'Twas like a flare6 of lightning, this sudden outburst of malignity7; for you saw in it, quintessentialized, the man's stark8 and venomous hatred9 of a world which had ill-used him; and 'twas over with too as quickly as the lightning, yielding to the pleasantest smile imaginable. Meanwhile you are to picture me, and my emotions, as I lay beneath his oscillating toes, entirely10 helpless. "'Twas not that I lacked the courage to fight you," he continues, "nor the skill, either. But there is always the possibility that by some awkward thrust or other you might deprive the stage of a distinguished11 ornament12; and as a sincere admirer of my genius, I must, in decency13, avoid such risks. 'Twas necessary to me, of course, that you be got out of this world speedily, since a further continuance of your blunderings would interfere14 with my plans for the future; having gone thus far, I cannot reasonably be expected to cede15 my interest in the Marchioness and her estate. Accordingly I decide upon the handiest method and tip the wink16 to Quarmby here; the lady quits the apartment in order to afford us opportunity to settle our pretensions17, with cutlery as arbiter18; and she will return to find your perforated carcass artistically19 displayed in yonder extremity20 of the room. Slain21 in an affair of honor, my dear Captain! The disputed damsel will think none the worse of me, a man of demonstrated valor22 and affection; Quarmby and I'll bury you in the cellar; and being freed from her recent and unfortunate alliance, my esteemed24 Dorothy will seek consolation25 in the embraces of a more acceptable spouse26. Confess, sir, is it not a scheme of Arcadian simplicity27?"
'Twas the most extraordinary sensation to note the utterly28 urbane29 and cheerful countenance30 with which Mr. Vanringham disclosed the meditated31 atrocity32. This unprincipled young man was about to run me through with no more compunction than a naturalist33 in the act of pinning a new beetle34 among his collection may momentarily be aware of.
Then my quickened faculties35 were stirred on a sudden, and for the first time I opened my mouth. Whatever claim I had upon Vanringham, there was no need to advance it now.
"I was about to relieve a certain surplusage of emotion," I retorted, "by observing that I regret to find you, sir, a chattering37, lean-witted fool—a vain and improvident38 fool!"
"O Lord, sir, but not of an undeserved asperity40!" I returned, "D'ye think the Marchioness, her flighty head crammed41 with scraps42 of idiotic43 romance, would elope without regard for the canons of romance? Not so; depend upon it, a letter was left upon her pin-cushion announcing her removal with you, and in the most approved heroic style arraigning44 the obduracy45 of her unsympathetic grandchildren. D'ye think Gerald Allonby will not follow her? Sure, and he will; and the proof is," I added, "that you may hear his horses yonder on the heath, as I heard them some moments ago."
Vanringham leaped to the floor and stood thus, all tension. He raised clenched46, quivering hands toward the ceiling. "O King of Jesters!" he cried, in horrid47 blasphemy48; and then again, "O King of Jesters!"
And by this time men were shouting without, and at the door there was a prodigious49 and augmenting50 hammering. And the Parson wrung51 his hands and began to shake like a dish of jelly in a thunder-storm.
"Captain Audaine," Mr. Vanringham resumed, with more tranquillity52, "you are correct. Clidamira and Parthenissa would never have fled into the night without leaving a note upon the pin-cushion. The folly53 I kindled54 in your wife's addled55 pate56 has proven my ruin. Remains57 to make the best of Hobson's choice." He unlocked the door. "Gentlemen, gentlemen!" says he, with deprecating hand, "surely this disturbance58 is somewhat outré, a trifle misplaced, upon the threshold of a bridal-chamber?"
Then Gerald Allonby thrust into the room, followed by Lord Humphrey Degge, [Footnote: I must in this place entreat59 my reader's profound discredit60 of any aspersions I may rashly seem to cast upon this honest gentleman, whose friendship I to-day esteem23 as invaluable61; but I wrote, as always, currente calamo, and the above was penned in an amorous62 misery63, sub Venire, be it remembered; and in such cases a wrong bias64 is easily hung upon the mind.—F.A.] my abhorred65 rival for Dorothy's affection, and two attendants.
"The query68 were more fitly put," Vanringham retorts, "to the lady's husband." And he waves his hand toward me.
Thereupon the new-comers unbound me with various exclamations69 of wonder. "And now," I observed, "I would suggest that you bestow70 upon Mr. Vanringham and yonder blot71 upon the Church of England the bonds from which I have been recently manumitted, or, at the very least, keep a vigilant72 watch upon those more than suspicious characters, the while that I narrate73 the surprising events of this evening."
点击收听单词发音
1 dangling | |
悬吊着( dangle的现在分词 ); 摆动不定; 用某事物诱惑…; 吊胃口 | |
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2 lament | |
n.悲叹,悔恨,恸哭;v.哀悼,悔恨,悲叹 | |
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3 uncouth | |
adj.无教养的,粗鲁的 | |
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4 proceeding | |
n.行动,进行,(pl.)会议录,学报 | |
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5 amend | |
vt.修改,修订,改进;n.[pl.]赔罪,赔偿 | |
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6 flare | |
v.闪耀,闪烁;n.潮红;突发 | |
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7 malignity | |
n.极度的恶意,恶毒;(病的)恶性 | |
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8 stark | |
adj.荒凉的;严酷的;完全的;adv.完全地 | |
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9 hatred | |
n.憎恶,憎恨,仇恨 | |
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10 entirely | |
ad.全部地,完整地;完全地,彻底地 | |
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11 distinguished | |
adj.卓越的,杰出的,著名的 | |
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12 ornament | |
v.装饰,美化;n.装饰,装饰物 | |
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13 decency | |
n.体面,得体,合宜,正派,庄重 | |
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14 interfere | |
v.(in)干涉,干预;(with)妨碍,打扰 | |
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15 cede | |
v.割让,放弃 | |
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16 wink | |
n.眨眼,使眼色,瞬间;v.眨眼,使眼色,闪烁 | |
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17 pretensions | |
自称( pretension的名词复数 ); 自命不凡; 要求; 权力 | |
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18 arbiter | |
n.仲裁人,公断人 | |
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19 artistically | |
adv.艺术性地 | |
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20 extremity | |
n.末端,尽头;尽力;终极;极度 | |
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21 slain | |
杀死,宰杀,杀戮( slay的过去分词 ); (slay的过去分词) | |
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22 valor | |
n.勇气,英勇 | |
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23 esteem | |
n.尊敬,尊重;vt.尊重,敬重;把…看作 | |
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24 esteemed | |
adj.受人尊敬的v.尊敬( esteem的过去式和过去分词 );敬重;认为;以为 | |
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25 consolation | |
n.安慰,慰问 | |
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26 spouse | |
n.配偶(指夫或妻) | |
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27 simplicity | |
n.简单,简易;朴素;直率,单纯 | |
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28 utterly | |
adv.完全地,绝对地 | |
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29 urbane | |
adj.温文尔雅的,懂礼的 | |
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30 countenance | |
n.脸色,面容;面部表情;vt.支持,赞同 | |
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31 meditated | |
深思,沉思,冥想( meditate的过去式和过去分词 ); 内心策划,考虑 | |
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32 atrocity | |
n.残暴,暴行 | |
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33 naturalist | |
n.博物学家(尤指直接观察动植物者) | |
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34 beetle | |
n.甲虫,近视眼的人 | |
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35 faculties | |
n.能力( faculty的名词复数 );全体教职员;技巧;院 | |
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36 queried | |
v.质疑,对…表示疑问( query的过去式和过去分词 );询问 | |
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37 chattering | |
n. (机器振动发出的)咔嗒声,(鸟等)鸣,啁啾 adj. 喋喋不休的,啾啾声的 动词chatter的现在分词形式 | |
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38 improvident | |
adj.不顾将来的,不节俭的,无远见的 | |
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39 eyebrows | |
眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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40 asperity | |
n.粗鲁,艰苦 | |
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41 crammed | |
adj.塞满的,挤满的;大口地吃;快速贪婪地吃v.把…塞满;填入;临时抱佛脚( cram的过去式) | |
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42 scraps | |
油渣 | |
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43 idiotic | |
adj.白痴的 | |
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44 arraigning | |
v.告发( arraign的现在分词 );控告;传讯;指责 | |
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45 obduracy | |
n.冷酷无情,顽固,执拗 | |
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46 clenched | |
v.紧握,抓紧,咬紧( clench的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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47 horrid | |
adj.可怕的;令人惊恐的;恐怖的;极讨厌的 | |
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48 blasphemy | |
n.亵渎,渎神 | |
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49 prodigious | |
adj.惊人的,奇妙的;异常的;巨大的;庞大的 | |
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50 augmenting | |
使扩张 | |
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51 wrung | |
绞( wring的过去式和过去分词 ); 握紧(尤指别人的手); 把(湿衣服)拧干; 绞掉(水) | |
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52 tranquillity | |
n. 平静, 安静 | |
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53 folly | |
n.愚笨,愚蠢,蠢事,蠢行,傻话 | |
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54 kindled | |
(使某物)燃烧,着火( kindle的过去式和过去分词 ); 激起(感情等); 发亮,放光 | |
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55 addled | |
adj.(头脑)糊涂的,愚蠢的;(指蛋类)变坏v.使糊涂( addle的过去式和过去分词 );使混乱;使腐臭;使变质 | |
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56 pate | |
n.头顶;光顶 | |
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57 remains | |
n.剩余物,残留物;遗体,遗迹 | |
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58 disturbance | |
n.动乱,骚动;打扰,干扰;(身心)失调 | |
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59 entreat | |
v.恳求,恳请 | |
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60 discredit | |
vt.使不可置信;n.丧失信义;不信,怀疑 | |
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61 invaluable | |
adj.无价的,非常宝贵的,极为贵重的 | |
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62 amorous | |
adj.多情的;有关爱情的 | |
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63 misery | |
n.痛苦,苦恼,苦难;悲惨的境遇,贫苦 | |
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64 bias | |
n.偏见,偏心,偏袒;vt.使有偏见 | |
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65 abhorred | |
v.憎恶( abhor的过去式和过去分词 );(厌恶地)回避;拒绝;淘汰 | |
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66 shrieks | |
n.尖叫声( shriek的名词复数 )v.尖叫( shriek的第三人称单数 ) | |
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67 villain | |
n.反派演员,反面人物;恶棍;问题的起因 | |
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68 query | |
n.疑问,问号,质问;vt.询问,表示怀疑 | |
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69 exclamations | |
n.呼喊( exclamation的名词复数 );感叹;感叹语;感叹词 | |
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70 bestow | |
v.把…赠与,把…授予;花费 | |
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71 blot | |
vt.弄脏(用吸墨纸)吸干;n.污点,污渍 | |
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72 vigilant | |
adj.警觉的,警戒的,警惕的 | |
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73 narrate | |
v.讲,叙述 | |
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