"Now run away, Mignon. to the garden; you have madam's permission to gather fruit.
"Now, Monsieur Rupert, we will take our lesson in fencing."
The above speech was in the French language, and the speaker was a tall, slightly-built man of about fifty years of age. The scene was a long low room, in a mansion3 situated4 some two miles from Derby. The month was January, 1702, and King William the Third sat upon the throne. In the room, in addition to the dancing master, were the lad he was teaching, an active, healthy-looking boy between fifteen and sixteen; his partner, a bright-faced French girl of some twelve years of age; and an old man, nearer eighty than seventy, but still erect5 and active, who sat in a large armchair, looking on.
By the alacrity6 with which the lad went to an armoire and took out the foils, and steel caps with visors which served as fencing masks, it was clear that he preferred the fencing lesson to the dancing. He threw off his coat, buttoned a padded guard across his chest, and handing a foil to his instructor7, took his place before him.
"Now let us practise that thrust in tierce after the feint and disengage. You were not quite so close as you might have been, yesterday. Ha! ha! that is better. I think that monsieur your grandfather has been giving you a lesson, and poaching on my manor8. Is it not so?"
"Yes," said the old man, "I gave him ten minutes yesterday evening; but I must give it up. My sword begins to fail me, and your pupil gets more skillful, and stronger in the wrist, every day. In the days when I was at Saint Germains with the king, when the cropheads lorded it here, I could hold my own with the best of your young blades. But even allowing fully9 for the stiffness of age, I think I can still gauge10 the strength of an opponent, and I think the boy promises to be of premiere force."
"It is as you say, monsieur le colonel. My pupil is born to be a fencer; he learns it with all his heart; he has had two good teachers for three years; he has worked with all his energy at it; and he has one of those supple11 strong wrists that seem made for the sword. He presses me hard.
"Now, Monsieur Rupert, open play, and do your best."
Then began a struggle which would have done credit to any fencing school in Europe. Rupert Holliday was as active as a cat, and was ever on the move, constantly shifting his ground, advancing and retreating with astonishing lightness and activity. At first he was too eager, and his instructor touched him twice over his guard. Then, rendered cautious, he fought more carefully, although with no less quickness than before; and for some minutes there was no advantage on either side, the master's longer reach and calm steady play baffling every effort of his assailant.
At last, with a quick turn of the wrist, he sent Rupert's foil flying across the room. Rupert gave an exclamation12 of disgust, followed by a merry laugh.
"You always have me so, Monsieur Dessin. Do what I will, sooner or later comes that twist, which I cannot stop."
"You must learn how, sir. Your sword is so; as you lunge I guard, and run my foil along yours, so as to get power near my hilt. Now if I press, your sword must go; but you must not let me press; you must disengage quickly. Thus, you see?
"Now let us try again. We will practise nothing else today--or tomorrow--or till you are perfect. It is your one weak point. Then you must practise to disarm13 your opponent, till you are perfect in that also. Then, as far as I can teach you, you will be a master of fencing. You know all my coups14, and all those of monsieur le colonel. These face guards, too, have worked wonders, in enabling you to play with quickness and freedom. We are both fine blades.
"I tell you, young sir, you need not put up with an insult in any public place in Europe. I tell you so, who ought to know."
In the year 1702 fencing was far from having attained15 that perfection which it reached later. Masks had not yet been invented, and in consequence play was necessarily stiff and slow, as the danger of the loss of sight, or even of death, from a chance thrust was very great. When Rupert first began his lessons, he was so rash and hasty that his grandfather greatly feared an accident, and it struck him that by having visors affixed17 to a couple of light steel caps, not only would all possibility of an accident be obviated18 upon the part of either himself or his pupil, but the latter would attain16 a freedom and confidence of style which could otherwise be only gained from a long practice in actual war. The result had more than equalled his expectations; and Monsieur Dessin had, when he assumed the post of instructor, been delighted with the invention, and astonished at the freedom and boldness of the lad's play. It was, then, thanks to these masks, as well as to his teachers' skill and his own aptitude19, that Rupert had obtained a certainty, a rapidity, and a freedom of style absolutely impossible in the case of a person, whatever his age, who had been accustomed to fence with the face unguarded, and with the caution and stiffness necessary to prevent the occurrence of terrible accident.
For another half hour the lesson went on. Then, just as the final salute20 was given, the door opened at the end of the room, and a lady entered, in the stiff dress with large hoops21 then in fashion. Colonel Holliday advanced with a courtly air, and offered her his hand. The French gentleman, with an air to the full as courtly as that of the colonel, brought forward a chair for her; and when she had seated herself, Rupert advanced to kiss her hand.
"No, Rupert, you are too hot. There, leave us; I wish to speak to Colonel Holliday and monsieur."
With a deep bow, and a manner far more respectful and distant than that which nowadays would be shown to a stranger who was worthy22 of all honour, Rupert Holliday left his mother's presence.
"I know what she wants," Rupert muttered to himself. "To stop my fencing lessons; just as if a gentleman could fence too well. She wants me to be a stiff, cold, finnikin fop, like that conceited23 young Brownlow, of the Haugh.
"Not if I know it, madame ma mere24. You will never make a courtier of me, any more than you will a whig. The colonel fought at Naseby, and was with the king in France. Papa was a tory, and so am I."
And the lad whistled a Jacobite air as he made his way with a rapid step to the stables.
The terms Whig and Tory in the reign25 of King William had very little in common with the meaning which now attaches to these words. The principal difference between the two was in their views as to the succession to the throne. The Princess Anne would succeed King William, and the whigs desired to see George, Elector of Hanover, ascend26 the throne when it again became vacant; the tories looked to the return of the Stuarts. The princess's sympathies were with the tories, for she, as a daughter of James the Second, would naturally have preferred that the throne should revert27 to her brother, than that it should pass to a German prince, a stranger to her, a foreigner, and ignorant even of the language of the people. Roughly it may be said that the tories were the descendants of the cavaliers, while the whigs inherited the principles of the parliamentarians. Party feeling ran very high throughout the country; and as in the civil war, the towns were for the most part whig in their predilection28, the country was tory.
Rupert Holliday had grown up in a divided house. The fortunes of Colonel Holliday were greatly impaired29 in the civil war. His estates were forfeited30; and at the restoration he received his ancestral home, Windthorpe Chace, and a small portion of the surrounding domain31, but had never been able to recover the outlying properties from the men who had acquired them in his absence. He had married in France, the daughter of an exile like himself; but before the "king came to his own" his wife had died, and he returned with one son, Herbert.
Herbert had, when he arrived at manhood, restored the fortunes of the Chace by marrying Mistress Dorothy Maynard, the daughter and heiress of a wealthy brewer33 of Derby, who had taken the side of parliament, and had thriven greatly at the expense of the royalist gentry34 of the neighbourhood. After the restoration he, like many other roundheads who had grown rich by the acquisition of forfeited estates, felt very doubtful whether he should be allowed to retain possession, and was glad enough to secure his daughter's fortune by marrying her to the heir of a prominent royalist. Colonel Holliday had at first objected strongly to the match, but the probable advantage to the fortune of his house at last prevailed over his political bias35. The fortune which Mistress Dorothy brought into the family was eventually much smaller than had been expected, for several of the owners of estates of which the roundhead brewer had become possessed36, made good their claims to them.
Still Herbert Holliday was a rich man at his father-in-law's death, which happened three years after the marriage. With a portion of his wife's dowry most of the outlying properties which had belonged to the Chace were purchased back from their holders37; but Herbert Holliday, who was a weak man, cared nothing for a country life, but resided in London with his wife. There he lived for another six years, and was then killed in a duel38 over a dispute at cards, having in that time managed to run through every penny that his wife had brought him, save that invested in the lands of the Chace.
Dorothy Holliday then, at the Colonel's earnest invitation, returned to the Chace with her son Rupert, then five years old. There she ruled as mistress, for her disposition39 was a masterful one, and she was a notable housekeeper40. The colonel gladly resigned the reins41 of government into her hands. The house and surrounding land were his; the estate whose rental42 enabled the household to be maintained as befitted that of a county family, was hers; and both would in time, unless indeed Dorothy Holliday should marry again, go to Rupert. Should she marry again--and at the time of her husband's death she wanted two or three years of thirty--she might divide the estate between Rupert and any other children she might have, she having purchased the estate with her dowry, and having right of appointment between her children as she chose. Colonel Holliday was quite content to leave to his daughter-in-law the management of the Chace, while he assumed that of his grandson, on whom he doted. The boy, young as he then was, gave every promise of a fine and courageous43 disposition, and the old cavalier promised himself that he would train him to be a soldier and a gentleman.
When the lad was eight years old, the old vicar of the little church at the village at the gates of the Chace died, and the living being in the colonel's gift as master of the Chace, he appointed a young man, freshly ordained45, from Oxford46, who was forthwith installed as tutor to Rupert.
Three years later, Colonel Holliday heard that a French emigre had settled in Derby, and gave lessons in his own language and in fencing. Rupert had already made some advance in these studies, for Colonel Holliday, from his long residence in France, spoke47 the language like a native; and now, after Mistress Dorothy's objection having been overcome by the assurance that French and fencing were necessary parts of a gentleman's education if he were ever to make his way at court, Monsieur Dessin was installed as tutor in these branches, coming out three times a week for the afternoon to the Chace.
A few months before our story begins, dancing had been added to the subjects taught. This was a branch of education which Monsieur Dessin did not impart to the inhabitants of Derby, where indeed he had but few pupils, the principal portion of his scanty48 income being derived49 from his payments from the Chace. He had, however, acceded50 willingly enough to Mistress Dorothy's request, his consent perhaps being partly due to the proposition that, as it would be necessary that the boy should have a partner, a pony51 with a groom52 should be sent over twice a week to Derby to fetch his little daughter Adele out to the Chace, where, when the lesson was over, she could amuse herself in the grounds until her father was free to accompany her home.
In those days dancing was an art to be acquired only with long study. It was a necessity that a gentleman should dance, and dance well, and the stately minuet required accuracy, grace, and dignity. Dancing in those days was an art; it has fallen grievously from that high estate.
Between Monsieur Dessin and the old cavalier a cordial friendship reigned53. The former had never spoken of his past history, but the colonel never doubted that, like so many refugees who sought our shore from France from the date of the revocation54 of the edict of Nantes to the close of the great revolution, he was of noble blood, an exile from his country on account of his religion or political opinions; and the colonel tried in every way to repay to him the hospitality and kindness which he himself had received during his long exile in France. Very often, when lessons were over, the two would stroll in the garden, talking over Paris and its court; and it was only the thought of his little daughter, alone in his dull lodgings55 in Derby, that prevented Monsieur Dessin from accepting the warm invitation to the evening meal which the colonel often pressed upon him. During the daytime he could leave her, for Adele went to the first ladies' school in the town, where she received an education in return for her talking French to the younger pupils. It was on her half holidays that she came over to dance with Rupert Holliday.
Mistress Dorothy did not approve of her son's devotion to fencing, although she had no objection to his acquiring the courtly accomplishments56 of dancing and the French language; but her opposition57 was useless. Colonel Holliday reminded her of the terms of their agreement, that she was to be mistress of the Chace, and that he was to superintend Rupert's education. Upon the present occasion, when the lad had left the room, she again protested against what she termed a waste of time.
"It is no waste of time, madam," the old cavalier said, more firmly than he was accustomed to speak to his daughter-in-law. "Rupert will never grow up a man thrusting himself into quarrels; and believe me, the reputation of being the best swordsman at the court will keep him out of them. In Monsieur Dessin and myself I may say that he has had two great teachers. In my young days there was no finer blade at the Court of France than I was; and Monsieur Dessin is, in the new style, what I was in the old. The lad may be a soldier--"
"He shall never be a soldier," Madam Dorothy broke out.
"That, madam," the colonel said courteously58, "will be for the lad himself and for circumstances to decide. When I was his age there was nothing less likely than that I should be a soldier; but you see it came about."
"Believe me, Madam," Monsieur Dessin said deferentially59, "it is good that your son should be a master of fence. Not only may he at court be forced into quarrels, in which it will be necessary for him to defend his honour, but in all ways it benefits him. Look at his figure; nature has given him health and strength, but fencing has given him that light, active carriage, the arm of steel, and a bearing which at his age is remarkable60. Fencing, too, gives a quickness, a readiness, and promptness of action which in itself is an admirable training. Monsieur le colonel has been good enough to praise my fencing, and I may say that the praise is deserved. There are few men in France who would willingly have crossed swords with me," and now he spoke with a hauteur61 characteristic of a French noble rather than a fencing master.
Madam Holliday was silent; but just as she was about to speak again, a sound of horses' hoofs62 were heard outside. The silence continued until a domestic entered, and said that Sir William Brownlow and his son awaited madam's pleasure in the drawing room.
A dark cloud passed over the old colonel's face as Mistress Dorothy rose and, with a sweeping63 courtesy, left the room.
"Let us go into the garden, monsieur," he said abruptly64, "and see how your daughter is getting on."
Adele was talking eagerly with Rupert, at a short distance from whom stood a lad some two years his senior, dressed in an attire65 that showed he was of inferior rank. Hugh Parsons was in fact the son of the tenant66 of the home farm of the Chace, and had since Rupert's childhood been his playmate, companion, and protector.
"Monsieur mon pere," Adele said, dancing up to her father, and pausing for a moment to courtesy deeply to him and Colonel Holliday, "Monsieur Rupert is going out with his hawks68 after a heron that Hugh has seen in the pool a mile from here. He has offered to take me on his pony, if you will give permission for me to go."
"Certainly, you may go, Adele. Monsieur Rupert will be careful of you, I am sure."
"Yes, indeed," Rupert said. "I will be very careful.
"Hugh, see my pony saddled, and get the hawks. I will run in for a cloth to lay over the saddle."
In five minutes the pony was brought round, a cloth was laid over the saddle, and Rupert aided Adele to mount, with as much deference69 as if he had been assisting a princess. Then he took the reins and walked by the pony's head, while Hugh followed, with two hooded70 hawks upon his arm.
"They are a pretty pair," Colonel Holliday said, looking after them.
"Yes," Monsieur Dessin replied, but so shortly that the colonel looked at him with surprise.
He was looking after his daughter and Rupert with a grave, thoughtful face, and had evidently answered his own thought rather than the old cavalier's remark.
"Yes," he repeated, rousing himself with an effort, "they are a pretty pair indeed."
At a walking pace, Rupert Holliday, very proud of his charge, led the pony in the direction of the pool in which the heron had an hour before been seen by Hugh, the boy and girl chattering71 in French as they went. When they neared the spot they stopped, and Adele alighted. Then Rupert took the hawks, while Hugh went forward alone to the edge of the pool. Just as he reached it a heron soared up with a hoarse72 cry.
Rupert slipped the hoods73 off the hawks, and threw them into the air. They circled for an instant, and then, as they saw their quarry74 rising, darting75 off with the velocity76 of arrows. The heron instantly perceived his danger, and soared straight upwards77. The hawks pursued him, sailing round in circles higher and higher. So they mounted until they were mere specks78 in the sky.
At last the hawks got above the heron, and instantly prepared to pounce79 upon him. Seeing his danger, the heron turned on his back, and, with feet and beak80 pointed44 upwards to protect himself, fell almost like a stone towards the earth; but more quickly still the hawks darted81 down upon him. One the heron with a quick movement literally82 impaled83 upon his sharp bill; but the other planted his talons84 in his breast, and, rending85 and tearing at his neck, the three birds fell together, with a crash, to the earth.
The flight had been so directly upwards that they fell but a short distance from the pool, and the lads and Adele were quickly upon the spot. The heron was killed by the fall; and to Rupert's grief; one of his hawks was also dead, pierced through and through by the heron's beak. The other bird was with difficulty removed from the quarry, and the hood32 replaced.
Rupert, after giving the heron's plumes86 to Adele for her hat, led her back to the pony, Hugh following with the hawk67 on his wrist, and carrying the two dead birds.
"I am so sorry your hawk is killed," Adele said.
"Yes," Rupert answered, "it is a pity. It was a fine, bold bird, and gave us lots of trouble to train; but he was always rash, and I told him over and over again what would happen if he was not more careful."
"Have you any more?" Adele asked.
"No more falcons87 like this. I have gerfalcons, for pigeons and partridges, but none for herons. But I dare say Hugh will be able to get me two more young birds before long, and it is a pleasure to train them."
Colonel Holliday and Monsieur Dessin met them as they returned to the house.
"What, Rupert! Had bad luck?" his grandfather said.
"Yes, sir. Cavalier was too rash, and the quarry killed him."
"Hum!" said the old man; "just the old story. The falcon88 was well named, Rupert. It was just our rashness that lost us all our battles.
"What, Monsieur Dessin, you must be off? Will you let me have a horse saddled for yourself; and the pony for mademoiselle? The groom can bring them back."
Monsieur Dessin declined the offer; and a few minutes later started to walk back with his daughter to Derby.
点击收听单词发音
1 reverence | |
n.敬畏,尊敬,尊严;Reverence:对某些基督教神职人员的尊称;v.尊敬,敬畏,崇敬 | |
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2 graceful | |
adj.优美的,优雅的;得体的 | |
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3 mansion | |
n.大厦,大楼;宅第 | |
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4 situated | |
adj.坐落在...的,处于某种境地的 | |
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5 erect | |
n./v.树立,建立,使竖立;adj.直立的,垂直的 | |
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6 alacrity | |
n.敏捷,轻快,乐意 | |
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7 instructor | |
n.指导者,教员,教练 | |
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8 manor | |
n.庄园,领地 | |
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9 fully | |
adv.完全地,全部地,彻底地;充分地 | |
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10 gauge | |
v.精确计量;估计;n.标准度量;计量器 | |
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11 supple | |
adj.柔软的,易弯的,逢迎的,顺从的,灵活的;vt.使柔软,使柔顺,使顺从;vi.变柔软,变柔顺 | |
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12 exclamation | |
n.感叹号,惊呼,惊叹词 | |
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13 disarm | |
v.解除武装,回复平常的编制,缓和 | |
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14 coups | |
n.意外而成功的行动( coup的名词复数 );政变;努力办到难办的事 | |
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15 attained | |
(通常经过努力)实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 ); 达到; 获得; 达到(某年龄、水平、状况) | |
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16 attain | |
vt.达到,获得,完成 | |
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17 affixed | |
adj.[医]附着的,附着的v.附加( affix的过去式和过去分词 );粘贴;加以;盖(印章) | |
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18 obviated | |
v.避免,消除(贫困、不方便等)( obviate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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19 aptitude | |
n.(学习方面的)才能,资质,天资 | |
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20 salute | |
vi.行礼,致意,问候,放礼炮;vt.向…致意,迎接,赞扬;n.招呼,敬礼,礼炮 | |
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21 hoops | |
n.箍( hoop的名词复数 );(篮球)篮圈;(旧时儿童玩的)大环子;(两端埋在地里的)小铁弓 | |
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22 worthy | |
adj.(of)值得的,配得上的;有价值的 | |
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23 conceited | |
adj.自负的,骄傲自满的 | |
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24 mere | |
adj.纯粹的;仅仅,只不过 | |
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25 reign | |
n.统治时期,统治,支配,盛行;v.占优势 | |
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26 ascend | |
vi.渐渐上升,升高;vt.攀登,登上 | |
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27 revert | |
v.恢复,复归,回到 | |
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28 predilection | |
n.偏好 | |
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29 impaired | |
adj.受损的;出毛病的;有(身体或智力)缺陷的v.损害,削弱( impair的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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30 forfeited | |
(因违反协议、犯规、受罚等)丧失,失去( forfeit的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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31 domain | |
n.(活动等)领域,范围;领地,势力范围 | |
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32 hood | |
n.头巾,兜帽,覆盖;v.罩上,以头巾覆盖 | |
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33 brewer | |
n. 啤酒制造者 | |
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34 gentry | |
n.绅士阶级,上层阶级 | |
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35 bias | |
n.偏见,偏心,偏袒;vt.使有偏见 | |
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36 possessed | |
adj.疯狂的;拥有的,占有的 | |
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37 holders | |
支持物( holder的名词复数 ); 持有者; (支票等)持有人; 支托(或握持)…之物 | |
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38 duel | |
n./v.决斗;(双方的)斗争 | |
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39 disposition | |
n.性情,性格;意向,倾向;排列,部署 | |
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40 housekeeper | |
n.管理家务的主妇,女管家 | |
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41 reins | |
感情,激情; 缰( rein的名词复数 ); 控制手段; 掌管; (成人带着幼儿走路以防其走失时用的)保护带 | |
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42 rental | |
n.租赁,出租,出租业 | |
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43 courageous | |
adj.勇敢的,有胆量的 | |
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44 pointed | |
adj.尖的,直截了当的 | |
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45 ordained | |
v.任命(某人)为牧师( ordain的过去式和过去分词 );授予(某人)圣职;(上帝、法律等)命令;判定 | |
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46 Oxford | |
n.牛津(英国城市) | |
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47 spoke | |
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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48 scanty | |
adj.缺乏的,仅有的,节省的,狭小的,不够的 | |
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49 derived | |
vi.起源;由来;衍生;导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 );(从…中)得到获得;源于;(从…中)提取 | |
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50 acceded | |
v.(正式)加入( accede的过去式和过去分词 );答应;(通过财产的添附而)增加;开始任职 | |
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51 pony | |
adj.小型的;n.小马 | |
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52 groom | |
vt.给(马、狗等)梳毛,照料,使...整洁 | |
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53 reigned | |
vi.当政,统治(reign的过去式形式) | |
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54 revocation | |
n.废止,撤回 | |
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55 lodgings | |
n. 出租的房舍, 寄宿舍 | |
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56 accomplishments | |
n.造诣;完成( accomplishment的名词复数 );技能;成绩;成就 | |
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57 opposition | |
n.反对,敌对 | |
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58 courteously | |
adv.有礼貌地,亲切地 | |
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59 deferentially | |
adv.表示敬意地,谦恭地 | |
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60 remarkable | |
adj.显著的,异常的,非凡的,值得注意的 | |
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61 hauteur | |
n.傲慢 | |
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62 hoofs | |
n.(兽的)蹄,马蹄( hoof的名词复数 )v.(兽的)蹄,马蹄( hoof的第三人称单数 ) | |
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63 sweeping | |
adj.范围广大的,一扫无遗的 | |
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64 abruptly | |
adv.突然地,出其不意地 | |
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65 attire | |
v.穿衣,装扮[同]array;n.衣着;盛装 | |
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66 tenant | |
n.承租人;房客;佃户;v.租借,租用 | |
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67 hawk | |
n.鹰,骗子;鹰派成员 | |
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68 hawks | |
鹰( hawk的名词复数 ); 鹰派人物,主战派人物 | |
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69 deference | |
n.尊重,顺从;敬意 | |
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70 hooded | |
adj.戴头巾的;有罩盖的;颈部因肋骨运动而膨胀的 | |
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71 chattering | |
n. (机器振动发出的)咔嗒声,(鸟等)鸣,啁啾 adj. 喋喋不休的,啾啾声的 动词chatter的现在分词形式 | |
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72 hoarse | |
adj.嘶哑的,沙哑的 | |
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73 hoods | |
n.兜帽( hood的名词复数 );头巾;(汽车、童车等的)折合式车篷;汽车发动机罩v.兜帽( hood的第三人称单数 );头巾;(汽车、童车等的)折合式车篷;汽车发动机罩 | |
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74 quarry | |
n.采石场;v.采石;费力地找 | |
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75 darting | |
v.投掷,投射( dart的现在分词 );向前冲,飞奔 | |
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76 velocity | |
n.速度,速率 | |
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77 upwards | |
adv.向上,在更高处...以上 | |
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78 specks | |
n.眼镜;斑点,微粒,污点( speck的名词复数 ) | |
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79 pounce | |
n.猛扑;v.猛扑,突然袭击,欣然同意 | |
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80 beak | |
n.鸟嘴,茶壶嘴,钩形鼻 | |
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81 darted | |
v.投掷,投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 );向前冲,飞奔 | |
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82 literally | |
adv.照字面意义,逐字地;确实 | |
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83 impaled | |
钉在尖桩上( impale的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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84 talons | |
n.(尤指猛禽的)爪( talon的名词复数 );(如爪般的)手指;爪状物;锁簧尖状突出部 | |
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85 rending | |
v.撕碎( rend的现在分词 );分裂;(因愤怒、痛苦等而)揪扯(衣服或头发等);(声音等)刺破 | |
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86 plumes | |
羽毛( plume的名词复数 ); 羽毛饰; 羽毛状物; 升上空中的羽状物 | |
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87 falcons | |
n.猎鹰( falcon的名词复数 ) | |
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88 falcon | |
n.隼,猎鹰 | |
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