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CHAPTER VI CATHERINE OPENS THE GATE
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TEN days had passed since the sturdy widow led her guest across the threshold, and Catherine, with the remains1 of a badly twisted ankle, was still under her roof. She had been molested2 by nobody. One of her two lovers supposed her to be with the other; Mrs. Job did not know where she was; and Susannah, equally ignorant, was only interested in knowing where she was not.

The attraction of opposites had done its work between Mrs. Cockshow and her housemate, for the two women were excellent friends. The human-heartedness of the elder one, and her permanent fancy for other people’s business, made her deaf [Pg 152]when Catherine began to speak of leaving the place. She was still very lame3 and the toll4-woman was right when she took Pharaoh to witness that to travel on foot would be insanity5. Besides which, where was she going to? The question was unanswerable; and finally it was settled between them that the cleaning of the house, the cooking, and the minding of that mob of fowls6 which dwelt at the bottom of the garden should devolve upon Catherine, indefinitely, in return for her keep.

In this arrangement of Mrs. Cockshow’s, convenience and charity, like righteousness and peace, kissed each other. Her whole interest was found outside her own walls; the road was her passion, her world; and those who went up and down on it her pictures, her newspapers, and, very often, her victims. To bandy words with her was the act of a fool; and so well was this understood that the ridicule7 which her strange appearance evoked8 when she first [Pg 153]came into residence by the gate had died a natural but by no means lingering death, and gossip had taken its place. This was for the best, because the latter was satisfactory to all, while the former had only been satisfactory to Mrs. Cockshow.

The thing that suited Catherine’s patroness best in their arrangement was that the girl could be left in charge of the gate while she went to Llangarth market. She was a woman of some means, who did a small trade in eggs and poultry9, and the difficulty of leaving her post on Thursdays had been a weekly annoyance10; for a market day was a foretaste of Paradise to her. She owned a stout11, aged12 pony13 of her late husband’s which she occasionally hired out to her neighbours for odd jobs, and she now looked forward to journeying in comfort to the very fountain-head of gossip. Besides this, it was delightful14 to her to have under her roof the heroine of an episode of which she had been almost the first to hear. She [Pg 154]had dragged Catherine’s secret from her in the early hours of their acquaintance, and thought a great deal more of her companion when she learnt that she had eluded15 two of the opposite sex.

Mrs. Cockshow did not believe in men. Her own husband had drunk heavily and persistently16; and she had had time to visit his sins upon him before he escaped into the next world. She was well acquainted with Charles Saunders, and slightly so with Black Heber, for both had passed through her gate at various times.

“Take care ye don’t let the sun go over the ’ill, all the same,” she had said to Catherine; for though a despiser of men, she was an advocate of marriage. To her, matrimony, with the whip hand, was the ideal life.

So far, she had kept her tongue quiet on the subject of her guest. Perhaps it pleased her to hug to her heart the gratification of knowing more than any one else; to pet her [Pg 155]knowledge, so to speak, before using it as a boast. Catherine had been kept a prisoner indoors for several days by her ankle, and when she went outside the walls it was only to tend the poultry or to hang out the washing in the garden. Never had so much washing been seen on the toll-house hedges before, though Mrs. Cockshow, to whom soap was not important, eyed the display contemptuously. Her cleanings consisted generally of what the country-side called “a lick and a promise.” The toll-house hid Catherine from prying17 eyes on the road as she went about her business in the garden, and she began to feel secure in her very public retreat.

Between herself and Bungo, the white cur dog, no great friendship existed. The girl was fond of all animals; but her efforts to be on easy terms with this one had been useless, for he persisted in looking with imperishable distrust at her out of his blinking eyes and galloping18 away whenever [Pg 156]she spoke19 to him. He would follow her to the garden at a servile distance; but the first words she threw him would send him flying across the cabbage beds, from the safe side of which he would stun20 her ears with his insane barking. In Mrs. Cockshow, who had hurled21 enough stones at him to pave a yard, he had implicit22 trust; but he took each movement of Catherine’s hand for a menace.

She had just returned from her hens one morning, with Bungo sneaking23 in her wake, when she heard Mrs. Cockshow in loud altercation24 on the road. The shrill25, high voice of an old man was contending with that of the widow, and Catherine ran to the window in the upper storey, attracted by the increasing noise. Judging by the part that the word “fourpence” played in the storm, the dispute was about money, and the girl knew the toll-woman well enough to be sure that there could be but one issue to the combat. She smiled, [Pg 157]hearing the baffled fury in the old man’s tone, as the gate swung open for the wheels that went grinding through it.

“A pint26 o’ fourpences would be no more account to me nor a pint o’ ditchwater!” he screamed. “I’ve thousands to leave behind me when I go, I have!”

“An’, by Pharaoh, I’ve got more than that!” cried Mrs. Cockshow at the pitch of her lungs. “I’ve the world to leave be’ind me when I go!”

Catherine, at her vantage point in the upper window, pulled the curtain aside as the gate closed, only to jump back as though she had been fired at; for Bungo, who had joined his owner and was at the farther side of the road, fell into a frenzy27 of barking as he heard her movement at the open casement28 and saw her figure. The eyes of all went upward. The old man in the gig below was Saunders’s uncle, and Catherine was looking straight into the upturned face of Charles.

[Pg 158]

When the gig had rolled on without any action on his part, she breathed again freely. Mrs. Cockshow standing29 in her favourite spot in the middle of the road, watched the vehicle out of sight, and when a bend hid it she came close under the toll-house walls.

“’E’s ’ad enough o’ you!” she called up, her broad face all one smile. “Did ye see the bald ’eaded old mawkin sittin’ up beside ’im? If the young feller’s no better nor ’im, ye did well to give ’im the slip. I’ve seen the old devil drivin’ ’is cattle along this road many a time. A proud look and a ’igh stomach ’e ’as, too; but that don’t keep ’im from bastin’ their ribs30 wi’ a common stick cut out o’ the ’edge—can’t spare so much as would buy a decent bit o’ ash plant. ’E don’t ’ave no cattle-man neither, an’ ’im screechin’ about ’is thousands! They do say ’e starved ’is wife too. I know them that’s seen ’er——”

At this point the widow discovered herself to be shouting up into an empty room; [Pg 159]for Catherine had come out and was standing behind her, with a scared face.

Mrs. Cockshow turned on her.

“Silly wench that ye be!” she exclaimed. “It’s better to be sure than sorry. I tell ye ’e ’ates the very sight of ye now, an’ no wonder too. Go an’ get the dinner. It’s nigh upon twelve, and Bungo ’asn’t ’ad a bite to-day. Come in, ye whelp!”

The last sentence was addressed, in a murderous tone, to the white dog, who wagged his tail. He took it for a caress31.

Mrs. Cockshow arose next morning in her most jovial32 humour. It was Thursday; and now, for the first time for months, she was dispensing33 with the services of that neighbour who called to take her eggs to market and was looking forward to carrying them there herself. Catherine also was happy; for the two Saunderses had driven by last evening on their return journey, without so much as a look at the toll-house windows, and she was sure the widow was [Pg 160]right in saying that Charles now hated the sight of her.

She was not afraid that Heber would pass, though she knew that he went on Thursdays to Llangarth; for his way thither34 from the hill farm joined the highroad some way east of the toll. She sighed. Could she see him, while remaining invisible herself, she knew that she would secretly be glad. But, admitting that, she put him from her thoughts with a heightened colour. Since Susannah’s plain speaking, she had never let her mind dwell on the shepherd; yet she had learned of late that if her pride had been cruelly handled, her heart had fared little better. She could not think, looking back, how she had ever liked or tolerated Saunders. She was bitter against Black Heber, as well she might be; but she hated him and loved him at the same moment. For the first time, the simple girl was in a terribly complicated state of mind.

[Pg 161]

Mrs. Cockshow had tied on her late husband’s hat with a new piece of twine35 and loaded her person yet more completely with clothes. Before she climbed into the antiquated36 side-saddle on her pony’s back, she went to the roadside and began to fill the most accessible of her pockets with stones. While so engaged, she directed Catherine, who looked on with astonishment37, to shut the gate and tie the animal to it. The girl obeyed, and when the widow approached, bulging38 more strangely than usual, she helped her to mount. Mrs. Cockshow used the toll bars as a horse-block. Then the egg basket was handed up to her, a switch cut from the hedge, and Catherine was bidden to attend to the needs of passers and to suffer no one to shirk payment. Before the rider was out of sight, Bungo burst with a yell from the toll-house and began to follow, raising a trail of dust as he went.

In one moment Mrs. Cockshow had [Pg 162]turned and the air was one hail of flying stones, while, through the cloud sent up by the sudden facing about of the pony, her arm could be seen whirling above her head like the arm of a mounted drummer through the smoke of battle; and as, in the blinding hurricane of hard metal and abuse, Bungo flew homewards like the greyhound which had evidently been too intimate with his grandmother, Catherine realised as she had never realised before, the infinite forethought of her protectress. She shut the dog into the house and sat down to await her first summons from the public.

Mrs. Cockshow gained Llangarth without further inconvenience. Many looks followed her as she rode up the street; but though there was a smile on most faces, no one addressed her with levity39. Having disposed of the pony, she disappeared with her basket into the market-place.

The market had drawn40 more than one of the actors in our story to Llangarth; [Pg 163]for Charles and his uncle were among those inspecting cattle in the street, and Heber, who had come on horseback to take some sheep to the railway station, was in the town too.

Instead of answering Susannah’s letter Saunders had put it into the fire, for he was resolved that the episode of his acquaintance with Catherine Dennis should be closed for good and all. He was ashamed of it now, and felt that he had deserved all he got for meddling41 with a woman so far beneath him in every possible way. There was some comfort in assuring himself that he was well out of it and that he would take care never to get into such a position again. He felt little resentment42 against her; not because he was broad-minded or forgiving, but because his rancour was so completely concentrated on Heber that it put everything else out of his head. He would never forgive the smile he had seen on the shepherd’s face as he looked back [Pg 164]at him from the saddle on the Talgwynne road. It was constantly in his mind, and he was thinking of it as he came out of the post-office door when his business with the cattle was over. He turned down the street and saw his enemy, who was on his way from the station, coming to meet him.

Heber looked grim and weary as he approached. Since Sunday, when he had parted from Susannah, he had had no chance of leaving his work either to question his father at Talgwynne or to make any other attempt at discovering where Catherine had hidden herself. He did not know what to believe; his doubt of his cousin’s truthfulness43 was strong and his opinion of Mrs. Job’s wisdom great. Yet, as he looked back in cold blood at their ride in the dark and at his own roughness, he could not help seeing some likelihood in the girl’s return to his rival. He was not accustomed to considering himself from the outside—few primitive44 men are; but he had thought [Pg 165]a good deal as he went about his business in the solitudes45 of the mountains; and failure will open new vistas46 to those who are not eaten up by vanity. Though not given to succumbing47 to circumstances, Heber was tried by the enforced patience and inaction of the last week and his heart was heavy in him.

If Susannah’s letter had produced no effect on Charles, it had given him the keen pleasure of knowing that Heber was made a fool of as well as himself. The whole look of the man as he came to meet him sent the warmth of satisfaction through Saunders, because it suggested to him that he was out of spirits with the world. As the distance lessened48 between them his own expression proclaimed the feeling; and back again to his mind came the vision of their last meeting and Heber’s smile. It was his turn to smile now. He stopped.

“Well, have ye found her yet?” he asked.

The shepherd made no pretence49 of misunderstanding [Pg 166]him; his methods were too direct for that, and even the engrafted genteelness of Charles’s points of view could not blind him to a certain nobility in the coarsely clad, weather-beaten fellow, which struck him at that moment as an additional outrage50 on himself.

“I know where I won’t find her, and that’s wi’ you,” said Heber, at a venture.

Charles was sharp enough to see where a vulnerable point would lie, and the overmastering longing51 to wound Heber inspired his tongue.

“And that’s where you’re wrong,” said he. “I’ve got her safe enough, and I’ll keep her too—for a bit.”

The pupils of the shepherd’s eyes seemed to be contracting as Saunders watched his face with an ecstatic sense of the success of his own words.

“If I follow ye till midnight,” Heber said, at last, “I’ll see whether ye speak truth.”

He spoke with a slow, cold emphasis.

[Pg 167]

Charles was a little disconcerted. Were the other to keep his word he would be likely to prove the falseness of his statement; were he to precede him to his house he would certainly do so. He suspected that Heber knew where he lived.

“You’ll have some way to go, then,” said he. “A decent man doesn’t keep his wench under other folks’ noses. If you’ve a mind to see Catherine, I’ll not stop you. I’m going out to see her myself, an’ perhaps the sight of the pair of us’ll please her.”

As he spoke, Saunders’s eyes twinkled, for he was due at a village out in the neighbourhood and was going to start almost immediately in the gig. If Moorhouse chose to annoy him by following him, he would let him have the wild-goose chase he deserved for his pains; and as he left the shepherd standing in the street he could hardly keep himself from bursting out laughing. He looked over his shoulder. Heber was a few paces behind.

[Pg 168]

When Charles entered his house he saw that the shepherd was going to carry out his threat, for he was standing on the pavement watching him from the other side of the way; and as he emerged again to go into the stable behind the dwelling52 to fetch his gig, he was a little disappointed at finding that Heber had disappeared. But when he had harnessed the cob and was driving out of the yard his cheerfulness returned, for Heber had apparently53 only gone to get his horse—the same which had carried him and Catherine to Talgwynne—and was waiting for him at the end of the street. Just as Charles was starting, his uncle called after him to stop, as he meant to accompany him; and little as he desired the old man’s company at the present juncture54, he had no choice but to accept it. He drove out of the town and on to the Brecon road, with the trotting56 hoofs57 of the shepherd’s horse following steadily58 with a rhythmic59 beat that kept exact [Pg 169]pace behind the gig, neither increasing nor slackening.

It was only when they had left Llangarth behind that it occurred to Charles what an egregious60 fool he had been. When he lured61 Heber after him he had forgotten that, in order to reach his destination, he would have to pass through Mrs. Cockshow’s tollgate.

How he had perpetrated such an imbecility was beyond his understanding. On ordinary occasions he reached the village he was bound for by turning off the highway into a lane on the near side of the gate; but he remembered now that this was under repair and barred, and that he could only proceed by a cart track half a mile beyond the tollhouse. There was nothing for him to do but to put the best face he could on the business and to go forward. It was impossible to turn back because of his uncle’s presence beside him; for the old man was not in his confidence, and [Pg 170]Catherine’s face at the window yesterday had conveyed nothing to him. He did not know her by sight. He was aware of the trick that his nephew’s intended bride had played him, and, because he had never favoured the marriage, he had made some very sour jokes on the subject. As they neared the toll Charles prayed that he might not have the chance of making more.

Still the tireless hoofs beat on behind them. Once he glanced back. Heber was rising and falling mechanically in his stirrups with the swing of the big horse’s trot55, apparently less interested in him and his gig than in the fields on either side. They went by the mouth of the closed lane. The bars were up and workmen were laying a seemingly interminable drain-pipe along the very middle of it.

As the little white house came in sight Saunders stared earnestly before him for Mrs. Cockshow and felt in his waistcoat pocket for the gate-money. The widow [Pg 171]was usually in the road, but to-day there was no sign of her familiar and unforgettable shape. He drew a sharp breath of annoyance. There would be shouting and waiting and all sorts of untoward62 delays; possibly a fresh battle between Mrs. Cockshow and his uncle. The latter was muttering already and beginning to look, as he did when excited, like a crazy hen.

Heber sat, immovable and unconcerned, on his horse when they pulled up, and Saunders raised his voice in the customary manner of travellers. The shepherd’s money was in his fingers, but when Catherine came out of the tollhouse he almost dropped it into the dust.

For an instant the suspicion that Charles’s hateful insinuations were true came to him like a cold blast. The girl hesitated, and then, with a glance at the occupants of the gig, approached him first, holding out her hand for the toll money. He leaned down towards her.

[Pg 172]

“What be you doing here, Catherine? How be you come here?”

She shrank back. There was suppressed vehemence63 in his tone.

“Don’t be afeared o’ me,” he exclaimed, “I won’t hurt ye, my girl.”

“I live wi’ Mrs. Cockshow,” she faltered64. “She’s at the market.”

“Come on, come on, ye slut!” screamed Saunders’s uncle. “Am I to wait here all day for you to be sweetheartin’ wi’ every vagabond feller on the road?”

Heber had dismounted, and as Catherine, bewildered, was about to obey the cattle-breeder, he held her back. He took no notice of the outburst, but he led her up to the side of the gig on which Charles sat.

“Tell me the truth, Catherine,” he said, “be you livin’ wi’ this man or be you not?”

“Livin’ with him—with him?” she exclaimed.

“Yes, you be hussy enough for anything, I’ll be bound!” cried the old man’s shrill [Pg 173]voice. “Let me go on, I tell ’e; open the gate! Who cares a damn who ye be livin’ with?”

“He told me, not an hour back, that he was keepin’ you,” continued Black Heber, unmoved, pointing at Charles. “Be that true? Answer me, girl.”

“It’s a lie,” cried Catherine, in a shaking voice. “So help me God, it’s a lie!”

He loosed his hold on her.

“Open the gate, Catherine,” said he quietly. Then he took Charles’s cob by the head and looked up at its driver.

“Will ye drive on, like the lyin’ cur ye are, or will ye come down now and have it out wi’ me?”

“Let my horse go!” screamed the cattle-breeder. “Who be you, ye thief, stopping me an’ my nephew in the road?”

Charles bent65 forward and cut at Heber with his whip.

“Go on, then, if you be afeared,” said the shepherd, taking his hand from the bit. [Pg 174]“It’s the wisest choice that you’ve made. And every time ye see me, ye can remember that I know the coward ye are.”

“He’s forgotten to pay,” said Catherine blankly to the shepherd as they watched the gig disappear. “Oh! what’ll Mrs. Cockshow say?”

Black Heber made no suggestion. There was only one question just then which interested him, and he could read its answer in Catherine’s face.

“I’ll tie up the horse and come in wi’ you,” said he. “Maybe I’d best wait and explain it to her.”

The End

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 remains 1kMzTy     
n.剩余物,残留物;遗体,遗迹
参考例句:
  • He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
  • The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。
2 molested 8f5dc599e4a1e77b1bcd0dfd65265f28     
v.骚扰( molest的过去式和过去分词 );干扰;调戏;猥亵
参考例句:
  • The bigger children in the neighborhood molested the younger ones. 邻居家的大孩子欺负小孩子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He molested children and was sent to jail. 他猥亵儿童,进了监狱。 来自《简明英汉词典》
3 lame r9gzj     
adj.跛的,(辩解、论据等)无说服力的
参考例句:
  • The lame man needs a stick when he walks.那跛脚男子走路时需借助拐棍。
  • I don't believe his story.It'sounds a bit lame.我不信他讲的那一套。他的话听起来有些靠不住。
4 toll LJpzo     
n.过路(桥)费;损失,伤亡人数;v.敲(钟)
参考例句:
  • The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
  • The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。
5 insanity H6xxf     
n.疯狂,精神错乱;极端的愚蠢,荒唐
参考例句:
  • In his defense he alleged temporary insanity.他伪称一时精神错乱,为自己辩解。
  • He remained in his cell,and this visit only increased the belief in his insanity.他依旧还是住在他的地牢里,这次视察只是更加使人相信他是个疯子了。
6 fowls 4f8db97816f2d0cad386a79bb5c17ea4     
鸟( fowl的名词复数 ); 禽肉; 既不是这; 非驴非马
参考例句:
  • A great number of water fowls dwell on the island. 许多水鸟在岛上栖息。
  • We keep a few fowls and some goats. 我们养了几只鸡和一些山羊。
7 ridicule fCwzv     
v.讥讽,挖苦;n.嘲弄
参考例句:
  • You mustn't ridicule unfortunate people.你不该嘲笑不幸的人。
  • Silly mistakes and queer clothes often arouse ridicule.荒谬的错误和古怪的服装常会引起人们的讪笑。
8 evoked 0681b342def6d2a4206d965ff12603b2     
[医]诱发的
参考例句:
  • The music evoked memories of her youth. 这乐曲勾起了她对青年时代的回忆。
  • Her face, though sad, still evoked a feeling of serenity. 她的脸色虽然悲伤,但仍使人感觉安详。
9 poultry GPQxh     
n.家禽,禽肉
参考例句:
  • There is not much poultry in the shops. 商店里禽肉不太多。
  • What do you feed the poultry on? 你们用什么饲料喂养家禽?
10 annoyance Bw4zE     
n.恼怒,生气,烦恼
参考例句:
  • Why do you always take your annoyance out on me?为什么你不高兴时总是对我出气?
  • I felt annoyance at being teased.我恼恨别人取笑我。
12 aged 6zWzdI     
adj.年老的,陈年的
参考例句:
  • He had put on weight and aged a little.他胖了,也老点了。
  • He is aged,but his memory is still good.他已年老,然而记忆力还好。
13 pony Au5yJ     
adj.小型的;n.小马
参考例句:
  • His father gave him a pony as a Christmas present.他父亲给了他一匹小马驹作为圣诞礼物。
  • They made him pony up the money he owed.他们逼他还债。
14 delightful 6xzxT     
adj.令人高兴的,使人快乐的
参考例句:
  • We had a delightful time by the seashore last Sunday.上星期天我们在海滨玩得真痛快。
  • Peter played a delightful melody on his flute.彼得用笛子吹奏了一支欢快的曲子。
15 eluded 8afea5b7a29fab905a2d34ae6f94a05f     
v.(尤指机敏地)避开( elude的过去式和过去分词 );逃避;躲避;使达不到
参考例句:
  • The sly fox nimbly eluded the dogs. 那只狡猾的狐狸灵活地躲避开那群狗。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • The criminal eluded the police. 那个罪犯甩掉了警察的追捕。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
16 persistently MlzztP     
ad.坚持地;固执地
参考例句:
  • He persistently asserted his right to a share in the heritage. 他始终声称他有分享那笔遗产的权利。
  • She persistently asserted her opinions. 她果断地说出了自己的意见。
17 prying a63afacc70963cb0fda72f623793f578     
adj.爱打听的v.打听,刺探(他人的私事)( pry的现在分词 );撬开
参考例句:
  • I'm sick of you prying into my personal life! 我讨厌你刺探我的私生活!
  • She is always prying into other people's affairs. 她总是打听别人的私事。 来自《简明英汉词典》
18 galloping galloping     
adj. 飞驰的, 急性的 动词gallop的现在分词形式
参考例句:
  • The horse started galloping the moment I gave it a good dig. 我猛戳了马一下,它就奔驰起来了。
  • Japan is galloping ahead in the race to develop new technology. 日本在发展新技术的竞争中进展迅速,日新月异。
19 spoke XryyC     
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
参考例句:
  • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
  • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
20 stun FhMyT     
vt.打昏,使昏迷,使震惊,使惊叹
参考例句:
  • When they told me she had gone missing I was totally stunned.他们告诉我她不见了时,我当时完全惊呆了。
  • Sam stood his ground and got a blow that stunned him.萨姆站在原地,被一下打昏了。
21 hurled 16e3a6ba35b6465e1376a4335ae25cd2     
v.猛投,用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 );大声叫骂
参考例句:
  • He hurled a brick through the window. 他往窗户里扔了块砖。
  • The strong wind hurled down bits of the roof. 大风把屋顶的瓦片刮了下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
22 implicit lkhyn     
a.暗示的,含蓄的,不明晰的,绝对的
参考例句:
  • A soldier must give implicit obedience to his officers. 士兵必须绝对服从他的长官。
  • Her silence gave implicit consent. 她的沉默表示默许。
23 sneaking iibzMu     
a.秘密的,不公开的
参考例句:
  • She had always had a sneaking affection for him. 以前她一直暗暗倾心于他。
  • She ducked the interviewers by sneaking out the back door. 她从后门偷偷溜走,躲开采访者。
24 altercation pLzyi     
n.争吵,争论
参考例句:
  • Throughout the entire altercation,not one sensible word was uttered.争了半天,没有一句话是切合实际的。
  • The boys had an altercation over the umpire's decision.男孩子们对裁判的判决颇有争议。
25 shrill EEize     
adj.尖声的;刺耳的;v尖叫
参考例句:
  • Whistles began to shrill outside the barn.哨声开始在谷仓外面尖叫。
  • The shrill ringing of a bell broke up the card game on the cutter.刺耳的铃声打散了小汽艇的牌局。
26 pint 1NNxL     
n.品脱
参考例句:
  • I'll have a pint of beer and a packet of crisps, please.我要一品脱啤酒和一袋炸马铃薯片。
  • In the old days you could get a pint of beer for a shilling.从前,花一先令就可以买到一品脱啤酒。
27 frenzy jQbzs     
n.疯狂,狂热,极度的激动
参考例句:
  • He was able to work the young students up into a frenzy.他能激起青年学生的狂热。
  • They were singing in a frenzy of joy.他们欣喜若狂地高声歌唱。
28 casement kw8zwr     
n.竖铰链窗;窗扉
参考例句:
  • A casement is a window that opens by means of hinges at the side.竖铰链窗是一种用边上的铰链开启的窗户。
  • With the casement half open,a cold breeze rushed inside.窗扉半开,凉风袭来。
29 standing 2hCzgo     
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的
参考例句:
  • After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
  • They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。
30 ribs 24fc137444401001077773555802b280     
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
参考例句:
  • He suffered cracked ribs and bruising. 他断了肋骨还有挫伤。
  • Make a small incision below the ribs. 在肋骨下方切开一个小口。
31 caress crczs     
vt./n.爱抚,抚摸
参考例句:
  • She gave the child a loving caress.她疼爱地抚摸着孩子。
  • She feasted on the caress of the hot spring.她尽情享受着温泉的抚爱。
32 jovial TabzG     
adj.快乐的,好交际的
参考例句:
  • He seemed jovial,but his eyes avoided ours.他显得很高兴,但他的眼光却避开了我们的眼光。
  • Grandma was plump and jovial.祖母身材圆胖,整天乐呵呵的。
33 dispensing 1555b4001e7e14e0bca70a3c43102922     
v.分配( dispense的现在分词 );施与;配(药)
参考例句:
  • A dispensing optician supplies glasses, but doesn't test your eyes. 配镜师为你提供眼镜,但不检查眼睛。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The firm has been dispensing ointments. 本公司配制药膏。 来自《简明英汉词典》
34 thither cgRz1o     
adv.向那里;adj.在那边的,对岸的
参考例句:
  • He wandered hither and thither looking for a playmate.他逛来逛去找玩伴。
  • He tramped hither and thither.他到处流浪。
35 twine vg6yC     
v.搓,织,编饰;(使)缠绕
参考例句:
  • He tied the parcel with twine.他用细绳捆包裹。
  • Their cardboard boxes were wrapped and tied neatly with waxed twine.他们的纸板盒用蜡线扎得整整齐齐。
36 antiquated bzLzTH     
adj.陈旧的,过时的
参考例句:
  • Many factories are so antiquated they are not worth saving.很多工厂过于陈旧落后,已不值得挽救。
  • A train of antiquated coaches was waiting for us at the siding.一列陈旧的火车在侧线上等着我们。
37 astonishment VvjzR     
n.惊奇,惊异
参考例句:
  • They heard him give a loud shout of astonishment.他们听见他惊奇地大叫一声。
  • I was filled with astonishment at her strange action.我对她的奇怪举动不胜惊异。
38 bulging daa6dc27701a595ab18024cbb7b30c25     
膨胀; 凸出(部); 打气; 折皱
参考例句:
  • Her pockets were bulging with presents. 她的口袋里装满了礼物。
  • Conscious of the bulging red folder, Nim told her,"Ask if it's important." 尼姆想到那个鼓鼓囊囊的红色文件夹便告诉她:“问问是不是重要的事。”
39 levity Q1uxA     
n.轻率,轻浮,不稳定,多变
参考例句:
  • His remarks injected a note of levity into the proceedings.他的话将一丝轻率带入了议事过程中。
  • At the time,Arnold had disapproved of such levity.那时候的阿诺德对这种轻浮行为很看不惯。
40 drawn MuXzIi     
v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的
参考例句:
  • All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
  • Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。
41 meddling meddling     
v.干涉,干预(他人事务)( meddle的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • He denounced all "meddling" attempts to promote a negotiation. 他斥责了一切“干预”促成谈判的企图。 来自辞典例句
  • They liked this field because it was never visited by meddling strangers. 她们喜欢这块田野,因为好事的陌生人从来不到那里去。 来自辞典例句
42 resentment 4sgyv     
n.怨愤,忿恨
参考例句:
  • All her feelings of resentment just came pouring out.她一股脑儿倾吐出所有的怨恨。
  • She cherished a deep resentment under the rose towards her employer.她暗中对她的雇主怀恨在心。
43 truthfulness 27c8b19ec00cf09690f381451b0fa00c     
n. 符合实际
参考例句:
  • Among her many virtues are loyalty, courage, and truthfulness. 她有许多的美德,如忠诚、勇敢和诚实。
  • I fired a hundred questions concerning the truthfulness of his statement. 我对他发言的真实性提出一连串质问。
44 primitive vSwz0     
adj.原始的;简单的;n.原(始)人,原始事物
参考例句:
  • It is a primitive instinct to flee a place of danger.逃离危险的地方是一种原始本能。
  • His book describes the march of the civilization of a primitive society.他的著作描述了一个原始社会的开化过程。
45 solitudes 64fe2505fdaa2595d05909eb049cf65c     
n.独居( solitude的名词复数 );孤独;荒僻的地方;人迹罕至的地方
参考例句:
  • Africa is going at last to give up the secret of its vast solitudes. 非洲无边无际的荒野的秘密就要被揭穿了。 来自辞典例句
  • The scientist has spent six months in the solitudes of the Antarctic. 这位科学家已经在人迹罕至的南极待了六个月了。 来自互联网
46 vistas cec5d496e70afb756a935bba3530d3e8     
长条形景色( vista的名词复数 ); 回顾; 展望; (未来可能发生的)一系列情景
参考例句:
  • This new job could open up whole new vistas for her. 这项新工作可能给她开辟全新的前景。
  • The picture is small but It'shows broad vistas. 画幅虽然不大,所表现的天地却十分广阔。
47 succumbing 36c865bf8da2728559e890710c281b3c     
不再抵抗(诱惑、疾病、攻击等)( succumb的现在分词 ); 屈从; 被压垮; 死
参考例句:
  • Mrs. Smith washed and ironed clothes for him, succumbing to him. 史密斯太太被他迷住了,愿意为他洗衣烫衣。
  • They would not in the end abandon their vital interests by succumbing to Soviet blandishment. 他们最终决不会受苏联人的甜言蜜语的诱惑,从而抛弃自己的切身利益。
48 lessened 6351a909991322c8a53dc9baa69dda6f     
减少的,减弱的
参考例句:
  • Listening to the speech through an interpreter lessened its impact somewhat. 演讲辞通过翻译的嘴说出来,多少削弱了演讲的力量。
  • The flight to suburbia lessened the number of middle-class families living within the city. 随着迁往郊外的风行,住在城内的中产家庭减少了。
49 pretence pretence     
n.假装,作假;借口,口实;虚伪;虚饰
参考例句:
  • The government abandoned any pretence of reform. 政府不再装模作样地进行改革。
  • He made a pretence of being happy at the party.晚会上他假装很高兴。
50 outrage hvOyI     
n.暴行,侮辱,愤怒;vt.凌辱,激怒
参考例句:
  • When he heard the news he reacted with a sense of outrage.他得悉此事时义愤填膺。
  • We should never forget the outrage committed by the Japanese invaders.我们永远都不应该忘记日本侵略者犯下的暴行。
51 longing 98bzd     
n.(for)渴望
参考例句:
  • Hearing the tune again sent waves of longing through her.再次听到那首曲子使她胸中充满了渴望。
  • His heart burned with longing for revenge.他心中燃烧着急欲复仇的怒火。
52 dwelling auzzQk     
n.住宅,住所,寓所
参考例句:
  • Those two men are dwelling with us.那两个人跟我们住在一起。
  • He occupies a three-story dwelling place on the Park Street.他在派克街上有一幢3层楼的寓所。
53 apparently tMmyQ     
adv.显然地;表面上,似乎
参考例句:
  • An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽,豁然开朗。
  • He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。
54 juncture e3exI     
n.时刻,关键时刻,紧要关头
参考例句:
  • The project is situated at the juncture of the new and old urban districts.该项目位于新老城区交界处。
  • It is very difficult at this juncture to predict the company's future.此时很难预料公司的前景。
55 trot aKBzt     
n.疾走,慢跑;n.老太婆;现成译本;(复数)trots:腹泻(与the 连用);v.小跑,快步走,赶紧
参考例句:
  • They passed me at a trot.他们从我身边快步走过。
  • The horse broke into a brisk trot.马突然快步小跑起来。
56 trotting cbfe4f2086fbf0d567ffdf135320f26a     
小跑,急走( trot的现在分词 ); 匆匆忙忙地走
参考例句:
  • The riders came trotting down the lane. 这骑手骑着马在小路上慢跑。
  • Alan took the reins and the small horse started trotting. 艾伦抓住缰绳,小马开始慢跑起来。
57 hoofs ffcc3c14b1369cfeb4617ce36882c891     
n.(兽的)蹄,马蹄( hoof的名词复数 )v.(兽的)蹄,马蹄( hoof的第三人称单数 )
参考例句:
  • The stamp of the horse's hoofs on the wooden floor was loud. 马蹄踏在木头地板上的声音很响。 来自辞典例句
  • The noise of hoofs called him back to the other window. 马蹄声把他又唤回那扇窗子口。 来自辞典例句
58 steadily Qukw6     
adv.稳定地;不变地;持续地
参考例句:
  • The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。
  • Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。
59 rhythmic rXexv     
adj.有节奏的,有韵律的
参考例句:
  • Her breathing became more rhythmic.她的呼吸变得更有规律了。
  • Good breathing is slow,rhythmic and deep.健康的呼吸方式缓慢深沉而有节奏。
60 egregious j8RyE     
adj.非常的,过分的
参考例句:
  • When it comes to blatant lies,there are none more egregious than budget figures.谈到公众谎言,没有比预算数字更令人震惊的。
  • What an egregious example was here!现摆着一个多么触目惊心的例子啊。
61 lured 77df5632bf83c9c64fb09403ae21e649     
吸引,引诱(lure的过去式与过去分词形式)
参考例句:
  • The child was lured into a car but managed to escape. 那小孩被诱骗上了车,但又设法逃掉了。
  • Lured by the lust of gold,the pioneers pushed onward. 开拓者在黄金的诱惑下,继续奋力向前。
62 untoward Hjvw1     
adj.不利的,不幸的,困难重重的
参考例句:
  • Untoward circumstances prevent me from being with you on this festive occasion.有些不幸的事件使我不能在这欢庆的时刻和你在一起。
  • I'll come if nothing untoward happens.我要是没有特殊情况一定来。
63 vehemence 2ihw1     
n.热切;激烈;愤怒
参考例句:
  • The attack increased in vehemence.进攻越来越猛烈。
  • She was astonished at his vehemence.她对他的激昂感到惊讶。
64 faltered d034d50ce5a8004ff403ab402f79ec8d     
(嗓音)颤抖( falter的过去式和过去分词 ); 支吾其词; 蹒跚; 摇晃
参考例句:
  • He faltered out a few words. 他支吾地说出了几句。
  • "Er - but he has such a longhead!" the man faltered. 他不好意思似的嚅嗫着:“这孩子脑袋真长。”
65 bent QQ8yD     
n.爱好,癖好;adj.弯的;决心的,一心的
参考例句:
  • He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
  • We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。


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