The way to her villa4, The Cedars5, took him past Saint Oswald's Church, and moved by a sudden impulse, he turned aside to enter the edifice6, which in more than one sense was hallowed ground to him, inasmuch as it was here that he had first met with Lorelie.
Surely Eros was directing his steps! For, scarcely had he passed within the porch of the Ravengar Chantry when his ear caught the soft rustle8 of silk, and Mademoiselle Rivière herself was standing9 before him. She had entered by another door, and the basket of flowers hanging from her arm seemed to indicate that[Pg 179] her object in visiting the church was to deck its altar. Dressed in a graceful10 costume of black and silver that harmonized exquisitely11 with her delicate complexion12 she looked more beautiful and witching than ever in Idris' eyes, as with a bright smile she extended her hand.
"Is not my presence here a satisfactory answer to that question?" she smiled.
"May I ask for a flower in exchange, mademoiselle?" said Idris, as he returned the book to her.
"Here is variety to choose from. Let me learn your favourite."
She held out the basket for Idris to make his choice.
"You are taking nothing but forget-me-nots," she cried.
"I am in a parabolical mood, you see. The name of this flower expresses what my lips would say."
"How so?"
"By suggesting the possibility of my forgetting one who has saved my life," replied Lorelie, the colour stealing over her cheek. She raised her eyes to his with an expression in them that thrilled him, and continued, "Shall I tell you the dream I had last night? I thought I was still lying on those sands where I fell, unable to move. The rising tide came on and rippled16 around me, striking a chill through my clothing. At last the water was so high that it flowed over my face, filling my mouth and nostrils17. I fought with it, but it ascended18 higher and ever higher above me, till I was deep down below the surface.
"And the curious part of it all was that I still lived. I lay there as in a trance, motionless, staring upwards19. I could see the air-bubbles of my breath ascending20 to the[Pg 180] surface. The moon with tremulous motion shone through the glassy water, looking—oh! ever so far away. The sea-weed drifted around and clung to my cheek and hair. Curious sea-monsters came and looked at me, then went away again: shell-fish crawled over me, and all night long the restless water flowed over my face and plashed in and out of my mouth. Its faint murmur21 rings in my ears still. In the morning I awoke and found it a dream. Then I said to myself, 'This is what would have happened if—if no one had been near to aid me.'"
"It is past now," replied Idris, observing her shiver. "Don't think any more about it."
"The peril22 is past, but the memory of it remains23. Ah, that dream! If it should occur again to-night I shall begin to be like Richard III, and tremble at the thought of sleep. Shall I put those flowers in your coat, Mr. Breakspear? You seem to find it a difficulty."
"Forget-me-not," she murmured, fastening the nosegay to his button-hole; and Idris wondered whether the words were addressed to him, or whether she was simply repeating the name of the flower: the latter it seemed by her next remark. "Why should our French myosotis be called in English, 'Forget-me-not'? Can you tell me the origin of the name?"
Idris could, and did: relating the somewhat apocryphal25 story of the youth, who, in wading26 to the opposite bank of a river with a view of procuring27 some flowers for his sweetheart, was swept off by the current and drowned, but not before he had had time to fling the flowers at her feet with the parting cry of "Forget-me-not!"
"The moral of which is," added Idris, "learn to swim."
"You are spoiling a pretty story by your cynicism,"[Pg 181] said Lorelie. "His love was all the greater if he could not swim."
She turned to arrange her flowers upon the altar of the Ravengar Chantry. Idris was watching her when his eye was caught by a shadow outlined on the stone pavement. The sun was shining through the window above the altar, and casting at his feet glowing splashes of various hues28. For a few seconds he continued to stare, doubtful whether he saw aright, and then, slowly raising his gaze, he followed the slanting29 shaft30 of coloured light upward from the pavement till his eyes rested upon the stained window.
The central pane31 was blazoned32 with the armorial device of the Ravengars. The shield, supported on each side by a raven7, in canting allusion34 to the family name, was charged in the centre with a silver circlet, a thin purple line forming the perimeter35.
The runic ring!
Yes: there was its facsimile gleaming from the coloured glass, and seeming in the morning sunlight to sparkle with a new and mysterious significance. That this argent circle was intended to represent the Norse altar-ring Idris had not the shadow of a doubt: and for a moment he felt resentment36 both against Beatrice and Godfrey: for, familiar as they must be with this coat of arms—Beatrice herself, as a Ravengar, being entitled to assume it—they had made no allusion to it when he was telling them the story of the runic ring. It was singular, too, that he himself should have failed to notice this blazon33 in his previous visit to this chantry.
What was the reason for its figuring in the Ravengar shield?
Curious stories are often latent within armorial devices, as students of heraldry can testify. Was it possible that this ring had been adopted by the Ravengars of a past[Pg 182] generation because it had been in some way connected with their history?
"Mademoiselle Rivière," said Idris, impulsively38, thinking that she might be able to throw some light upon the matter, "can you tell me whether the Ravengars of past times had any historic reason for decorating their armorial shield with a silver ring?"
"There is an interesting legend to account for it," she said after a moment's hesitation39, "which you will find in a curious old book entitled, 'Traditions of the House of Ravengar.'"
"You know the story, then? May I not learn it from you rather than from the book?"
"It is a story that will take a long time in the telling."
This, in Idris' opinion, was an excellent reason for hearing it. Lorelie found herself unable to resist his persuasive40 manner: so, sitting down, she proceeded to tell the story with a detail that showed how it had caught her own imagination.
In the ninth century—so ran the legend—there lived a Norse sea-king, who, either from the terror inspired by his arms, or from the gilt41 figure on the prow42 of his galley43, was called Draco, or "The Dragon." From the great wealth acquired in his various water-expeditions he gained the additional name of "The Golden."
Like many other heroes of the north this Draco claimed descent from Odin, and among his hereditaments nothing was more prized by him than the silver altar-ring used in the religious ceremonies of his clan44, since it was said to have belonged originally to his divine ancestor.
Draco lived at the time when the Norsemen were sailing by thousands from their own land in order to gain by the sword new and fairer homes in Britain. He, too, determined45 to have a share in the territorial46 spoil, and [Pg 183]accordingly, equipping his dragon-keels, and gathering47 his warcarls around him, he sailed off over the seas.
On arriving within sight of the Northumbrian coast he had recourse to the gods for fixing the precise point of his disembarkation: he let fly two ravens48 consecrated49 to Odin, and following in their wake landed where they had alighted.
He quickly put to the rout50 those Northumbrians who attempted to oppose him, and proceeded to confirm his victory by building a fortress51 on the site of the existing Ravenhall. Sallying forth52 from this place he would plunder53 the neighbouring monasteries54, or, putting out to sea, attack the merchant vessels55 that passed his shores, thus becoming possessed56 in course of time, of a vast quantity of treasure in the shape of gold and silver, church-plate, coinage, jewels, and the like.
In his old age he met with the end deemed worthy57 of a warrior58, being slain59 in battle whilst contending against a neighbouring chieftain. At his burial a Norse scald composed that wild barbaric requiem60, which Idris had heard Lorelie playing on the organ—a requiem that had accompanied the funeral of every Ravengar since: though doubtless with considerable variations from the original strain.
Draco left one son only, Magnus by name. He was but a child at the time of his father's death, and the widowed mother, Hilda, fearing that an attempt might be made to deprive him of his patrimonial61 treasure, secretly buried it, purposing to give it to her son when he should be of age to defend his rights.
For a time all went well. The warriors62 who had followed the standard of Draco rallied around his son, and looked forward to the day when he should emulate63 or surpass the deeds of his father. But eventually murmurings arose. The boy was too much under his mother's[Pg 184] influence, they thought: the hand that should have been wielding64 the spear was more often found holding the pen. She was accused of teaching him dark and curious arts.
It was a long time, however, before the Vikings ventured to express their displeasure openly, for they feared Hilda. She was an Alruna, that is, an all-runic or all-wise woman, who had power to cast pernicious spells upon those who offended her.
At last, one day, provoked to the extreme by some act of imprudence on her part, they came to Magnus and telling him that they were going to banish65 his mother, they gave him the choice of being their chieftain or of accompanying her into exile. Magnus elected to stand with his father's warriors, and, as head of the clan, in full and solemn doom-ring, he pronounced upon his mother sentence of perpetual banishment66.
Cut to the heart by this unfilial act Hilda vowed67 that she would never reveal to him the hiding-place of the treasure: and so, being banished68, she returned to her native Norseland, taking with her the silver altar-ring.
With the lapse69 of time, however, she began to relent towards her absent son. She yearned70 to see him again, but was now too old to undertake the fatigues71 attending the voyage. She resolved to break her oath of silence and to tell him where the treasure lay concealed72. To secure herself from treachery on the part of her messenger, who might have appropriated the wealth himself if entrusted73 with the secret of its hiding-place, she had recourse to the following expedient74. She engraved75 upon the altar-ring a sentence indicative of the exact site of the treasure, making use of runic letters, arranged in such a way that none but Magnus could understand them: for cryptic76 writing had been one of the many arts she had taught him. This done, she despatched the ring by the hand of a herald37.
[Pg 185]
But Magnus was now dead. His son and successor was Ulric, who, because his lance bore a small pennon decorated with the figure of a raven, was called Ravengar or Raven Spear, a name that became hereditary77.
Hilda's messenger entered the hall at the hour when Ulric sat feasting with his warriors. In accordance with the Norse rites78 of hospitality the herald was given a seat at the board. No question was asked of him, and he resolved to defer79 his message till the meal should be over. This delay proved fatal to him, for, during the course of the feast, he accidentally drew forth the altar-ring. In a moment the ancient greybeards—old companions of Draco—recognized the sacred relic80 of Odin, and sternly commanded the stranger to explain how he became possessed of their former chieftain's ring: it had formed a part of the missing treasure: he must, therefore, know where the remainder was.
With a stammering81 tongue the herald stated that he was a messenger from the Lady Hilda, and pointing to the inscription82 upon the ring, said that it indicated the hiding-place of the treasure.
Ulric, unskilled in the art of letters, passed the ring on to the sagamen and scalds, who shook their heads over it. Magnus, the only one capable of reading the riddle84, was no more. The herald himself was unable to decipher the message that his mistress had caused to be engraved. To the assembled Vikings his words seemed an idle tale: his ignorance was imputed85 to knavery86: swords gleamed in the air: the oaken rafters rang with excited cries.
At one end of the hall on a da?s there stood, as was usual in those days, rude images of the gods. To this spot the herald was dragged and told that unless he revealed the hiding-place of the treasure he should be sacrificed there and then to Odin and Thor.
Vain was his plea of ignorance: vain his appeal for[Pg 186] mercy: he was slain by the dagger87 of Ulric, himself the priest as well as the chief of the clan: the altar-ring was dipped in the blood of the victim, and the red drops were sprinkled on all present. With his dying breath the herald called upon heaven to be his avenger88, invoking89 a curse upon the head of him who should discover the treasure, and praying that the finder might meet with a death as violent as his own.
Afterwards, when Ulric came to clean the ring, he found he could not remove the stain of blood, and the sagamen who examined it declared that the mark would never be effaced90 till one of the Raven-race should die as an atonement for the death of the herald, whose sacred character had been impiously set at nought91.
Ulric retained the ring as the symbol of his authority: at his death it passed to his son, and so from generation to generation it continued in the Ravengar family as a venerated92 heirloom. In the days of Charles II the first Earl of Ormsby, Lancelot Ravengar, adopted the ring as an armorial device, taking as his supporters two ravens, in allusion to the birds that were said to have directed the course of Draco's galley.
Such was the story of the runic ring, a story to which Idris listened with the deepest interest. It was clear to him that his Viking Orm and Lorelie's Draco were identical, the Norse form of the name having doubtless been changed into its Latin equivalent by the original monkish93 chronicler.
"And is the ring still in the possession of the Ravengars?" he asked, when Lorelie had come to the end of her story.
"No: about fifty years ago it was stolen."
"Under what circumstances?"
"The affair was a mystery. The ring was kept with other heirlooms in the jewel-room at Ravenhall. [Pg 187]According to the butler it was secure in its glass case when he locked the door of the jewel-room at night: in the morning it was gone. Suspicion fell upon a steward94 who was under notice of dismissal: it is supposed that he was actuated by a spirit of revenge. The detectives employed in the case failed, however, to connect him with the theft, nor did their investigations95 lead to any result so far as regards the recovery of the ring."
"The steward, if he were guilty, probably disposed of the relic on the Continent," said Idris. "At any rate it found its way to Nantes, for the Ravengar heirloom must surely have been the very ring which led to the murder of M. Duchesne and the consequent arrest of my father."
"I believe—nay, I am certain it was," answered Lorelie.
Her eyes drooped96 and a shadow passed over her face. Any reference to Eric Marville seemed to trouble her, and Idris resolved to avoid the mention of his name.
"And during the many centuries in which this ring was in the possession of the Ravengars," he continued, "was no one ever found capable of deciphering the runic inscription?"
"No one. In time past the ring was submitted to many antiquaries, but they could make nothing of it."
Idris, though justly proud of his success in a matter wherein experts had failed, kept his own counsel for the present, and refrained from mentioning that he had accomplished97 the feat98.
"Then, of course, the treasure of old Orm—Draco, I mean—has never been discovered?"
"Not by a Ravengar."
"But by some one else probably. It is not likely that the buried treasure has remained undiscovered for a thousand years."
"The legend says that only a Ravengar can discover[Pg 188] it, and that in the very moment of discovery he will forfeit99 his life as an atonement for the death of the herald. But this," added Lorelie with a smile, "is, of course, mere100 poetic101 fancy."
"The legend does not say. You are forgetting that it is a legend, invented, perhaps, by some imaginative king-at-arms in order to decorate the vanity of the first Earl of Ormsby with a long pedigree and a romantic origin."
But Idris had received proofs that the story was true in the main. For example, there had actually existed an altar-ring such as described—for he had seen and handled it himself—a ring engraved with a sentence which not only spoke103 of a buried treasure, but also bore the names of the very persons, Orm, Hilda, and Magnus, who had figured so prominently in the story. The fragment of tapestry104 brought from the interior of the ancient tumulus supplied additional evidence as to the historic existence of the Golden Viking and the widowed Hilda.
"This Draco," continued Idris, "if he received the sepulchral105 honours due to a Norse chief, would be buried beneath an immense mound106 of earth. If we are to look for his tomb in this neighbourhood we shall perhaps find it in a tumulus on the seashore about four miles from here."
"I know the eminence107 you refer to," replied Lorelie. "It is called Ormfell, that is, Orm's Hill; and therefore it cannot be Draco's tomb, otherwise it would be called Draconfell, or something similar."
Idris did not stop to show the fallacy of this mode of reasoning, but continued:—
"Has this hillock never been opened by the Earls of Ormsby to see what it contains?"
[Pg 189]
"Not that I am aware of."
It was strange, Idris thought, that while the tumulus had retained the true Norse name of the Viking, his descendants, the Ravengars, should have remembered him only by his Latinized name of Draco. This explained why Ormfell had never suggested itself to them as the tomb of their ancestor. In forgetting that he was likewise called Orm, they had unwittingly deprived themselves of an indication as to the place of the buried treasure.
Idris' musings were brought to an end by Lorelie's rising to take her departure, which caused him to murmur something about the sadness of parting.
"But if there were no parting there would never be the sweetness of meeting," was her reply.
Was this no more than a pretty saying on her part; or did she really look forward with pleasure to their next meeting?
Emboldened108 by her words he raised her hand to his lips before she was aware of his intention.
"Mr. Breakspear, you must not do that," she said in a trembling voice, and hastily withdrawing her hand from his. Her face was pale: a strange look came into her eyes, and she turned and hurried away. Idris, trembling lest he should have given offence, watched her till she was out of sight, and then went slowly back to Wave Crest109.
Verily he was a fortunate fellow! Fresh from a charming tête-à-tête with one fair lady he was now to have the like with a second: for, on passing through the garden-gate, he saw Beatrice Ravengar reading in a low chair beneath the apple-trees—Beatrice, the sea-king's daughter, the descendant of that very Viking whose bones reposed110 in Ormfell!
Her heart beat more quickly as Idris approached. He,[Pg 190] little divining the cause of the colour that played so enchantingly over her cheek, thought Godfrey's sister a very pretty maiden111 indeed. True, she lacked the dark starry112 beauty of Lorelie—Idris' tastes ran in favour of brunettes—yet there was a subtle witchery in Beatrice's soft grey eyes and winsome113 expression; in her sunny hair: and in her graceful figure, set off as it then was, by a dainty dress of soft muslin.
"My name, being Breakspear," said he, with mock sternness, as he took a seat beside her, "you will not be surprised to learn that I have a lance to break with you."
"And what have I done that is amiss?" asked Beatrice, outwardly smiling, but inwardly uneasy: for some secret feeling told her that he had just left the presence of Mademoiselle Rivière, and she feared lest that lady should have said something to prejudice her in the eyes of Idris. A fair return, for had not she herself let fall in Idris' presence words unfriendly to Lorelie?
"You have committed the sin of omission in not telling me that the armorial shield of the Ravengars is decorated with a silver ring."
"I am aware that a ring figures in their coat of arms," said Beatrice, with wide, wondering eyes, "but where is my fault in not telling you of it? Surely," she added, with a sudden intuition as to his meaning, "surely you do not mean to say that there is some connection between your runic ring and the Ravengar device?"
Idris' reply was to repeat the story he had just heard.
"This is all new to me," said Beatrice, when he had finished, "but then I never was a Ravengar. I am the daughter of my mother, and have taken little, if any, interest in the genealogy114 and family traditions of my ancestors, the belted earls."
[Pg 191]
"You should now look with more favour on the Viking's skull115 as being that of your great forefather116. His object in coming down the staircase last night was evidently to introduce himself to you, his youngest descendant.—But I have interrupted your reading, for which I beg pardon. May I ask the title of your book?"
"No: but a Norse saga in verse is, by its very nature, certain to interest me. Will you not read aloud, Miss Ravengar?"
There is little Beatrice would not have done to please Idris, and accordingly she began the reading of the poem. Her voice was clear and silvery, and marked at times by a cadence117, plaintive118 and pretty. Idris would have fared ill had he been required to give a summary of the poem, for he paid little attention to the words, finding a greater charm in the face and voice of the reader. More than once the thought stole over him that if he had not seen Mademoiselle Rivière his love might have found its resting-place in Beatrice.
Reading smoothly119 onward120 Beatrice came to the scene in which the reluctant bride Gudrun, on her wedding-night, draws near to the couch of Olaf, dagger in hand and murder in her heart.
"'What is that,' King Olaf said,
'Gleams so bright above thy head?
Wherefore standest thou so white
In pale moonlight?'
"''Tis the bodkin that I wear
Beatrice paused. "Bodkin?" she said. "That's not the right word. Ladies don't fasten their hair with bodkins."
[Pg 192]
"Gudrun must have worn a very large hairpin, if she could liken a dagger to it."
"I suppose it was not very unlike the stiletto contrivances worn by ladies of the present day," answered Idris.
"''Tis the bodkin that I wear
When at night I bind my hair.'"
repeated Beatrice. "At night? Did she wear it in her hair while sleeping?"
"I never knew the lady," laughed Idris, "so I am unable to answer. Why shouldn't she?"
"Because during sleep she might turn her head upon the point and receive an unpleasant stab."
"You speak from experience?"
"An experience as recent only as last night."
"We must leave Gudrun's bodkin suspended in midair while you tell me how this happened."
"There is really nothing to tell. When I went to bed I forgot to remove the stiletto from my hair. Somehow, I was unable to sleep last night."
"You were thinking of the skull, perhaps?"
"Yes, it must have been that," replied Beatrice, colouring at this prevarication125, for had she spoken truly, she must have told him that he was the cause of her unrest.
"And so," she continued, "while I was tossing from side to side, the stiletto must have got loose, and in turning my head on the pillow I received a stab from the point of it. Nothing to speak of, a mere scalp wound."
[Pg 193]
"It was well the point was not forced into your brain. I have heard of fatal accidents resulting from the use of these stiletto-pins. You discarded it at once?"
"Of course."
"Forever?"
"What? You have not let it serve as a warning? O, Miss Ravengar, Miss Ravengar! what is this I see shimmering127 in your hair at the present moment?"
"May I inspect the savage129 weapon that might have ended your existence, and may yet, since you decline to learn wisdom from experience?"
Beatrice drew forth the hairpin. It was shaped like a dagger, the steel being slender, rounded, and tapering130 to a point: the hilt of gold set with brilliants.
As soon as Idris saw it he stared at it as if mesmerized131, the tapering point of the slender steel was so strangely suggestive of the metal fragment that had fallen from the Viking's skull. He took it from his pocket and held it out to her.
"Miss Ravengar, what should you say this is?"
"That?" replied Beatrice. "That is a part of a hairpin. See!"
She laid it upon her open palm beside her own stiletto. The terminal of the latter corresponded exactly in form and colour with the broken fragment: at least, the difference, if difference there were, was imperceptible by the naked eye.
"It certainly looks like a hairpin."
"Looks like it, do you say?" said Beatrice, with a sort of reproach in her tone. "It is," she asseverated132 firmly.
[Pg 194]
"What reason have you for this opinion other than mere resemblance?" asked Idris, a little surprised by her air of certitude.
"I do not reason upon it. I know it is a hairpin," she replied, with a peculiar133 emphasis upon the "know."
There was a strangeness in her manner, an entire reversal of her former self: her face seemed hallowed by a light like the inspired expression of a sibyl. The expression was momentary134 only, dying as soon as born, but it left Idris curiously135 impressed.
"Why do you value this piece of steel?" asked Beatrice, as she restored it to him.
"This little piece of steel, Miss Ravengar, is nothing less than the instrument that gave your ancestor Orm his coup-de-grace. It dropped out of the skull last night. For the future my motto must be, 'When in doubt, consult Miss Ravengar.' By your wit I was enabled to discover the secret entrance to Ormfell; and now, when wondering of what this steel fragment once formed part, you come to my aid again by reading a poem concerning a Norse lady, whose intended action towards her husband seems almost to have a direct bearing upon the Viking's skull. Our Norse forefathers137, you will remember, were accustomed to regard their maidens138 as prophetesses, whose opinions, when solemnly invoked139, were to be received as oracles. I will imitate their example, and accept your dictum that this is a fragment of a lady's hairpin."
Godfrey, who had joined the pair a few minutes previously140, and had stood a silent listener of the conversation, now intervened with a remark.
"Well, then, you must admit," said he, "that this opinion clashes with the story told by the tapestry, which[Pg 195] tapestry avers141 that Orm died with a cloth-yard shaft sticking in him."
"The two ideas are not irreconcilable," argued Idris. "My belief is that we have here," holding up the piece of steel, "a silent testimony142 to a domestic tragedy of a thousand years ago. Old Orm the Viking was carried from the battle-field wounded by an arrow. His wife Hilda was perhaps enamoured of some other warrior: and so, while affecting to nurse her husband, she may have hastened his end by secretly driving her strong hairpin into his head, a feat she could perform with comparative safety to herself, there being no coroner's inquest in those days. His death would be attributed to the arrow-wound, and therefore is so represented on the tapestry."
"If your inference be right," said Beatrice, "it is a strange verification of the old saying, 'Murder will out.' Fancy the crime coming to light after the lapse of a thousand years! Though it is not very kind of you, Mr. Breakspear," she added, with a mock pout143, "to attempt to prove that my ancestress Hilda was a murderess. You will be saying next that a taste for assassination144 is one of our family traits, and that the homicidal microbe runs in my blood."
"The lapse of ten centuries will have effectually eliminated it."
"Merci!" she returned, dropping him a mock curtsey. "Yes: it is consoling to reflect that this little piece of family scandal is removed from us by the space of a full millennium145."
"But Idris is altogether wrong in his theory," remarked Godfrey decisively. "This piece of steel is not ancient at all."
"Ay, ay, destroyer of my romance!" returned Idris. "Can you give me satisfactory proof that it is not ancient?"
[Pg 196]
"I think so: if you will let me do what I like with it."
Idris shook his head.
"I value this fragment," he explained, "believing in its antiquity146. You would not willingly destroy the bullet that killed Nelson, nor will I consent to destroy the weapon that slew147 my Viking."
"But if I could clearly demonstrate to you that it is a modern piece of steel—what then?"
"In that case it would lose its chief value in my eyes, and it would prove, among other things, that the skull is not Orm's: for if this steel be modern, so likewise must be the skull. But how are you going to prove its modernity? Are not iron and steel alike in all ages? Is the steel that was wrought148 on the anvil149 of the Norse armourer different from the steel forged to-day in the foundries of Sheffield?"
"Yes, in some respects. I want to conduct a chemical experiment with this relic, an experiment which will necessitate150 its destruction. Still, if I succeed in demonstrating its modernity you will not object?"
"Far from it. But are you likely to demonstrate it?"
"Well, of course, I am open to failure. My opinion rests upon a certain assumption, which assumption, if correct, will conclusively151 show that this steel was forged within modern times. Nous verrons."
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pretext
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| n.借口，托词 | |
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motive
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| n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的 | |
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reticence
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| n.沉默，含蓄 | |
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villa
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| n.别墅，城郊小屋 | |
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cedars
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| 雪松，西洋杉( cedar的名词复数 ) | |
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edifice
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| n.宏伟的建筑物(如宫殿，教室) | |
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raven
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| n.渡鸟，乌鸦；adj.乌亮的 | |
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rustle
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| v.沙沙作响；偷盗(牛、马等)；n.沙沙声声 | |
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standing
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graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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exquisitely
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| adv.精致地；强烈地；剧烈地；异常地 | |
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complexion
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| n.肤色；情况，局面；气质，性格 | |
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13
sprained
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| v.&n. 扭伤 | |
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14
thereby
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| adv.因此，从而 | |
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15
ingratitude
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| n.忘恩负义 | |
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16
rippled
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| 使泛起涟漪（ripple的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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17
nostrils
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| 鼻孔( nostril的名词复数 ) | |
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18
ascended
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| v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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19
upwards
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| adv.向上，在更高处...以上 | |
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20
ascending
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| adj.上升的，向上的 | |
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21
murmur
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| n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言 | |
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22
peril
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| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
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23
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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24
proffered
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| v.提供，贡献，提出( proffer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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25
apocryphal
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| adj.假冒的，虚假的 | |
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26
wading
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| （从水、泥等）蹚，走过，跋( wade的现在分词 ) | |
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27
procuring
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| v.（努力）取得， （设法）获得( procure的现在分词 )；拉皮条 | |
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28
hues
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| 色彩( hue的名词复数 )； 色调； 信仰； 观点 | |
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29
slanting
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| 倾斜的，歪斜的 | |
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30
shaft
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| n.(工具的)柄，杆状物 | |
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31
pane
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| n.窗格玻璃，长方块 | |
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32
blazoned
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| v.广布( blazon的过去式和过去分词 )；宣布；夸示；装饰 | |
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33
blazon
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| n.纹章，装饰；精确描绘；v.广布；宣布 | |
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34
allusion
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| n.暗示，间接提示 | |
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35
perimeter
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| n.周边，周长，周界 | |
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36
resentment
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| n.怨愤，忿恨 | |
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37
herald
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| vt.预示...的来临，预告，宣布，欢迎 | |
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38
impulsively
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| adv.冲动地 | |
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39
hesitation
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|
| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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40
persuasive
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|
| adj.有说服力的，能说得使人相信的 | |
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41
gilt
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|
| adj.镀金的；n.金边证券 | |
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42
prow
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|
| n.(飞机)机头，船头 | |
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43
galley
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|
| n.（飞机或船上的）厨房单层甲板大帆船；军舰舰长用的大划艇； | |
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44
clan
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| n.氏族，部落，宗族，家族，宗派 | |
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45
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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46
territorial
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|
| adj.领土的，领地的 | |
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47
gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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48
ravens
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| n.低质煤；渡鸦( raven的名词复数 ) | |
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49
consecrated
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|
| adj.神圣的，被视为神圣的v.把…奉为神圣，给…祝圣( consecrate的过去式和过去分词 )；奉献 | |
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50
rout
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|
| n.溃退，溃败；v.击溃，打垮 | |
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51
fortress
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|
| n.堡垒，防御工事 | |
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52
forth
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|
| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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53
plunder
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|
| vt.劫掠财物，掠夺；n.劫掠物，赃物；劫掠 | |
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54
monasteries
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| 修道院( monastery的名词复数 ) | |
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55
vessels
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|
| n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人 | |
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56
possessed
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|
| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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57
worthy
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|
| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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58
warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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59
slain
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| 杀死，宰杀，杀戮( slay的过去分词 )； (slay的过去分词) | |
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60
requiem
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| n.安魂曲，安灵曲 | |
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61
patrimonial
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|
| adj.祖传的 | |
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62
warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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63
emulate
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| v.努力赶上或超越，与…竞争；效仿 | |
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64
wielding
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| 手持着使用（武器、工具等）( wield的现在分词 )； 具有； 运用（权力）； 施加（影响） | |
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65
banish
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|
| vt.放逐，驱逐；消除，排除 | |
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66
banishment
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|
| n.放逐，驱逐 | |
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67
vowed
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| 起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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68
banished
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| v.放逐，驱逐( banish的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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69
lapse
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|
| n.过失，流逝，失效，抛弃信仰，间隔；vi.堕落，停止，失效，流逝；vt.使失效 | |
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70
yearned
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|
| 渴望，切盼，向往( yearn的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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71
fatigues
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|
| n.疲劳( fatigue的名词复数 )；杂役；厌倦；（士兵穿的）工作服 | |
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72
concealed
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|
| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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73
entrusted
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|
| v.委托，托付( entrust的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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74
expedient
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|
| adj.有用的，有利的；n.紧急的办法，权宜之计 | |
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75
engraved
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|
| v.在（硬物）上雕刻（字，画等）( engrave的过去式和过去分词 )；将某事物深深印在（记忆或头脑中） | |
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76
cryptic
|
|
| adj.秘密的，神秘的，含义模糊的 | |
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77
hereditary
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|
| adj.遗传的，遗传性的，可继承的，世袭的 | |
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78
rites
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| 仪式，典礼( rite的名词复数 ) | |
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79
defer
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|
| vt.推迟，拖延；vi.(to)遵从，听从，服从 | |
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80
relic
|
|
| n.神圣的遗物，遗迹，纪念物 | |
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81
stammering
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|
| v.结巴地说出( stammer的现在分词 ) | |
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82
inscription
|
|
| n.（尤指石块上的）刻印文字，铭文，碑文 | |
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83
saga
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|
| n.(尤指中世纪北欧海盗的)故事，英雄传奇 | |
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84
riddle
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|
| n.谜，谜语，粗筛；vt.解谜，给…出谜，筛，检查，鉴定，非难，充满于；vi.出谜 | |
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85
imputed
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|
| v.把（错误等）归咎于( impute的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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86
knavery
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|
| n.恶行，欺诈的行为 | |
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87
dagger
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|
| n.匕首，短剑，剑号 | |
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88
avenger
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|
| n. 复仇者 | |
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89
invoking
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|
| v.援引( invoke的现在分词 )；行使（权利等）；祈求救助；恳求 | |
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90
effaced
|
|
| v.擦掉( efface的过去式和过去分词 )；抹去；超越；使黯然失色 | |
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91
nought
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|
| n.／adj.无，零 | |
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92
venerated
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| 敬重（某人或某事物），崇敬( venerate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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93
monkish
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|
| adj.僧侣的，修道士的，禁欲的 | |
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94
steward
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|
| n.乘务员，服务员；看管人；膳食管理员 | |
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95
investigations
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|
| （正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究 | |
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96
drooped
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|
| 弯曲或下垂，发蔫( droop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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97
accomplished
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|
| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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98
feat
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| n.功绩；武艺，技艺；adj.灵巧的，漂亮的，合适的 | |
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99
forfeit
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|
| vt.丧失；n.罚金，罚款，没收物 | |
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100
mere
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|
| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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101
poetic
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|
| adj.富有诗意的，有诗人气质的，善于抒情的 | |
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102
omission
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| n.省略，删节；遗漏或省略的事物，冗长 | |
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103
spoke
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|
| 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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104
tapestry
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|
| n.挂毯，丰富多采的画面 | |
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105
sepulchral
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|
| adj.坟墓的，阴深的 | |
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106
mound
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|
| n.土墩，堤，小山；v.筑堤，用土堆防卫 | |
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107
eminence
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| n.卓越，显赫；高地，高处；名家 | |
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108
emboldened
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| v.鼓励，使有胆量( embolden的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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109
crest
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|
| n.顶点；饰章；羽冠；vt.达到顶点；vi.形成浪尖 | |
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110
reposed
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| v.将（手臂等）靠在某人（某物）上( repose的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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111
maiden
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| n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的 | |
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112
starry
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|
| adj.星光照耀的, 闪亮的 | |
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113
winsome
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| n.迷人的，漂亮的 | |
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114
genealogy
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|
| n.家系，宗谱 | |
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115
skull
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| n.头骨；颅骨 | |
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116
forefather
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| n.祖先；前辈 | |
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117
cadence
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| n.（说话声调的）抑扬顿挫 | |
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118
plaintive
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| adj.可怜的，伤心的 | |
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119
smoothly
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| adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地 | |
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120
onward
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|
| adj.向前的，前进的；adv.向前，前进，在先 | |
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121
bind
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| vt.捆，包扎；装订；约束；使凝固；vi.变硬 | |
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122
hairpin
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| n.簪,束发夹，夹发针 | |
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123
hairpins
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| n.发夹( hairpin的名词复数 ) | |
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124
hazy
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| adj.有薄雾的，朦胧的；不肯定的，模糊的 | |
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125
prevarication
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|
| n.支吾；搪塞；说谎；有枝有叶 | |
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126
demurely
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| adv.装成端庄地，认真地 | |
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127
shimmering
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| v.闪闪发光，发微光( shimmer的现在分词 ) | |
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128
ornament
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| v.装饰，美化；n.装饰，装饰物 | |
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129
savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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130
tapering
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| adj.尖端细的 | |
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131
mesmerized
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| v.使入迷( mesmerize的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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132
asseverated
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| v.郑重声明，断言( asseverate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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133
peculiar
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|
| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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134
momentary
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| adj.片刻的，瞬息的；短暂的 | |
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135
curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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136
oracles
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|
| 神示所( oracle的名词复数 )； 神谕； 圣贤； 哲人 | |
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137
forefathers
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| n.祖先，先人；祖先，祖宗( forefather的名词复数 )；列祖列宗；前人 | |
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138
maidens
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|
| 处女( maiden的名词复数 )； 少女； 未婚女子； （板球运动）未得分的一轮投球 | |
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139
invoked
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|
| v.援引( invoke的过去式和过去分词 )；行使（权利等）；祈求救助；恳求 | |
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140
previously
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| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
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141
avers
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| v.断言( aver的第三人称单数 )；证实；证明…属实；作为事实提出 | |
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142
testimony
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| n.证词；见证，证明 | |
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143
pout
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| v.撅嘴；绷脸；n.撅嘴；生气，不高兴 | |
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144
assassination
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| n.暗杀；暗杀事件 | |
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145
millennium
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| n.一千年，千禧年；太平盛世 | |
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146
antiquity
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| n.古老；高龄；古物，古迹 | |
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147
slew
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| v.（使）旋转；n.大量，许多 | |
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148
wrought
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| v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的 | |
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149
anvil
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| n.铁钻 | |
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150
necessitate
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| v.使成为必要，需要 | |
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151
conclusively
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| adv.令人信服地，确凿地 | |
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