Her thoughts, sanctified now by the Presence on the altar, drifted out again on to the shining sea of the future. What she, a humble10 nun11, had done others would do. A countless12 army of missionary13 men and women marching from the Irish shore would conquer the world’s conquerors14, regain15 for the Church the Anglo-Saxon race. Once in the far past Irish men and women had Christianized Europe, and Ireland had won her glorious title, ‘Island of Saints.’ Now the great day was to dawn again, the great race to be reborn. For this end had Ireland been kept faithful and pure for centuries, just that she might be at last the witness to the spiritual in a materialized world. For this end had the Church in Ireland gone through the storm of persecution16, suffered the blight17 of the world’s contempt, that she might emerge in the end entirely18 fitted for the bloodless warfare19.
‘And I am one of the race, a daughter of Ireland. And I am a worker—nay20, one who has accomplished21 something—in the vineyard of the Church. Ah, God!’
She was swept forward on a wave of emotion. Thought ceased, expiring in the ecstasy22 of a communion which transcended23 thought. Then suddenly, sharp as an unexpected pain, an accusation24 shot across her soul, shattering the coloured glory of the trance in an instant.
‘Who am I that I should boast?’
The long years of introspection, the discipline of hundreds of heart-searching confessions25, the hardly-learned lesson of self-distrust, made it possible for her to recognise the vain-glory even with the halo of devotion shining round it. She abased26 herself in penitence27.
‘Give me the work, my Lord; give others the glory and the fruit of it. Let me toil28, but withhold29 the reward from me. May my eyes not see it, lest I be lifted up! Nay, give me not even work to do, lest I should be praised or learn to praise myself. “Nunc dimittis servam tuam, Domine, secundum verbum tuum in pace.”’
There stole over her a sense of peace—numb, silent peace—wholly unlike the satisfaction which had flooded her in her own room or during the earlier ecstasy before the altar. She raised her eyes slowly till they rested on the shrine30 where the body of the sacrifice reposed31.
‘Quia viderunt oculi mei salutare tuum.’
At last she rose. The lines of care and age gathered again upon her face. Her eyes gleamed with keen intelligence. She braced32 herself with the thought of all that might still lie before her. The advice of Iago, strangely sanctified, clamoured in her heart—‘Put money in thy purse.’

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1
retired
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adj.隐退的,退休的,退役的 | |
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2
celebrity
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n.名人,名流;著名,名声,名望 | |
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3
eligible
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adj.有条件被选中的;(尤指婚姻等)合适(意)的 | |
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4
chapel
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n.小教堂,殡仪馆 | |
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5
mosaic
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n./adj.镶嵌细工的,镶嵌工艺品的,嵌花式的 | |
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6
grandiose
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adj.宏伟的,宏大的,堂皇的,铺张的 | |
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7
natal
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adj.出生的,先天的 | |
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8
accomplishments
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n.造诣;完成( accomplishment的名词复数 );技能;成绩;成就 | |
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9
prostrated
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v.使俯伏,使拜倒( prostrate的过去式和过去分词 );(指疾病、天气等)使某人无能为力 | |
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10
humble
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adj.谦卑的,恭顺的;地位低下的;v.降低,贬低 | |
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11
nun
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n.修女,尼姑 | |
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12
countless
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adj.无数的,多得不计其数的 | |
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13
missionary
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adj.教会的,传教(士)的;n.传教士 | |
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14
conquerors
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征服者,占领者( conqueror的名词复数 ) | |
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15
regain
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vt.重新获得,收复,恢复 | |
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16
persecution
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n. 迫害,烦扰 | |
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17
blight
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n.枯萎病;造成破坏的因素;vt.破坏,摧残 | |
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18
entirely
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ad.全部地,完整地;完全地,彻底地 | |
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19
warfare
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n.战争(状态);斗争;冲突 | |
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20
nay
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adv.不;n.反对票,投反对票者 | |
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21
accomplished
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adj.有才艺的;有造诣的;达到了的 | |
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22
ecstasy
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n.狂喜,心醉神怡,入迷 | |
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23
transcended
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超出或超越(经验、信念、描写能力等)的范围( transcend的过去式和过去分词 ); 优于或胜过… | |
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24
accusation
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n.控告,指责,谴责 | |
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25
confessions
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n.承认( confession的名词复数 );自首;声明;(向神父的)忏悔 | |
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26
abased
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使谦卑( abase的过去式和过去分词 ); 使感到羞耻; 使降低(地位、身份等); 降下 | |
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27
penitence
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n.忏悔,赎罪;悔过 | |
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28
toil
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vi.辛劳工作,艰难地行动;n.苦工,难事 | |
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29
withhold
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v.拒绝,不给;使停止,阻挡 | |
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30
shrine
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n.圣地,神龛,庙;v.将...置于神龛内,把...奉为神圣 | |
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31
reposed
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v.将(手臂等)靠在某人(某物)上( repose的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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32
braced
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adj.拉牢的v.支住( brace的过去式和过去分词 );撑牢;使自己站稳;振作起来 | |
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