Arrived at the finest dwelling5 in the town, they entered it and were at home. Washington was introduced to Mrs. Boswell, and his imagination was on the point of flitting into the vapory realms of speculation6 again, when a lovely girl of sixteen or seventeen came in. This vision swept Washington’s mind clear of its chaos7 of glittering rubbish in an instant. Beauty had fascinated him before; many times he had been in love even for weeks at a time with the same object but his heart had never suffered so sudden and so fierce an assault as this, within his recollection.
Louise Boswell occupied his mind and drifted among his multiplication8 tables all the afternoon. He was constantly catching9 himself in a reverie—reveries made up of recalling how she looked when she first burst upon him; how her voice thrilled him when she first spoke10; how charmed the very air seemed by her presence. Blissful as the afternoon was, delivered up to such a revel11 as this, it seemed an eternity12, so impatient was he to see the girl again. Other afternoons like it followed. Washington plunged13 into this love affair as he plunged into everything else—upon impulse and without reflection. As the days went by it seemed plain that he was growing in favor with Louise,—not sweepingly14 so, but yet perceptibly, he fancied. His attentions to her troubled her father and mother a little, and they warned Louise, without stating particulars or making allusions15 to any special person, that a girl was sure to make a mistake who allowed herself to marry anybody but a man who could support her well.
Some instinct taught Washington that his present lack of money would be an obstruction16, though possibly not a bar, to his hopes, and straightway his poverty became a torture to him which cast all his former sufferings under that held into the shade. He longed for riches now as he had never longed for them before.
He had been once or twice to dine with Col. Sellers, and had been discouraged to note that the Colonel’s bill of fare was falling off both in quantity and quality—a sign, he feared, that the lacking ingredient in the eye-water still remained undiscovered—though Sellers always explained that these changes in the family diet had been ordered by the doctor, or suggested by some new scientific work the Colonel had stumbled upon. But it always turned out that the lacking ingredient was still lacking—though it always appeared, at the same time, that the Colonel was right on its heels.
Every time the Colonel came into the real estate office Washington’s heart bounded and his eyes lighted with hope, but it always turned out that the Colonel was merely on the scent17 of some vast, undefined landed speculation—although he was customarily able to say that he was nearer to the all-necessary ingredient than ever, and could almost name the hour when success would dawn. And then Washington’s heart would sink again and a sigh would tell when it touched bottom.
About this time a letter came, saying that Judge Hawkins had been ailing18 for a fortnight, and was now considered to be seriously ill. It was thought best that Washington should come home. The news filled him with grief, for he loved and honored his father; the Boswells were touched by the youth’s sorrow, and even the General unbent and said encouraging things to him.—There was balm in this; but when Louise bade him good-bye, and shook his hand and said, “Don’t be cast down—it will all come out right—I know it will all come out right,” it seemed a blessed thing to be in misfortune, and the tears that welled up to his eyes were the messengers of an adoring and a grateful heart; and when the girl saw them and answering tears came into her own eyes, Washington could hardly contain the excess of happiness that poured into the cavities of his breast that were so lately stored to the roof with grief.
All the way home he nursed his woe20 and exalted21 it. He pictured himself as she must be picturing him: a noble, struggling young spirit persecuted22 by misfortune, but bravely and patiently waiting in the shadow of a dread23 calamity24 and preparing to meet the blow as became one who was all too used to hard fortune and the pitiless buffetings of fate. These thoughts made him weep, and weep more broken-heartedly than ever; and he wished that she could see his sufferings now.
There was nothing significant in the fact that Louise, dreamy and distraught, stood at her bedroom bureau that night, scribbling25 “Washington” here and there over a sheet of paper. But there was something significant in the fact that she scratched the word out every time she wrote it; examined the erasure26 critically to see if anybody could guess at what the word had been; then buried it under a maze27 of obliterating28 lines; and finally, as if still unsatisfied, burned the paper.
When Washington reached home, he recognized at once how serious his father’s case was. The darkened room, the labored30 breathing and occasional moanings of the patient, the tip-toeing of the attendants and their whispered consultations31, were full of sad meaning. For three or four nights Mrs. Hawkins and Laura had been watching by the bedside; Clay had arrived, preceding Washington by one day, and he was now added to the corps32 of watchers. Mr. Hawkins would have none but these three, though neighborly assistance was offered by old friends. From this time forth33 three-hour watches were instituted, and day and night the watchers kept their vigils. By degrees Laura and her mother began to show wear, but neither of them would yield a minute of their tasks to Clay. He ventured once to let the midnight hour pass without calling Laura, but he ventured no more; there was that about her rebuke34 when he tried to explain, that taught him that to let her sleep when she might be ministering to her father’s needs, was to rob her of moments that were priceless in her eyes; he perceived that she regarded it as a privilege to watch, not a burden. And, he had noticed, also, that when midnight struck, the patient turned his eyes toward the door, with an expectancy35 in them which presently grew into a longing36 but brightened into contentment as soon as the door opened and Laura appeared. And he did not need Laura’s rebuke when he heard his father say:
“Clay is good, and you are tired, poor child; but I wanted you so.”
“Clay is not good, father—he did not call me. I would not have treated him so. How could you do it, Clay?”
Clay begged forgiveness and promised not to break faith again; and as he betook him to his bed, he said to himself: “It’s a steadfast37 little soul; whoever thinks he is doing the Duchess a kindness by intimating that she is not sufficient for any undertaking38 she puts her hand to, makes a mistake; and if I did not know it before, I know now that there are surer ways of pleasing her than by trying to lighten her labor29 when that labor consists in wearing herself out for the sake of a person she loves.”
A week drifted by, and all the while the patient sank lower and lower. The night drew on that was to end all suspense39. It was a wintry one. The darkness gathered, the snow was falling, the wind wailed40 plaintively41 about the house or shook it with fitful gusts42. The doctor had paid his last visit and gone away with that dismal43 remark to the nearest friend of the family that he “believed there was nothing more that he could do”—a remark which is always overheard by some one it is not meant for and strikes a lingering half-conscious hope dead with a withering44 shock; the medicine phials had been removed from the bedside and put out of sight, and all things made orderly and meet for the solemn event that was impending45; the patient, with closed eyes, lay scarcely breathing; the watchers sat by and wiped the gathering46 damps from his forehead while the silent tears flowed down their faces; the deep hush47 was only interrupted by sobs49 from the children, grouped about the bed.
After a time—it was toward midnight now—Mr. Hawkins roused out of a doze50, looked about him and was evidently trying to speak. Instantly Laura lifted his head and in a failing voice he said, while something of the old light shone in his eyes:
“Wife—children—come nearer—nearer. The darkness grows. Let me see you all, once more.”
The group closed together at the bedside, and their tears and sobs came now without restraint.
“I am leaving you in cruel poverty. I have been—so foolish—so short-sighted. But courage! A better day is—is coming. Never lose sight of the Tennessee Land! Be wary51. There is wealth stored up for you there—wealth that is boundless52! The children shall hold up their heads with the best in the land, yet. Where are the papers?—Have you got the papers safe? Show them—show them to me!”
Under his strong excitement his voice had gathered power and his last sentences were spoken with scarcely a perceptible halt or hindrance53. With an effort he had raised himself almost without assistance to a sitting posture54. But now the fire faded out of his eyes and he fell back exhausted55. The papers were brought and held before him, and the answering smile that flitted across his face showed that he was satisfied. He closed his eyes, and the signs of approaching dissolution multiplied rapidly. He lay almost motionless for a little while, then suddenly partly raised his head and looked about him as one who peers into a dim uncertain light. He muttered:
“Gone? No—I see you—still. It is—it is-over. But you are—safe. Safe. The Ten——-”
The voice died out in a whisper; the sentence was never finished. The emaciated56 fingers began to pick at the coverlet, a fatal sign. After a time there were no sounds but the cries of the mourners within and the gusty57 turmoil58 of the wind without. Laura had bent19 down and kissed her father’s lips as the spirit left the body; but she did not sob48, or utter any ejaculation; her tears flowed silently. Then she closed the dead eyes, and crossed the hands upon the breast; after a season, she kissed the forehead reverently59, drew the sheet up over the face, and then walked apart and sat down with the look of one who is done with life and has no further interest in its joys and sorrows, its hopes or its ambitions. Clay buried his face in the coverlet of the bed; when the other children and the mother realized that death was indeed come at last, they threw themselves into each others’ arms and gave way to a frenzy60 of grief.
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1
hogs
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| n.（尤指喂肥供食用的）猪( hog的名词复数 )；（供食用的）阉公猪；彻底地做某事；自私的或贪婪的人 | |
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feverish
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| adj.发烧的，狂热的，兴奋的 | |
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fascinations
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| n.魅力( fascination的名词复数 )；有魅力的东西；迷恋；陶醉 | |
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vividly
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| adv.清楚地，鲜明地，生动地 | |
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dwelling
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| n.住宅，住所，寓所 | |
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speculation
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| n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机 | |
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chaos
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| n.混乱，无秩序 | |
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multiplication
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| n.增加，增多，倍增；增殖，繁殖；乘法 | |
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catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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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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revel
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| vi.狂欢作乐，陶醉；n.作乐，狂欢 | |
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12
eternity
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| n.不朽，来世；永恒，无穷 | |
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13
plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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sweepingly
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| adv.扫荡地 | |
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allusions
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| 暗指，间接提到( allusion的名词复数 ) | |
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obstruction
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| n.阻塞，堵塞；障碍物 | |
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scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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ailing
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| v.生病 | |
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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woe
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| n.悲哀，苦痛，不幸，困难；int.用来表达悲伤或惊慌 | |
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21
exalted
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| adj.(地位等)高的，崇高的；尊贵的，高尚的 | |
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persecuted
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| （尤指宗教或政治信仰的）迫害(~sb. for sth.)( persecute的过去式和过去分词 )； 烦扰，困扰或骚扰某人 | |
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dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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calamity
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| n.灾害，祸患，不幸事件 | |
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scribbling
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| n.乱涂[写]胡[乱]写的文章[作品]v.潦草的书写( scribble的现在分词 )；乱画；草草地写；匆匆记下 | |
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26
erasure
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| n.擦掉，删去；删掉的词；消音；抹音 | |
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maze
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| n.迷宫，八阵图，混乱，迷惑 | |
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obliterating
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| v.除去( obliterate的现在分词 )；涂去；擦掉；彻底破坏或毁灭 | |
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29
labor
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| n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦 | |
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labored
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| adj.吃力的，谨慎的v.努力争取(for)( labor的过去式和过去分词 )；苦干；详细分析；（指引擎）缓慢而困难地运转 | |
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consultations
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| n.磋商（会议）( consultation的名词复数 )；商讨会；协商会；查找 | |
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corps
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| n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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rebuke
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| v.指责，非难，斥责 [反]praise | |
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35
expectancy
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| n.期望，预期，（根据概率统计求得）预期数额 | |
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longing
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| n.（for）渴望 | |
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steadfast
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| adj.固定的，不变的，不动摇的；忠实的；坚贞不移的 | |
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38
undertaking
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| n.保证，许诺，事业 | |
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suspense
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| n.（对可能发生的事）紧张感，担心，挂虑 | |
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40
wailed
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| v.哭叫，哀号( wail的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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41
plaintively
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| adv.悲哀地，哀怨地 | |
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42
gusts
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| 一阵强风( gust的名词复数 )； （怒、笑等的）爆发； （感情的）迸发； 发作 | |
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43
dismal
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| adj.阴沉的，凄凉的，令人忧郁的，差劲的 | |
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44
withering
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| 使人畏缩的，使人害羞的，使人难堪的 | |
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impending
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| a.imminent, about to come or happen | |
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gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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47
hush
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| int.嘘，别出声；n.沉默，静寂；v.使安静 | |
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48
sob
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| n.空间轨道的轰炸机；呜咽，哭泣 | |
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49
sobs
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| 啜泣（声），呜咽（声）( sob的名词复数 ) | |
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50
doze
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| v.打瞌睡；n.打盹，假寐 | |
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51
wary
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| adj.谨慎的，机警的，小心的 | |
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52
boundless
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| adj.无限的；无边无际的；巨大的 | |
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53
hindrance
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| n.妨碍，障碍 | |
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posture
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| n.姿势，姿态，心态，态度；v.作出某种姿势 | |
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exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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56
emaciated
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| adj.衰弱的，消瘦的 | |
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gusty
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| adj.起大风的 | |
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turmoil
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| n.骚乱，混乱，动乱 | |
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reverently
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| adv.虔诚地 | |
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frenzy
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| n.疯狂，狂热，极度的激动 | |
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