"I make fine dragoman?" the Arab was saying proudly. "This is ver' old coffee-house. Many things happen here, ver' strange——"
"Yes, but I'm sick of the doggone place," said Billy fiercely. "I can't sit still and swallow coffee any longer. Can't we start now?"
"Too soon—too soon before the time. You say ten? Come, we go next door. Nice place next door, perhaps—dancing, maybe."
There was noise enough next door, certainly, to promise dancing. The strident notes of Oriental music came shrieking8 out the open doorway9, but as Billy stepped within and stared over the heads of the squatting10 throng11, he saw no sinewy12 dancers, but only two tiny girls in bright colors huddled13 wearily against the wall. The music which was absorbing every look came from the brazen14 throat of a huge instrument in the corner.
"Lord—a phonograph!" thought the young man in disgust, resenting this intrusion of the genius of his race into foreign fields.
The squatting men, their dark lips parted in pleased smiles, were too intent upon the innovation to turn at his entrance, but the little girls caught sight of him and ran forward, begging clamorously, their bracelets15 clanking on their outstretched arms.
With a little silver he tried to soften16 the vigor17 of the one-eyed man's dismissal. "This cheap place—no good dancers any more," the Arab uttered in disgust. "New man here—no good. Maybe next door better—eh?"
But next door was only a flight of steps and a lone18 little doll of a sentinel, painted and hung like a bedizened idol19. Only the dark eyes in the tinted20 sockets21 were alive, and these turned curiously22 after the strange young white man who had dropped a coin into her outstretched hand and passed on so hurriedly.
"I don't want any more of these joints," Billy was saying vehemently23 to his harassed24 guide. "It's dark as the Styx now—let's be on our way."
The street they were on was narrow enough for any antiquarian, but the one into which the Arab guide now turned was so narrow that the jutting25 bays of the houses seemed pushing their faces impudently26 against their neighbors. A voice in one room could have been heard as clearly in the one over the way. It was a mean little street, squalid and poor and pitiful, but it maintained its stripped dignities of screened windows and isolation27. It was better not to wonder what nights were like in those women's rooms in summer heat.
The lane-like path stopped at a rickety sort of wharf28, and at their approach a black head bobbed quickly up from a waiting boat. It was the little boy who had shadowed the Captain that day—reporting his arrival at the Khedivial palace—and he climbed out now and sat on the wharf, watching curiously while Billy and his guide bestowed29 themselves in the long canoe, and pushed silently away.
It was an eerie30 backwater in which they were paddling, a sluggish31 stream which moved between dark houses. Sometimes it scraped against their sides and lapped their balconies; sometimes it was held in check by walls and narrow terraces. For Billy the water between the dark houses, the mirrored stars, the unexpected flare2 of some oil lamp and its still reflection, the long windings32 and the stagnant33 smells held their suggestions of Venice for his senses, and he thought the business he was going about was very similar to the business which had brought so many of the gentry34 of Venice to sudden and undesired ends.
The flies were horribly thick here. They settled upon the faces and arms of the paddlers, totally unapprehensive of rebuff. Billy's flesh crawled. He finished the swarm35 with a ringing slap that brought a low caution from his guide.
Now the canal was wider and shallower. The houses receded36, and a field or so appeared, and frequent walls hedged the way. Then suddenly the houses came down again to the water, and the ruins of old mosques37 and palaces lined the banks for a time; to be replaced by walls again. The windings were interminable, and just when he was thinking that his silent guide was as confused as he was, the man made a sudden gesture to the right bank where a tiny strip of land showed above the water clinging to a high brick wall, and with careful, soundless strokes they brought the canoe up to that land.
Billy looked at his watch. It was nearly ten. Hurriedly he climbed out, taking out the stout38, notched39 pole and the knotted rope with the iron hook at the end which he had prepared. The message which had been so unintelligible40 to him was very simple. "Escape by canal to-night—come to garden at ten," had been the words, and Billy, on hearing the description of the canal from the one-eyed man, had felt he understood.
"You're sure this is the place?" he demanded, and on the man's much injured protestation, "Because if it isn't I'll wring41 your neck instead of Kerissen's," he cheerfully promised and set his pole against the wall, showing the man how to steady it. It was not the best climbing arrangement in the world, but time had been extremely limited, and the one-eyed man not inclined to pursue any investigations42 which would advertise their expedition.
Wrapping the rope about his shoulders, he started to pull himself up that notched pole the Arab was holding against the wall, feeling desperately43 for any hold for toes and fingers in the rough chunks44 between the old bricks, and breathing hard he reached the top and threw one leg over. He felt something grind through the serge of his trousers and sting into the flesh.
"Ground glass—the Old Boy!" said Billy through his teeth. He hoisted45 himself cautiously, and with his handkerchief swept the top of the wall as clean as he could. He heard the little pieces fall with a perilously46 loud tinkling47 sound, and flattened48 himself upon the wall, and strained his eyes through the darkness of the garden, but no alarm was raised. The shadows seemed empty.
He hoped to the Lord that no disturbance49 would break out in the garden, for the man below would be off in the canoe like a flash. He had no illusions about the one-eyed man's loyalty50, but the fellow was already in the secret; he was needy51 and resourceful and as trustworthy as any dragoman that he could have gone to. And a dragoman would have had a reputation and a patronage52 he'd fear to lose. This melancholy53 Arab, hawking54 crocodiles for a Greek Jew, had more to gain than lose.
By now he had caught the end of the rough hook over the top of the wall, and let down the knotted rope into the garden below. It was long enough, thank goodness, he thought, wondering under what circumstances and in what company he would ascend55 it again. Then with one more keen look into the garden, and a reassuring56 touch of the pocket where his revolver bulged57, he gripped the rope and swiftly lowered himself.
Keeping close to the wall he pressed toward the buildings on the right, which he had been told was the wing of the harem, and as he stepped forward a flat black shadow near the wall came suddenly to life. It sprang to its feet, revealing a shrouded little form, wrapped and hooded58 in black, and ran to him with steps that stumbled in excitement.
"Quick, quick!" breathed an almost inaudible voice of terror, and Billy flung one strong arm about the girl and dashed toward the dangling59 rope. Gripping it with one hand he flung the light figure over his left shoulder, and with a cheerily whispered "Hang tight," he threw himself into the ascent60. It was arm-wrenching, muscle-racking work, with that dead weight upon him, but the touch of those soft arms clinging childishly about his neck seemed to double and treble his strength, and with incredible quickness he lifted her to the top of the wall, and then, catching61 her by the wrists, he lowered her into the upreaching clasp of the Arab.
An instant more and he had reversed his rope ladder and climbed down beside her as she stood waiting, and in the throbbing62 triumph of that moment he flung his arm grippingly about her to sweep her into the boat. But as she raised her face to his, the shrouding63 mantle64 fell away, and he found himself staring down into the exultant65 face and bright, dark eyes of a girl he had never seen before.
Back of them beyond the wall, pandemonium66 was breaking out.
'He found himself staring down into the bright dark eyes of a girl he had never seen'
"He found himself staring down into the
bright dark eyes of a girl he had never seen"

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收听单词发音

1
Flared
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adj. 端部张开的, 爆发的, 加宽的, 漏斗式的 动词flare的过去式和过去分词 | |
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2
flare
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v.闪耀,闪烁;n.潮红;突发 | |
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imperturbable
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adj.镇静的 | |
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flickered
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(通常指灯光)闪烁,摇曳( flicker的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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5
ragged
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adj.衣衫褴褛的,粗糙的,刺耳的 | |
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urchin
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n.顽童;海胆 | |
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shrouded
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v.隐瞒( shroud的过去式和过去分词 );保密 | |
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shrieking
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v.尖叫( shriek的现在分词 ) | |
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9
doorway
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n.门口,(喻)入门;门路,途径 | |
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10
squatting
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v.像动物一样蹲下( squat的现在分词 );非法擅自占用(土地或房屋);为获得其所有权;而占用某片公共用地。 | |
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11
throng
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n.人群,群众;v.拥挤,群集 | |
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12
sinewy
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adj.多腱的,强壮有力的 | |
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huddled
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挤在一起(huddle的过去式与过去分词形式) | |
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14
brazen
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adj.厚脸皮的,无耻的,坚硬的 | |
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15
bracelets
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n.手镯,臂镯( bracelet的名词复数 ) | |
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16
soften
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v.(使)变柔软;(使)变柔和 | |
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17
vigor
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n.活力,精力,元气 | |
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18
lone
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adj.孤寂的,单独的;唯一的 | |
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19
idol
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n.偶像,红人,宠儿 | |
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20
tinted
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adj. 带色彩的 动词tint的过去式和过去分词 | |
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21
sockets
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n.套接字,使应用程序能够读写与收发通讯协定(protocol)与资料的程序( Socket的名词复数 );孔( socket的名词复数 );(电器上的)插口;托座;凹穴 | |
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22
curiously
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adv.有求知欲地;好问地;奇特地 | |
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23
vehemently
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adv. 热烈地 | |
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24
harassed
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adj. 疲倦的,厌烦的 动词harass的过去式和过去分词 | |
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25
jutting
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v.(使)突出( jut的现在分词 );伸出;(从…)突出;高出 | |
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impudently
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isolation
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n.隔离,孤立,分解,分离 | |
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wharf
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n.码头,停泊处 | |
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29
bestowed
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赠给,授予( bestow的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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30
eerie
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adj.怪诞的;奇异的;可怕的;胆怯的 | |
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31
sluggish
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adj.懒惰的,迟钝的,无精打采的 | |
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32
windings
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(道路、河流等)蜿蜒的,弯曲的( winding的名词复数 ); 缠绕( wind的现在分词 ); 卷绕; 转动(把手) | |
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33
stagnant
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adj.不流动的,停滞的,不景气的 | |
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34
gentry
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n.绅士阶级,上层阶级 | |
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35
swarm
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n.(昆虫)等一大群;vi.成群飞舞;蜂拥而入 | |
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36
receded
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v.逐渐远离( recede的过去式和过去分词 );向后倾斜;自原处后退或避开别人的注视;尤指问题 | |
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37
mosques
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清真寺; 伊斯兰教寺院,清真寺; 清真寺,伊斯兰教寺院( mosque的名词复数 ) | |
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39
notched
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a.有凹口的,有缺口的 | |
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40
unintelligible
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adj.无法了解的,难解的,莫明其妙的 | |
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41
wring
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n.扭绞;v.拧,绞出,扭 | |
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42
investigations
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(正式的)调查( investigation的名词复数 ); 侦查; 科学研究; 学术研究 | |
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43
desperately
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adv.极度渴望地,绝望地,孤注一掷地 | |
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44
chunks
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厚厚的一块( chunk的名词复数 ); (某物)相当大的数量或部分 | |
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45
hoisted
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把…吊起,升起( hoist的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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46
perilously
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adv.充满危险地,危机四伏地 | |
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47
tinkling
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n.丁当作响声 | |
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48
flattened
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[医](水)平扁的,弄平的 | |
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49
disturbance
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n.动乱,骚动;打扰,干扰;(身心)失调 | |
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50
loyalty
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n.忠诚,忠心 | |
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51
needy
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adj.贫穷的,贫困的,生活艰苦的 | |
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52
patronage
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n.赞助,支援,援助;光顾,捧场 | |
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53
melancholy
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n.忧郁,愁思;adj.令人感伤(沮丧)的,忧郁的 | |
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54
hawking
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利用鹰行猎 | |
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55
ascend
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vi.渐渐上升,升高;vt.攀登,登上 | |
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56
reassuring
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a.使人消除恐惧和疑虑的,使人放心的 | |
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57
bulged
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凸出( bulge的过去式和过去分词 ); 充满; 塞满(某物) | |
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58
hooded
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adj.戴头巾的;有罩盖的;颈部因肋骨运动而膨胀的 | |
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59
dangling
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悬吊着( dangle的现在分词 ); 摆动不定; 用某事物诱惑…; 吊胃口 | |
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60
ascent
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n.(声望或地位)提高;上升,升高;登高 | |
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61
catching
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adj.易传染的,有魅力的,迷人的,接住 | |
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62
throbbing
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a. 跳动的,悸动的 | |
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63
shrouding
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n.覆盖v.隐瞒( shroud的现在分词 );保密 | |
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64
mantle
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n.斗篷,覆罩之物,罩子;v.罩住,覆盖,脸红 | |
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65
exultant
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adj.欢腾的,狂欢的,大喜的 | |
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66
pandemonium
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n.喧嚣,大混乱 | |
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