Chapter 21

 It was nearly the end of the long evening preparation and absolutequiet reigned¹ in the schoolroom. The broad lamp-shades concentratedthe light on the tangled² heads of the boys, who were working attheir lessons or sitting in a brown study with their noses onthe desks. The only sounds were the crackling of paper, the lads'

breathing and the scratch, scratch of steel pens. The youngestthere, his cheeks still browned by the sea-breezes, was dreamingover his half-finished exercise of a beach on the Normandy coastand the sand-castles he and his friends used to build, to seethem swept away presently by the waves of the rising tide.

At the top of the great room, at the high desk where theSuperintendent of Studies had solemnly installed him underneaththe great ebony crucifix, Jean Servien, his head between histwo hands, was reading a Latin poet.

He felt utterly³ sad and lonely; but he had not realized yet thathis new life was an actual fact, and from moment to moment heexpected the schoolroom would suddenly vanish and the desks withtheir litter of dictionaries and grammars and the young headsgilded by the lamp-light melt into thin air.

Suddenly a paper pellet, shot from the far end of the hall, struckhim on the cheek. He turned pale and cried in a voice shakingwith anger:

"Monsieur de Grizolles, leave the room!"There was some whispering and stifled⁴ laughter, then peace wasrestored. The scratching of pens began again, and exercises werepassed surreptitiously from hand to hand for cribbing purposes.

He was an usher⁵.

His father had come to this decision by the advice of MonsieurMarguerite, the _vicaire_ of his parish and a friend of the AbbéBordier. The bookbinder, having a high respect for knowledge,entertained a correspondingly high idea of the status of all itsministers. Assistant master struck him as an imposing⁶ title, andhe was delighted to have his son connected with an aristocraticand religious foundation.

"Your son," the Abbé Marguerite told him, "will read for hisMaster's degree in the intervals⁷ of his duties, and the titleof Licencié-ès-Lettres will open the door to the higher walksof teaching. We have known assistants rise to high positionsin the University and even occupy Monsieur de Fontanes' chair."These considerations had clenched⁸ the bookbinder's resolution,and this was now the third day of Jean's ushership.

1 reigned   

vi.当政，统治（reign的过去式形式）

参考例句：

• Silence reigned in the hall. 全场肃静。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Night was deep and dead silence reigned everywhere. 夜深人静，一片死寂。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

2 tangled   

adj. 纠缠的，紊乱的 动词tangle的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• Your hair's so tangled that I can't comb it. 你的头发太乱了，我梳不动。
• A movement caught his eye in the tangled undergrowth. 乱灌木丛里的晃动引起了他的注意。

3 utterly   

adv.完全地，绝对地

参考例句：

• Utterly devoted to the people,he gave his life in saving his patients.他忠于人民，把毕生精力用于挽救患者的生命。
• I was utterly ravished by the way she smiled.她的微笑使我完全陶醉了。

4 stifled   

（使）窒息， （使）窒闷( stifle的过去式和过去分词 )； 镇压，遏制； 堵

参考例句：

• The gas stifled them. 煤气使他们窒息。
• The rebellion was stifled. 叛乱被镇压了。

5 usher   

n.带位员，招待员；vt.引导，护送；vi.做招待，担任引座员

参考例句：

• The usher seated us in the front row.引座员让我们在前排就座。
• They were quickly ushered away.他们被迅速领开。

6 imposing   

adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的

参考例句：

• The fortress is an imposing building.这座城堡是一座宏伟的建筑。
• He has lost his imposing appearance.他已失去堂堂仪表。

7 intervals   

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

参考例句：

• The forecast said there would be sunny intervals and showers. 预报间晴，有阵雨。
• Meetings take place at fortnightly intervals. 每两周开一次会。

8 clenched   

v.紧握，抓紧，咬紧( clench的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He clenched his fists in anger. 他愤怒地攥紧了拳头。
• She clenched her hands in her lap to hide their trembling. 她攥紧双手放在腿上，以掩饰其颤抖。 来自《简明英汉词典》