That morning, when Michael Hennessey's girl Mary--a girl sixteen years old--carried the can of milk to the rear door of the silent house, she was nearly a quarter of hour later than usual, and looked forward to being soundly rated.
"He's up and been waiting for it," she said to herself, observing the scullery door ajar. "Won't I ketch it! It's him for growling1 and snapping at a body, and it's me for always being before or behind time, bad luck to me. There's no plazing him."
Mary pushed back the door and passed through the kitchen, serving herself all the while to meet the objurgations which she supposed were lying in wait for her. The sunshine was blinding without, but sifted2 through the green jalousies, it made a gray, crepuscular3 light within. As the girl approached the table, on which a plate with knife and fork had been laid for breakfast, she noticed, somewhat indistinctly at first, a thin red line running obliquely4 across the floor from the direction of the sitting-room5 and ending near the stove, where it had formed a small pool. Mary stopped short, scarcely conscious why, and peered instinctively6 into the adjoining apartment. Then, with a smothered7 cry, she let fall the milk-can, and a dozen white rivulets8, in strange contrast to that one dark red line which first startled her, went meandering9 over the kitchen floor. With her eyes riveted10 upon some object in the next room, the girl retreated backward slowly and heavily dragging one foot after the other, until she reached the gallery door; then she turned swiftly, and plunged11 into the street.
Twenty minutes later, every man, woman, and child in Stillwater knew that old Mr. Shackford had been murdered.
Mary Hennessey had to tell her story a hundred times during the morning, for each minute brought to Michael's tenement12 a fresh listener hungry for the details at first hand.
"How was it, Molly? Tell a body, dear!"
"Don't be asking me!" cried Molly, pressing her palms to her eyes as if to shut out the sight, but taking all the while a secret creepy satisfaction in living the scene over again. "It was kinder dark in the other room, and there he was, laying in his night-gownd, with his face turned towards me, so, looking mighty13 severe-like, jest as if he was a-going to say, 'It's late with the milk ye are, ye hussy!'--a way he had of spaking."
"But he didn't spake, Molly darlin'?"
"Niver a word. He was stone dead, don't you see. It was that still you could hear me heart beat, saving there wasn't a drop of beat in it. I let go the can, sure, and then I backed out, with me eye on 'im all the while, afeard to death that he would up and spake them words."
"The pore child! for the likes of her to be wakin' up a murthered man in the mornin'!"
There was little or no work done that day in Stillwater outside the mills, and they were not running full handed. A number of men from the Miantowona Iron Works and Slocum's Yard--Slocum employed some seventy or eighty hands--lounged about the streets in their blouses, or stood in knots in front of the tavern14, smoking short clay pipes. Not an urchin15 put in an appearance at the small red brick building on the turnpike. Mr. Pinkham, the school-master, waited an hour for the recusants, then turned the key in the lock and went home.
Dragged-looking women, with dishcloth or dustpan in hand, stood in door-ways or leaned from windows, talking in subdued17 voices with neighbors on the curb-stone. In a hundred far-away cities the news of the suburban18 tragedy had already been read and forgotten; but here the horror stayed.
There was a constantly changing crowd gathered in front of the house in Welch's Court. An inquest was being held in the room adjoining the kitchen. The court, which ended at the gate of the cottage, was fringed for several yards on each side by rows of squalid, wondering children, who understood it that Coroner Whidden was literally19 to sit on the dead body,--Mr. Whidden, a limp, inoffensive little man, who would not have dared to sit down on a fly. He had passed, pallid20 and perspiring21, to the scene of his perfunctory duties.
The result of the investigation22 was awaited with feverish23 impatience24 by the people outside. Mr. Shackford had not been a popular man; he had been a hard, avaricious25, passionate26 man, holding his own way remorselessly. He had been the reverse of popular, but he had long been a prominent character in Stillwater, because of his wealth, his endless lawsuits27, and his eccentricity28, an illustration of which was his persistence29 in living entirely30 alone in the isolated31 and dreary32 old house, that was henceforth to be inhabited by his shadow. Not his shadow alone, however, for it was now remembered that the premises33 were already held in fee by another phantasmal tenant34. At a period long anterior35 to this, one Lydia Sloper, a widow, had died an unexplained death under that same roof. The coincidence struck deeply into the imaginative portion of Stillwater. "The Widow Sloper and old Shackford have made a match of it," remarked a local humorist, in a grimmer vain than customary. Two ghosts had now set up housekeeping, as it were, in the stricken mansion37, and what might not be looked for in the way of spectral38 progeny39!
It appeared to the crowd in the lane that the jury were unconscionably long in arriving at a decision, and when the decision was at length reached it gave but moderate satisfaction. After a spendthrift waste of judicial40 mind the jury had decided41 that "the death of Lemuel Shackford was caused by a blow on the left temple, inflicted42 with some instrument not discoverable, in the hands of some person or persons unknown."
"We knew that before," grumbled43 a voice in the crowd, when, to relieve public suspense44, Lawyer Perkins--a long, lank45 man, with stringy black hair--announced the verdict from the doorstep.
The theory of suicide had obtained momentary46 credence47 early in the morning, and one or two still clung to it with the tenacity48 that characterizes persons who entertain few ideas. To accept this theory it was necessary to believe that Mr. Shackford had ingeniously hidden the weapon after striking himself dead with a single blow. No, it was not suicide. So far from intending to take his own life, Mr. Shackford, it appeared, had made rather careful preparations to live that day. The breakfast-table had been laid over night, the coals left ready for kindling49 in the Franklin stove, and a kettle, filled with water to be heated for his tea or coffee, stood on the hearth50.
Two facts had sharply demonstrated themselves: first, that Mr. Shackford had been murdered; and, second, that the spur to the crime had been the possession of a sum of money, which the deceased was supposed to keep in a strong-box in his bedroom. The padlock had been wrenched51 open, and the less valuable contents of the chest, chiefly papers, scattered52 over the carpet. A memorandum53 among the papers seemed to specify54 the respective sums in notes and gold that had been deposited in the box. A document of some kind had been torn into minute pieces and thrown into the waste-basket. On close scrutiny55 a word or two here and there revealed the fact that the document was of a legal character. The fragments were put into an envelope and given in charge of Mr. Shackford's lawyer, who placed seals on that and on the drawers of an escritoire which stood in the corner and contained other manuscript.
The instrument with which the fatal blow had been dealt--for the autopsy56 showed that there had been but one blow--was not only not discoverable, but the fashion of it defied conjecture57. The shape of the wound did not indicate the use of any implement58 known to the jurors, several of whom were skilled machinists. The wound was an inch and three quarters in length and very deep at the extremities59; in the middle in scarcely penetrated60 to the cranium. So peculiar61 a cut could not have been produced with the claw part of a hammer, because the claw is always curved, and the incision62 was straight. A flat claw, such as is used in opening packing-cases, was suggested. A collection of the several sizes manufactured was procured63, but none corresponded with the wound; they were either too wide or too narrow. Moreover, the cut was as thin as the blade of a case-knife.
"That was never done by any tool in these parts," declared Stevens, the foreman of the finishing shop at Slocum's.
The assassin or assassins had entered by the scullery door, the simple fastening of which, a hook and staple64, had been broken. There were footprints in the soft clay path leading from the side gate to the stone step; but Mary Hennessey had so confused and obliterated65 the outlines that now it was impossible accurately66 to measure them. A half-burned match was found under the sink,--evidently thrown there by the burglars. It was of a kind known as the safety-match, which can be ignited only by friction67 on a strip of chemically prepared paper glued to the box. As no box of this description was discovered, and as all the other matches in the house were of a different make, the charred68 splinter was preserved. The most minute examination failed to show more than this. The last time Mr. Shackford had been seen alive was at six o'clock the previous evening.
Who had done the deed?
Tramps! answered Stillwater, with one voice, though Stillwater lay somewhat out of the natural highway, and the tramp--that bitter blossom of civilization whose seed was blown to us from over seas--was not then so common by the New England roadsides as he became five or six years later. But it was intolerable not to have a theory; it was that or none, for conjecture turned to no one in the village. To be sure, Mr. Shackford had been in litigation with several of the corporations, and had had legal quarrels with more than one of his neighbors; but Mr. Shackford had never been victorious69 in any of these contests, and the incentive70 of revenge was wanting to explain the crime. Besides, it was so clearly robbery.
Though the gathering71 around the Shackford house had reduced itself to half a dozen idlers, and the less frequented streets had resumed their normal aspect of dullness, there was a strange, electric quality in the atmosphere. The community was in that state of suppressed agitation72 and suspicion which no word adequately describes. The slightest circumstance would have swayed it to the belief in any man's guilt73; and, indeed, there were men in Stillwater quite capable of disposing of a fellow-creature for a much smaller reward than Mr. Shackford had held out. In spite of the tramp theory, a harmless tin-peddler, who had not passed through the place for weeks, was dragged from his glittering cart that afternoon, as he drove smilingly into town, and would have been roughly handled if Mr. Richard Shackford, a cousin of the deceased, had not interfered74.
As the day wore on, the excitement deepened in intensity75, though the expression of it became nearly reticent76. It was noticed that the lamps throughout the village were lighted an hour earlier than usual. A sense of insecurity settled upon Stillwater with the falling twilight,--that nameless apprehension77 which is possibly more trying to the nerves than tangible78 danger. When a man is smitten79 inexplicably80, as if by a bodiless hand stretched out of a cloud,--when the red slayer81 vanishes like a mist and leaves no faintest trace of his identity,--the mystery shrouding82 the deed presently becomes more appalling83 than the deed itself. There is something paralyzing in the thought of an invisible hand somewhere ready to strike at your life, or at some life dearer than your own. Whose hand, and where is it? Perhaps it passes you your coffee at breakfast; perhaps you have hired it to shovel84 the snow off your sidewalk; perhaps it has brushed against you in the crowd; or may be you have dropped a coin into the fearful palm at a street corner. Ah, the terrible unseen hand that stabs your imagination,--this immortal85 part of you which is a hundred times more sensitive than your poor perishable86 body!
In the midst of situations the most solemn and tragic87 there often falls a light purely88 farcical in its incongruity89. Such a gleam was unconsciously projected upon the present crisis by Mr. Bodge, better known in the village as Father Bodge. Mr. Bodge was stone deaf, naturally stupid, and had been nearly moribund90 for thirty years with asthma91. Just before night-fall he had crawled, in his bewildered, wheezy fashion, down to the tavern, where he found a somber92 crowd in the bar-room. Mr. Bodge ordered his mug of beer, and sat sipping93 it, glancing meditatively94 from time to time over the pewter rim36 at the mute assembly. Suddenly he broke out: "S'pose you've heerd that old Shackford's ben murdered."
So the sun went down on Stillwater. Again the great wall of pines and hemlocks95 made a gloom against the sky. The moon rose from behind the tree-tops, frosting their ragged16 edges, and then sweeping96 up to the zenith hung serenely97 above the world, as if there were never a crime, or a tear, or a heart-break in it all.
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1
growling
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| n.吠声, 咆哮声 v.怒吠, 咆哮, 吼 | |
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sifted
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| v.筛( sift的过去式和过去分词 )；筛滤；细查；详审 | |
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crepuscular
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| adj.晨曦的；黄昏的；昏暗的 | |
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obliquely
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| adv.斜； 倾斜； 间接； 不光明正大 | |
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sitting-room
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| n.（BrE）客厅，起居室 | |
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instinctively
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| adv.本能地 | |
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smothered
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| （使）窒息， （使）透不过气( smother的过去式和过去分词 )； 覆盖； 忍住； 抑制 | |
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rivulets
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| n.小河，小溪( rivulet的名词复数 ) | |
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meandering
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| 蜿蜒的河流，漫步，聊天 | |
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riveted
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| 铆接( rivet的过去式和过去分词 )； 把…固定住； 吸引； 引起某人的注意 | |
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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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tenement
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| n.公寓；房屋 | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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tavern
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| n.小旅馆，客栈；小酒店 | |
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urchin
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| n.顽童；海胆 | |
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ragged
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| adj.衣衫褴褛的，粗糙的，刺耳的 | |
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subdued
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| adj. 屈服的，柔和的，减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词 | |
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suburban
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| adj.城郊的，在郊区的 | |
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literally
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| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 | |
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pallid
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| adj.苍白的，呆板的 | |
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perspiring
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| v.出汗，流汗( perspire的现在分词 ) | |
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22
investigation
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| n.调查，调查研究 | |
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feverish
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| adj.发烧的，狂热的，兴奋的 | |
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impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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avaricious
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| adj.贪婪的，贪心的 | |
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passionate
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的 | |
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lawsuits
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| n.诉讼( lawsuit的名词复数 ) | |
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28
eccentricity
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| n.古怪，反常，怪癖 | |
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persistence
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| n.坚持，持续，存留 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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isolated
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| adj.与世隔绝的 | |
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dreary
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| adj.令人沮丧的，沉闷的，单调乏味的 | |
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premises
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| n.建筑物，房屋 | |
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tenant
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| n.承租人；房客；佃户；v.租借，租用 | |
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anterior
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| adj.较早的；在前的 | |
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rim
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| n.(圆物的)边，轮缘；边界 | |
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mansion
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| n.大厦，大楼；宅第 | |
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spectral
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| adj.幽灵的，鬼魂的 | |
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progeny
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| n.后代，子孙；结果 | |
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40
judicial
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| adj.司法的，法庭的，审判的，明断的，公正的 | |
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41
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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42
inflicted
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| 把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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43
grumbled
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| 抱怨( grumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 发牢骚； 咕哝； 发哼声 | |
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44
suspense
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| n.（对可能发生的事）紧张感，担心，挂虑 | |
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45
lank
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| adj.瘦削的；稀疏的 | |
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46
momentary
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| adj.片刻的，瞬息的；短暂的 | |
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47
credence
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| n.信用，祭器台，供桌，凭证 | |
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48
tenacity
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| n.坚韧 | |
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49
kindling
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| n. 点火, 可燃物 动词kindle的现在分词形式 | |
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50
hearth
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| n.壁炉炉床，壁炉地面 | |
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51
wrenched
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| v.（猛力地）扭( wrench的过去式和过去分词 )；扭伤；使感到痛苦；使悲痛 | |
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52
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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53
memorandum
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| n.备忘录，便笺 | |
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54
specify
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| vt.指定，详细说明 | |
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55
scrutiny
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| n.详细检查，仔细观察 | |
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56
autopsy
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| n.尸体解剖；尸检 | |
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57
conjecture
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| n./v.推测，猜测 | |
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58
implement
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| n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行 | |
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59
extremities
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| n.端点( extremity的名词复数 )；尽头；手和足；极窘迫的境地 | |
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60
penetrated
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| adj. 击穿的，鞭辟入里的 动词penetrate的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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61
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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62
incision
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| n．切口，切开 | |
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63
procured
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| v.（努力）取得， （设法）获得( procure的过去式和过去分词 )；拉皮条 | |
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64
staple
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| n.主要产物，常用品，主要要素，原料，订书钉，钩环；adj.主要的，重要的；vt.分类 | |
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65
obliterated
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| v.除去( obliterate的过去式和过去分词 )；涂去；擦掉；彻底破坏或毁灭 | |
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66
accurately
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| adv.准确地，精确地 | |
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67
friction
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| n.摩擦，摩擦力 | |
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68
charred
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| v.把…烧成炭( char的过去式)；烧焦 | |
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69
victorious
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| adj.胜利的，得胜的 | |
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70
incentive
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| n.刺激；动力；鼓励；诱因；动机 | |
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71
gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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72
agitation
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| n.搅动；搅拌；鼓动，煽动 | |
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73
guilt
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| n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责 | |
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74
interfered
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| v.干预( interfere的过去式和过去分词 )；调停；妨碍；干涉 | |
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75
intensity
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| n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度 | |
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76
reticent
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| adj.沉默寡言的；言不如意的 | |
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77
apprehension
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| n.理解，领悟；逮捕，拘捕；忧虑 | |
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78
tangible
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| adj.有形的，可触摸的，确凿的，实际的 | |
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79
smitten
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| 猛打，重击，打击( smite的过去分词 ) | |
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80
inexplicably
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| adv.无法说明地，难以理解地，令人难以理解的是 | |
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81
slayer
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| n. 杀人者，凶手 | |
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82
shrouding
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| n.覆盖v.隐瞒( shroud的现在分词 )；保密 | |
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83
appalling
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| adj.骇人听闻的，令人震惊的，可怕的 | |
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84
shovel
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| n.铁锨，铲子，一铲之量；v.铲，铲出 | |
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85
immortal
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| adj.不朽的；永生的，不死的；神的 | |
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86
perishable
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| adj.（尤指食物）易腐的，易坏的 | |
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87
tragic
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| adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的 | |
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88
purely
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| adv.纯粹地，完全地 | |
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89
incongruity
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| n.不协调，不一致 | |
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90
moribund
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| adj.即将结束的，垂死的 | |
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91
asthma
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| n.气喘病，哮喘病 | |
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92
somber
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| adj.昏暗的，阴天的，阴森的，忧郁的 | |
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93
sipping
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| v.小口喝，呷，抿( sip的现在分词 ) | |
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94
meditatively
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| adv.冥想地 | |
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95
hemlocks
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| 由毒芹提取的毒药( hemlock的名词复数 ) | |
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96
sweeping
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| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
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97
serenely
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| adv.安详地，宁静地，平静地 | |
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