The morning after the walk in the snow-storm Lucy was alarmed to find Bob pale, tired and strangely preoccupied1. He would hardly answer her questions, and his weariness and obvious anxiety were both greater than the events of the day before could explain. Lucy asked him, troubled enough herself without this added vexation:
“Is there anything new, Bob? Won’t you tell me? Or do you really feel worse?”
“My leg hurts a bit, but not enough to worry about. Don’t bother, Lucy, I’m all right.”
Nothing more could she get out of him, and she had too much to decide for herself to spend any longer time coaxing2 his confidence.
It was Wednesday, and not a holiday for her, but immediately after luncheon3 she went to Miss Pearse and begged the afternoon off duty. This was the harder as she did not want to explain her plan to anyone in the hospital, and least of all did she want any hint of it to reach Bob’s ears. Today was the day of Elizabeth’s rendezvous4, according to the letter which Lucy had reread half a dozen times over the night before by her bedroom candle. If she was to discover her old nurse’s secret she must act to-day, and without Bob’s help, for she was convinced that he was suffering again, and not for anything in the world would she have tempted5 him to fresh activity.
Miss Pearse was surprised at Lucy’s request, but did not refuse consent. “Where are you going?“ she asked. ”To Coblenz? You’ll want the whole afternoon, then. I’ll have to take away your Thursday half-holiday.“
“Of course, I meant you to. Oh, Miss Pearse, thanks ever so much. I’ll work twice as hard.”
Miss Pearse laughed, for this was one of Lucy’s old habits, to run away from her duty on some adventure and make up for lost time later by a tremendous burst of energy. “Be back by supper time,” she said, nodding good-bye.
Lucy had found out earlier in the day that a motor-truck was leaving the hospital soon after luncheon for Badheim with some of the convalescents. The driver promised to take her on to Coblenz. Her plans were vague enough. After turning over Elizabeth’s strange conduct in her mind until she was weary she had come to no conclusion. Her one purpose now was to see Elizabeth, if possible, and, that failing, to find Larry and ask his help in place of Bob’s.
By three o’clock the truck left her at the door of her father’s house. It was a fine, sunny winter afternoon. The snow sparkled on the ground and the air was clear and bracing6. The streets were crowded with people, many of whom stopped, with German inquisitiveness7, to stare at Lucy as she waited on the door-step.
The door was opened by an orderly who greeted her with, “Oh, Miss, I’m sorry. The General went out an hour ago. He didn’t say when he’d be home.”
“Where’s Elizabeth?” asked Lucy, her pulse quickening with the words.
“Elizabeth’s out, too, Miss. She asked leave of the General this morning. Gone to see a friend, I think.”
Lucy entered the house and, going into her father’s study, sank down in his chair and caught hold of the telephone, thinking hard a minute. Elizabeth’s absence made things real. There was no more time for hesitation8. She called up Larry and, to her tremendous relief, heard his voice answer.
“Larry, it’s Lucy,” she said hurriedly. “I’m at Father’s. Can you come here a minute? I wouldn’t ask you if it were not——”
“Of course I’ll come,” Larry interrupted. “Why the excuses? I’ll be there in a jiffy.”
He rang off and Lucy sat waiting, trying to piece her plan together as she fingered the letter once more withdrawn9 from her pocket.
“At nightfall,” she repeated to herself. “That means four or half-past. We haven’t much time to lose.”
In a quarter of an hour the bell rang, and Lucy, going to the house door, found Larry on the steps.
“Hello, Larry. Thank you lots for coming. Let’s walk, shall we? I’ll explain as we go,” she said, all in a breath.
The next moment they were threading their way along the street, Larry’s blue eyes turned on Lucy with a curiosity that refused to be suppressed. “I’m all ready to hear about it,” he said. “Which way shall we go?”
“Larry, can you get a launch? You told me the other day you took Colonel Wigmore’s when you needed one.”
“Why, yes, I can get one. What for?”
“Where is it? Let’s walk in that direction.”
At Lucy’s earnestness Larry glanced keenly at her and answered, “All right. Come straight across town to the Embankment. There ought to be a launch along there that I can pick up. Where do we go in it?”
Lucy handed him Elizabeth’s letter saying, “Read that. I found it in the pocket of Herr Johann’s coat yesterday. Bob is tired out and his leg hurts him. I wouldn’t let him know for anything. That’s why I’m begging you to help me. I want to follow Elizabeth and see where she goes. You and I have often gone out on the river for an hour. No one need know the truth. We’ll find out why Elizabeth meets Franz. If she’s all right, I want to know it, and if she isn’t——”
Lucy’s voice shook a little. She was too fond of Elizabeth to face the discovery of her treachery without real sorrow. Even now she could not believe in it, and her thoughts wavered wretchedly between doubt and confidence.
“Larry, I don’t think she would deceive us! I can’t believe it!” she cried, as Larry finished reading Elizabeth’s note and handed it back to her.
“Hum—looks queer,” was his comment. Then, after a moment’s silence, “All right, Lucy, we’ll go. And I’m going to take someone else along. You won’t mind when you see who it is.”
He turned to beckon11 to a passing soldier as he spoke12 and Lucy did not hear his last words. They were nearing one of the tree-bordered walks of the Rhine Embankment.
“Look, there’s an airplane,” said Lucy, pointing across the river.
Larry said a word to the soldier which sent the man, with a quick salute13, down a near-by street. Then he showed Lucy a motor-boat moored14 to a little wharf15 at the river’s edge. “I suppose I’m wasting my breath, Lucy, when I ask you to stay here and let us go on the wild-goose chase?”
“Us? Who’s us?” said Lucy, ignoring the proposal. “I don’t want anyone else to know.”
“You won’t object to Harding, will you?”
“Major Dick Harding? Is he here? Is he coming?” cried Lucy, forgetting for a moment her anxiety.
“Yes. Got here this morning. You remember Bob wrote him asking about von Eckhardt? He’s come with quite a bit of news, including some that will prove Bob a good guesser. Here he is now.”
Major Harding came swinging along at a quick walk, and his face lighted up at sight of Larry’s companion.
“How are you, Captain Lucy?” he exclaimed, holding out his hand. “I thought you were in Badheim. I was going out there to see you. What are you doing here?”
“We’re waiting for you, Major Harding,” said Lucy, her excitement returning with the recollection of her strange errand. “We need your help.”
Major Harding glanced quickly from her to Larry for confirmation16. Larry nodded, then said, “Will you come out on the river with us, Harding? There’s the boat. We’ll explain as we go. Lucy’s got something up, as usual.”
Major Harding agreed and asked not another question until the motor-boat’s crew had pushed off from the dock and the swift little craft was moving up-stream with its three passengers. Then Larry handed him Elizabeth’s letter, and repeated all he himself knew of Elizabeth’s relations with Franz and Herr Johann.
“We’re off on their trail now,” he finished. “We’d no time to explain to you on shore. What do you think, Harding? Lucy can’t believe Elizabeth is up to mischief17.”
Lucy was watching the Stars and Stripes floating over the giant fortress18 of Ehrenbreitstein, just across the river. Now she lowered her eyes to Major Harding’s face.
He answered thoughtfully, “I can hardly believe it either, that Elizabeth has turned traitor19. Yet how to explain this——” He glanced at the note in his hand. “As for von Eckhardt, I told you, Eaton, what I know of him. He’s one of the most bitter malcontents in Germany. He has lost everything with the Kaiser’s fall and he hates the Republican government. He would league himself with no matter which enemy of ours now—anything to break up the Allies and delay the peace.”
“But how? What can he do?” asked Lucy, feeling once more as though it were only a dream that the war was over.
“Lots of ways,” said Major Harding. “Fortunately we’re on to the way he adopted, and I don’t think, as I told Larry, that he’s got very far. What he’s doing here is only a small part of his plottings throughout Germany. He’s a clever rascal20.” He spoke low, glancing at the steersman.
“Well, what is he doing?” asked Lucy, her heart thumping21 as she put the question.
Major Harding saw her flushed face and laid a friendly hand on her arm, saying, “You’ll hear it all soon enough. Let’s decide what we have to do now. To begin with, how is your precious Elizabeth going to get across the Rhine? And how are we to know her landing-place?”
“I’ve thought of that,” said Larry. “She probably crossed on one of the barges23 that take over Franz’ wood. As for the landing-place, we’ll have to look for it. Five miles up, she said.”
As he spoke the boat sped past the village of Cappellen, the castle of Stolzenfels towering on the hill three hundred feet above. Twilight24 began to darken the river and from the banks stray lights shone out. A torpedo25 boat cast its gleaming search-light over the water. The broad stream was almost deserted26, a few scows were being towed along, and a river steamer passed, going toward Mayence.
“We’d better go inshore, before it gets dark,” Larry suggested. “We’ll have to trace them by the wood-barge22. When I think of Franz and his honest labors27!” Larry gave a sudden snort of indignation. Then to the steersman he ordered, “Go inshore and turn the search-light along the bank. Are we five miles south of Coblenz?”
“Yes, sir, within a half-mile,” the man answered.
“This is guesswork, Eaton,” Major Harding protested. “We can’t scour28 a mile of river shore in the dark. Before we stumble on them they’ll have had their talk and gone home.”
“It’s not so hard as you’d think,” declared Larry. “I know the banks pretty well along here. Don’t throw the search-light over the shore, Ed,” he directed the man by the steersman’s side.
The boat was drifting now, in the shadow of the bank. Night had fallen and the moon was rising over the steep hillside that loomed29 above them.
“See there, Harding?” Larry continued, pointing inshore. “All along here are rocky or wooded slopes. Do you see the bushes growing low along the bank? There are no vineyards for half a mile further. It’s fairly deserted. We have only to find the barge they came in.”
“There’s a light, Larry,” Lucy whispered, her heart hammering with nervous excitement. “What can it be?”
“It’s a house near the little hamlet below here, Altheim, I think it’s called. Shut off your search-light, Ed.”
“There’s a barge, sir,” said the steersman, pointing ahead.
The boat’s passengers stared into the darkness, faintly lighted now by the moon touching30 the water with phosphorescent gleams. Along the dark line of the shore a darker blot31 showed, and, as the boat floated nearer, a big, heavily-loaded barge came into sight, fastened to one of the small trees growing near the bank, and somewhat hidden by the bushes’ low-growing bare branches.
“Push in here, Rogers,” Larry ordered. “Can you make a landing?”
“I think so, sir. Throw a light on, Ed. Why, yes, sir, here’s a bit of a dock.”
He cautiously floated the boat inshore and moored her alongside a little plank32 landing-stage.
“We must be near the hamlet,” said Larry. “Yes, there are the lights,” he added, parting the bushes and peering up the slope.
He sprang out, followed by Major Harding, who gave Lucy a hand, saying doubtfully: “I don’t like your going with us, Lucy. I don’t know where we are going, for that matter.”
“Up to the hamlet,” said Larry. “Or not really to it, but to that lonely little cottage this side of it. We’ve only a hundred yards to climb.”
“I’m not afraid, Major Harding,” said Lucy, still whispering. “I can’t feel frightened at meeting Elizabeth.”
“Come on,” said Larry, leading the way over the rough, rising ground. “Ed, you come, too. Rogers, stay with the boat.”
“How do you know they are in that cottage?” asked Major Harding. “While we’re climbing the hill they may give us the slip.”
“I don’t know why I’m sure, but I am,” declared Larry, refusing to be deterred33. “Don’t you see what an ideal place it is for a secret meeting? And though it’s so lonely, they’ve taken the added precaution of lighting34 only one candle. Compare that faint glimmer35 with the lighted windows of the hamlet. And it’s the nearest house to the landing-stage. How are you, Lucy? Need a helping36 hand?”
“No, I’m all right.”
They had begun climbing the steep hillside, which was rocky underfoot, for the snow had barely clung there, with thickets37 at intervals38, and groves39 of small trees rising black and bare in the moonlight. In ten minutes they neared the little house perched on the slope, with beside it a tiny orchard40 growing on a bit of fairly levelled ground. All was silent around it, and all dark, but for the moon, the lighted window hidden now by a turn in the rocky path.
Lucy stopped, panting, in front of the cottage, and looked back down the slope at the broad, shining river, and inshore at the dozen twinkling lights of the hamlet. The wind was blowing over the heights with wintry bleakness41. A shiver of cold and apprehension42 caught her, but she fastened her coat closer and plucked up her resolution. Major Harding and Larry were beside her and curiosity was stronger in her than any other feeling—the longing43 to know the truth and be free from miserable44 doubts and misgivings45.
“The windows have no curtains,” said Larry softly. “Let’s steal up and take a look.”
Major Harding complied in silence, his calm willingness suggesting to Lucy that he did not expect to find anything surprising in the lonely little hillside shanty46. She herself began to doubt Larry’s premonitions, and was half prepared to see a harmless old German peasant couple sitting in the light of their solitary47 candle. So that when she had crept around the angle of the wall and, over Larry’s shoulder, peeped into the little room where the candle burned she almost cried out in her amazement48.
Elizabeth was seated on a wooden chair not far from the window, her shawl thrown back from her head and her thin hands clasped nervously49 together. Beside her sat Franz Kraft, looking thoroughly50 frightened and twisting his woolen51 cap constantly between his strong, lean fingers. Both of them had their eyes raised toward a third person who had risen from his seat to stand before them, talking volubly, a burly, middle-aged52 German in rough countrymen’s clothes, with bristly hair and red, excited face. He spoke with authority, punctuating53 his words by gestures with the boatman’s visored cap he held in his hand.
“Karl!” said Lucy, catching54 her breath.
Major Harding echoed the word, his hand touching her arm.
At the other end of the little closed room a feeble fire burned, and before it sat an elderly man smoking a pipe and toasting his toes near the embers. He seemed quite indifferent to the talk that was going on around him.
Larry leaned forward as near as he could without discovery and tried to catch Karl’s eager words. But the night wind blew strongly through the frosty boughs55 of the orchard trees, and Karl’s rapid German came to the listeners’ ears an unintelligible56 flood of speech.
“We shan’t learn anything this way,” Major Harding whispered.
Lucy’s eyes were fastened on Elizabeth’s face, reading in the features she knew so well the only possible reason for this seeming faithlessness. The little German woman’s eyes were soft, earnest and pleading as ever. Their troubled glance spoke indecision, unhappiness, entreaty—anything but conspiracy57.
“She came here to see Karl,” Lucy told herself, and, defending Elizabeth, she sought hard to prove Elizabeth’s companions innocent—to find the harmless explanation for which she longed. “Franz brought her out of kindness. She dared not have Karl come to Coblenz.”
“I’m going in,” said Major Harding suddenly.
Larry caught his arm. “What for? What reason will you give—the truth?”
“I have all the reasons I need—those I told you. Franz’ conduct is enough, and I’d like to face Karl Müller——”
“Elizabeth’s husband?” asked Larry quickly. “Ah-h—then she came here to see him.”
“Yes, I rather think poor Elizabeth has been a cat’s-paw in these rascals’ hands. The boatman had better come, too, Eaton, though I don’t think they’ll show any violence.”
“There are two doors,” said Larry. “Ed, you guard the back one. Here’s my revolver. Let no one out.”
As Larry spoke he stepped up to the front door of the cottage, lost in shadow beneath its spreading gable, and knocked loudly on the shaky casement58, which rattled59 with his blows. Immediately a deep silence succeeded Karl’s rumbling60 voice. No answer, and Larry rapped again, this time with determination.
“They’ve put out the candle,” said Major Harding, glancing around at the window. “Don’t do any peeking61, Lucy. Stay behind me. They may put up a fight.”
“All right. They can’t get out. I’ll watch the windows on this side,” said Larry.
In another minute slow footsteps sounded within the cottage, hesitating inside the door. Then the bolt was drawn10, the door pulled open a few inches, and Larry flashed his pocket-light into the frightened face of the old German householder who had sat crouched62 over the fire.
“What would you have, gentlemen?” he stammered63.
Major Harding, hearing a shout from the back door, ran around to Ed’s aid. Larry, not answering the old man’s question, pushed open the door and entered with Lucy behind him.
“Light the candle,” he shouted in German. “No use hiding. We know who are here. Franz Kraft! Karl and Elizabeth Müller! Show yourselves—you’re caught.”
There was a murmur64 of speech in the next room, which Lucy recognized as Elizabeth’s voice, pleading tremblingly with someone. A match was scratched and the candle lighted just as Major Harding and Ed appeared from the back door, holding Karl firmly between them.
“Karl tried to escape,” Major Harding explained. “He gave Ed a vicious punch in the ribs65, but no worse damage. The others all right?”
“Yes,” Larry nodded, looking about the little room, still dim in spite of candle and fire-light.
Elizabeth had covered her face with her shaking hands. Now in her astonishment66 she lowered them to falter67 out, “Miss Lucy—here!” She sank down to avoid scrutiny68 in a shadowy corner, for Karl had turned on her with a savage69 frown darkening his hard face.
Franz stood shuffling70 his feet together, and casting odd glances from the cottage window down the steep hillside.
“What’s he looking for?” Larry asked himself. Lucy could not help doing what she now did, though the explanation of the whole strange affair was still remote from her. She crept around to her old nurse’s side, and in the shadow, dropped down by Elizabeth’s crouching71 figure and caught hold of her thin, trembling hands.
“Never mind, Elizabeth, it’s all right—I believe in you,” she whispered, hardly thinking what she said. “No one is going to hurt you. Only tell the truth—whatever it is.”
Elizabeth’s hand pressed Lucy’s in a quick grateful clasp, but, apart from a little gasping72 sigh, she made no answer. Her eyes were turned to Karl, whom Larry had begun to question.
“What are you doing here?” he asked in English.
Karl protested with an eagerness almost like violence, “No harm, Captain. I my wife came to see.” He waved his big arm toward Elizabeth in confirmation.
“That’s not quite good enough. Why make such a secret of it? Why must Franz arrange the meeting? And why were you so anxious to get away that you attacked the soldier I put on guard at the back door?”
Karl hesitated for an instant, then plunged74 on, trying to speak confidently, “I dared not in the day cross the Rhine, Captain, because I thought the Americans do not friendly to me feel. I thought better keep quiet—for my wife’s sake.”
“Thoughtful of Elizabeth, as usual,” remarked Major Harding, stepping into the candle-light.
Here was another surprise for Karl, and not a pleasant one. “You? It is you, Lieutenant—I mean Major?” he stammered, staring.
“Yes, another of your old friends. You say you came here to see Elizabeth. How did it happen that Franz arranged the meeting? How came he to interest himself?”
At this Elizabeth rose to her feet and started hastily forward. “Major Harding!” she begged, “one moment listen! Franz knew Karl because they had a little business of selling wood together. Franz somehow learned that I was in Coblenz. He offered to take me to see Karl, for one year I had not seen him. But, because Karl was afraid to cross the river—for he feared to meet General Gordon or Mr. Bob—Franz fixed75 it that I might cross and meet Karl here. There is no wrong in that, Major—except a little secrecy76. I the truth tell you!”
Major Harding looked at Elizabeth’s honest, pleading eyes, at the hands clasped on her breast, and slowly nodded.
“I believe you, Elizabeth,” he said. “But I believe you have been fooled. You were meant to do just what you are doing—by your known honesty to whitewash77 von Eckhardt and his crew. It wasn’t a bad idea, for it almost succeeded. Don’t you know anything at all about their schemes? What was Karl saying to you before we came in?”
He spoke low, knowing that Karl was listening like a fox, but Elizabeth answered frankly78:
“He talked a little of the Fatherland—how poor it was and how bitter was defeat. He said we must work for Germany. I, too, was willing—many poor there are around us here.”
“But that wasn’t the kind of work he meant,” said Major Harding. “I suppose he’d have got to it presently.” Suddenly changing into German he asked Franz, “Why did you bring Frau Müller here?”
“To see her husband, Herr Captain,” Franz answered, breathing hard. “We Germans befriend each other. Why are you angry?“
“Come, Harding, don’t you see there’s only one way?” said Larry, losing patience.
“Yes,” Major Harding nodded. “Step over here, Karl.”
“Ed, keep an eye on Franz,” said Larry, as Karl slowly advanced to the table on which the candle burned. “Karl, hands up,” he ordered.
The German obeyed in silence, his red face flushing deeper with apprehension, his shrewd eyes turning with frightened haste from Larry to Major Harding in hope of some chance of conciliation79.
“I the little savings80 from the wood-sellings have with me——” he faltered81, obviously racking his brain for a plausible82 story.
In silence Larry took from his pockets a revolver, a half dozen cartridges83, about two hundred marks in money, a promissory note for eighty marks signed by von Eckhardt, and, lastly, a square of pasteboard on which was stamped a pilot’s license84 to navigate85 a steam tug86 or launch between Cologne and Mayence.
All during Larry’s search Karl cast beseeching87 glances toward his captors, thrusting his tongue out between his teeth in his agonized88 attempt to find some satisfactory explanation.
“Nothing wrong, just my business. The Herr Officers don’t accuse me of anything—is it not so?” he jerked out with a feeble assumption of frankness. “Surely the war is over.”
“Now, Franz,” said Larry, turning his attention to the woodcutter, who stood by, silent and morose89 as ever.
This search revealed nothing of interest but a key, which Larry guessed to be that of Herr Johann’s lodge90. Reminded of Franz’ arrogant91 master, he inquired:
“Franz, where is Herr Johann? Why didn’t he come with you?”
Instead of answering, as Larry expected he would, that Herr Johann had nothing to do with Karl’s and Elizabeth’s meeting, Franz started, looked again toward the window, then back at Larry, with terror in his eyes. His sour lips opened in desperate haste, though all he managed to say was to mutter, “I do not know where he is, Herr Officer.”
Lucy, now satisfied of Elizabeth’s innocence92, watched her old nurse’s unhappy face with a warm throb93 of pity, and could hardly forgive herself for her suspicions.
“Tell me, Major Harding,” she begged, while Larry was questioning Karl, “why did they want to bring her here? I don’t yet quite see what they got out of it.”
“Don’t you? If they were caught they could claim her as an ally. She would protest innocence and would probably be believed. They needed Karl to work with them near Coblenz, and Elizabeth was a fine excuse for his presence. I suppose as soon as Karl knew she was in Coblenz he agreed to make up with her.”
“But what is it they are doing? You didn’t tell me?” Lucy asked with breathless eagerness.
“Come, Harding,” said Larry, before the elder officer could reply. “Don’t you think we’d better start? We can take them all in the boat. It must be after six o’clock.”
Lucy thought confusedly, “Elizabeth ought to be cooking Father’s dinner.” Suddenly she exclaimed, “What’s that?”
Two shots had sounded from below the hill along the river bank. They were followed by a shout which echoed among the rocky slopes. Lucy and the two officers ran to the window, but below the hillside all was dark where the moonlight did not penetrate94.
“What on earth,” Larry muttered. “Let’s go, Harding. That didn’t come from the hamlet. It sounded right by the landing-stage. Rogers has a pistol, but why should he fire? Come on!”
“Don’t be too hasty. We’ve got these men to guard. Easy enough for them to bolt.”
“Ed, you guard Franz,” Larry ordered. “I’ll take Karl, Harding, and you might give a hand to Lucy. Elizabeth isn’t going to run away.”
Lucy was still standing95 by the window, peering out into the moonlight and shadow. As Larry stopped speaking she heard the sound of footsteps running up the hillside and across the level. A figure appeared in the moonlight around one angle of the cottage and a panting voice shouted:
“Dick! Larry! Where are you?”
“It’s Bob,” said Lucy with a gasp73.
Larry ran to the front door and threw it open. Bob, dressed for flying, came in breathless, staring around him in amazement. Then, “Lucy! You here?” he said.
“Oh, Bob, I didn’t tell you on purpose,” Lucy cried, glancing at Bob’s leg, his safety more to her now than the track of the conspirators96. “I hoped you wouldn’t know!”
Larry grinned in spite of himself. “Better not try to fool each other again,” he said. “But the shots, Bob, what were they?”
“I fired them, to scare von Eckhardt back to shore. I’ve got him safe enough. Your steersman is guarding him. He came in a motor-boat.”
“Here’s the pilot,” said Larry, pointing to Karl.
“What, Karl!” Bob made no effort to conceal97 his disgust and annoyance98. “So you had to turn up again!” Turning from the German, who was regarding him with a funny mixture of terror and would-be friendly humility99, Bob said to Larry, “Von Eckhardt must have had other errands along the river while Karl was busy here. He has another fellow running his boat—an idiot who couldn’t reverse his engines fast enough to get away from me.”
“Ludwig, that is,” explained Karl ingratiatingly. “He is a real donkey, Mr. Bob.”
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1
preoccupied
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| adj.全神贯注的，入神的；被抢先占有的；心事重重的v.占据（某人）思想，使对…全神贯注，使专心于( preoccupy的过去式) | |
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2
coaxing
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| v.哄，用好话劝说( coax的现在分词 )；巧言骗取；哄劝，劝诱；“锻炼”效应 | |
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3
luncheon
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| n.午宴，午餐，便宴 | |
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rendezvous
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| n.约会，约会地点，汇合点；vi.汇合，集合；vt.使汇合，使在汇合地点相遇 | |
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tempted
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| v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词） | |
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bracing
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| adj.令人振奋的 | |
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inquisitiveness
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| 好奇，求知欲 | |
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hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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9
withdrawn
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| vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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beckon
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| v.(以点头或打手势)向...示意，召唤 | |
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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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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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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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wharf
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| n.码头，停泊处 | |
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confirmation
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| n.证实，确认，批准 | |
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17
mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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18
fortress
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| n.堡垒，防御工事 | |
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19
traitor
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| n.叛徒，卖国贼 | |
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20
rascal
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| n.流氓；不诚实的人 | |
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21
thumping
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| adj.重大的，巨大的；重击的；尺码大的；极好的adv.极端地；非常地v.重击(thump的现在分词)；狠打；怦怦地跳；全力支持 | |
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22
barge
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| n.平底载货船，驳船 | |
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23
barges
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| 驳船( barge的名词复数 ) | |
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24
twilight
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| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
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25
torpedo
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| n.水雷，地雷；v.用鱼雷破坏 | |
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26
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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27
labors
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| v.努力争取(for)( labor的第三人称单数 )；苦干；详细分析；（指引擎）缓慢而困难地运转 | |
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28
scour
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| v.搜索；擦，洗，腹泻，冲刷 | |
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29
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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30
touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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31
blot
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| vt.弄脏（用吸墨纸）吸干；n.污点，污渍 | |
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32
plank
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| n.板条，木板，政策要点，政纲条目 | |
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33
deterred
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| v.阻止，制止( deter的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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34
lighting
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| n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光 | |
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35
glimmer
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| v.发出闪烁的微光；n.微光，微弱的闪光 | |
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36
helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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37
thickets
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| n.灌木丛( thicket的名词复数 )；丛状物 | |
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38
intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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groves
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| 树丛，小树林( grove的名词复数 ) | |
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40
orchard
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| n.果园，果园里的全部果树，(美俚)棒球场 | |
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41
bleakness
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| adj. 萧瑟的, 严寒的, 阴郁的 | |
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42
apprehension
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| n.理解，领悟；逮捕，拘捕；忧虑 | |
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longing
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| n.（for）渴望 | |
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44
miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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misgivings
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| n.疑虑，担忧，害怕；疑虑，担心，恐惧( misgiving的名词复数 )；疑惧 | |
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46
shanty
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| n.小屋，棚屋；船工号子 | |
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47
solitary
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| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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49
nervously
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| adv.神情激动地，不安地 | |
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50
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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51
woolen
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| adj.羊毛(制)的；毛纺的 | |
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52
middle-aged
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| adj.中年的 | |
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53
punctuating
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| v.（在文字中）加标点符号，加标点( punctuate的现在分词 )；不时打断某事物 | |
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54
catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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55
boughs
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| 大树枝( bough的名词复数 ) | |
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56
unintelligible
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| adj.无法了解的，难解的，莫明其妙的 | |
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57
conspiracy
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| n.阴谋，密谋，共谋 | |
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58
casement
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| n.竖铰链窗；窗扉 | |
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rattled
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| 慌乱的，恼火的 | |
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rumbling
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| n. 隆隆声, 辘辘声 adj. 隆隆响的 动词rumble的现在分词 | |
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peeking
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| v.很快地看( peek的现在分词 )；偷看；窥视；微露出 | |
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crouched
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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stammered
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| v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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64
murmur
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| n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言 | |
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ribs
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| n.肋骨( rib的名词复数 )；（船或屋顶等的）肋拱；肋骨状的东西；（织物的）凸条花纹 | |
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astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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67
falter
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| vi.(嗓音)颤抖，结巴地说；犹豫；蹒跚 | |
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scrutiny
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| n.详细检查，仔细观察 | |
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69
savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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shuffling
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| adj. 慢慢移动的, 滑移的 动词shuffle的现在分词形式 | |
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71
crouching
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的现在分词 ) | |
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72
gasping
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| adj. 气喘的, 痉挛的 动词gasp的现在分词 | |
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73
gasp
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| n.喘息，气喘；v.喘息；气吁吁他说 | |
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74
plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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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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76
secrecy
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| n.秘密，保密，隐蔽 | |
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77
whitewash
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| v.粉刷，掩饰；n.石灰水，粉刷，掩饰 | |
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78
frankly
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| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
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79
conciliation
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| n.调解，调停 | |
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80
savings
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| n.存款，储蓄 | |
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81
faltered
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| （嗓音）颤抖( falter的过去式和过去分词 )； 支吾其词； 蹒跚； 摇晃 | |
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82
plausible
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| adj.似真实的，似乎有理的，似乎可信的 | |
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83
cartridges
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| 子弹( cartridge的名词复数 )； （打印机的）墨盒； 录音带盒； （唱机的）唱头 | |
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84
license
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| n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许 | |
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85
navigate
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| v.航行，飞行；导航，领航 | |
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86
tug
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| v.用力拖(或拉)；苦干；n.拖；苦干；拖船 | |
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87
beseeching
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| adj.恳求似的v.恳求，乞求（某事物）( beseech的现在分词 ) | |
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88
agonized
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| v.使（极度）痛苦，折磨( agonize的过去式和过去分词 )；苦斗；苦苦思索；感到极度痛苦 | |
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89
morose
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| adj.脾气坏的，不高兴的 | |
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90
lodge
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| v.临时住宿，寄宿，寄存，容纳；n.传达室，小旅馆 | |
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91
arrogant
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| adj.傲慢的，自大的 | |
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92
innocence
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| n.无罪；天真；无害 | |
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93
throb
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| v.震颤，颤动；(急速强烈地)跳动，搏动 | |
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94
penetrate
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| v.透(渗)入；刺入，刺穿；洞察，了解 | |
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95
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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96
conspirators
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| n.共谋者，阴谋家( conspirator的名词复数 ) | |
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97
conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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98
annoyance
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| n.恼怒，生气，烦恼 | |
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99
humility
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| n.谦逊，谦恭 | |
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