O
NE morning, Mr. Julius Weems sat in his studio, dressed in velvet2 working jacket and slouching hat. With palette on thumb, brush in hand, and pipe in mouth, Mr. Weems was endeavoring to give a sufficiently3 aged4 appearance to a “Saul and Witch of Endor,” by Salvator Rosa.
“Hang it,” said Mr. Weems to himself, as he placed a dab5 of burnt umber on the withered6 cheek of the hag, “everything seems to go wrong! It was bad enough to have old Cowdrick dupe me in the way he did; but right on top of that, to hear from Crook7 and Gudgem that the Rubens business is being overdone8, and that they have had eight St. Ethelbertas offered to them during the week, is a little too much. If the entire profession of artists is going to turn to painting old masters, I will have to come down to modern art and poor prices. It’s165 the worst luck! There is no chance at all for a man to earn an honest living!”
Mr. Weems’s soliloquy was interrupted by a light knocking upon his door. Hastily throwing a cloth over the picture upon his easel, and turning two Titians and a Raphael with their faces to the wall, Mr. Weems opened the door and admitted the visitor.
“Good morning!” said the intruder. “Don’t know me, I suppose?”
“No.” responded Mr. Weems.
“My name is Gunn; Benjamin P. Gunn.”
“Yes, I was; but I have given that up now. The business was overdone. I grew tired of it!”
“You don’t know anything, then, about Mr. Cowdrick’s case? I mean whether he had much on his life or not?”
“Oh! well, I have heard that he was insured for fifty thousand or so; I don’t remember the exact amount. But it makes no difference.”
“Will the widow be likely to get it if he is dead?”
“In my opinion she will have a mighty10 slim chance of collecting anything, even if she can prove that he is actually deceased. From what I know of the President of the Widows’ and Orphans’ Mutual11 Life Insurance Company, I believe he will166 fight the claim through all the courts. That is his rule. Nearly all the companies do it.”
“What! even if it is a clear case for the policy-holder?”
“Of course! That is the regular thing. They’ll worry a widow so that she will be glad to compromise on half the claim, and by the time she has paid her lawyers most of that is gone.”
“That seems hard!”
“Yes; that is one of the reasons why I quit. Take the case of Lemuel A. Gerlach, for example. You remember it?”
“No.”
“Well, sir, I did my best to persuade that man to insure. He didn’t want to; but I harried12 him into it. I waited on him at his office; I disturbed him at his meals; I lay in wait for him when he came home from the club; I followed him to the sea-shore in summer; when he went yachting I pursued him with a steam-tug; when he was sick I got the apothecary13 to enclose our circulars with his medicine; I sat next to him in church for four consecutive14 Sundays, and slipped mortality tables into his prayer-book; I rode with him in the same carriage when he went to funerals, and lectured him all the way out to the cemetery15 upon the uncertainty16 of human life. Finally, he succumbed17. I knew he would. It was only a question of time. I took him down to the office; the company’s surgeon167 examined him, and said he was the healthiest man he ever saw—not a flaw in him anywhere. So he paid his premium18 and got his policy. Two months later he died. When Mrs. Gerlach called to get her money, the President threatened to have her put out of the office because she denied that Gerlach’s liver was torpid19 when he took out his policy.”
“Did they pay, finally?”
“Pay! not a dollar! The widow sued to recover, and the company put the surgeon and eight miscellaneous doctors on the stand to prove that Gerlach for years had been a complete physical wreck20, with more diseases than most people ever heard of; and they undertook to show that Gerlach had devoted21 the latter part of his life to organizing a scheme for foisting22 himself upon the company for the purpose of swindling it. That was five years ago. The case is pending23 in the courts yet, and the widow has already spent twenty per cent. more than the face of the policy.”
“It was not a very profitable speculation24, certainly.”
“No, sir; it wasn’t. I’ll tell you what, Mr. Weems, if a man wants to realize on his departed relatives, that is not the way to do it. Anything is better than life insurance; even Tom Bennet’s way.”
“How was that?”
168 “Why, Tom Bennet, you know, is a friend of mine, who lives out in Arkansas. And one day, some years ago, a little cemetery in the town in which he lived was sold out by the sheriff. Tommy was looking about for a site on which to build a house for himself, and, as this one happened to suit him, he bid on it, and got it at a very low figure. When he began to dig the cellar, Tom found that the folks who were interred25 in the place had been petrified26, to a man. Every occupant turned to solid stone! So Tom, you know, being a practical kind of man, made up his mind to quarry27 out the departed, and to utilize28 them for building material.”
“Rather unkind, wasn’t it?”
“Tom didn’t appear to think so. And as the building made progress, he rubbed down Mr. Flaherty for a door-sill, and had Judge Paterson chipped off with a chisel29 into the handsomest hitching-post that you ever saw.”
“Horrible!”
“Yes. Some of the McTurk family were put into the bow-window, between the sashes, and the whole of the families of Major Magill and Mr. Dougherty were worked into the foundation. And when the roof was going on, Tom Bennet took General Hidenhooper, and bored a flue through the crown of his head downward, so as to use him for a chimney-top. The edifice30, when completed, presented a rather striking appearance.”
169 “What did the surviving relatives have to say?”
“They were indignant, of course; but as the courts decided31 that the petrifactions, without doubt, were part of the real estate, and were included in the title-deeds, they could do nothing but remonstrate32, and Tom paid no attention to that.”
“Then it is your professional opinion,” said Mr. Weems, returning to the subject uppermost in his mind, “that the Insurance Company will not pay, even if Mr. Cowdrick be found to be dead!”
Mr. Gunn smiled in a peculiar33 manner, and then, after a moment’s hesitation34, he said: “Really, you know, Mr. Weems, there is no use of discussing that contingency35. Cowdrick is not dead.”
“How do you know?”
“Why, that is the very thing I called to see you about. I am on the detective force now. Regularly employed by the police authorities. I know exactly where Cowdrick is, and I have had him under surveillance from the very first day that he left home.”
“Why haven’t you arrested him, then?”
Mr. Gunn laughed. “Oh, it was not worth while. I knew I could get him whenever I wanted him. It never pays to be in a hurry with such matters.”
“A heavy reward has been offered for him, I believe,” said Mr. Weems.
“That’s just it,” replied Mr. Gunn.
170 “I don’t understand you.”
“Why, the authorities express their anxiety to catch him, by offering to pay five hundred dollars to accomplish the feat36. Now, the question is, will Cowdrick’s friends express their wish that he shall not be caught, by going a little higher, say up to one thousand dollars?”
“But I cannot imagine why you should come to me with such a proposition. Why don’t you go to Mrs. Cowdrick?”
“I’d rather deal with a man; a man understands business so much better. And as you are interested in Cowdrick’s family, going, as it were, to be near and dear to him, it struck me that maybe you might give him a chance to go off quietly upon a trip to Europe, or somewhere, and save him from a term of years in jail. How does it strike you?”
“Very unfavorably. In the first place, I have not enough money for your purpose; and, in the second place, if I did have it, I should decline to expend37 it for the benefit of Mr. Cowdrick.”
“Then you refuse to negotiate?”
“Yes, positively38.”
“Very well,” said Mr. Detective Gunn, rising, “I merely wished to ascertain40 what your views were. Pardon me for interrupting you. No offence, I hope? Good morning.” And Mr. Gunn withdrew, while Weems closed and bolted the door.
The artist had hardly seated himself, and resumed171 the work of depicting41 the Witch of Endor, when another visitor knocked at the door. Mr. Weems arose, drew the bolt, and opened the door wide enough to permit him to look out.
“May I come in?” asked Leonie Cowdrick, with an effort at cheeriness in her voice.
“Oh, certainly. Glad to see you,” replied Mr. Weems, admitting her. But Mr. Weems did not look as if he really felt very glad.
“Pardon me for calling, Julius,” she said, “but I think I must have left my satchel42 when I was here last week. I cannot find it anywhere.”
Poor thing! Any excuse would have sufficed to account for her coming to try to discover why it was that her lover had not visited her for nearly a week.
“I do not think it is here,” said Mr. Weems; “I am sure it is not, or I should have seen it.”
“Then it is lost beyond recovery,” exclaimed Leonie, sinking into a chair, and fanning herself, while she looked very hard at the artist, who pretended to be busy with his picture.
“Haven’t heard anything from your father yet, I suppose?” said Mr. Weems, after a painful interval43 of silence.
“Nothing; absolutely nothing. Poor mother is nearly distracted. We are in great trouble. And I thought, Julius, you would have been with us more during this trial.”
172 “Well,” said Mr. Weems, “you see I have been so very busy, and I have had so many engagements, that I could not find time enough to call very frequently.”
“It looked almost like neglect,” said Leonie, sadly. “I could hardly bear it.” And she put her handkerchief to her eyes.
“Confound it!” said Mr. Weems to himself, “now there is going to be a scene.”
“Mother said she could hardly believe that you really loved me,” continued Leonie.
“She said that, did she?” asked Mr. Weems, somewhat bitterly. “Did she ask you if you really loved me?”
“No, Julius; she knows that I do. You know it, too.”
“Love,” said the artist, “means faith, trust, fair play, and candor44, among other things, I have always thought.”
“What do you mean by that, Julius?”
“Well, I don’t want to be unkind, Leonie; but do you think that a woman who truly loved a man would misrepresent her age to him; or that she would be absolutely silent respecting previous engagements that she had contracted? How do I know that you care more for me than you did for Baxter and the others?”
“Mr. Weems,” exclaimed Leonie, indignantly, “this is cruel. It is worse,—it is shameful45. You173 seem to have known all there was to know, without seeking information from me.”
“That is what made it so very painful,” replied Mr. Weems, trying to look as if his feelings had experienced a terrible wrench46. “It was dreadful to learn from outside sources what I should have heard from your own lips. When a woman pretends to give me her heart, I expect her to give me her confidence also.”
“Pretends!” exclaimed Leonie, rising. “Pretends! What do you mean, sir, by ‘pretends’! Do you dare to insinuate47 that I deliberately48 deceived you?”
“Well,” said Mr. Weems, calmly, “that is perhaps a rather violent construction of my language; but we will not quarrel over phrases.”
“I did not think,” said Leonie, tearfully but vehemently50, “that I should be insulted when I came here,—insulted in the midst of my grief. It is unmanly, sir! It is cowardly! It is infamous51!”
“I am sorry that you take that view of it. I did not intend to be discourteous52, I am sure. Pray pardon me if I was so. It is clear, however, that, after what has passed, we can hardly sustain our former relation to each other.”
“I understand you, sir,” replied Leonie, scornfully; “I fully49 realize your meaning. You intended at the outset to break our engagement. Well, sir, it is broken. I am glad to break it. I regard you174 with scorn and contempt. Hereafter we shall be as strangers to each other.”
“I submit to your decision,” returned the artist. “But—but, of course, you will return my letters?”
Leonie laughed a wild and bitter laugh, and, gathering53 up her skirts as if she feared contamination, she swept haughtily54 from the room, without speaking another word.
“That is settled, at any rate!” said Mr. Weems, as he closed the door. “That is just what I wanted. I can’t afford to marry poverty. But it is a bad business about those letters of mine! I wonder if she intends to use them against me?” And Mr. Weems, relighting his pipe, sat down in his easy-chair to make a mental review of the situation.
Mr. Weems was not permitted to remain long in doubt respecting the intentions of Miss Cowdrick. Upon the very next day he received from Messrs. Pullock and Shreek, attorneys, formal notice that Miss Leonie Cowdrick had authorized55 them to bring a suit against him for breach of promise of marriage, the claim for pecuniary56 damages being laid at thirty thousand dollars.
Mr. Weems regarded the proceeding57 with not a little alarm; but, upon consulting his lawyer, Mr. Porter, and detailing to him the conversation between the artist and Leonie at the time of the rupture58, Mr. Weems was assured that he could make an excellent defence upon the theory that the lady175 had broken the engagement; and he was strongly advised to permit the case to go to trial.
It did so right speedily; for the attorneys for the plaintiff secured for it an early place upon the list, and they manifested a disposition59 to push the defendant60 in the most unmerciful manner permitted by the law.
When the case was called for trial, Mr. Weems’s lawyer moved for a postponement61; and he pleaded, argued, fought, and begged for his motion as if the life of his client and his own happiness were staked upon a brief delay. As Mr. Weems was quite ready to proceed, he could not imagine why there should be such earnest contention62 respecting this point. But, of course, it was the regular professional thing to do. Mr. Weems’s lawyer did not really want a continuance. He merely cared to put himself right upon the record by conducting the performance in the customary manner.
Messrs. Pullock and Shreek, counsel for the plaintiff, resisted the motion vigorously. When Mr. Shreek arose to address the court, with regard to it, the unpractised spectator would have supposed that the learned counsel was amazed as well as shocked at the conduct of the defence in asking that the arm of justice should be stayed, even for a week, from visiting punishment upon the monster who was now called to answer for his offences. It seemed really to grieve Mr. Shreek, to distress63 and176 hurt him, that the counsel for the defence, a member of an honorable profession, and a man who, upon ordinary occasions, had the respect of society and the confidence of his fellow-creatures, should so far set at defiance64 all considerations of propriety65, all sense of what was due to the lovely sufferer who came here for protection and redress66, and all the demands of justice, honor, and decency67, as to try to keep the hideous68 facts of this case even for a time from the attention of an intelligent and sympathetic jury.
Mr. Shreek, as he brought his remarks to a close, was so deeply moved by the scandalous nature of the conduct of counsel for the defence, that Mr. Weems was disposed to believe that the breach between them was final and irreparable; but a moment later, when Judge Winker70 decided that the trial must proceed at once, Mr. Weems was surprised to perceive his lawyer and Mr. Shreek chatting and laughing together precisely71 as if Mr. Shreek had not regarded Mr. Porter’s behavior with mingled72 horror and disgust.
In selecting the jurymen, the manifest purpose of the lawyers upon both sides was to reject every man of ordinary intelligence, and to prefer the persons who seemed, from their appearance, least likely to possess the power of reaching a rational conclusion upon any given subject. And when the jury had been obtained, Mr. Weems, looking at177 them, thought that he had never, in all his life, seen twelve more stupid-looking men.
Leonie Cowdrick came in as the case opened, and took a seat close by Mr. Pullock. She was dressed with exquisite73 taste, and Mr. Weems was really surprised to perceive that she seemed quite pretty.
Her face was partly covered by a veil, and in her hand she carried a kerchief, with which occasionally she gently touched her eyes.
It was clear enough that Mr. Pullock had her in training for the purpose of producing effects upon the jury, for whenever during the proceedings74 anything of a pathetic nature was developed, Mr. Pullock signalled her, and at once her handkerchief went to her face.
The trial endured through two days, and much of the time was occupied by wrangles75, squabbles, and fierce recriminations between the lawyers, who, after working themselves into furious passion, and seeming ready to fall upon each other and tear each other to pieces, invariably resumed their friendly intercourse76 during the recesses77, and appeared ready to forgive and forget all the injuries of the past.
One of the jurymen was asleep during the larger portion of the sessions upon both days; two others paid no attention to the evidence, but persistently78 gaped79 about the court-room, and the remainder seemed to consider the quarrels between the counsel178 as the only matters of genuine importance in the case. During the first day Mr. Detective Gunn came in, and seeing Mr. Weems, went over to whisper in his ear that Cowdrick had been arrested, and would reach town upon the morrow.
“We had to take the reward,” said Gunn. “Not one of his friends would give any more. It’s a pity for the old man, too! I see well enough now why you wouldn’t lend a hand.” And Mr. Gunn looked toward Leonie, and laughed.
When Mr. Porter was not engaged in examining or cross-examining a witness, he addressed his attention to the task of getting upon terms of jolly good-fellowship with the members of the jury who remained awake. He sat near to the foreman, and he was continually passing jokes to that official, with the back of his hand to his mouth—jokes which the foreman manifestly relished80, for he always sent them further along in the jury-box.
This mirthfulness appeared to have a very depressing effect upon Mr. Pullock, for whenever he observed it he assumed a look of deep mournfulness, as if it distressed81 him beyond measure that any one should have an impulse to indulge in levity82 in the presence of the unutterable woe83 which had made the life of his fair but heart-broken client simply a condition of hopeless misery84. And while the reckless jurymen laughed, Mr. Pullock would shake his head sadly, seeming to feel as if Justice179 had expanded her wings and fled forever from the tribunals of man; and then he would nudge the lovely victim by his side, as a hint for her to hoist85 her handkerchief as another signal to the jury that she was in distress.
But Mr. Porter’s humor, brutal86 and unfeeling though it might be, could not be restrained. Particularly did many of the points in the evidence offered by the plaintiff impress him ludicrously; and at times, when Mr. Shreek was developing what he evidently regarded as a fact of high and solemn importance, Mr. Porter would wink69 at the foreman, and begin to writhe87 upon his chair in his efforts to restrain himself from violating the decorum of the Temple of Justice by bursting into uproarious laughter.
These rather scandalous attempts to convey to the jurymen who were awake Mr. Porter’s theory that the testimony88 for the prosecution89 was nonsense of the most absurd description, and to impress them with the belief that when Mr. Porter’s turn came, he would knock it, so to speak, higher than a kite, provoked Mr. Shreek to such an extent, that, finally, he stopped short in his examination of a witness, to snarl90 out to Mr. Porter:—
“What are you laughing at? I don’t notice anything in the testimony that is so very funny!”
“The muscles of my face are my own,” rejoined Mr. Porter, “and I will use them as I please.”
180 “But you have no right to divert the attention of the jury by your buffoonery!” replied Mr. Shreek, angrily.
“I will laugh when, and how, and at what I please,” said Mr. Porter. “I shall not accept any dictation from you. It’s not my fault if you have a ridiculous case!”
“I will show you how ridiculous it is before I get through,” answered Mr. Shreek.
“I know all about it already!” said Mr. Porter.
Then Mr. Shreek proceeded with his examination, and Mr. Porter laughed almost out loud two or three times, merely to show the jury that he regarded Mr. Shreek’s remonstrance91 with positive contempt. But it must be confessed that Mr. Porter’s mirthfulness, in this instance, seemed to lack heartiness92 and spontaneity.
But when Mr. Porter’s turn came to address the jury, his sense of humor had become completely benumbed, while that of Mr. Shreek had undergone really abnormal development; for Mr. Porter could hardly attempt to plunge93 into pathos94, or to permit his unfettered imagination to take a little flight, without Mr. Shreek’s humorous susceptibilities being aroused in such a manner that the closure of his mouth with his handkerchief alone prevented him from offending the dignity of the Court.
Mr. Porter’s appeal to the jury in behalf of his client was based upon his asseveration that this181 was the most intelligent jury that he had ever had the honor of addressing, and upon his solemn conviction that the jurymen not only represented accurately95 the most respectable portion of the community, but that, as upon this occasion the jury system itself was upon trial to prove whether it truly was the bulwark96 of liberty, that barrier against injustice97 and oppression which it was vaunted to be, so this jury were, it might be said, called upon to determine whether the system was to retain the respect and confidence of mankind or to be branded by public sentiment as a wretched failure, and to be regarded in the future by all honorable men with loathing98 and contempt.
As two of the jurymen happened to be Irishmen, and one of them was a member of the Odd Fellows’ Society, Mr. Porter did not neglect to allude99 to the circumstance that Mr. Weems’s great-grandfather was born in Ireland; and the learned counsel took occasion to speak with indignant warmth of the wrongs that have been endured by Ireland, and to express his deep sympathy with her unfortunate and suffering people.
Of the noble aims and splendid achievements of the Odd Fellows’ Society, it was hardly necessary for Mr. Porter to speak at length. He could never hope to command language of sufficient force to explain his appreciation100 of the services rendered to Society by this invaluable101 organization; but the182 fact that both he and his client had for years belonged to the sacred brotherhood102, to which they gave their energies and their devotion, was a sufficient guarantee of the strength of their affection for it.
In concluding, Mr. Porter merely desired to direct the attention of the gentlemen of the jury to the fact that if designing women were to be permitted to decoy unsuspecting men into contracts of marriage merely for the purpose of securing by artful means repudiation103 of the contract, so that the ground would be laid for a demand for money, then no man was safe, and no one could tell at what moment he might fall into a snare104 laid for him by an unprincipled adventuress. Mr. Porter then expressed his entire confidence in the intention of the jury to give a verdict for his client, and he sat down with a feeling that he had discharged his duty in an effective manner.
Mr. Shreek, in reply, observed that he should begin with the assertion that in two particulars this was one of the most remarkable105 cases that it had ever been his fortune to try. In the first place, he was unable to refer to an occasion, during more than twenty years’ experience at the bar, when he had had the honor of addressing a jury so intelligent and so worthy106 of being entrusted107 with interests of the very highest character as this one was; and never had he felt so much confidence as he now183 felt when he came before these highly-cultivated, keenly sagacious, and thoroughly108 representative gentlemen to ask for justice, simple justice, for an unhappy woman. In the second place, while it had fallen to his lot to witness more than one painful and repulsive109 scene, more than one example of the capacity of human beings for reaching the deepest depths of degradation110, in their efforts to rob Justice of her own, and to make her very name a by-word and a reproach among the wise and the good, he had never yet received so violent a shock as that which came to him to-day, when, with mortification111 and grief, he had heard a member of the bar, sworn to seek to uphold the sanctity of the law and the honor of a proud profession, not only misrepresent the truth most villanously, but so far forget his manhood as to stoop to insult, to revile112, to smite114 with a ribald and envenomed tongue, a fair and noble woman, who already bent115 beneath an awful load of domestic sorrow, and whose only fault was that she had come here to seek redress for an injury the depth of which no tongue could tell, the agony of which the imagination of him who has not fathomed116 all the mystery of a woman’s love could never hope to realize. He would only say, in dismissing this most distressing117 and humiliating portion of the subject, that he left the offender118 to the punishment of a conscience which, hardened and seared though it was, still must have in store184 for him pangs119 of remorse120 of which he, Mr. Shreek, trembled to think.
The learned counsel for the plaintiff asked the gentlemen of the jury to review with him the facts of the case, as presented to them by the evidence.
Already they knew something of the trustfulness and confidence of woman’s nature; their experience within the sacred privacy of the domestic circle had taught them that when a woman gave her affection, she gave it wholly, never doubting, never suspecting, that the object of it might be unworthy to wear so priceless a jewel. Such a creature,—the peerless being of whom the poet had eloquently122 said, that Earth was a Desert, Eden was a Wild, Man was a Savage123, until Woman smiled—was peculiarly exposed to the wiles124 of artful and unscrupulous men, who, urged by those Satanic impulses which appear in some men as unquestionable proof of the truthfulness125 of the Scriptural theory of demoniac possession, should attempt to gain the prize only to trample126 it ruthlessly in the dust.
In this instance the destroyer came to find a pure and beautiful love, with its tendrils ready to cling fondly to some dear object. By honeyed phrases, by whispered vows127 so soon to be falsified, by tender glances from eyes which revealed none of the desperate wickedness of the soul within, by all the arts and devices employed upon such occasions,185 the defendant had persuaded those tendrils to cling to him, to entwine about him. Artless, unsophisticated, unlearned in the ways of the sinful world, the beautiful plaintiff had listened and believed; and for a few short weeks she was happy in the fond belief that this reptile128 who had crawled across the threshold of her maiden’s heart was a prince of men, an idol129 whom she might worship with unstinted adoration130.
But she was soon to be undeceived. Choosing the moment when her natural defender131 was absent, when his coward’s deed could be done without the infliction132 of condign133 punishment from him who loved this his only child far better than his life, the defendant, scoffing134 at the holiest of the emotions, despising the precious treasure confided135 to his keeping, and gloating over the misery inflicted136 wantonly and savagely137 by his too brutal hand, cast off her love, closed his ears to her sighs, observed unmoved the anguish138 of her soul, and flung her aside, heart-broken and despairing, while he passed coldly on to seek new hearts to break, new lives to blast and ruin, new victims to dupe and decoy with his false tongue and his vile113 hypocrisy139.
In support of his assertions, Mr. Shreek proposed to read to the jury some of the letters addressed by the defendant to the plaintiff, while still he maintained an appearance of fidelity140 to her; and the jury would perceive more clearly than ever186 the blackness of the infamy141 which characterized the defendant’s conduct, when at last he showed himself in his true colors.
Mr. Shreek then produced a bundle of letters, which had been placed in evidence; and when he did so, the newspaper reporters sharpened their pencils, the somnolent142 juryman awoke, the judge laid down his pen to listen. Leonie again wiped her eyes, and the crowd of spectators made a buzz, which indicated their expectation that they were going to hear something of an uncommonly143 interesting nature.
Mr. Weems alone seemed wholly sad.
Mr. Shreek would first invite the attention of the jury to a letter, dated simply “Tuesday morning,” and signed with the name of the defendant. It was as follows:—
“My Sweet Rosebud144” (laughter from the spectators),—“Before me lies your darling little letter of yesterday. I have read it over and over again, and kissed it many times.” (Merriment in the court-room.) “Why do you wish that you had wings, that you might fly away and be at rest?” (“No wonder she wanted wings,” interjected Mr. Shreek.) “Am I not all you wish?” (“He didn’t seem to be,” said Mr. Shreek.) “Cannot I make you perfectly145 happy? Oh, how I love you, my sweet, pretty, charming Rosebud! You are all in all to me. I think I can look down the dim vista146 of time, and see you going with me hand-in-hand through all the long and happy years.” (“He was not quite so short-sighted as he appears to be,” said Mr. Shreek; whereupon there was general laughter. Even Leonie laughed a little.)187 “And now, my own sweet love” (laughter), “I must bid you good-night. I send you a thousand kisses from your own, ever constant
Julius.”
“Rosebud! gentlemen,” said Mr. Shreek, as he folded the letter away and took out another. “Yes, a rosebud, and he the vile canker-worm that was eating away its life! But this is only one of many such effusions. Upon another occasion, he says:
“My Birdie,” (general laughter,)—“This morning a blessing147 came to me by the hands of the postman, and what do you think? the writer did not sign her name, and I am not sure whom I should thank, but I am going to risk thanking you, my own dear, loving Leonie. Why do you call me an angel, darling?” (“That,” observed Mr. Shreek, “was enough to astonish him!” And then everybody laughed again.) “I am only a plain, prosy man,” (“A close shave to the truth,” said Mr. Shreek,) “but I am exalted148 by having your love. If I were an angel, I would hover149 over you, my sweet,” (“And very likely drop something on her,” added Mr. Shreek,) “and protect you. You ask me if I think of you often! Think of you, Leonie! I think of nothing else.” (Laughter.) “You are always in my mind; and if I keep on loving you more and more, as I am doing, I shall die with half my love untold150.” (Laughter. “Wonderful how he loved her, wasn’t it?” remarked Mr. Shreek.) “Again I send you a million kisses” (merriment), “and a fond good-night, and pleasant dreams.
“Your adoring J.”
“Observe,” said Mr. Shreek, taking out still another letter, “how he mocked her! How hollow,188 how infamous all of that sounds, in view of his subsequent treachery!”
Here Miss Cowdrick bowed her head and wept, and Mr. Weems looked as if he felt that death at the stake would be mere39 pastime in comparison with this experience.
“We now come,” said Mr. Shreek, “to letter number three—a document which reveals this moral monster in even a more hideous light.”
“My Precious One” (great laughter)—“How can I ever thank you for the trouble you have taken to make me those lovely slippers151? They are two sizes too small for me” (laughter); “but I can look at them and kiss them” (“He was a tremendous kisser in his way, you observe,” said the learned counsel), “and think of you meantime. I could not come to see you last evening, for I sprained152 my ankle; but I looked at your picture and kissed it” (laughter. “At it again, you see,” said Mr. Shreek); “and I read over your old letters. There is a knock at my door now, and I must stop. But I will say, I love you. Oh, how I love you! my life and my light.
Fondly your own Julius.”
“But,” continued the eloquent121 counsel for the plaintiff, “this false lover, this maker153 of vows that were as idle as the whispering of the summer wind, did not always write prose to the unhappy lady whom he had deceived. Sometimes he breathed out his bogus affection through the medium of verse. Sometimes he invoked154 the sacred Muse155 to help him to shatter the heart of this loving and trustful woman. With the assistance of a rhyming189 dictionary, or perhaps having, with a bold and lawless hand, filched156 his sweets from some true poet who had felt the impulses of a genuine passion, he wrote and sent to my lovely but unfortunate client the following lines:
“Sweetheart, if I could surely choose
The aptest word in passion’s speech”—
“That,” said the counsel, “indicates that he would steal his poetry if he could.”
“And all its subtlest meaning use,
Sweetheart, my love would voiceless be!”
(Laughter.)
“And heartless, as well as voiceless,” added the counsel.
“Sweetheart, though all the days and hours
Sped by, with love in sharpest stress,
To find some reach of human powers,
Its faintest impulse to express,
Sweetheart, my love would voiceless be!”
(Roars of laughter.)
Mr. Shreek declared that he would read no more. It made his heart sick—professionally, of course—to peruse161 these revolting evidences of man’s inhumanity to lovely woman; of the amazing perfidy162 of the plaintiff, Weems. This voiceless lover, who was not only voiceless, but shameless, feelingless,190 and merciless as well, was now before them, arraigned163 by that law whose foremost function was to protect the weak, and to punish those who assail164 the helpless. It rests with you, gentlemen, to say whether the cry for help made to that law by this desolate165 woman with the lacerated heart shall be made in vain. So far as Mr. Shreek was concerned, he felt perfectly certain that the jury would award to his client the full amount of damages—a miserable166 recompense, at the best—for which she sued.
The judge’s charge was very long, very dull, and full of the most formidable words, phrases, and references. Those who were able to follow it intelligently, however, perceived that it really amounted to nothing more than this: If you find the defendant guilty, it is your duty to bring in a verdict to that effect; while, upon the other hand, if you find him not guilty, you are required to acquit167 him.
At six o’clock in the evening the jury retired168, and the court waited for the verdict. At six-thirty, the jury sent to ask that the love-letters might be given to them; and it was whispered about that one of the jurymen had obtained the impression, somehow, that they were written by Miss Cowdrick to Weems. At a quarter past seven, the jury wanted to know if they could have cigars; and Mr. Porter sent them a couple of bundles at his191 own expense. At eight, word came out that one of the jurymen, evidently the slumberer169, wanted a question of fact cleared up: Was the man suing the woman, or the woman the man? This having been settled, the court waited until half past eight, when, amid much excitement, the jury came in, and disappointed everybody with the announcement that it was quite impossible for them to agree.
Mr. Porter whispered to Mr. Weems that there was an Irishman upon that jury whom he felt confident of from the first.
The judge went over the case again briefly170, but learnedly and vaguely171, and sent the jury back. At nine o’clock the jury came into court a second time, and presented a verdict of guilty, imposing172 damages to the amount of five thousand dollars.
There was an outburst of applause; Leonie leaned her head upon the breast of Mr. Pullock, and wept from mingled feelings of joy and grief. Mr. Shreek observed to Mr. Porter, that “this is all we ever expected;” and Mr. Porter said to Weems that he was lucky to get off so easily; for he, Porter, had anticipated a much worse result.
Poor Weems alone seemed to regard the verdict with less than perfect satisfaction; and he was no better pleased next morning, when Colonel Hoker’s Crab173 and all the other papers came out with reports of the trial in flaring174 type, and192 with the entire batch175 of love-letters, poetry and all, in full.
The journals also contained an announcement that Mr. Cowdrick had been captured and brought home, and had at once been released upon bail176.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
breach
|
|
| n.违反，不履行；破裂；vt.冲破，攻破 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
velvet
|
|
| n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
sufficiently
|
|
| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
aged
|
|
| adj.年老的，陈年的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
dab
|
|
| v.轻触，轻拍，轻涂；n.(颜料等的)轻涂 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
withered
|
|
| adj. 枯萎的，干瘪的，（人身体的部分器官）因病萎缩的或未发育良好的 动词wither的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
crook
|
|
| v.使弯曲；n.小偷，骗子，贼；弯曲(处) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
overdone
|
|
| v.做得过分( overdo的过去分词 )；太夸张；把…煮得太久；（工作等）过度 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
canvasser
|
|
| n.挨户推销商品的推销员 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
mighty
|
|
| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
mutual
|
|
| adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
harried
|
|
| v.使苦恼( harry的过去式和过去分词 )；不断烦扰；一再袭击；侵扰 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
apothecary
|
|
| n.药剂师 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
consecutive
|
|
| adj.连续的，联贯的，始终一贯的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
cemetery
|
|
| n.坟墓，墓地，坟场 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
uncertainty
|
|
| n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
succumbed
|
|
| 不再抵抗（诱惑、疾病、攻击等）( succumb的过去式和过去分词 )； 屈从； 被压垮； 死 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
premium
|
|
| n.加付款；赠品；adj.高级的；售价高的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
torpid
|
|
| adj.麻痹的，麻木的，迟钝的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
wreck
|
|
| n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
devoted
|
|
| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
foisting
|
|
| 强迫接受，把…强加于( foist的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
pending
|
|
| prep.直到，等待…期间；adj.待定的；迫近的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
speculation
|
|
| n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
interred
|
|
| v.埋，葬( inter的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
petrified
|
|
| adj.惊呆的；目瞪口呆的v.使吓呆，使惊呆；变僵硬；使石化(petrify的过去式和过去分词) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
quarry
|
|
| n.采石场；v.采石；费力地找 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
utilize
|
|
| vt.使用，利用 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
chisel
|
|
| n.凿子；v.用凿子刻，雕，凿 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
edifice
|
|
| n.宏伟的建筑物(如宫殿，教室) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
decided
|
|
| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
remonstrate
|
|
| v.抗议，规劝 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
peculiar
|
|
| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
hesitation
|
|
| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
contingency
|
|
| n.意外事件，可能性 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
feat
|
|
| n.功绩；武艺，技艺；adj.灵巧的，漂亮的，合适的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
expend
|
|
| vt.花费，消费，消耗 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
positively
|
|
| adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
mere
|
|
| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
ascertain
|
|
| vt.发现，确定，查明，弄清 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
depicting
|
|
| 描绘，描画( depict的现在分词 )； 描述 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
satchel
|
|
| n.(皮或帆布的)书包 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
43
interval
|
|
| n.间隔，间距；幕间休息，中场休息 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
44
candor
|
|
| n.坦白，率真 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
45
shameful
|
|
| adj.可耻的，不道德的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
46
wrench
|
|
| v.猛拧；挣脱；使扭伤；n.扳手；痛苦，难受 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
47
insinuate
|
|
| vt.含沙射影地说，暗示 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
48
deliberately
|
|
| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
49
fully
|
|
| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
50
vehemently
|
|
| adv. 热烈地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
51
infamous
|
|
| adj.声名狼藉的，臭名昭著的，邪恶的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
52
discourteous
|
|
| adj.不恭的，不敬的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
53
gathering
|
|
| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
54
haughtily
|
|
| adv. 傲慢地, 高傲地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
55
authorized
|
|
| a.委任的，许可的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
56
pecuniary
|
|
| adj.金钱的；金钱上的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
57
proceeding
|
|
| n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
58
rupture
|
|
| n.破裂；(关系的)决裂；v.(使)破裂 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
59
disposition
|
|
| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
60
defendant
|
|
| n.被告；adj.处于被告地位的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
61
postponement
|
|
| n.推迟 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
62
contention
|
|
| n.争论，争辩，论战；论点，主张 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
63
distress
|
|
| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
64
defiance
|
|
| n.挑战，挑衅，蔑视，违抗 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
65
propriety
|
|
| n.正当行为；正当；适当 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
66
redress
|
|
| n.赔偿，救济，矫正；v.纠正，匡正，革除 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
67
decency
|
|
| n.体面，得体，合宜，正派，庄重 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
68
hideous
|
|
| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
69
wink
|
|
| n.眨眼，使眼色，瞬间；v.眨眼，使眼色，闪烁 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
70
winker
|
|
| n.使眼色的人，眼罩；遮眼罩 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
|
71
precisely
|
|
| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
72
mingled
|
|
| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
73
exquisite
|
|
| adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
74
proceedings
|
|
| n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
75
wrangles
|
|
| n.（尤指长时间的）激烈争吵，口角，吵嘴( wrangle的名词复数 )v.争吵，争论，口角( wrangle的第三人称单数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
76
intercourse
|
|
| n.性交；交流，交往，交际 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
77
recesses
|
|
| n.壁凹( recess的名词复数 )；（工作或业务活动的）中止或暂停期间；学校的课间休息；某物内部的凹形空间v.把某物放在墙壁的凹处( recess的第三人称单数 )；将（墙）做成凹形，在（墙）上做壁龛；休息，休会，休庭 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
78
persistently
|
|
| ad.坚持地；固执地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
79
gaped
|
|
| v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的过去式和过去分词 )；张开，张大 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
80
relished
|
|
| v.欣赏( relish的过去式和过去分词 )；从…获得乐趣；渴望 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
81
distressed
|
|
| 痛苦的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
82
levity
|
|
| n.轻率，轻浮，不稳定，多变 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
83
woe
|
|
| n.悲哀，苦痛，不幸，困难；int.用来表达悲伤或惊慌 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
84
misery
|
|
| n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
85
hoist
|
|
| n.升高，起重机，推动；v.升起，升高，举起 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
86
brutal
|
|
| adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
87
writhe
|
|
| vt.挣扎，痛苦地扭曲；vi.扭曲，翻腾，受苦；n.翻腾，苦恼 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
88
testimony
|
|
| n.证词；见证，证明 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
89
prosecution
|
|
| n.起诉，告发，检举，执行，经营 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
90
snarl
|
|
| v.吼叫，怒骂，纠缠，混乱；n.混乱，缠结，咆哮 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
91
remonstrance
|
|
| n抗议，抱怨 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
92
heartiness
|
|
| 诚实，热心 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
93
plunge
|
|
| v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
94
pathos
|
|
| n.哀婉，悲怆 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
95
accurately
|
|
| adv.准确地，精确地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
96
bulwark
|
|
| n.堡垒，保障，防御 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
97
injustice
|
|
| n.非正义，不公正，不公平，侵犯（别人的）权利 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
98
loathing
|
|
| n.厌恶，憎恨v.憎恨，厌恶( loathe的现在分词)；极不喜欢 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
99
allude
|
|
| v.提及，暗指 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
100
appreciation
|
|
| n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
101
invaluable
|
|
| adj.无价的，非常宝贵的，极为贵重的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
102
brotherhood
|
|
| n.兄弟般的关系，手中情谊 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
103
repudiation
|
|
| n.拒绝；否认；断绝关系；抛弃 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
104
snare
|
|
| n.陷阱，诱惑，圈套；（去除息肉或者肿瘤的）勒除器；响弦，小军鼓；vt.以陷阱捕获，诱惑 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
105
remarkable
|
|
| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
106
worthy
|
|
| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
107
entrusted
|
|
| v.委托，托付( entrust的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
108
thoroughly
|
|
| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
109
repulsive
|
|
| adj.排斥的，使人反感的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
110
degradation
|
|
| n.降级；低落；退化；陵削；降解；衰变 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
111
mortification
|
|
| n.耻辱，屈辱 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
112
revile
|
|
| v.辱骂，谩骂 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
113
vile
|
|
| adj.卑鄙的，可耻的，邪恶的；坏透的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
114
smite
|
|
| v.重击；彻底击败；n.打；尝试；一点儿 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
115
bent
|
|
| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
116
fathomed
|
|
| 理解…的真意( fathom的过去式和过去分词 )； 彻底了解； 弄清真相 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
117
distressing
|
|
| a.使人痛苦的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
118
offender
|
|
| n.冒犯者，违反者，犯罪者 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
119
pangs
|
|
| 突然的剧痛( pang的名词复数 )； 悲痛 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
120
remorse
|
|
| n.痛恨，悔恨，自责 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
121
eloquent
|
|
| adj.雄辩的，口才流利的；明白显示出的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
122
eloquently
|
|
| adv. 雄辩地(有口才地, 富于表情地) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
123
savage
|
|
| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
124
wiles
|
|
| n.（旨在欺骗或吸引人的）诡计，花招；欺骗，欺诈( wile的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
125
truthfulness
|
|
| n. 符合实际 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
126
trample
|
|
| vt.踩，践踏；无视，伤害，侵犯 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
127
vows
|
|
| 誓言( vow的名词复数 )； 郑重宣布，许愿 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
128
reptile
|
|
| n.爬行动物；两栖动物 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
129
idol
|
|
| n.偶像，红人，宠儿 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
130
adoration
|
|
| n.爱慕，崇拜 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
131
defender
|
|
| n.保卫者，拥护者，辩护人 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
132
infliction
|
|
| n.（强加于人身的）痛苦，刑罚 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
133
condign
|
|
| adj.应得的，相当的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
134
scoffing
|
|
| n. 嘲笑, 笑柄, 愚弄 v. 嘲笑, 嘲弄, 愚弄, 狼吞虎咽 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
135
confided
|
|
| v.吐露（秘密，心事等）( confide的过去式和过去分词 )；（向某人）吐露（隐私、秘密等） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
136
inflicted
|
|
| 把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
137
savagely
|
|
| adv. 野蛮地，残酷地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
138
anguish
|
|
| n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
139
hypocrisy
|
|
| n.伪善，虚伪 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
140
fidelity
|
|
| n.忠诚，忠实；精确 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
141
infamy
|
|
| n.声名狼藉，出丑，恶行 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
142
somnolent
|
|
| adj.想睡的，催眠的；adv.瞌睡地；昏昏欲睡地；使人瞌睡地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
143
uncommonly
|
|
| adv. 稀罕(极，非常) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
144
rosebud
|
|
| n.蔷薇花蕾，妙龄少女 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
145
perfectly
|
|
| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
146
vista
|
|
| n.远景，深景，展望，回想 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
147
blessing
|
|
| n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
148
exalted
|
|
| adj.(地位等)高的，崇高的；尊贵的，高尚的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
149
hover
|
|
| vi.翱翔，盘旋；徘徊；彷徨，犹豫 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
150
untold
|
|
| adj.数不清的，无数的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
151
slippers
|
|
| n. 拖鞋 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
152
sprained
|
|
| v.&n. 扭伤 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
153
maker
|
|
| n.制造者，制造商 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
154
invoked
|
|
| v.援引( invoke的过去式和过去分词 )；行使（权利等）；祈求救助；恳求 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
155
muse
|
|
| n.缪斯（希腊神话中的女神），创作灵感 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
156
filched
|
|
| v.偷（尤指小的或不贵重的物品）( filch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
157
eloquence
|
|
| n.雄辩；口才，修辞 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
158
intensity
|
|
| n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
159
merged
|
|
| （使）混合( merge的过去式和过去分词 )； 相融； 融入； 渐渐消失在某物中 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
160
eternity
|
|
| n.不朽，来世；永恒，无穷 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
161
peruse
|
|
| v.细读，精读 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
162
perfidy
|
|
| n.背信弃义，不忠贞 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
163
arraigned
|
|
| v.告发( arraign的过去式和过去分词 )；控告；传讯；指责 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
164
assail
|
|
| v.猛烈攻击，抨击，痛斥 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
165
desolate
|
|
| adj.荒凉的，荒芜的；孤独的，凄凉的；v.使荒芜，使孤寂 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
166
miserable
|
|
| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
167
acquit
|
|
| vt.宣判无罪；(oneself)使(自己)表现出 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
168
retired
|
|
| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
169
slumberer
|
|
| 睡眠者，微睡者 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
|
170
briefly
|
|
| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
171
vaguely
|
|
| adv.含糊地，暖昧地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
172
imposing
|
|
| adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
173
crab
|
|
| n.螃蟹，偏航，脾气乖戾的人，酸苹果；vi.捕蟹，偏航，发牢骚；vt.使偏航，发脾气 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
174
flaring
|
|
| a.火焰摇曳的，过份艳丽的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
175
batch
|
|
| n.一批(组，群)；一批生产量 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
176
bail
|
|
| v.舀（水），保释；n.保证金，保释，保释人 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |