chapter one

 Such were the stranes that smote¹ the air as Mr. Harold Withersquash drew near to the humbel home of his Selia. She was just a low born girl but none could beat her at playing the piano.

 

Mr. Withersquash mutered: “She will do,” and wrapt the door with a clatter².

 

Now Selia’s ma had shortly done her days wash, being Tuesday, and she came and opened the door in a forbidable stile, not being in the best of moods.

 

2“What is it now?” snapt she at our hero, and sniffled in her nose, for she was a rum lady and corshus as well as cross.

 

“Ah, good-morning, good-morning,” lisped Mr. Withersquash in rather a sloppy³ mode for to make no mystery she had cut the land from his feet by her plane ways.

 

“Selia!” the good woman borled, “Come on out and never mind your hair-curlers, it’s only young Withersquash again.” She knew no better than to be so plane, not having edducation.

 

“Dezist moddam,” cried Mr. Withersquash, “and list. My unckle Burt is dead!”

 

“Him dead, well I never!” the chaste⁴ ample matron replied with a kindly⁵ twist at her handsom broch of platted hares, “What ever next!”

 

But now the delicious Selia pushed past her ma’s elbow, she was a fair rose of Briton, rather false hair like we see advertised, her 3somewhat perfect nose would scarse be noticed to have been turned up, owing to sleeping on her stomache, and she wore a nice dress of white embrery, a good few broches and some yellow stockings.

 

“Your unckle dead?” she asked.

 

Mr. Withersquash grappling her hand in fierce welcome of joy, replied: “Yes, and he has left me a good bit.”

 

“Ah, Harold!” cried our young heroine pushing more forward, “are you in truth rich?”

 

“Well, not so bad,” our little gentleman replied. “I am quite well to do.”

 

Selia’s ma now stept off to think this news over.

 

“Go on!” uttered Selia in amaze.

 

“True as I stand here,” ansered Mr. Withersquash making himself very important.

 

“Well, what of it?” said she, for if Selia had a motto it was no nonsense.

 

4 “Well,” he said, “I thought as you and me are a bit third class why not lets go to some places and get into socierty and have a run for our money,” and he slapt his manly⁶ bosom⁷, although that was only his way, for he was but a paltry⁸ figure as see in the illustrations, and emploid at the 6?d. bazaar⁹, nuff said.

 

“When shall we start?” said Selia, after she had pondered speedily, for she was one to loose no time.

 

“Ah, you will dane to come, will you?” cried the joyous¹⁰ Mr. Withersquash, and he added: “We might perhaps get wed¹¹ later on, eh?” with a meaning wink¹².

 

“Ma, ma!” cried Selia tripping within. “Mr. Withersquash and me are going off to get into socierty, pray pack my attire,” for Selia was always nice in her speech when folks were about.

 

While her Ma packed a bag, the young pair chatered together while Selia wrote a few 5notes to the boys by way of regret, for she was a popular girl, and Mr. Withersq stuck the stamps on.

 

It was a largish bag in which her Ma packed her garments, which had been good in its time, and she put in a nightdress very litel soiled as the washing was not yet aired not to say ironed, still it had some ribbons in. Also she slipped in a nice toothbrush with green jelly handle, some smelling sope with flannel¹³ for the neck, and an amusing book to read in bed, entittled Peep of Day as even she knew that it is very smart to read a bit in bed.

 

“Fare well, my child,” she uttered with a tear or two yet smiling at the offspring of her lions. “And maybe you’ll have changed your name when we meet again. There’s as good fish in the sea, you know what I mean,” adding a sidefaced skowl at Mr. Withersq who truth to say she didnt set much store by, nor Selia neither at that time. But the ma thought if 6her girl could only get out into socierty all would be well.

 

Off they went with a wave of the hand to the adventers in our next.

 

1 smote   

v.猛打，重击，打击( smite的过去式 )

参考例句：

• Figuratively, he could not kiss the hand that smote him. 打个比方说，他是不能认敌为友。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• \"Whom Pearl smote down and uprooted, most unmercifully.\" 珠儿会毫不留情地将这些\"儿童\"踩倒，再连根拔起。 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 文学

2 clatter   

v./n.(使)发出连续而清脆的撞击声

参考例句：

• The dishes and bowls slid together with a clatter.碟子碗碰得丁丁当当的。
• Don't clatter your knives and forks.别把刀叉碰得咔哒响。

3 sloppy   

adj.邋遢的，不整洁的

参考例句：

• If you do such sloppy work again,I promise I'll fail you.要是下次作业你再马马虎虎，我话说在头里，可要给你打不及格了。
• Mother constantly picked at him for being sloppy.母亲不断地批评他懒散。

4 chaste   

adj.贞洁的；有道德的；善良的；简朴的

参考例句：

• Comparatively speaking,I like chaste poetry better.相比较而言，我更喜欢朴实无华的诗。
• Tess was a chaste young girl.苔丝是一个善良的少女。

5 kindly   

adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地

参考例句：

• Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。
• A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。

6 manly   

adj.有男子气概的；adv.男子般地，果断地

参考例句：

• The boy walked with a confident manly stride.这男孩以自信的男人步伐行走。
• He set himself manly tasks and expected others to follow his example.他给自己定下了男子汉的任务，并希望别人效之。

7 bosom   

n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的

参考例句：

• She drew a little book from her bosom.她从怀里取出一本小册子。
• A dark jealousy stirred in his bosom.他内心生出一阵恶毒的嫉妒。

8 paltry   

adj.无价值的，微不足道的

参考例句：

• The parents had little interest in paltry domestic concerns.那些家长对家里鸡毛蒜皮的小事没什么兴趣。
• I'm getting angry;and if you don't command that paltry spirit of yours.我要生气了，如果你不能振作你那点元气。

9 bazaar   

n.集市，商店集中区

参考例句：

• Chickens,goats and rabbits were offered for barter at the bazaar.在集市上，鸡、山羊和兔子被摆出来作物物交换之用。
• We bargained for a beautiful rug in the bazaar.我们在集市通过讨价还价买到了一条很漂亮的地毯。

10 joyous   

adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的

参考例句：

• The lively dance heightened the joyous atmosphere of the scene.轻快的舞蹈给这场戏渲染了欢乐气氛。
• They conveyed the joyous news to us soon.他们把这一佳音很快地传递给我们。

11 wed   

v.娶，嫁，与…结婚

参考例句：

• The couple eventually wed after three year engagement.这对夫妇在订婚三年后终于结婚了。
• The prince was very determined to wed one of the king's daughters.王子下定决心要娶国王的其中一位女儿。

12 wink   

n.眨眼，使眼色，瞬间；v.眨眼，使眼色，闪烁

参考例句：

• He tipped me the wink not to buy at that price.他眨眼暗示我按那个价格就不要买。
• The satellite disappeared in a wink.瞬息之间，那颗卫星就消失了。

13 flannel   

n.法兰绒；法兰绒衣服

参考例句：

• She always wears a grey flannel trousers.她总是穿一条灰色法兰绒长裤。
• She was looking luscious in a flannel shirt.她穿着法兰绒裙子，看上去楚楚动人。