According to a prearrangement, certain dispositions6 had been made in the bedroom. On the bed was spread a luxurious7 and brilliant eiderdown quilt—Violet's private possession, almost her only possession beyond clothes, cash, and money invested. Her three trunks were deposited in a corner. The wardrobe had been cleared of books, and one chest of drawers cleared of Earlforwardian oddments, and Violet, having doffed8 her street attire9, began to unpack10 in the cold, which she did not notice.
She hoped that Henry would give her time to feel at home in the chamber11. She was sure, indeed, that he would, for he could practise the most delicate considerations. Before deciding which drawers should hold which clothes, she laid out some of the garments on the bed, and this act seemed to tranquillize her. Then she noticed[Pg 104] that an old slipper12 had been tied by a piece of pink ribbon to the head-rail of the bed. It was a much-worn white satin slipper, and had once shod the small foot of some woman who understood elegance13. Elsie's thought! Elsie's gift! It could have come from none but Elsie. Elsie must have bought it, and perhaps its fellow, at the second-hand14 shop up the King's Cross Road, past the police-station. And Elsie must also have bought the pink ribbon.
Violet was touched. She wanted to run out and say something nice to Elsie, wherever Elsie might be, but she wanted still more to stay in the bedroom and think. She enjoyed being in the bedroom alone. She glanced with pleasure at the shut door, the drawn15 blind, the solidity of the walls and of the furniture. And she thought of her first honeymoon16. A violent, extravagant17 and passionate18 week at Southend! What excursions. What distractions19! What fishings! What tragi-comical sea-sickness! What winkle-eatings! What promenades20 and rides on the pier21! What jocularities! What gigglings and what enormous laughter! What late risings! What frocks and hats! What hair-brushings! What fastenings of frocks! What arrogant22 confidence in one's complexion23! What emancipations! What grand, free, careless abandonments to the delight of life! What sudden tendernesses! What exhaustless energy! What youth!... And then the swift change in the demeanour of the late Mr. Arb when they got into the London train. Realization24 then that the man who could play and squander25 magnificently could also work and save magnificently! A man, in fact, the late Mr. Arb; and never without a grim humour unlike anybody else's! And he was the very devil sometimes, especially at intervals26 during the few days when he was making up his mind to cut his corns....
She did not gaze backward on that honeymoon with pangs27 of regret. No! She was not that kind of woman. As she advanced from one time of life to another she had the commonsense28 of each age. She did not mourn the[Pg 105] Southend hoydenish29 bride who knew nothing. She had a position now, both moral and material. She could put honeymoons30 in their right perspective. The honeymoon which she was at that moment in the midst of had certainly some remarkable31 characteristics. That is to say, it was a rather funny sort of honeymoon. But what matter? She was happy—not as the Southend bride had been happy, but still happy. She knew that she could comprehend Henry just as well as she had comprehended the late Mr. Arb. On the subject of men she was catholic. She could submit in one way to one and in another way to another; and the same for man?uvring them. Look at what she had by audacity32 accomplished33 in the very first hours of this second marriage! Cleanliness! The brilliance34 of the results of scientific cleaning astonished even herself, far surpassing her expectations.
And the old satin shoe influenced her. There was something absurd, charming, romantic and inspiring about that shoe. It reminded Violet that security and sagacity and affectionate constancy could not be the sole constituents35 of a satisfactory existence. Grace, fancifulness, impulsiveness36, some foolishness, were needed too. She saw the husband, the house, and even the business, as material upon which she had to work, constructively37, adoringly, but also wilfully38, and perhaps a bit mischievously39. What could be more ridiculous than an old shoe tied to a respectable bedstead? And yet it had changed Violet's mood. For her it had most mysteriously changed the mood of the domestic interior, of all Clerkenwell. It helped Violet to like Clerkenwell, an unlikeable place in her opinion.
After a long time, and reluctantly, she went downstairs again. Nobody had disturbed her—neither her husband nor Elsie nor the workmen. She had heard various movements beyond the citadel40 of the bedroom—ascents, descents, bumpings—and she now found the upper floors in darkness; the upper floors were finished. The shop also was apparently41 finished, with the exception of the principal window. She paused at the turn[Pg 106] of the stairs and watched her husband attentively42 watching the operation on the windowful of books. Two workmen were engaged upon it. One handled the books in batches43 of ten or a dozen; the other manipulated the cleansing44, swishing nozzle. Both men seemed to be experts, laborious45, conscientious46 and exact. The volumes were replaced with precision. Mr. Henry Earlforward, in a critical temper, as became a merchant over an important affair which affected47 him closely but upon which he had been in no wise consulted, stood ready to pounce48 upon the slightest error or carelessness. Well, he found no occasion to pounce; the bland demon49 in him was foiled of its spring. He moved away, disappointed, admiring, and caught sight of Violet. His face welcomed her appearance. Undoubtedly51 he was pleased with and impressed by her capacity, in addition to being in love with her. She looked down demurely52, perturbed53 by the ardour of his glance.
"Been putting things to right in the bedroom?" he murmured, approaching her.
She nodded. He lifted his hand to her shoulder, and there it rested for a moment. She wished to heaven the interminable job was finished and they could walk about the transformed shop alone together.
"Look here," he murmured; the men at the window could not possibly distinguish what he was saying.
"Yes?"
He led her to a corner. One of the sacks in which books were delivered hid a fairly large cubical object. He pulled off the sack and disclosed an old safe which she had never seen before.
"I bought it yesterday," said he, "and they delivered it this morning, I suppose." Bending down, he took a key from his pocket, unlocked the safe, and swung open the massive door. "Two drawers, you see, and two compartments54 besides."
"Very nice, I'm sure."
He relocked the safe and handed her the key, which was very bright.[Pg 107]
"It's for you," he said. "A little wedding-present. You must decide where you'd like to have it. If you want it upstairs, I might get some of these chaps to carry it up before they go. Cheaper than getting men in on purpose. And it's no featherweight, that safe isn't."
Violet was startled almost out of her self-possession. She held the key as though she did not know what to do with it. She gave a mechanical smile, very unlike the smile whose vivacity55 drew crinkling lines from all parts of her face to the corners of her eyes and of her mouth. The present was totally unexpected. He had said not one word as to presents; certainly he had not questioned her about her preferences, nor shown even indirectly56 any kind of curiosity in this regard. She had comprehended that he wished neither to bestow57 nor to receive, and she was perfectly58 reconciled to his idiosyncrasy. After all, was she not at that moment wearing, without resentment59 or discomfort60, the wedding-ring to obtain which he had sold its predecessor61? And yet he had conceived the plan of giving her a present and had executed it in secret, as such plans on such occasions ought to be executed. And he was evidently pleased with his plan and proud of it.
How many husbands would have given a safe to their wives so that the dear creatures might really possess their property in privacy and independence? Very few. The average good husband would have expected his wife to hand over all that she had into his own safe-keeping—not for his own use—but she would have had to ask him for what was hers, and in giving her what was hers he would have had the air of conferring a favour. Henry was not like that. Henry, she knew, admired her for her possessions as well as for her personality. And he had desired to insist on them in a spectacular manner. She was touched. Yes, she was touched; because she understood his motives62; saw the fineness, the chivalry63, in his motives.
When she had thanked him she said:[Pg 108]
"I think I shall have it in the bathroom, under the window; there is plenty of room there."
Her practical sagacity had not failed her. In the bathroom she could employ her safe, study the contents of her safe, and take from them or add to them, unsurveyed, according to her most free fancy. Whereas, if the safe was in the bedroom or in the dining-room, or side by side with Henry's safe in the office—well, you never knew! He agreed instantly with her suggestion.
"If I were you," said he, "I should get your things out of that Cornhill safe-deposit place at once."
The late Mr. Arb had always been in favour of a "safe-deposit place" for securities and valuables. The arrangement was beyond doubt best for a nomad64, but in addition, with his histrionic temperament65, he had loved the somewhat theatrical66 apparatus67 of triple security with which safe-deposit companies impressed their clients. He had loved descending68 into illuminated69 steel vaults70, and the smooth noise of well-oiled locks and the signing and countersigning71, and the surveillance, and the surpassing precautions. Violet had loved it also. It magnified riches. It induced ecstatic sensations.
But Mr. Henry Earlforward had other views. He held that the rent which you had to pay for a coffer in a safe-deposit was excessive, and that to pay it was a mere72 squandering73 of money in order to keep money, and quite irrational74, quite ridiculous—indeed, a sort of contradiction in terms. That Mrs. Arb should patronize a safe-deposit company had seemed to offend him; that his wife should patronize a safe-deposit company gave him positive pain. Imagine having to take motor-buses and trams and spend money and half a day of time whenever you wanted to open your own coffer! Violet had listened to him at length on this topic.
She was pleasantly touched now, but simultaneously75 she was frightened again. Standing76 close to him in the gloom of the corner, dangling77 the key on its bit of string, glancing at his fresh, full-lipped, grey-bearded, kindly78 face, and at his bland little eyes which rested on her with[Pg 109] love, she was frightened and even appalled79. She had made him a present of a scientific spring-cleaning, and he had given her a safe, on their wedding day! It was terrible, it was horrible! Why? Eminently80 sensible gifts, both, surely! Not more prosaic81 than those very popular and well-accepted presents, a pair of fish-carvers, a patent carpet-sweeper, a copper82 coal-scuttle! No, possibly not more prosaic than those.... And yet, terrible! No doubt she would not have thought them so horrible if she had not seen that second-hand satin shoe hanging on the bedstead by a piece of pink ribbon. She knew that the excellent, trustworthy and adoring man who was the safe-deposit in which she had deposited herself had no suspicion of the nature of her thoughts. And his innocence83, his simplicity84, his blindness—call it what you please—only intensified85 her perturbation. He turned away to speak to the workmen about moving the safe.
At a later hour, soon after the workmen and the engines and the hose and all the apparatus of purification had vanished from Riceyman Steps, to the regret of a persistent86 crowd which had been enjoying an absolutely novel sensation, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Earlforward, who were alone and rather self-conscious and rather at a loss for something to do in the beautiful shut shop, heard steps on the upper stairs. Elsie! They had forgotten Elsie! It was not a time for them to be thoughtful of other people. Elsie presently appeared on the lower stairs, and was beheld87 of both her astonished employers. For Elsie was clothed in her best, and it was proved that she indeed had a best. Neither Henry nor Violet had ever seen the frock which Elsie was wearing. Yet it was obviously not a new frock. It had lain in that tin trunk of hers since more glorious days. Possibly Joe might have seen it on some bright evening, but no other among living men. Its colour was brown; in cut it did not bear, and never had borne, any relation to the fashions of the day. But it was unquestionably a best dress. Over the fa?ade of the front Elsie displayed a[Pg 110] garment still more surprising; namely, a white apron88. Now in Clerkenwell white aprons89 were white only once in their active careers, and not always even once. White aprons in Clerkenwell were white (unless bought "shop-soiled" at a reduction) for about the first hour of their first wearing. They were, of course, washed, rinsed90 and ironed, and sometimes lightly starched91, but they never achieved whiteness again, and it was impossible that they should do so. A whitish grey was the highest they could reach after the first laundry. Elsie therefore was wearing a new apron; and, in fact, she had purchased it with her own money under the influence of her modest pride in forming a regular part of a household comprising a gentleman and lady freshly united in matrimony. She had also purchased a cap, but at the last moment, after trying it on, had lacked the courage to keep it on; she felt too excessively odd in it. She was carrying a parcel in her left hand, and the other was behind her back. Mrs. Earlforward, at sight of her, guessed part of what was coming, but not the more exciting part.
"Oh, Elsie!" cried Mrs. Earlforward. "There you are! I fancied you were out."
"No, 'm," said Elsie, in her gentle, firm voice. "But I wasn't expecting you and master home so early, and as soon as you came I run upstairs to change."
With that Elsie, from the advantage of three stairs, suddenly showed her right hand, and out of a paper bag flung a considerable quantity of rice on to the middle-aged92 persons of the married. She accomplished this gesture with the air of a benevolent93 priestess performing a necessary and gravely important rite94. Some of the rice stuck on its targets, but most of it rattled95 on the floor and rolled about in the silence. Indeed, there was quite a mess of rice on the floor, and the pity seemed to be that the vacuum-cleaners had left early.
Violet was the first to recover from the state of foolish and abashed96 stupefaction into which the deliberate assault had put man and wife. Violet laughed heartily97, very heartily. Her mood was transformed again in an[Pg 111] instant into one of gaiety, happiness, and natural ease. It was as if a sinister98 spell had been miraculously99 lifted. Henry gradually smiled, while regarding with proper regret this wanton waste of a health-giving food such as formed the sole nourishment100 of many millions of his fellow-creatures in distant parts of the world. Sheepishly brushing his clothes with his hand, he felt as though he was dissipating good rice-puddings. But he, too, suffered a change of heart.
"I had to do it, because it's for luck," Elsie amiably101 explained, not without dignity. Evidently she had determined102 to do the wedding thoroughly103, in spite of the unconventionalities of the contracting parties.
"I'm sure it's very kind of you," said Mrs. Earlforward.
"And here's a present from me," Elsie continued, blushing, and offering the parcel.
"I'm sure we're very much obliged," said Mrs. Earlforward, taking the parcel. "Come into the back-room, Elsie, and I'll undo50 it. It's very heavy. No, I'd better not hold it by the string."
And in the office the cutting of string and the unfolding of brown paper and of tissue paper disclosed a box, and the opening of the box disclosed a wedding-cake—not a large one, true, but authentic105. What with the shoe and the rice and the cake, Elsie in the grand generosity106 of her soul must have spent a fortune on the wedding, must have exercised the large munificence107 of a Rothschild—and all because she had faith in the virtue108 of the ancient proprieties109 appertaining to the marriage ceremony. She alone had seen Mrs. Earlforward as a bride and Mr. Earlforward as a bridegroom, and the magic of her belief compelled the partners also to see themselves as bride and bridegroom.
"Well, Elsie," Violet burst out—and she was deeply affected—"I really don't know what to say. It's most unexpected, and I don't know how to thank you. But run and get a knife, and we'll cut it."[Pg 112]
"It must be cut," said Elsie, again the priestess, and she obediently ran off to get the knife.
"Well, well!... Well, well!" murmured Henry, flabbergasted, and blushing even more than his wife had blushed. The pair were so disturbed that they dared not look at each other.
"You must cut it, 'm," said Elsie, returning with the knife and a flat dish.
And Mrs. Earlforward, having placed the cake on the dish, sawed down into the cake. She had to use all her strength to penetrate110 the brown; the top icing splintered easily, and fragments of it flew about the desk.
"Now, Elsie, here's your slice," said Violet, lifting the dish.
"Thank ye, 'm. But I must keep mine. I've got a little box for it upstairs."
"But aren't you going to eat any of it?"
"No, 'm," with solemnity. "But you must.... I'll just taste this white part," she added, picking up a bit of icing from the desk.
The married pair ate.
"I think I'll go now, 'm, if you'll excuse me," said Elsie. "But I'll just sweep up in the shop here first." She was standing in the doorway111.
They heard her with hand-brush and dustpan collecting the scattered112 food of the Orient. She peeped in at the door again.
"Good night, 'm. Good night, sir." She saluted113 them with a benignant grin in which was a surprising little touch of naughtiness. And then they heard her receding114 footfalls as she ascended115 cautiously the dark flights of stairs and entered into her inviolable private life on the top floor.
"It would never have done not to eat it," said Violet.
"No," Henry agreed.
"She's a wonder, that girl is! You could have knocked me down with a feather."
"Yes."
"I wonder where she bought it."[Pg 113]
"Must have gone up to King's Cross. Or down to Holborn. King's Cross more likely. Yesterday. In her dinner-hour."
"I'm hungry," said Violet.
And it was a fact that they had had no evening meal, seeing that they had expressly announced their intention of "eating out" on that great day.
"So must you be, my dear," said Violet.
There they were, alone together on the ground-floor, with one electric bulb in the back room and one other, needlessly, lighting116 the middle part of the cleansed117 and pleasant shop. They could afford to be young and to live perilously118, madly, absurdly. They lost control of themselves, and gloried in so doing. The cake was a danger to existence. It had the consistency119 of marble, the richness of molasses, the mysteriousness of the enigma120 of the universe. It seemed unconquerable. It seemed more fatal than daggers121 or gelignite. But they attacked it. Fortunately, neither of them knew the inner meaning of indigestion. When Henry had taken the last slice, Violet exclaimed like a child:
"Oh, just one tiny piece more!" And with burning eyes she bent122 down and bit off a morsel123 from the slice in Henry's hand.
"I am living!" shouted an unheard voice in Henry's soul.
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1
amassed
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| v.积累，积聚( amass的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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bland
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| adj.淡而无味的，温和的，无刺激性的 | |
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fortress
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| n.堡垒，防御工事 | |
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6
dispositions
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| 安排( disposition的名词复数 )； 倾向； （财产、金钱的）处置； 气质 | |
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luxurious
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| adj.精美而昂贵的；豪华的 | |
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doffed
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| v.脱去，（尤指）脱帽( doff的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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attire
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| v.穿衣，装扮[同]array；n.衣着；盛装 | |
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10
unpack
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| vt.打开包裹（或行李），卸货 | |
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chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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slipper
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| n.拖鞋 | |
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elegance
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| n.优雅；优美，雅致；精致，巧妙 | |
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second-hand
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| adj.用过的，旧的，二手的 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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honeymoon
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| n.蜜月（假期）；vi.度蜜月 | |
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extravagant
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| adj.奢侈的；过分的；(言行等)放肆的 | |
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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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distractions
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| n.使人分心的事[人]( distraction的名词复数 )；娱乐，消遣；心烦意乱；精神错乱 | |
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promenades
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| n.人行道( promenade的名词复数 )；散步场所；闲逛v.兜风( promenade的第三人称单数 ) | |
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pier
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| n.码头；桥墩，桥柱；[建]窗间壁，支柱 | |
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arrogant
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| adj.傲慢的，自大的 | |
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complexion
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| n.肤色；情况，局面；气质，性格 | |
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realization
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| n.实现；认识到，深刻了解 | |
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squander
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| v.浪费，挥霍 | |
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intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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pangs
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| 突然的剧痛( pang的名词复数 )； 悲痛 | |
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commonsense
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| adj.有常识的；明白事理的；注重实际的 | |
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hoydenish
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| adj.顽皮的，爱嬉闹的，男孩子气的 | |
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honeymoons
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| 蜜月( honeymoon的名词复数 )； 短暂的和谐时期； 蜜月期； 最初的和谐时期 | |
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remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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audacity
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| n.大胆，卤莽，无礼 | |
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accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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brilliance
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| n.光辉，辉煌，壮丽，（卓越的）才华，才智 | |
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constituents
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| n.选民( constituent的名词复数 )；成分；构成部分；要素 | |
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impulsiveness
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| n.冲动 | |
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constructively
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| ad.有益的，积极的 | |
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wilfully
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| adv.任性固执地；蓄意地 | |
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mischievously
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| adv.有害地；淘气地 | |
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citadel
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| n.城堡；堡垒；避难所 | |
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41
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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attentively
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| adv.聚精会神地；周到地；谛；凝神 | |
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43
batches
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| 一批( batch的名词复数 )； 一炉； （食物、药物等的）一批生产的量； 成批作业 | |
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44
cleansing
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| n. 净化(垃圾) adj. 清洁用的 动词cleanse的现在分词 | |
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45
laborious
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| adj.吃力的，努力的，不流畅 | |
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conscientious
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| adj.审慎正直的，认真的，本着良心的 | |
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affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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pounce
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| n.猛扑；v.猛扑，突然袭击，欣然同意 | |
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demon
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| n.魔鬼，恶魔 | |
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50
undo
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| vt.解开，松开；取消，撤销 | |
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51
undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
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52
demurely
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| adv.装成端庄地，认真地 | |
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53
perturbed
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| adj.烦燥不安的v.使（某人）烦恼，不安( perturb的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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compartments
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| n.间隔( compartment的名词复数 )；（列车车厢的）隔间；（家具或设备等的）分隔间；隔层 | |
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55
vivacity
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| n.快活，活泼，精神充沛 | |
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56
indirectly
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| adv.间接地，不直接了当地 | |
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57
bestow
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| v.把…赠与，把…授予；花费 | |
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58
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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resentment
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| n.怨愤，忿恨 | |
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discomfort
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| n.不舒服，不安，难过，困难，不方便 | |
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61
predecessor
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| n.前辈，前任 | |
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motives
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| n.动机，目的( motive的名词复数 ) | |
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63
chivalry
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| n.骑士气概，侠义；（男人）对女人彬彬有礼，献殷勤 | |
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64
nomad
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| n.游牧部落的人，流浪者，游牧民 | |
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65
temperament
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| n.气质，性格，性情 | |
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66
theatrical
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| adj.剧场的，演戏的；做戏似的，做作的 | |
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apparatus
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| n.装置，器械；器具，设备 | |
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68
descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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illuminated
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| adj.被照明的；受启迪的 | |
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vaults
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| n.拱顶( vault的名词复数 )；地下室；撑物跳高；墓穴 | |
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71
countersigning
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| v.连署，副署，会签 （文件）( countersign的现在分词 ) | |
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72
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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73
squandering
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| v.（指钱，财产等）浪费，乱花( squander的现在分词 ) | |
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irrational
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| adj.无理性的，失去理性的 | |
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simultaneously
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| adv.同时发生地，同时进行地 | |
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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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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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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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appalled
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| v.使惊骇，使充满恐惧( appall的过去式和过去分词)adj.惊骇的；丧胆的 | |
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eminently
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| adv.突出地；显著地；不寻常地 | |
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prosaic
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| adj.单调的，无趣的 | |
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82
copper
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| n.铜；铜币；铜器；adj.铜(制)的；(紫)铜色的 | |
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innocence
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| n.无罪；天真；无害 | |
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84
simplicity
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| n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯 | |
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85
intensified
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| v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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persistent
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| adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的 | |
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beheld
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| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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apron
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| n.围裙；工作裙 | |
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aprons
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| 围裙( apron的名词复数 )； 停机坪，台口（舞台幕前的部份） | |
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rinsed
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| v.漂洗( rinse的过去式和过去分词 )；冲洗；用清水漂洗掉（肥皂泡等）；（用清水）冲掉 | |
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starched
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| adj.浆硬的，硬挺的，拘泥刻板的v.把（衣服、床单等）浆一浆( starch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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middle-aged
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| adj.中年的 | |
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benevolent
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| adj.仁慈的，乐善好施的 | |
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rite
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| n.典礼，惯例，习俗 | |
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rattled
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| 慌乱的，恼火的 | |
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abashed
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| adj.窘迫的，尴尬的v.使羞愧，使局促，使窘迫( abash的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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sinister
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| adj.不吉利的，凶恶的，左边的 | |
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miraculously
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| ad.奇迹般地 | |
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100
nourishment
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| n.食物，营养品；营养情况 | |
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101
amiably
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| adv.和蔼可亲地，亲切地 | |
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102
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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103
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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104
concurred
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| 同意（concur的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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105
authentic
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| a.真的，真正的；可靠的，可信的，有根据的 | |
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106
generosity
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| n.大度，慷慨，慷慨的行为 | |
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107
munificence
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| n.宽宏大量，慷慨给与 | |
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108
virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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proprieties
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| n.礼仪，礼节；礼貌( propriety的名词复数 )；规矩；正当；合适 | |
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110
penetrate
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| v.透(渗)入；刺入，刺穿；洞察，了解 | |
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111
doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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112
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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113
saluted
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| v.欢迎，致敬( salute的过去式和过去分词 )；赞扬，赞颂 | |
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114
receding
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| v.逐渐远离( recede的现在分词 )；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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115
ascended
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| v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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116
lighting
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| n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光 | |
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117
cleansed
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| 弄干净，清洗( cleanse的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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118
perilously
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| adv.充满危险地，危机四伏地 | |
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119
consistency
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| n.一贯性，前后一致，稳定性；(液体的)浓度 | |
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120
enigma
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| n.谜，谜一样的人或事 | |
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121
daggers
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| 匕首，短剑( dagger的名词复数 ) | |
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122
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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123
morsel
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| n.一口，一点点 | |
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