无礼的，挑战的 | |
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207
intrigue
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| vt.激起兴趣，迷住；vi.耍阴谋；n.阴谋，密谋 | |
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208
dissimulation
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| n.掩饰，虚伪，装糊涂 | |
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209
calumny
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| n.诽谤，污蔑，中伤 | |
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210
abhor
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| v.憎恶；痛恨 | |
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211
loathe
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| v.厌恶，嫌恶 | |
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212
steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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213
humbled
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| adj. 卑下的，谦逊的，粗陋的 vt. 使 ... 卑下，贬低 | |
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