It was a week crowded with events, which seemed to him to shoot past so swiftly that in effect they came all of a heap. He never essayed the task, in retrospect7, of arranging them in their order of sequence. They had, however, a definite and interdependent chronology which it is worth the while to trace.
Mrs. Soulsby brought her trunk round to the parsonage bright and early on Friday morning, and took up her lodgement in the best bedroom, and her headquarters in the house at large, with a cheerful and business-like manner. She desired nothing so much, she said, as that people should not put themselves out on her account, or allow her to get in their way. She appeared to mean this, too, and to have very good ideas about securing its realization8.
During both Friday and the following day, indeed, Theron saw her only at the family meals. There she displayed a hearty9 relish10 for all that was set before her which quite won Mrs. Ware's heart, and though she talked rather more than Theron found himself expecting from a woman, he could not deny that her conversation was both seemly and entertaining. She had evidently been a great traveller, and referred to things she had seen in Savannah or Montreal or Los Angeles in as matter-of-fact fashion as he could have spoken of a visit to Tecumseh. Theron asked her many questions about these and other far-off cities, and her answers were all so pat and showed so keen and clear an eye that he began in spite of himself to think of her with a certain admiration12.
She in turn plied13 him with inquiries14 about the principal pew-holders and members of his congregation—their means, their disposition15, and the measure of their devotion. She put these queries16 with such intelligence, and seemed to assimilate his replies with such an alert understanding, that the young minister was spurred to put dashes of character in his descriptions, and set forth18 the idiosyncrasies and distinguishing earmarks of his flock with what he felt afterward19 might have been too free a tongue. But at the time her fine air of appreciation20 led him captive. He gossiped about his parishioners as if he enjoyed it. He made a specially21 happy thumb-nail sketch22 for her of one of his trustees, Erastus Winch, the loud-mouthed, ostentatiously jovial23, and really cold-hearted cheese-buyer. She was particularly interested in hearing about this man. The personality of Winch seemed to have impressed her, and she brought the talk back to him more than once, and prompted Theron to the very threshold of indiscretion in his confidences on the subject.
Save at meal-times, Sister Soulsby spent the two days out around among the Methodists of Octavius. She had little or nothing to say about what she thus saw and heard, but used it as the basis for still further inquiries. She told more than once, however, of how she had been pressed here or there to stay to dinner or supper, and how she had excused herself. “I've knocked about too much,” she would explain to the Wares24, “not to fight shy of random25 country cooking. When I find such a born cook as you are—well I know when I'm well off.” Alice flushed with pleased pride at this, and Theron himself felt that their visitor showed great good sense. By Saturday noon, the two women were calling each other by their first names. Theron learned with a certain interest that Sister Soulsby's Christian26 name was Candace.
It was only natural that he should give even more thought to her than to her quaint27 and unfamiliar28 old Ethiopian name. She was undoubtedly29 a very smart woman. To his surprise she had never introduced in her talk any of the stock religious and devotional phrases which official Methodists so universally employed in mutual30 converse31. She might have been an insurance agent, or a school-teacher, visiting in a purely32 secular33 household, so little parade of cant34 was there about her.
He caught himself wondering how old she was. She seemed to have been pretty well over the whole American continent, and that must take years of time. Perhaps, however, the exertion35 of so much travel would tend to age one in appearance. Her eyes were still youthful—decidedly wise eyes, but still juvenile36. They had sparkled with almost girlish merriment at some of his jokes. She turned them about a good deal when she spoke11, making their glances fit and illustrate37 the things she said. He had never met any one whose eyes played so constant and prominent a part in their owner's conversation. Theron had never seen a play; but he had encountered the portraits of famous queens of the drama several times in illustrated38 papers or shop windows, and it occurred to him that some of the more marked contortions39 of Sister Soulsby's eyes—notably a trick she had of rolling them swiftly round and plunging40 them, so to speak, into an intent, yearning41, one might almost say devouring42, gaze at the speaker—were probably employed by eminent43 actresses like Ristori and Fanny Davenport.
The rest of Sister Soulsby was undoubtedly subordinated in interest to those eyes of hers. Sometimes her face seemed to be reviving temporarily a comeliness44 which had been constant in former days; then again it would look decidedly, organically, plain. It was the worn and loose-skinned face of a nervous, middle-aged45 woman, who had had more than her share of trouble, and drank too much tea. She wore the collar of her dress rather low; and Theron found himself wondering at this, because, though long and expansive, her neck certainly showed more cords and cavities than consorted46 with his vague ideal of statuesque beauty. Then he wondered at himself for thinking about it, and abruptly47 reined48 up his fancy, only to find that it was playing with speculations49 as to whether her yellowish complexion50 was due to that tea-drinking or came to her as a legacy51 of Southern blood.
He knew that she was born in the South because she said so. From the same source he learned that her father had been a wealthy planter, who was ruined by the war, and sank into a premature52 grave under the weight of his accumulated losses. The large dark rings around her eyes grew deeper still in their shadows when she told about this, and her ordinarily sharp voice took on a mellow53 cadence54, with a soft, drawling accent, turning U's into O's, and having no R's to speak of. Theron had imbibed55 somewhere in early days the conviction that the South was the land of romance, of cavaliers and gallants and black eyes flashing behind mantillas and outspread fans, and somehow when Sister Soulsby used this intonation56 she suggested all these things.
But almost all her talk was in another key—a brisk, direct, idiomatic57 manner of speech, with an intonation hinting at no section in particular. It was merely that of the city-dweller as distinguished58 from the rustic59. She was of about Alice's height, perhaps a shade taller. It did not escape the attention of the Wares that she wore clothes of a more stylish60 cut and a livelier arrangement of hues61 than any Alice had ever dared own, even in lax-minded Tyre. The two talked of this in their room on Friday night; and Theron explained that congregations would tolerate things of this sort with a stranger which would be sharply resented in the case of local folk whom they controlled. It was on this occasion that Alice in turn told Theron she was sure Mrs. Soulsby had false teeth—a confidence which she immediately regretted as an act of treachery to her sex.
On Saturday afternoon, toward evening, Brother Soulsby arrived, and was guided to the parsonage by his wife, who had gone to the depot62 to meet him. They must have talked over the situation pretty thoroughly63 on the way, for by the time the new-comer had washed his face and hands and put on a clean collar, Sister Soulsby was ready to announce her plan of campaign in detail.
Her husband was a man of small stature64 and, like herself, of uncertain age. He had a gentle, if rather dry, clean-shaven face, and wore his dust-colored hair long behind. His little figure was clad in black clothes of a distinctively65 clerical fashion, and he had a white neck-cloth neatly66 tied under his collar. The Wares noted67 that he looked clean and amiable68 rather than intellectually or spiritually powerful, as he took the vacant seat between theirs, and joined them in concentrating attention upon Mrs. Soulsby.
This lady, holding herself erect69 and alert on the edge of the low, big easy-chair had the air of presiding over a meeting.
“My idea is,” she began, with an easy implication that no one else's idea was needed, “that your Quarterly Conference, when it meets on Monday, must be adjourned70 to Tuesday. We will have the people all out tomorrow morning to love-feast, and announcement can be made there, and at the morning service afterward, that a series of revival71 meetings are to be begun that same evening. Mr. Soulsby and I can take charge in the evening, and we'll see to it that THAT packs the house—fills the church to overflowing72 Monday evening. Then we'll quietly turn the meeting into a debt-raising convention, before they know where they are, and we'll wipe off the best part of the load. Now, don't you see,” she turned her eyes full upon Theron as she spoke, “you want to hold your Quarterly Conference AFTER this money's been raised, not before.”
“I see what you mean,” Mr. Ware responded gravely. “But—”
“But what!” Sister Soulsby interjected, with vivacity74.
“Well,” said Theron, picking his words, “in the first place, it rests with the Presiding Elder to say whether an adjournment75 can be made until Tuesday, not with me.”
“That's all right. Leave that to me,” said the lady.
“In the second place,” Theron went on, still more hesitatingly, “there seems a certain—what shall I say?—indirection in—in—”
“In getting them together for a revival, and springing a debt-raising on them?” Sister Soulsby put in. “Why, man alive, that's the best part of it. You ought to be getting some notion by this time what these Octavius folks of yours are like. I've only been here two days, but I've got their measure down to an allspice. Supposing you were to announce tomorrow that the debt was to be raised Monday. How many men with bank-accounts would turn up, do you think? You could put them all in your eye, sir—all in your eye!”
“Very possibly you're right,” faltered76 the young minister.
“Right? Why, of course I'm right,” she said, with placid77 confidence. “You've got to take folks as you find them; and you've got to find them the best way you can. One place can be worked, managed, in one way, and another needs quite a different way, and both ways would be dead frosts—complete failures—in a third.”
Brother Soulsby coughed softly here, and shuffled78 his feet for an instant on the carpet. His wife resumed her remarks with slightly abated79 animation80, and at a slower pace.
“My experience,” she said, “has shown me that the Apostle was right. To properly serve the cause, one must be all things to all men. I have known very queer things indeed turn out to be means of grace. You simply CAN'T get along without some of the wisdom of the serpent. We are commanded to have it, for that matter. And now, speaking of that, do you know when the Presiding Elder arrives in town today, and where he is going to eat supper and sleep?”
Theron shook his head. “All I know is he isn't likely to come here,” he said, and added sadly, “I'm afraid he's not an admirer of mine.”
“Perhaps that's not all his fault,” commented Sister Soulsby. “I'll tell you something. He came in on the same train as my husband, and that old trustee Pierce of yours was waiting for him with his buggy, and I saw like a flash what was in the wind, and the minute the train stopped I caught the Presiding Elder, and invited him in your name to come right here and stay; told him you and Alice were just set on his coming—wouldn't take no for an answer. Of course he couldn't come—I knew well enough he had promised old Pierce—but we got in our invitation anyway, and it won't do you any harm. Now, that's what I call having some gumption—wisdom of the serpent, and so on.”
“I'm sure,” remarked Alice, “I should have been mortified81 to death if he had come. We lost the extension-leaf to our table in moving, and four is all it'll seat decently.”
Sister Soulsby smiled winningly into the wife's honest face. “Don't you see, dear,” she explained patiently, “I only asked him because I knew he couldn't come. A little butter spreads a long way, if it's only intelligently warmed.”
“It was certainly very ingenious of you,” Theron began almost stiffly. Then he yielded to the humanities, and with a kindling82 smile added, “And it was as kind as kind could be. I'm afraid you're wrong about it's doing me any good, but I can see how well you meant it, and I'm grateful.”
“We COULD have sneaked83 in the kitchen table, perhaps, while he was out in the garden, and put on the extra long tablecloth,” interjected Alice, musingly84.
Sister Soulsby smiled again at Sister Ware, but without any words this time; and Alice on the instant rose, with the remark that she must be going out to see about supper.
“I'm going to insist on coming out to help you,” Mrs. Soulsby declared, “as soon as I've talked over one little matter with your husband. Oh, yes, you must let me this time. I insist!”
As the kitchen door closed behind Mrs. Ware, a swift and apparently85 significant glance shot its way across from Sister Soulsby's roving, eloquent86 eyes to the calmer and smaller gray orbs87 of her husband. He rose to his feet, made some little explanation about being a gardener himself, and desiring to inspect more closely some rhododendrons he had noticed in the garden, and forthwith moved decorously out by the other door into the front hall. They heard his footsteps on the gravel73 beneath the window before Mrs. Soulsby spoke again.
“You're right about the Presiding Elder, and you're wrong,” she said. “He isn't what one might call precisely88 in love with you. Oh, I know the story—how you got into debt at Tyre, and he stepped in and insisted on your being denied Tecumseh and sent here instead.”
“HE was responsible for that, then, was he?” broke in Theron, with contracted brows.
“Why, don't you make any effort to find out anything at ALL?” she asked pertly enough, but with such obvious good-nature that he could not but have pleasure in her speech. “Why, of course he did it! Who else did you suppose?”
“Well,” said the young minister, despondently89, “if he's as much against me as all that, I might as well hang up my fiddle90 and go home.”
Sister Soulsby gave a little involuntary groan91 of impatience92. She bent93 forward, and, lifting her eyes, rolled them at him in a curve of downward motion which suggested to his fancy the image of two eagles in a concerted pounce94 upon a lamb.
“My friend,” she began, with a new note of impressiveness in her voice, “if you'll pardon my saying it, you haven't got the spunk95 of a mouse. If you're going to lay down, and let everybody trample96 over you just as they please, you're right! You MIGHT as well go home. But now here, this is what I wanted to say to you: Do you just keep your hands off these next few days, and leave this whole thing to me. I'll pull it into shipshape for you. No—wait a minute—don't interrupt now. I have taken a liking97 to you. You've got brains, and you've got human nature in you, and heart. What you lack is SABE—common-sense. You'll get that, too, in time, and meanwhile I'm not going to stand by and see you cut up and fed to the dogs for want of it. I'll get you through this scrape, and put you on your feet again, right-side-up-with care, because, as I said, I like you. I like your wife, too, mind. She's a good, honest little soul, and she worships the very ground you tread on. Of course, as long as people WILL marry in their teens, the wrong people will get yoked98 up together. But that's neither here nor there. She's a kind sweet little body, and she's devoted99 to you, and it isn't every intellectual man that gets even that much. But now it's a go, is it? You promise to keep quiet, do you, and leave the whole show absolutely to me? Shake hands on it.”
Sister Soulsby had risen, and stood now holding out her hand in a frank, manly100 fashion. Theron looked at the hand, and made mental notes that there were a good many veins101 discernible on the small wrist, and that the forearm seemed to swell102 out more than would have been expected in a woman producing such a general effect of leanness. He caught the shine of a thin bracelet-band of gold under the sleeve. A delicate, significant odor just hinted its presence in the air about this outstretched arm—something which was not a perfume, yet deserved as gracious a name.
He rose to his feet, and took the proffered103 hand with a deliberate gesture, as if he had been cautiously weighing all the possible arguments for and against this momentous104 compact.
“I promise,” he said gravely, and the two palms squeezed themselves together in an earnest clasp.
“Right you are,” exclaimed the lady, once more with cheery vivacity. “Mind, when it's all over, I'm going to give you a good, serious, downright talking to—a regular hoeing-over. I'm not sure I shan't give you a sound shaking into the bargain. You need it. And now I'm going out to help Alice.”
The Reverend Mr. Ware remained standing17 after his new friend had left the room, and his meditative105 face wore an even unusual air of abstraction. He strolled aimlessly over, after a time, to the desk by the window, and stood there looking out at the slight figure of Brother Soulsby, who was bending over and attentively106 regarding some pink blossoms on a shrub107 through what seemed to be a pocket magnifying-glass.
What remained uppermost in his mind was not this interesting woman's confident pledge of championship in his material difficulties. He found himself dwelling108 instead upon her remark about the incongruous results of early marriages. He wondered idly if the little man in the white tie, fussing out there over that rhododendron-bush, had figured in her thoughts as an example of these evils. Then he reflected that they had been mentioned in clear relation to talk about Alice.
Now that he faced this question, it was as if he had been consciously ignoring and putting it aside for a long time. How was it, he asked himself now, that Alice, who had once seemed so bright and keen-witted, who had in truth started out immeasurably his superior in swiftness of apprehension109 and readiness in humorous quips and conceits110, should have grown so dull? For she was undoubtedly slow to understand things nowadays. Her absurd lugging111 in of the extension-table problem, when the great strategic point of that invitation foisted112 upon the Presiding Elder came up, was only the latest sample of a score of these heavy-minded exhibitions that recalled themselves to him. And outsiders were apparently beginning to notice it. He knew by intuition what those phrases, “good, honest little soul” and “kind, sweet little body” signified, when another woman used them to a husband about his wife. The very employment of that word “little” was enough, considering that there was scarcely more than a hair's difference between Mrs. Soulsby and Alice, and that they were both rather tall than otherwise, as the stature of women went.
What she had said about the chronic113 misfortunes of intellectual men in such matters gave added point to those meaning phrases. Nobody could deny that geniuses and men of conspicuous114 talent had as a rule, all through history, contracted unfortunate marriages. In almost every case where their wives were remembered at all, it was on account of their abnormal stupidity, or bad temper, or something of that sort. Take Xantippe, for example, and Shakespeare's wife, and—and—well, there was Byron, and Bulwer-Lytton, and ever so many others.
Of course there was nothing to be done about it. These things happened, and one could only put the best possible face on them, and live one's appointed life as patiently and contentedly115 as might be. And Alice undoubtedly merited all the praise which had been so generously bestowed116 upon her. She was good and honest and kindly117, and there could be no doubt whatever as to her utter devotion to him. These were tangible118, solid qualities, which must always secure respect for her. It was true that she no longer seemed to be very popular among people. He questioned whether men, for instance, like Father Forbes and Dr. Ledsmar would care much about her. Visions of the wifeless and academic calm in which these men spent their lives—an existence consecrated119 to literature and knowledge and familiarity with all the loftiest and noblest thoughts of the past—rose and enveloped120 him in a cloud of depression. No such lot would be his! He must labor121 along among ignorant and spiteful narrow-minded people to the end of his days, pocketing their insults and fawning122 upon the harsh hands of jealous nonentities123 who happened to be his official masters, just to keep a roof over his head—or rather Alice's. He must sacrifice everything to this, his ambitions, his passionate124 desires to do real good in the world on a large scale, his mental freedom, yes, even his chance of having truly elevating, intellectual friendships. For it was plain enough that the men whose friendship would be of genuine and stimulating125 profit to him would not like her. Now that he thought of it, she seemed latterly to make no friends at all.
Suddenly, as he watched in a blank sort of way Brother Soulsby take out a penknife, and lop an offending twig126 from a rose-bush against the fence, something occurred to him. There was a curious exception to that rule of Alice's isolation127. She had made at least one friend. Levi Gorringe seemed to like her extremely.
As if his mind had been a camera, Theron snapped a shutter128 down upon this odd, unbidden idea, and turned away from the window.
The sounds of an active, almost strenuous129 conversation in female voices came from the kitchen. Theron opened the door noiselessly, and put in his head, conscious of something furtive130 in his intention.
“You must dreen every drop of water off the spinach131, mind, before you put it over, or else—”
It was Sister Soulsby's sharp and penetrating132 tones which came to him. Theron closed the door again, and surrendered himself once more to the circling whirl of his thoughts.
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1
ware
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| n.(常用复数)商品，货物 | |
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resolute
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| adj.坚决的，果敢的 | |
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vagrant
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| n.流浪者，游民；adj.流浪的，漂泊不定的 | |
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recurred
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| 再发生，复发( recur的过去式和过去分词 )； 治愈 | |
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marvelling
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| v.惊奇，对…感到惊奇( marvel的现在分词 ) | |
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shudder
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| v.战粟，震动，剧烈地摇晃；n.战粟，抖动 | |
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retrospect
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| n.回顾，追溯；v.回顾，回想，追溯 | |
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realization
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| n.实现；认识到，深刻了解 | |
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hearty
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| adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的 | |
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relish
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| n.滋味，享受，爱好，调味品；vt.加调味料，享受，品味；vi.有滋味 | |
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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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admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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plied
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| v.使用（工具）( ply的过去式和过去分词 )；经常供应（食物、饮料）；固定往来；经营生意 | |
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inquiries
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| n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听 | |
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disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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queries
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| n.问题( query的名词复数 )；疑问；询问；问号v.质疑，对…表示疑问( query的第三人称单数 )；询问 | |
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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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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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afterward
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| adv.后来；以后 | |
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appreciation
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| n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨 | |
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specially
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| adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地 | |
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sketch
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| n.草图；梗概；素描；v.素描；概述 | |
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jovial
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| adj.快乐的，好交际的 | |
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wares
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| n. 货物, 商品 | |
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random
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| adj.随机的；任意的；n.偶然的(或随便的)行动 | |
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Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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quaint
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| adj.古雅的，离奇有趣的，奇怪的 | |
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unfamiliar
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| adj.陌生的，不熟悉的 | |
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undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
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mutual
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| adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的 | |
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converse
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| vi.谈话，谈天，闲聊；adv.相反的，相反 | |
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purely
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| adv.纯粹地，完全地 | |
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secular
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| n.牧师，凡人；adj.世俗的，现世的，不朽的 | |
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cant
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| n.斜穿，黑话，猛扔 | |
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exertion
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| n.尽力，努力 | |
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juvenile
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| n.青少年，少年读物；adj.青少年的，幼稚的 | |
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illustrate
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| v.举例说明，阐明；图解，加插图 | |
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illustrated
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| adj. 有插图的，列举的 动词illustrate的过去式和过去分词 | |
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contortions
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| n.扭歪，弯曲；扭曲，弄歪，歪曲( contortion的名词复数 ) | |
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plunging
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| adj.跳进的，突进的v.颠簸( plunge的现在分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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yearning
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| a.渴望的；向往的；怀念的 | |
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devouring
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| 吞没( devour的现在分词 )； 耗尽； 津津有味地看； 狼吞虎咽地吃光 | |
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eminent
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| adj.显赫的，杰出的，有名的，优良的 | |
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44
comeliness
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| n. 清秀, 美丽, 合宜 | |
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45
middle-aged
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| adj.中年的 | |
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46
consorted
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| v.结伴( consort的过去式和过去分词 )；交往；相称；调和 | |
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47
abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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48
reined
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| 勒缰绳使（马）停步( rein的过去式和过去分词 )； 驾驭； 严格控制； 加强管理 | |
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49
speculations
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| n.投机买卖( speculation的名词复数 )；思考；投机活动；推断 | |
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50
complexion
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| n.肤色；情况，局面；气质，性格 | |
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51
legacy
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| n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西 | |
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52
premature
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| adj.比预期时间早的；不成熟的，仓促的 | |
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53
mellow
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| adj.柔和的；熟透的；v.变柔和；(使)成熟 | |
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54
cadence
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| n.（说话声调的）抑扬顿挫 | |
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55
imbibed
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| v.吸收( imbibe的过去式和过去分词 )；喝；吸取；吸气 | |
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56
intonation
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| n.语调，声调；发声 | |
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57
idiomatic
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| adj.成语的，符合语言习惯的 | |
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58
distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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59
rustic
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| adj.乡村的，有乡村特色的；n.乡下人，乡巴佬 | |
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60
stylish
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| adj.流行的，时髦的；漂亮的，气派的 | |
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61
hues
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| 色彩( hue的名词复数 )； 色调； 信仰； 观点 | |
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62
depot
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| n.仓库，储藏处；公共汽车站；火车站 | |
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63
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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64
stature
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| n.（高度）水平，（高度）境界，身高，身材 | |
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65
distinctively
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| adv.特殊地，区别地 | |
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66
neatly
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| adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地 | |
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67
noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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68
amiable
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| adj.和蔼可亲的，友善的，亲切的 | |
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69
erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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70
adjourned
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| （使）休会， （使）休庭( adjourn的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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71
revival
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| n.复兴，复苏，（精力、活力等的）重振 | |
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72
overflowing
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| n. 溢出物,溢流 adj. 充沛的，充满的 动词overflow的现在分词形式 | |
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73
gravel
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| n.砂跞；砂砾层；结石 | |
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74
vivacity
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| n.快活，活泼，精神充沛 | |
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75
adjournment
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| 休会； 延期； 休会期； 休庭期 | |
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76
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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77
placid
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| adj.安静的，平和的 | |
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78
shuffled
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| v.洗（纸牌）( shuffle的过去式和过去分词 )；拖着脚步走；粗心地做；摆脱尘世的烦恼 | |
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79
abated
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| 减少( abate的过去式和过去分词 )； 减去； 降价； 撤消（诉讼） | |
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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
mortified
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| v.使受辱( mortify的过去式和过去分词 )；伤害（人的感情）；克制；抑制（肉体、情感等） | |
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82
kindling
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| n. 点火, 可燃物 动词kindle的现在分词形式 | |
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83
sneaked
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| v.潜行( sneak的过去式和过去分词 )；偷偷溜走；（儿童向成人）打小报告；告状 | |
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84
musingly
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| adv.沉思地，冥想地 | |
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85
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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86
eloquent
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| adj.雄辩的，口才流利的；明白显示出的 | |
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87
orbs
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| abbr.off-reservation boarding school 在校寄宿学校n.球，天体，圆形物( orb的名词复数 ) | |
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88
precisely
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| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
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89
despondently
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| adv.沮丧地，意志消沉地 | |
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90
fiddle
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| n.小提琴；vi.拉提琴；不停拨弄，乱动 | |
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91
groan
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| vi./n.呻吟，抱怨；(发出)呻吟般的声音 | |
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92
impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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93
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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94
pounce
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| n.猛扑；v.猛扑，突然袭击，欣然同意 | |
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95
spunk
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| n.勇气，胆量 | |
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96
trample
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| vt.踩，践踏；无视，伤害，侵犯 | |
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97
liking
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| n.爱好；嗜好；喜欢 | |
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98
yoked
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| 结合（yoke的过去式形式） | |
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99
devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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100
manly
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| adj.有男子气概的；adv.男子般地，果断地 | |
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101
veins
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| n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理 | |
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102
swell
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| vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强 | |
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103
proffered
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| v.提供，贡献，提出( proffer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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104
momentous
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| adj.重要的，重大的 | |
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105
meditative
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| adj.沉思的，冥想的 | |
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106
attentively
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| adv.聚精会神地；周到地；谛；凝神 | |
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107
shrub
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| n.灌木，灌木丛 | |
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108
dwelling
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| n.住宅，住所，寓所 | |
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109
apprehension
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| n.理解，领悟；逮捕，拘捕；忧虑 | |
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110
conceits
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| 高傲( conceit的名词复数 )； 自以为； 巧妙的词语； 别出心裁的比喻 | |
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111
lugging
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| 超载运转能力 | |
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112
foisted
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| 强迫接受，把…强加于( foist的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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113
chronic
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| adj.(疾病)长期未愈的，慢性的；极坏的 | |
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114
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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115
contentedly
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| adv.心满意足地 | |
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116
bestowed
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| 赠给，授予( bestow的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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117
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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118
tangible
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| adj.有形的，可触摸的，确凿的，实际的 | |
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119
consecrated
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| adj.神圣的，被视为神圣的v.把…奉为神圣，给…祝圣( consecrate的过去式和过去分词 )；奉献 | |
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120
enveloped
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| v.包围，笼罩，包住( envelop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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121
labor
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| n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦 | |
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122
fawning
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| adj.乞怜的，奉承的v.（尤指狗等）跳过来往人身上蹭以示亲热( fawn的现在分词 )；巴结；讨好 | |
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123
nonentities
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| n.无足轻重的人( nonentity的名词复数 )；蝼蚁 | |
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124
passionate
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的 | |
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125
stimulating
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| adj.有启发性的，能激发人思考的 | |
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126
twig
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| n.小树枝，嫩枝；v.理解 | |
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127
isolation
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| n.隔离，孤立，分解，分离 | |
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128
shutter
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| n.百叶窗；(照相机)快门；关闭装置 | |
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129
strenuous
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| adj.奋发的，使劲的；紧张的；热烈的，狂热的 | |
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130
furtive
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| adj.鬼鬼崇崇的，偷偷摸摸的 | |
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131
spinach
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| n.菠菜 | |
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132
penetrating
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| adj.（声音）响亮的，尖锐的adj.（气味）刺激的adj.（思想）敏锐的，有洞察力的 | |
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