Very early morning. The sun was not yet risen, and the whole of Crescent Bay was hidden under a white sea-mist. The big bush-covered hills at the back were smothered2. You could not see where they ended and the paddocks and bungalows5 began. The sandy road was gone and the paddocks and bungalows the other side of it; there were no white dunes6 covered with reddish grass beyond them; there was nothing to mark which was beach and where was the sea. A heavy dew had fallen. The grass was blue. Big drops hung on the bushes and just did not fall; the silvery, fluffy7 toi-toi was limp on its long stalks, and all the marigolds and the pinks in the bungalow4 gardens were bowed to the earth with wetness. Drenched8 were the cold fuchsias, round pearls of dew lay on the flat nasturtium leaves. It looked as though the sea had beaten up softly in the darkness, as though one immense wave had come rippling9, rippling — how far? Perhaps if you had waked up in the middle of the night you might have seen a big fish flicking10 in at the window and gone again. . . .
Ah–Aah! sounded the sleepy sea. And from the bush there came the sound of little streams flowing, quickly, lightly, slipping between the smooth stones, gushing11 into ferny basins and out again; and there was the splashing of big drops on large leaves, and something else — what was it?— a faint stirring and shaking, the snapping of a twig12 and then such silence that it seemed some one was listening.
Round the corner of Crescent Bay, between the piled-up masses of broken rock, a flock of sheep came pattering. They were huddled13 together, a small, tossing, woolly mass, and their thin, stick-like legs trotted14 along quickly as if the cold and the quiet had frightened them. Behind them an old sheep-dog, his soaking paws covered with sand, ran along with his nose to the ground, but carelessly, as if thinking of something else. And then in the rocky gateway15 the shepherd himself appeared. He was a lean, upright old man, in a frieze16 coat that was covered with a web of tiny drops, velvet17 trousers tied under the knee, and a wide-awake with a folded blue handkerchief round the brim. One hand was crammed18 into his belt, the other grasped a beautifully smooth yellow stick. And as he walked, taking his time, he kept up a very soft light whistling, an airy, far-away fluting19 that sounded mournful and tender. The old dog cut an ancient caper20 or two and then drew up sharp, ashamed of his levity21, and walked a few dignified22 paces by his master’s side. The sheep ran forward in little pattering rushes; they began to bleat23, and ghostly flocks and herds24 answered them from under the sea. “Baa! Baaa!” For a time they seemed to be always on the same piece of ground. There ahead was stretched the sandy road with shallow puddles25; the same soaking bushes showed on either side and the same shadowy palings. Then something immense came into view; an enormous shock-haired giant with his arms stretched out. It was the big gum-tree outside Mrs. Stubbs’ shop, and as they passed by there was a strong whiff of eucalyptus26. And now big spots of light gleamed in the mist. The shepherd stopped whistling; he rubbed his red nose and wet beard on his wet sleeve and, screwing up his eyes, glanced in the direction of the sea. The sun was rising. It was marvellous how quickly the mist thinned, sped away, dissolved from the shallow plain, rolled up from the bush and was gone as if in a hurry to escape; big twists and curls jostled and shouldered each other as the silvery beams broadened. The far-away sky — a bright, pure blue — was reflected in the puddles, and the drops, swimming along the telegraph poles, flashed into points of light. Now the leaping, glittering sea was so bright it made one’s eyes ache to look at it. The shepherd drew a pipe, the bowl as small as an acorn27, out of his breast pocket, fumbled28 for a chunk29 of speckled tobacco, pared off a few shavings and stuffed the bowl. He was a grave, fine-looking old man. As he lit up and the blue smoke wreathed his head, the dog, watching, looked proud of him.
“Baa! Baaa!” The sheep spread out into a fan. They were just clear of the summer colony before the first sleeper30 turned over and lifted a drowsy31 head; their cry sounded in the dreams of little children . . . who lifted their arms to drag down, to cuddle the darling little woolly lambs of sleep. Then the first inhabitant appeared; it was the Burnells’ cat Florrie, sitting on the gatepost, far too early as usual, looking for their milk-girl. When she saw the old sheep-dog she sprang up quickly, arched her back, drew in her tabby head, and seemed to give a little fastidious shiver. “Ugh! What a coarse, revolting creature!” said Florrie. But the old sheep-dog, not looking up, waggled past, flinging out his legs from side to side. Only one of his ears twitched32 to prove that he saw, and thought her a silly young female.
The breeze of morning lifted in the bush and the smell of leaves and wet black earth mingled33 with the sharp smell of the sea. Myriads34 of birds were singing. A goldfinch flew over the shepherd’s head and, perching on the tiptop of a spray, it turned to the sun, ruffling35 its small breast feathers. And now they had passed the fisherman’s hut, passed the charred-looking little whare where Leila the milk-girl lived with her old Gran. The sheep strayed over a yellow swamp and Wag, the sheep-dog, padded after, rounded them up and headed them for the steeper, narrower rocky pass that led out of Crescent Bay and towards Daylight Cove1. “Baa! Baa!” Faint the cry came as they rocked along the fast-drying road. The shepherd put away his pipe, dropping it into his breast-pocket so that the little bowl hung over. And straightway the soft airy whistling began again. Wag ran out along a ledge36 of rock after something that smelled, and ran back again disgusted. Then pushing, nudging, hurrying, the sheep rounded the bend and the shepherd followed after out of sight.
II.
A few moments later the back door of one of the bungalows opened, and a figure in a broad-striped bathing suit flung down the paddock, cleared the stile, rushed through the tussock grass into the hollow, staggered up the sandy hillock, and raced for dear life over the big porous37 stones, over the cold, wet pebbles38, on to the hard sand that gleamed like oil. Splish–Splosh! Splish–Splosh! The water bubbled round his legs as Stanley Burnell waded41 out exulting42. First man in as usual! He’d beaten them all again. And he swooped43 down to souse his head and neck.
“Hail, brother! All hail, Thou Mighty44 One!” A velvety45 bass46 voice came booming over the water.
Great Scott! Damnation take it! Stanley lifted up to see a dark head bobbing far out and an arm lifted. It was Jonathan Trout47 — there before him! “Glorious morning!” sang the voice.
“Yes, very fine!” said Stanley briefly48. Why the dickens didn’t the fellow stick to his part of the sea? Why should he come barging over to this exact spot? Stanley gave a kick, a lunge and struck out, swimming overarm. But Jonathan was a match for him. Up he came, his black hair sleek49 on his forehead, his short beard sleek.
“I had an extraordinary dream last night!” he shouted.
What was the matter with the man? This mania50 for conversation irritated Stanley beyond words. And it was always the same — always some piffle about a dream he’d had, or some cranky idea he’d got hold of, or some rot he’d been reading. Stanley turned over on his back and kicked with his legs till he was a living waterspout. But even then . . . “I dreamed I was hanging over a terrifically high cliff, shouting to some one below.” You would be! thought Stanley. He could stick no more of it. He stopped splashing. “Look here, Trout,” he said, “I’m in rather a hurry this morning.”
“You’re WHAT?” Jonathan was so surprised — or pretended to be — that he sank under the water, then reappeared again blowing.
“All I mean is,” said Stanley, “I’ve no time to — to — to fool about. I want to get this over. I’m in a hurry. I’ve work to do this morning — see?”
Jonathan was gone before Stanley had finished. “Pass, friend!” said the bass voice gently, and he slid away through the water with scarcely a ripple51 . . . But curse the fellow! He’d ruined Stanley’s bathe. What an unpractical idiot the man was! Stanley struck out to sea again, and then as quickly swam in again, and away he rushed up the beach. He felt cheated.
Jonathan stayed a little longer in the water. He floated, gently moving his hands like fins52, and letting the sea rock his long, skinny body. It was curious, but in spite of everything he was fond of Stanley Burnell. True, he had a fiendish desire to tease him sometimes, to poke53 fun at him, but at bottom he was sorry for the fellow. There was something pathetic in his determination to make a job of everything. You couldn’t help feeling he’d be caught out one day, and then what an almighty54 cropper he’d come! At that moment an immense wave lifted Jonathan, rode past him, and broke along the beach with a joyful55 sound. What a beauty! And now there came another. That was the way to live — carelessly, recklessly, spending oneself. He got on to his feet and began to wade40 towards the shore, pressing his toes into the firm, wrinkled sand. To take things easy, not to fight against the ebb39 and flow of life, but to give way to it — that was what was needed. It was this tension that was all wrong. To live — to live! And the perfect morning, so fresh and fair, basking56 in the light, as though laughing at its own beauty, seemed to whisper, “Why not?”
But now he was out of the water Jonathan turned blue with cold. He ached all over; it was as though some one was wringing57 the blood out of him. And stalking up the beach, shivering, all his muscles tight, he too felt his bathe was spoilt. He’d stayed in too long.
III.
Beryl was alone in the living-room when Stanley appeared, wearing a blue serge suit, a stiff collar and a spotted58 tie. He looked almost uncannily clean and brushed; he was going to town for the day. Dropping into his chair, he pulled out his watch and put it beside his plate.
“I’ve just got twenty-five minutes,” he said. “You might go and see if the porridge is ready, Beryl?”
“Mother’s just gone for it,” said Beryl. She sat down at the table and poured out his tea.
“Thanks!” Stanley took a sip59. “Hallo!” he said in an astonished voice, “you’ve forgotten the sugar.”
“Oh, sorry!” But even then Beryl didn’t help him; she pushed the basin across. What did this mean? As Stanley helped himself his blue eyes widened; they seemed to quiver. He shot a quick glance at his sister-inlaw and leaned back.
“Nothing wrong, is there?” he asked carelessly, fingering his collar.
Beryl’s head was bent60; she turned her plate in her fingers.
“Nothing,” said her light voice. Then she too looked up, and smiled at Stanley. “Why should there be?”
“O-oh! No reason at all as far as I know. I thought you seemed rather —”
At that moment the door opened and the three little girls appeared, each carrying a porridge plate. They were dressed alike in blue jerseys61 and knickers; their brown legs were bare, and each had her hair plaited and pinned up in what was called a horse’s tail. Behind them came Mrs. Fairfield with the tray.
“Carefully, children,” she warned. But they were taking the very greatest care. They loved being allowed to carry things. “Have you said good morning to your father?”
“Yes, grandma.” They settled themselves on the bench opposite Stanley and Beryl.
“Good morning, Stanley!” Old Mrs. Fairfield gave him his plate.
“Morning, mother! How’s the boy?”
“Splendid! He only woke up once last night. What a perfect morning!” The old woman paused, her hand on the loaf of bread, to gaze out of the open door into the garden. The sea sounded. Through the wide-open window streamed the sun on to the yellow varnished64 walls and bare floor. Everything on the table flashed and glittered. In the middle there was an old salad bowl filled with yellow and red nasturtiums. She smiled, and a look of deep content shone in her eyes.
“You might cut me a slice of that bread, mother,” said Stanley. “I’ve only twelve and a half minutes before the coach passes. Has anyone given my shoes to the servant girl?”
“Yes, they’re ready for you.” Mrs. Fairfield was quite unruffled.
“Oh, Kezia! Why are you such a messy child!” cried Beryl despairingly.
“Me, Aunt Beryl?” Kezia stared at her. What had she done now? She had only dug a river down the middle of her porridge, filled it, and was eating the banks away. But she did that every single morning, and no one had said a word up till now.
“Why can’t you eat your food properly like Isabel and Lottie?” How unfair grown-ups are!
“But Lottie always makes a floating island, don’t you, Lottie?”
“I don’t,” said Isabel smartly. “I just sprinkle mine with sugar and put on the milk and finish it. Only babies play with their food.”
Stanley pushed back his chair and got up.
“Would you get me those shoes, mother? And, Beryl, if you’ve finished, I wish you’d cut down to the gate and stop the coach. Run in to your mother, Isabel, and ask her where my bowler66 hat’s been put. Wait a minute — have you children been playing with my stick?”
“No, father!”
“But I put it here.” Stanley began to bluster67. “I remember distinctly putting it in this corner. Now, who’s had it? There’s no time to lose. Look sharp! The stick’s got to be found.”
Even Alice, the servant-girl, was drawn68 into the chase. “You haven’t been using it to poke the kitchen fire with by any chance?”
Stanley dashed into the bedroom where Linda was lying. “Most extraordinary thing. I can’t keep a single possession to myself. They’ve made away with my stick, now!”
“Stick, dear? What stick?” Linda’s vagueness on these occasions could not be real, Stanley decided70. Would nobody sympathize with him?
“Coach! Coach, Stanley!” Beryl’s voice cried from the gate.
Stanley waved his arm to Linda. “No time to say good-bye!” he cried. And he meant that as a punishment to her.
He snatched his bowler hat, dashed out of the house, and swung down the garden path. Yes, the coach was there waiting, and Beryl, leaning over the open gate, was laughing up at somebody or other just as if nothing had happened. The heartlessness of women! The way they took it for granted it was your job to slave away for them while they didn’t even take the trouble to see that your walking-stick wasn’t lost. Kelly trailed his whip across the horses.
“Good-bye, Stanley,” called Beryl, sweetly and gaily71. It was easy enough to say good-bye! And there she stood, idle, shading her eyes with her hand. The worst of it was Stanley had to shout good-bye too, for the sake of appearances. Then he saw her turn, give a little skip and run back to the house. She was glad to be rid of him!
Yes, she was thankful. Into the living-room she ran and called “He’s gone!” Linda cried from her room: “Beryl! Has Stanley gone?” Old Mrs. Fairfield appeared, carrying the boy in his little flannel72 coatee.
“Gone?”
“Gone!”
Oh, the relief, the difference it made to have the man out of the house. Their very voices were changed as they called to one another; they sounded warm and loving and as if they shared a secret. Beryl went over to the table. “Have another cup of tea, mother. It’s still hot.” She wanted, somehow, to celebrate the fact that they could do what they liked now. There was no man to disturb them; the whole perfect day was theirs.
“No, thank you, child,” said old Mrs. Fairfield, but the way at that moment she tossed the boy up and said “a-goos-a-goos-a-ga!” to him meant that she felt the same. The little girls ran into the paddock like chickens let out of a coop.
Even Alice, the servant-girl, washing up the dishes in the kitchen, caught the infection and used the precious tank water in a perfectly73 reckless fashion.
“Oh, these men!” said she, and she plunged74 the teapot into the bowl and held it under the water even after it had stopped bubbling, as if it too was a man and drowning was too good for them.
IV.
“Wait for me, Isa-bel! Kezia, wait for me!”
There was poor little Lottie, left behind again, because she found it so fearfully hard to get over the stile by herself. When she stood on the first step her knees began to wobble; she grasped the post. Then you had to put one leg over. But which leg? She never could decide. And when she did finally put one leg over with a sort of stamp of despair — then the feeling was awful. She was half in the paddock still and half in the tussock grass. She clutched the post desperately75 and lifted up her voice. “Wait for me!”
“No, don’t you wait for her, Kezia!” said Isabel. “She’s such a little silly. She’s always making a fuss. Come on!” And she tugged76 Kezia’s jersey62. “You can use my bucket if you come with me,” she said kindly77. “It’s bigger than yours.” But Kezia couldn’t leave Lottie all by herself. She ran back to her. By this time Lottie was very red in the face and breathing heavily.
“Here, put your other foot over,” said Kezia.
“Where?”
Lottie looked down at Kezia as if from a mountain height.
“Here where my hand is.” Kezia patted the place.
“Oh, there do you mean!” Lottie gave a deep sigh and put the second foot over.
“Now — sort of turn round and sit down and slide,” said Kezia.
“But there’s nothing to sit down on, Kezia,” said Lottie.
She managed it at last, and once it was over she shook herself and began to beam.
“I’m getting better at climbing over stiles, aren’t I, Kezia?”
Lottie’s was a very hopeful nature.
The pink and the blue sunbonnet followed Isabel’s bright red sunbonnet up that sliding, slipping hill. At the top they paused to decide where to go and to have a good stare at who was there already. Seen from behind, standing78 against the skyline, gesticulating largely with their spades, they looked like minute puzzled explorers.
The whole family of Samuel Josephs was there already with their lady-help, who sat on a camp-stool and kept order with a whistle that she wore tied round her neck, and a small cane79 with which she directed operations. The Samuel Josephs never played by themselves or managed their own game. If they did, it ended in the boys pouring water down the girls’ necks or the girls trying to put little black crabs80 into the boys’ pockets. So Mrs. S. J. and the poor lady-help drew up what she called a “brogramme” every morning to keep them “abused and out of bischief.” It was all competitions or races or round games. Everything began with a piercing blast of the lady-help’s whistle and ended with another. There were even prizes — large, rather dirty paper parcels which the lady-help with a sour little smile drew out of a bulging81 string kit69. The Samuel Josephs fought fearfully for the prizes and cheated and pinched one another’s arms — they were all expert pinchers. The only time the Burnell children ever played with them Kezia had got a prize, and when she undid82 three bits of paper she found a very small rusty83 button-hook. She couldn’t understand why they made such a fuss. . . .
But they never played with the Samuel Josephs now or even went to their parties. The Samuel Josephs were always giving children’s parties at the Bay and there was always the same food. A big washhand basin of very brown fruit-salad, buns cut into four and a washhand jug84 full of something the lady-help called “Limonadear.” And you went away in the evening with half the frill torn off your frock or something spilled all down the front of your open-work pinafore, leaving the Samuel Josephs leaping like savages85 on their lawn. No! They were too awful.
On the other side of the beach, close down to the water, two little boys, their knickers rolled up, twinkled like spiders. One was digging, the other pattered in and out of the water, filling a small bucket. They were the Trout boys, Pip and Rags. But Pip was so busy digging and Rags was so busy helping86 that they didn’t see their little cousins until they were quite close.
“Look!” said Pip. “Look what I’ve discovered.” And he showed them an old wet, squashed-looking boot. The three little girls stared.
“Whatever are you going to do with it?” asked Kezia.
“Keep it, of course!” Pip was very scornful. “It’s a find — see?”
Yes, Kezia saw that. All the same. . . .
“There’s lots of things buried in the sand,” explained Pip. “They get chucked up from wrecks87. Treasure. Why — you might find —”
“But why does Rags have to keep on pouring water in?” asked Lottie.
“Oh, that’s to moisten it,” said Pip, “to make the work a bit easier. Keep it up, Rags.”
And good little Rags ran up and down, pouring in the water that turned brown like cocoa.
“Here, shall I show you what I found yesterday?” said Pip mysteriously, and he stuck his spade into the sand. “Promise not to tell.”
They promised.
“Say, cross my heart straight dinkum.”
The little girls said it.
Pip took something out of his pocket, rubbed it a long time on the front of his jersey, then breathed on it and rubbed it again.
“Now turn round!” he ordered.
They turned round.
“All look the same way! Keep still! Now!”
And his hand opened; he held up to the light something that flashed, that winked88, that was a most lovely green.
“It’s a nemeral,” said Pip solemnly.
“Is it really, Pip?” Even Isabel was impressed.
The lovely green thing seemed to dance in Pip’s fingers. Aunt Beryl had a nemeral in a ring, but it was a very small one. This one was as big as a star and far more beautiful.
V.
As the morning lengthened89 whole parties appeared over the sand-hills and came down on the beach to bathe. It was understood that at eleven o’clock the women and children of the summer colony had the sea to themselves. First the women undressed, pulled on their bathing dresses and covered their heads in hideous90 caps like sponge bags; then the children were unbuttoned. The beach was strewn with little heaps of clothes and shoes; the big summer hats, with stones on them to keep them from blowing away, looked like immense shells. It was strange that even the sea seemed to sound differently when all those leaping, laughing figures ran into the waves. Old Mrs. Fairfield, in a lilac cotton dress and a black hat tied under the chin, gathered her little brood and got them ready. The little Trout boys whipped their shirts over their heads, and away the five sped, while their grandma sat with one hand in her knitting-bag ready to draw out the ball of wool when she was satisfied they were safely in.
The firm compact little girls were not half so brave as the tender, delicate-looking little boys. Pip and Rags, shivering, crouching91 down, slapping the water, never hesitated. But Isabel, who could swim twelve strokes, and Kezia, who could nearly swim eight, only followed on the strict understanding they were not to be splashed. As for Lottie, she didn’t follow at all. She liked to be left to go in her own way, please. And that way was to sit down at the edge of the water, her legs straight, her knees pressed together, and to make vague motions with her arms as if she expected to be wafted92 out to sea. But when a bigger wave than usual, an old whiskery one, came lolloping along in her direction, she scrambled93 to her feet with a face of horror and flew up the beach again.
“Here, mother, keep those for me, will you?”
Two rings and a thin gold chain were dropped into Mrs Fairfield’s lap.
“Yes, dear. But aren’t you going to bathe here?”
“No-o,” Beryl drawled. She sounded vague. “I’m undressing farther along. I’m going to bathe with Mrs. Harry94 Kember.”
“Very well.” But Mrs. Fairfield’s lips set. She disapproved95 of Mrs Harry Kember. Beryl knew it.
Poor old mother, she smiled, as she skimmed over the stones. Poor old mother! Old! Oh, what joy, what bliss96 it was to be young. . . .
“You look very pleased,” said Mrs. Harry Kember. She sat hunched97 up on the stones, her arms round her knees, smoking.
“It’s such a lovely day,” said Beryl, smiling down at her.
“Oh my dear!” Mrs. Harry Kember’s voice sounded as though she knew better than that. But then her voice always sounded as though she knew something better about you than you did yourself. She was a long, strange-looking woman with narrow hands and feet. Her face, too, was long and narrow and exhausted-looking; even her fair curled fringe looked burnt out and withered98. She was the only woman at the Bay who smoked, and she smoked incessantly99, keeping the cigarette between her lips while she talked, and only taking it out when the ash was so long you could not understand why it did not fall. When she was not playing bridge — she played bridge every day of her life — she spent her time lying in the full glare of the sun. She could stand any amount of it; she never had enough. All the same, it did not seem to warm her. Parched100, withered, cold, she lay stretched on the stones like a piece of tossed-up driftwood. The women at the Bay thought she was very, very fast. Her lack of vanity, her slang, the way she treated men as though she was one of them, and the fact that she didn’t care twopence about her house and called the servant Gladys “Glad-eyes,” was disgraceful. Standing on the veranda101 steps Mrs. Kember would call in her indifferent, tired voice, “I say, Glad-eyes, you might heave me a handkerchief if I’ve got one, will you?” And Glad-eyes, a red bow in her hair instead of a cap, and white shoes, came running with an impudent102 smile. It was an absolute scandal! True, she had no children, and her husband . . . Here the voices were always raised; they became fervent103. How can he have married her? How can he, how can he? It must have been money, of course, but even then!
Mrs. Kember’s husband was at least ten years younger than she was, and so incredibly handsome that he looked like a mask or a most perfect illustration in an American novel rather than a man. Black hair, dark blue eyes, red lips, a slow sleepy smile, a fine tennis player, a perfect dancer, and with it all a mystery. Harry Kember was like a man walking in his sleep. Men couldn’t stand him, they couldn’t get a word out of the chap; he ignored his wife just as she ignored him. How did he live? Of course there were stories, but such stories! They simply couldn’t be told. The women he’d been seen with, the places he’d been seen in . . . but nothing was ever certain, nothing definite. Some of the women at the Bay privately104 thought he’d commit a murder one day. Yes, even while they talked to Mrs. Kember and took in the awful concoction105 she was wearing, they saw her, stretched as she lay on the beach; but cold, bloody106, and still with a cigarette stuck in the corner of her mouth.
Mrs. Kember rose, yawned, unsnapped her belt buckle107, and tugged at the tape of her blouse. And Beryl stepped out of her skirt and shed her jersey, and stood up in her short white petticoat, and her camisole with ribbon bows on the shoulders.
“Mercy on us,” said Mrs. Harry Kember, “what a little beauty you are!”
“Don’t!” said Beryl softly; but, drawing off one stocking and then the other, she felt a little beauty.
“My dear — why not?” said Mrs. Harry Kember, stamping on her own petticoat. Really — her underclothes! A pair of blue cotton knickers and a linen108 bodice that reminded one somehow of a pillow-case . . . “And you don’t wear stays, do you?” She touched Beryl’s waist, and Beryl sprang away with a small affected109 cry. Then “Never!” she said firmly.
“Lucky little creature,” sighed Mrs. Kember, unfastening her own.
Beryl turned her back and began the complicated movements of some one who is trying to take off her clothes and to pull on her bathing-dress all at one and the same time.
“Oh, my dear — don’t mind me,” said Mrs. Harry Kember. “Why be shy? I shan’t eat you. I shan’t be shocked like those other ninnies.” And she gave her strange neighing laugh and grimaced110 at the other women.
But Beryl was shy. She never undressed in front of anybody. Was that silly? Mrs. Harry Kember made her feel it was silly, even something to be ashamed of. Why be shy indeed! She glanced quickly at her friend standing so boldly in her torn chemise and lighting111 a fresh cigarette; and a quick, bold, evil feeling started up in her breast. Laughing recklessly, she drew on the limp, sandy-feeling bathing-dress that was not quite dry and fastened the twisted buttons.
“That’s better,” said Mrs. Harry Kember. They began to go down the beach together. “Really, it’s a sin for you to wear clothes, my dear. Somebody’s got to tell you some day.”
The water was quite warm. It was that marvellous transparent112 blue, flecked with silver, but the sand at the bottom looked gold; when you kicked with your toes there rose a little puff113 of gold-dust. Now the waves just reached her breast. Beryl stood, her arms outstretched, gazing out, and as each wave came she gave the slightest little jump, so that it seemed it was the wave which lifted her so gently.
“I believe in pretty girls having a good time,” said Mrs. Harry Kember. “Why not? Don’t you make a mistake, my dear. Enjoy yourself.” And suddenly she turned turtle, disappeared, and swam away quickly, quickly, like a rat. Then she flicked114 round and began swimming back. She was going to say something else. Beryl felt that she was being poisoned by this cold woman, but she longed to hear. But oh, how strange, how horrible! As Mrs. Harry Kember came up close she looked, in her black waterproof115 bathing-cap, with her sleepy face lifted above the water, just her chin touching116, like a horrible caricature of her husband.
VI.
In a steamer chair, under a manuka tree that grew in the middle of the front grass patch, Linda Burnell dreamed the morning away. She did nothing. She looked up at the dark, close, dry leaves of the manuka, at the chinks of blue between, and now and again a tiny yellowish flower dropped on her. Pretty — yes, if you held one of those flowers on the palm of your hand and looked at it closely, it was an exquisite117 small thing. Each pale yellow petal118 shone as if each was the careful work of a loving hand. The tiny tongue in the centre gave it the shape of a bell. And when you turned it over the outside was a deep bronze colour. But as soon as they flowered, they fell and were scattered119. You brushed them off your frock as you talked; the horrid120 little things got caught in one’s hair. Why, then, flower at all? Who takes the trouble — or the joy — to make all these things that are wasted, wasted . . . It was uncanny.
On the grass beside her, lying between two pillows, was the boy. Sound asleep he lay, his head turned away from his mother. His fine dark hair looked more like a shadow than like real hair, but his ear was a bright, deep coral. Linda clasped her hands above her head and crossed her feet. It was very pleasant to know that all these bungalows were empty, that everybody was down on the beach, out of sight, out of hearing. She had the garden to herself; she was alone.
Dazzling white the picotees shone; the golden-eyed marigold glittered; the nasturtiums wreathed the veranda poles in green and gold flame. If only one had time to look at these flowers long enough, time to get over the sense of novelty and strangeness, time to know them! But as soon as one paused to part the petals121, to discover the under-side of the leaf, along came Life and one was swept away. And, lying in her cane chair, Linda felt so light; she felt like a leaf. Along came Life like a wind and she was seized and shaken; she had to go. Oh dear, would it always be so? Was there no escape?
. . . Now she sat on the veranda of their Tasmanian home, leaning against her father’s knee. And he promised, “As soon as you and I are old enough, Linny, we’ll cut off somewhere, we’ll escape. Two boys together. I have a fancy I’d like to sail up a river in China.” Linda saw that river, very wide, covered with little rafts and boats. She saw the yellow hats of the boatmen and she heard their high, thin voices as they called . . .
“Yes, papa.”
But just then a very broad young man with bright ginger122 hair walked slowly past their house, and slowly, solemnly even, uncovered. Linda’s father pulled her ear teasingly, in the way he had.
“Linny’s beau,” he whispered.
“Oh, papa, fancy being married to Stanley Burnell!”
Well, she was married to him. And what was more she loved him. Not the Stanley whom every one saw, not the everyday one; but a timid, sensitive, innocent Stanley who knelt down every night to say his prayers, and who longed to be good. Stanley was simple. If he believed in people — as he believed in her, for instance — it was with his whole heart. He could not be disloyal; he could not tell a lie. And how terribly he suffered if he thought any one — she — was not being dead straight, dead sincere with him! “This is too subtle for me!” He flung out the words, but his open, quivering, distraught look was like the look of a trapped beast.
But the trouble was — here Linda felt almost inclined to laugh, though Heaven knows it was no laughing matter — she saw her Stanley so seldom. There were glimpses, moments, breathing spaces of calm, but all the rest of the time it was like living in a house that couldn’t be cured of the habit of catching123 on fire, on a ship that got wrecked124 every day. And it was always Stanley who was in the thick of the danger. Her whole time was spent in rescuing him, and restoring him, and calming him down, and listening to his story. And what was left of her time was spent in the dread125 of having children.
Linda frowned; she sat up quickly in her steamer chair and clasped her ankles. Yes, that was her real grudge126 against life; that was what she could not understand. That was the question she asked and asked, and listened in vain for the answer. It was all very well to say it was the common lot of women to bear children. It wasn’t true. She, for one, could prove that wrong. She was broken, made weak, her courage was gone, through child-bearing. And what made it doubly hard to bear was, she did not love her children. It was useless pretending. Even if she had had the strength she never would have nursed and played with the little girls. No, it was as though a cold breath had chilled her through and through on each of those awful journeys; she had no warmth left to give them. As to the boy — well, thank Heaven, mother had taken him; he was mother’s, or Beryl’s, or anybody’s who wanted him. She had hardly held him in her arms. She was so indifferent about him that as he lay there . . . Linda glanced down.
The boy had turned over. He lay facing her, and he was no longer asleep. His dark-blue, baby eyes were open; he looked as though he was peeping at his mother. And suddenly his face dimpled; it broke into a wide, toothless smile, a perfect beam, no less.
“I’m here!” that happy smile seemed to say. “Why don’t you like me?”
There was something so quaint127, so unexpected about that smile that Linda smiled herself. But she checked herself and said to the boy coldly, “I don’t like babies.”
“Don’t like babies?” The boy couldn’t believe her. “Don’t like me?” He waved his arms foolishly at his mother.
Linda dropped off her chair on to the grass.
“Why do you keep on smiling?” she said severely128. “If you knew what I was thinking about, you wouldn’t.”
But he only squeezed up his eyes, slyly, and rolled his head on the pillow. He didn’t believe a word she said.
“We know all about that!” smiled the boy.
Linda was so astonished at the confidence of this little creature . . . Ah no, be sincere. That was not what she felt; it was something far different, it was something so new, so . . . The tears danced in her eyes; she breathed in a small whisper to the boy, “Hallo, my funny!”
But by now the boy had forgotten his mother. He was serious again. Something pink, something soft waved in front of him. He made a grab at it and it immediately disappeared. But when he lay back, another, like the first, appeared. This time he determined129 to catch it. He made a tremendous effort and rolled right over.
VII.
The tide was out; the beach was deserted130; lazily flopped131 the warm sea. The sun beat down, beat down hot and fiery133 on the fine sand, baking the grey and blue and black and white-veined pebbles. It sucked up the little drop of water that lay in the hollow of the curved shells; it bleached134 the pink convolvulus that threaded through and through the sand-hills. Nothing seemed to move but the small sand-hoppers. Pit-pit-pit! They were never still.
Over there on the weed-hung rocks that looked at low tide like shaggy beasts come down to the water to drink, the sunlight seemed to spin like a silver coin dropped into each of the small rock pools. They danced, they quivered, and minute ripples135 laved the porous shores. Looking down, bending over, each pool was like a lake with pink and blue houses clustered on the shores; and oh! the vast mountainous country behind those houses — the ravines, the passes, the dangerous creeks136 and fearful tracks that led to the water’s edge. Underneath137 waved the sea-forest — pink thread-like trees, velvet anemones138, and orange berry-spotted weeds. Now a stone on the bottom moved, rocked, and there was a glimpse of a black feeler; now a thread-like creature wavered by and was lost. Something was happening to the pink, waving trees; they were changing to a cold moonlight blue. And now there sounded the faintest “plop.” Who made that sound? What was going on down there? And how strong, how damp the seaweed smelt139 in the hot sun . . .
The green blinds were drawn in the bungalows of the summer colony. Over the verandas140, prone141 on the paddock, flung over the fences, there were exhausted-looking bathing-dresses and rough striped towels. Each back window seemed to have a pair of sand-shoes on the sill and some lumps of rock or a bucket or a collection of pawa shells. The bush quivered in a haze142 of heat; the sandy road was empty except for the Trouts’ dog Snooker, who lay stretched in the very middle of it. His blue eye was turned up, his legs stuck out stiffly, and he gave an occasional desperate-sounding puff, as much as to say he had decided to make an end of it and was only waiting for some kind cart to come along.
“What are you looking at, my grandma? Why do you keep stopping and sort of staring at the wall?”
Kezia and her grandmother were taking their siesta143 together. The little girl, wearing only her short drawers and her under-bodice, her arms and legs bare, lay on one of the puffed-up pillows of her grandma’s bed, and the old woman, in a white ruffled65 dressing-gown, sat in a rocker at the window, with a long piece of pink knitting in her lap. This room that they shared, like the other rooms of the bungalow, was of light varnished wood and the floor was bare. The furniture was of the shabbiest, the simplest. The dressing-table, for instance, was a packing-case in a sprigged muslin petticoat, and the mirror above was very strange; it was as though a little piece of forked lightning was imprisoned144 in it. On the table there stood a jar of sea-pinks, pressed so tightly together they looked more like a velvet pincushion, and a special shell which Kezia had given her grandma for a pin-tray, and another even more special which she had thought would make a very nice place for a watch to curl up in.
“Tell me, grandma,” said Kezia.
The old woman sighed, whipped the wool twice round her thumb, and drew the bone needle through. She was casting on.
“I was thinking of your Uncle William, darling,” she said quietly.
“My Australian Uncle William?” said Kezia. She had another.
“Yes, of course.”
“The one I never saw?”
“That was the one.”
“Well, what happened to him?” Kezia knew perfectly well, but she wanted to be told again.
“He went to the mines, and he got a sunstroke there and died,” said old Mrs. Fairfield.
Kezia blinked and considered the picture again . . . a little man fallen over like a tin soldier by the side of a big black hole.
“Does it make you sad to think about him, grandma?” She hated her grandma to be sad.
It was the old woman’s turn to consider. Did it make her sad? To look back, back. To stare down the years, as Kezia had seen her doing. To look after them as a woman does, long after they were out of sight. Did it make her sad? No, life was like that.
“No, Kezia.”
“But why?” asked Kezia. She lifted one bare arm and began to draw things in the air. “Why did Uncle William have to die? He wasn’t old.”
Mrs. Fairfield began counting the stitches in threes. “It just happened,” she said in an absorbed voice.
“Does everybody have to die?” asked Kezia.
“Everybody!”
“Me?” Kezia sounded fearfully incredulous.
“Some day, my darling.”
“But, grandma.” Kezia waved her left leg and waggled the toes. They felt sandy. “What if I just won’t?”
The old woman sighed again and drew a long thread from the ball.
“We’re not asked, Kezia,” she said sadly. “It happens to all of us sooner or later.”
Kezia lay still thinking this over. She didn’t want to die. It meant she would have to leave here, leave everywhere, for ever, leave — leave her grandma. She rolled over quickly.
“Grandma,” she said in a startled voice.
“What, my pet!”
“You’re not to die.” Kezia was very decided.
“Ah, Kezia”— her grandma looked up and smiled and shook her head —“don’t let’s talk about it.”
“But you’re not to. You couldn’t leave me. You couldn’t not be there.” This was awful. “Promise me you won’t ever do it, grandma,” pleaded Kezia.
The old woman went on knitting.
“Promise me! Say never!”
But still her grandma was silent.
Kezia rolled off her bed; she couldn’t bear it any longer, and lightly she leapt on to her grandma’s knees, clasped her hands round the old woman’s throat and began kissing her, under the chin, behind the ear, and blowing down her neck.
“Say never . . . say never . . . say never —” She gasped145 between the kisses. And then she began, very softly and lightly, to tickle146 her grandma.
“Kezia!” The old woman dropped her knitting. She swung back in the rocker. She began to tickle Kezia. “Say never, say never, say never,” gurgled Kezia, while they lay there laughing in each other’s arms. “Come, that’s enough, my squirrel! That’s enough, my wild pony147!” said old Mrs. Fairfield, setting her cap straight. “Pick up my knitting.”
Both of them had forgotten what the “never” was about.
VIII.
The sun was still full on the garden when the back door of the Burnells’ shut with a bang, and a very gay figure walked down the path to the gate. It was Alice, the servant-girl, dressed for her afternoon out. She wore a white cotton dress with such large red spots on it and so many that they made you shudder148, white shoes and a leghorn turned up under the brim with poppies. Of course she wore gloves, white ones, stained at the fastenings with iron-mould, and in one hand she carried a very dashed-looking sunshade which she referred to as her “perishall.”
Beryl, sitting in the window, fanning her freshly-washed hair, thought she had never seen such a guy. If Alice had only blacked her face with a piece of cork149 before she started out, the picture would have been complete. And where did a girl like that go to in a place like this? The heart-shaped Fijian fan beat scornfully at that lovely bright mane. She supposed Alice had picked up some horrible common larrikin and they’d go off into the bush together. Pity to have made herself so conspicuous150; they’d have hard work to hide with Alice in that rig-out.
But no, Beryl was unfair. Alice was going to tea with Mrs Stubbs, who’d sent her an “invite” by the little boy who called for orders. She had taken ever such a liking151 to Mrs. Stubbs ever since the first time she went to the shop to get something for her mosquitoes.
“Dear heart!” Mrs. Stubbs had clapped her hand to her side. “I never seen anyone so eaten. You might have been attacked by canningbals.”
Alice did wish there’d been a bit of life on the road though. Made her feel so queer, having nobody behind her. Made her feel all weak in the spine152. She couldn’t believe that some one wasn’t watching her. And yet it was silly to turn round; it gave you away. She pulled up her gloves, hummed to herself and said to the distant gum-tree, “Shan’t be long now.” But that was hardly company.
Mrs. Stubbs’s shop was perched on a little hillock just off the road. It had two big windows for eyes, a broad veranda for a hat, and the sign on the roof, scrawled153 MRS. STUBBS’S, was like a little card stuck rakishly in the hat crown.
On the veranda there hung a long string of bathing-dresses, clinging together as though they’d just been rescued from the sea rather than waiting to go in, and beside them there hung a cluster of sandshoes so extraordinarily154 mixed that to get at one pair you had to tear apart and forcibly separate at least fifty. Even then it was the rarest thing to find the left that belonged to the right. So many people had lost patience and gone off with one shoe that fitted and one that was a little too big . . . Mrs. Stubbs prided herself on keeping something of everything. The two windows, arranged in the form of precarious155 pyramids, were crammed so tight, piled so high, that it seemed only a conjurer could prevent them from toppling over. In the left-hand corner of one window, glued to the pane156 by four gelatine lozenges, there was — and there had been from time immemorial — a notice.
LOST! HANSOME GOLE BROOCH SOLID GOLD ON OR NEAR BEACH REWARD OFFERED
Alice pressed open the door. The bell jangled, the red serge curtains parted, and Mrs. Stubbs appeared. With her broad smile and the long bacon knife in her hand, she looked like a friendly brigand157. Alice was welcomed so warmly that she found it quite difficult to keep up her “manners.” They consisted of persistent158 little coughs and hems63, pulls at her gloves, tweaks at her skirt, and a curious difficulty in seeing what was set before her or understanding what was said.
Tea was laid on the parlour table — ham, sardines159, a whole pound of butter, and such a large johnny cake that it looked like an advertisement for somebody’s baking-powder. But the Primus stove roared so loudly that it was useless to try to talk above it. Alice sat down on the edge of a basket-chair while Mrs. Stubbs pumped the stove still higher. Suddenly Mrs. Stubbs whipped the cushion off a chair and disclosed a large brown-paper parcel.
“I’ve just had some new photers taken, my dear,” she shouted cheerfully to Alice. “Tell me what you think of them.”
In a very dainty, refined way Alice wet her finger and put the tissue back from the first one. Life! How many there were! There were three dozzing at least. And she held it up to the light.
Mrs. Stubbs sat in an arm-chair, leaning very much to one side. There was a look of mild astonishment160 on her large face, and well there might be. For though the arm-chair stood on a carpet, to the left of it, miraculously161 skirting the carpet-border, there was a dashing water-fall. On her right stood a Grecian pillar with a giant fern-tree on either side of it, and in the background towered a gaunt mountain, pale with snow.
“It is a nice style, isn’t it?” shouted Mrs. Stubbs; and Alice had just screamed “Sweetly” when the roaring of the Primus stove died down, fizzled out, ceased, and she said “Pretty” in a silence that was frightening.
“Draw up your chair, my dear,” said Mrs. Stubbs, beginning to pour out. “Yes,” she said thoughtfully, as she handed the tea, “but I don’t care about the size. I’m having an enlargemint. All very well for Christmas cards, but I never was the one for small photers myself. You get no comfort out of them. To say the truth, I find them dis’eartening.”
Alice quite saw what she meant.
“Size,” said Mrs. Stubbs. “Give me size. That was what my poor dear husband was always saying. He couldn’t stand anything small. Gave him the creeps. And, strange as it may seem, my dear”— here Mrs. Stubbs creaked and seemed to expand herself at the memory —“it was dropsy that carried him off at the larst. Many’s the time they drawn one and a half pints162 from ’im at the ‘ospital . . . It seemed like a judgmint.”
Alice burned to know exactly what it was that was drawn from him. She ventured, “I suppose it was water.”
But Mrs. Stubbs fixed163 Alice with her eyes and replied meaningly, “It was liquid, my dear.”
Liquid! Alice jumped away from the word like a cat and came back to it, nosing and wary164.
“That’s ’im!” said Mrs. Stubbs, and she pointed165 dramatically to the life-size head and shoulders of a burly man with a dead white rose in the buttonhole of his coat that made you think of a curl of cold mutting fat. Just below, in silver letters on a red cardboard ground, were the words, “Be not afraid, it is I.”
“It’s ever such a fine face,” said Alice faintly.
The pale-blue bow on the top of Mrs. Stubbs’s fair frizzy hair quivered. She arched her plump neck. What a neck she had! It was bright pink where it began and then it changed to warm apricot, and that faded to the colour of a brown egg and then to a deep creamy.
“All the same, my dear,” she said surprisingly, “freedom’s best!” Her soft, fat chuckle166 sounded like a purr. “Freedom’s best,” said Mrs. Stubbs again.
Freedom! Alice gave a loud, silly little titter. She felt awkward. Her mind flew back to her own kitching. Ever so queer! She wanted to be back in it again.
IX.
A strange company assembled in the Burnells’ washhouse after tea. Round the table there sat a bull, a rooster, a donkey that kept forgetting it was a donkey, a sheep and a bee. The washhouse was the perfect place for such a meeting because they could make as much noise as they liked, and nobody ever interrupted. It was a small tin shed standing apart from the bungalow. Against the wall there was a deep trough and in the corner a copper167 with a basket of clothes-pegs on top of it. The little window, spun169 over with cobwebs, had a piece of candle and a mouse-trap on the dusty sill. There were clotheslines criss-crossed overhead and, hanging from a peg168 on the wall, a very big, a huge, rusty horseshoe. The table was in the middle with a form at either side.
“You can’t be a bee, Kezia. A bee’s not an animal. It’s a ninseck.”
“Oh, but I do want to be a bee frightfully,” wailed170 Kezia . . . A tiny bee, all yellow-furry, with striped legs. She drew her legs up under her and leaned over the table. She felt she was a bee.
“A ninseck must be an animal,” she said stoutly171. “It makes a noise. It’s not like a fish.”
“I’m a bull, I’m a bull!” cried Pip. And he gave such a tremendous bellow172 — how did he make that noise?— that Lottie looked quite alarmed.
“I’ll be a sheep,” said little Rags. “A whole lot of sheep went past this morning.”
“How do you know?”
“Dad heard them. Baa!” He sounded like the little lamb that trots173 behind and seems to wait to be carried.
“Cock-a-doodle-do!” shrilled174 Isabel. With her red cheeks and bright eyes she looked like a rooster.
“What’ll I be?” Lottie asked everybody, and she sat there smiling, waiting for them to decide for her. It had to be an easy one.
“Be a donkey, Lottie.” It was Kezia’s suggestion. “Hee-haw! You can’t forget that.”
“Hee-haw!” said Lottie solemnly. “When do I have to say it?”
“I’ll explain, I’ll explain,” said the bull. It was he who had the cards. He waved them round his head. “All be quiet! All listen!” And he waited for them. “Look here, Lottie.” He turned up a card. “It’s got two spots on it — see? Now, if you put that card in the middle and somebody else has one with two spots as well, you say ‘Hee-haw,’ and the card’s yours.”
“Mine?” Lottie was round-eyed. “To keep?”
“No, silly. Just for the game, see? Just while we’re playing.” The bull was very cross with her.
“Oh, Lottie, you are a little silly,” said the proud rooster.
Lottie looked at both of them. Then she hung her head; her lip quivered. “I don’t want to play,” she whispered. The others glanced at one another like conspirators175. All of them knew what that meant. She would go away and be discovered somewhere standing with her pinny thrown over her head, in a corner, or against a wall, or even behind a chair.
“Yes, you do, Lottie. It’s quite easy,” said Kezia.
And Isabel, repentant177, said exactly like a grown-up, “Watch me, Lottie, and you’ll soon learn.”
“Cheer up, Lot,” said Pip. “There, I know what I’ll do. I’ll give you the first one. It’s mine, really, but I’ll give it to you. Here you are.” And he slammed the card down in front of Lottie.
Lottie revived at that. But now she was in another difficulty. “I haven’t got a hanky,” she said; “I want one badly, too.”
“Here, Lottie, you can use mine.” Rags dipped into his sailor blouse and brought up a very wet-looking one, knotted together. “Be very careful,” he warned her. “Only use that corner. Don’t undo178 it. I’ve got a little starfish inside I’m going to try and tame.”
“Oh, come on, you girls,” said the bull. “And mind — you’re not to look at your cards. You’ve got to keep your hands under the table till I say ‘Go.’”
Smack179 went the cards round the table. They tried with all their might to see, but Pip was too quick for them. It was very exciting, sitting there in the washhouse; it was all they could do not to burst into a little chorus of animals before Pip had finished dealing180.
“Now, Lottie, you begin.”
Timidly Lottie stretched out a hand, took the top card off her pack, had a good look at it — it was plain she was counting the spots — and put it down.
“No, Lottie, you can’t do that. You mustn’t look first. You must turn it the other way over.”
“But then everybody will see it the same time as me,” said Lottie.
The game proceeded. Mooe-ooo-er! The bull was terrible. He charged over the table and seemed to eat the cards up.
Bss-ss! said the bee.
Cock-a-doodle-do! Isabel stood up in her excitement and moved her elbows like wings.
Baa! Little Rags put down the King of Diamonds and Lottie put down the one they called the King of Spain. She had hardly any cards left.
“Why don’t you call out, Lottie?”
“I’ve forgotten what I am,” said the donkey woefully.
“Well, change! Be a dog instead! Bow-wow!”
“Oh yes. That’s much easier.” Lottie smiled again. But when she and Kezia both had a one Kezia waited on purpose. The others made signs to Lottie and pointed. Lottie turned very red; she looked bewildered, and at last she said, “Hee-haw! Ke-zia.”
“Ss! Wait a minute!” They were in the very thick of it when the bull stopped them, holding up his hand. “What’s that? What’s that noise?”
“What noise? What do you mean?” asked the rooster.
“Ss! Shut up! Listen!” They were mouse-still. “I thought I heard a — a sort of knocking,” said the bull.
“What was it like?” asked the sheep faintly.
No answer.
The bee gave a shudder. “Whatever did we shut the door for?” she said softly. Oh, why, why had they shut the door?
While they were playing, the day had faded; the gorgeous sunset had blazed and died. And now the quick dark came racing181 over the sea, over the sand-hills, up the paddock. You were frightened to look in the corners of the washhouse, and yet you had to look with all your might. And somewhere, far away, grandma was lighting a lamp. The blinds were being pulled down; the kitchen fire leapt in the tins on the mantelpiece.
“It would be awful now,” said the bull, “if a spider was to fall from the ceiling on to the table, wouldn’t it?”
“Spiders don’t fall from ceilings.”
“Yes, they do. Our Min told us she’d seen a spider as big as a saucer, with long hairs on it like a gooseberry.”
Quickly all the little heads were jerked up; all the little bodies drew together, pressed together.
“Why doesn’t somebody come and call us?” cried the rooster.
Oh, those grown-ups, laughing and snug182, sitting in the lamp-light, drinking out of cups! They’d forgotten about them. No, not really forgotten. That was what their smile meant. They had decided to leave them there all by themselves.
Suddenly Lottie gave such a piercing scream that all of them jumped off the forms, all of them screamed too. “A face — a face looking!” shrieked183 Lottie.
It was true, it was real. Pressed against the window was a pale face, black eyes, a black beard.
“Grandma! Mother! Somebody!”
But they had not got to the door, tumbling over one another, before it opened for Uncle Jonathan. He had come to take the little boys home.
X.
He had meant to be there before, but in the front garden he had come upon Linda walking up and down the grass, stopping to pick off a dead pink or give a top-heavy carnation184 something to lean against, or to take a deep breath of something, and then walking on again, with her little air of remoteness. Over her white frock she wore a yellow, pink-fringed shawl from the Chinaman’s shop.
“Hallo, Jonathan!” called Linda. And Jonathan whipped off his shabby panama, pressed it against his breast, dropped on one knee, and kissed Linda’s hand.
“Greeting, my Fair One! Greeting, my Celestial185 Peach Blossom!” boomed the bass voice gently. “Where are the other noble dames186?”
“Beryl’s out playing bridge and mother’s giving the boy his bath . . . Have you come to borrow something?”
The Trouts were for ever running out of things and sending across to the Burnells’ at the last moment.
But Jonathan only answered, “A little love, a little kindness;” and he walked by his sister-inlaw’s side.
Linda dropped into Beryl’s hammock under the manuka-tree, and Jonathan stretched himself on the grass beside her, pulled a long stalk and began chewing it. They knew each other well. The voices of children cried from the other gardens. A fisherman’s light cart shook along the sandy road, and from far away they heard a dog barking; it was muffled187 as though the dog had its head in a sack. If you listened you could just hear the soft swish of the sea at full tide sweeping188 the pebbles. The sun was sinking.
“And so you go back to the office on Monday, do you, Jonathan?” asked Linda.
“On Monday the cage door opens and clangs to upon the victim for another eleven months and a week,” answered Jonathan.
Linda swung a little. “It must be awful,” she said slowly.
“Would ye have me laugh, my fair sister? Would ye have me weep?”
Linda was so accustomed to Jonathan’s way of talking that she paid no attention to it.
“I suppose,” she said vaguely189, “one gets used to it. One gets used to anything.”
“Does one? Hum!” The “Hum” was so deep it seemed to boom from underneath the ground. “I wonder how it’s done,” brooded Jonathan; “I’ve never managed it.”
Looking at him as he lay there, Linda thought again how attractive he was. It was strange to think that he was only an ordinary clerk, that Stanley earned twice as much money as he. What was the matter with Jonathan? He had no ambition; she supposed that was it. And yet one felt he was gifted, exceptional. He was passionately190 fond of music; every spare penny he had went on books. He was always full of new ideas, schemes, plans. But nothing came of it all. The new fire blazed in Jonathan; you almost heard it roaring softly as he explained, described and dilated191 on the new thing; but a moment later it had fallen in and there was nothing but ashes, and Jonathan went about with a look like hunger in his black eyes. At these times he exaggerated his absurd manner of speaking, and he sang in church — he was the leader of the choir192 — with such fearful dramatic intensity193 that the meanest hymn194 put on an unholy splendour.
“It seems to me just as imbecile, just as infernal, to have to go to the office on Monday,” said Jonathan, “as it always has done and always will do. To spend all the best years of one’s life sitting on a stool from nine to five, scratching in somebody’s ledger195! It’s a queer use to make of one’s . . . one and only life, isn’t it? Or do I fondly dream?” He rolled over on the grass and looked up at Linda. “Tell me, what is the difference between my life and that of an ordinary prisoner. The only difference I can see is that I put myself in jail and nobody’s ever going to let me out. That’s a more intolerable situation than the other. For if I’d been — pushed in, against my will — kicking, even — once the door was locked, or at any rate in five years or so, I might have accepted the fact and begun to take an interest in the flight of flies or counting the warder’s steps along the passage with particular attention to variations of tread and so on. But as it is, I’m like an insect that’s flown into a room of its own accord. I dash against the walls, dash against the windows, flop132 against the ceiling, do everything on God’s earth, in fact, except fly out again. And all the while I’m thinking, like that moth3, or that butterfly, or whatever it is, ‘The shortness of life! The shortness of life!’ I’ve only one night or one day, and there’s this vast dangerous garden, waiting out there, undiscovered, unexplored.”
“But, if you feel like that, why —” began Linda quickly.
“Ah!” cried Jonathan. And that “ah!” was somehow almost exultant196. “There you have me. Why? Why indeed? There’s the maddening, mysterious question. Why don’t I fly out again? There’s the window or the door or whatever it was I came in by. It’s not hopelessly shut — is it? Why don’t I find it and be off? Answer me that, little sister.” But he gave her no time to answer.
“I’m exactly like that insect again. For some reason”— Jonathan paused between the words —“it’s not allowed, it’s forbidden, it’s against the insect law, to stop banging and flopping197 and crawling up the pane even for an instant. Why don’t I leave the office? Why don’t I seriously consider, this moment, for instance, what it is that prevents me leaving? It’s not as though I’m tremendously tied. I’ve two boys to provide for, but, after all, they’re boys. I could cut off to sea, or get a job up-country, or —” Suddenly he smiled at Linda and said in a changed voice, as if he were confiding198 a secret, “Weak . . . weak. No stamina199. No anchor. No guiding principle, let us call it.” But then the dark velvety voice rolled out:
?“Would ye hear the story
??How it unfolds itself . . . ”
and they were silent.
The sun had set. In the western sky there were great masses of crushed-up rose-coloured clouds. Broad beams of light shone through the clouds and beyond them as if they would cover the whole sky. Overhead the blue faded; it turned a pale gold, and the bush outlined against it gleamed dark and brilliant like metal. Sometimes when those beams of light show in the sky they are very awful. They remind you that up there sits Jehovah, the jealous God, the Almighty, Whose eye is upon you, ever watchful200, never weary. You remember that at His coming the whole earth will shake into one ruined graveyard201; the cold, bright angels will drive you this way and that, and there will be no time to explain what could be explained so simply . . . But to-night it seemed to Linda there was something infinitely202 joyful and loving in those silver beams. And now no sound came from the sea. It breathed softly as if it would draw that tender, joyful beauty into its own bosom203.
“It’s all wrong, it’s all wrong,” came the shadowy voice of Jonathan. “It’s not the scene, it’s not the setting for . . . three stools, three desks, three inkpots and a wire blind.”
Linda knew that he would never change, but she said, “Is it too late, even now?”
“I’m old — I’m old,” intoned Jonathan. He bent towards her, he passed his hand over his head. “Look!” His black hair was speckled all over with silver, like the breast plumage of a black fowl204.
Linda was surprised. She had no idea that he was grey. And yet, as he stood up beside her and sighed and stretched, she saw him, for the first time, not resolute205, not gallant206, not careless, but touched already with age. He looked very tall on the darkening grass, and the thought crossed her mind, “He is like a weed.”
Jonathan stooped again and kissed her fingers.
“Heaven reward thy sweet patience, lady mine,” he murmured. “I must go seek those heirs to my fame and fortune . . . “ He was gone.
XI.
Light shone in the windows of the bungalow. Two square patches of gold fell upon the pinks and the peaked marigolds. Florrie, the cat, came out on to the veranda, and sat on the top step, her white paws close together, her tail curled round. She looked content, as though she had been waiting for this moment all day.
“Thank goodness, it’s getting late,” said Florrie. “Thank goodness, the long day is over.” Her greengage eyes opened.
Presently there sounded the rumble208 of the coach, the crack of Kelly’s whip. It came near enough for one to hear the voices of the men from town, talking loudly together. It stopped at the Burnells’ gate.
Stanley was half-way up the path before he saw Linda. “Is that you, darling?”
“Yes, Stanley.”
He leapt across the flower-bed and seized her in his arms. She was enfolded in that familiar, eager, strong embrace.
“Forgive me, darling, forgive me,” stammered209 Stanley, and he put his hand under her chin and lifted her face to him.
“Forgive you?” smiled Linda. “But whatever for?”
“Good God! You can’t have forgotten,” cried Stanley Burnell. “I’ve thought of nothing else all day. I’ve had the hell of a day. I made up my mind to dash out and telegraph, and then I thought the wire mightn’t reach you before I did. I’ve been in tortures, Linda.”
“But, Stanley,” said Linda, “what must I forgive you for?”
“Linda!”— Stanley was very hurt —“didn’t you realize — you must have realized — I went away without saying good-bye to you this morning? I can’t imagine how I can have done such a thing. My confounded temper, of course. But — well”— and he sighed and took her in his arms again —“I’ve suffered for it enough today.”
“What’s that you’ve got in your hand?” asked Linda. “New gloves? Let me see.”
“Oh, just a cheap pair of wash-leather ones,” said Stanley humbly210. “I noticed Bell was wearing some in the coach this morning, so, as I was passing the shop, I dashed in and got myself a pair. What are you smiling at? You don’t think it was wrong of me, do you?”
“On the contrary, darling,” said Linda, “I think it was most sensible.”
She pulled one of the large, pale gloves on her own fingers and looked at her hand, turning it this way and that. She was still smiling.
Stanley wanted to say, “I was thinking of you the whole time I bought them.” It was true, but for some reason he couldn’t say it. “Let’s go in,” said he.
XII.
Why does one feel so different at night? Why is it so exciting to be awake when everybody else is asleep? Late — it is very late! And yet every moment you feel more and more wakeful, as though you were slowly, almost with every breath, waking up into a new, wonderful, far more thrilling and exciting world than the daylight one. And what is this queer sensation that you’re a conspirator176? Lightly, stealthily you move about your room. You take something off the dressing-table and put it down again without a sound. And everything, even the bed-post, knows you, responds, shares your secret . . .
You’re not very fond of your room by day. You never think about it. You’re in and out, the door opens and slams, the cupboard creaks. You sit down on the side of your bed, change your shoes and dash out again. A dive down to the glass, two pins in your hair, powder your nose and off again. But now — it’s suddenly dear to you. It’s a darling little funny room. It’s yours. Oh, what a joy it is to own things! Mine — my own!
“My very own for ever?”
“Yes.” Their lips met.
No, of course, that had nothing to do with it. That was all nonsense and rubbish. But, in spite of herself, Beryl saw so plainly two people standing in the middle of her room. Her arms were round his neck; he held her. And now he whispered, “My beauty, my little beauty!” She jumped off her bed, ran over to the window and kneeled on the window-seat, with her elbows on the sill. But the beautiful night, the garden, every bush, every leaf, even the white palings, even the stars, were conspirators too. So bright was the moon that the flowers were bright as by day; the shadow of the nasturtiums, exquisite lily-like leaves and wide-open flowers, lay across the silvery veranda. The manuka-tree, bent by the southerly winds, was like a bird on one leg stretching out a wing.
But when Beryl looked at the bush, it seemed to her the bush was sad.
“We are dumb trees, reaching up in the night, imploring211 we know not what,” said the sorrowful bush.
It is true when you are by yourself and you think about life, it is always sad. All that excitement and so on has a way of suddenly leaving you, and it’s as though, in the silence, somebody called your name, and you heard your name for the first time. “Beryl!”
“Yes, I’m here. I’m Beryl. Who wants me?”
“Beryl!”
“Let me come.”
It is lonely living by oneself. Of course, there are relations, friends, heaps of them; but that’s not what she means. She wants some one who will find the Beryl they none of them know, who will expect her to be that Beryl always. She wants a lover.
“Take me away from all these other people, my love. Let us go far away. Let us live our life, all new, all ours, from the very beginning. Let us make our fire. Let us sit down to eat together. Let us have long talks at night.”
And the thought was almost, “Save me, my love. Save me!”
. . . “Oh, go on! Don’t be a prude, my dear. You enjoy yourself while you’re young. That’s my advice.” And a high rush of silly laughter joined Mrs. Harry Kember’s loud, indifferent neigh.
You see, it’s so frightfully difficult when you’ve nobody. You’re so at the mercy of things. You can’t just be rude. And you’ve always this horror of seeming inexperienced and stuffy212 like the other ninnies at the Bay. And — and it’s fascinating to know you’ve power over people. Yes, that is fascinating . . .
Oh why, oh why doesn’t “he” come soon?
If I go on living here, thought Beryl, anything may happen to me.
“But how do you know he is coming at all?” mocked a small voice within her.
But Beryl dismissed it. She couldn’t be left. Other people, perhaps, but not she. It wasn’t possible to think that Beryl Fairfield never married, that lovely fascinating girl.
“Do you remember Beryl Fairfield?”
“Remember her! As if I could forget her! It was one summer at the Bay that I saw her. She was standing on the beach in a blue”— no, pink —“muslin frock, holding on a big cream”— no, black —“straw hat. But it’s years ago now.”
“She’s as lovely as ever, more so if anything.”
Beryl smiled, bit her lip, and gazed over the garden. As she gazed, she saw somebody, a man, leave the road, step along the paddock beside their palings as if he was coming straight towards her. Her heart beat. Who was it? Who could it be? It couldn’t be a burglar, certainly not a burglar, for he was smoking and he strolled lightly. Beryl’s heart leapt; it seemed to turn right over, and then to stop. She recognized him.
“Good evening, Miss Beryl,” said the voice softly.
“Good evening.”
“Won’t you come for a little walk?” it drawled.
Come for a walk — at that time of night! “I couldn’t. Everybody’s in bed. Everybody’s asleep.”
“Oh,” said the voice lightly, and a whiff of sweet smoke reached her. “What does everybody matter? Do come! It’s such a fine night. There’s not a soul about.”
Beryl shook her head. But already something stirred in her, something reared its head.
The voice said, “Frightened?” It mocked, “Poor little girl!”
“Not in the least,” said she. As she spoke213 that weak thing within her seemed to uncoil, to grow suddenly tremendously strong; she longed to go!
And just as if this was quite understood by the other, the voice said, gently and softly, but finally, “Come along!”
Beryl stepped over her low window, crossed the veranda, ran down the grass to the gate. He was there before her.
“That’s right,” breathed the voice, and it teased, “You’re not frightened, are you? You’re not frightened?”
She was; now she was here she was terrified, and it seemed to her everything was different. The moonlight stared and glittered; the shadows were like bars of iron. Her hand was taken.
“Not in the least,” she said lightly. “Why should I be?”
Her hand was pulled gently, tugged. She held back.
“No, I’m not coming any farther,” said Beryl.
“Oh, rot!” Harry Kember didn’t believe her. “Come along! We’ll just go as far as that fuchsia bush. Come along!”
The fuchsia bush was tall. It fell over the fence in a shower. There was a little pit of darkness beneath.
“No, really, I don’t want to,” said Beryl.
For a moment Harry Kember didn’t answer. Then he came close to her, turned to her, smiled and said quickly, “Don’t be silly! Don’t be silly!”
His smile was something she’d never seen before. Was he drunk? That bright, blind, terrifying smile froze her with horror. What was she doing? How had she got here? the stern garden asked her as the gate pushed open, and quick as a cat Harry Kember came through and snatched her to him.
“Cold little devil! Cold little devil!” said the hateful voice.
But Beryl was strong. She slipped, ducked, wrenched214 free.
“You are vile215, vile,” said she.
“Then why in God’s name did you come?” stammered Harry Kember.
Nobody answered him.
XIII.
A cloud, small, serene216, floated across the moon. In that moment of darkness the sea sounded deep, troubled. Then the cloud sailed away, and the sound of the sea was a vague murmur207, as though it waked out of a dark dream. All was still.
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1
cove
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| n.小海湾，小峡谷 | |
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2
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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3
moth
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| n.蛾，蛀虫 | |
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4
bungalow
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| n.平房，周围有阳台的木造小平房 | |
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bungalows
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| n.平房( bungalow的名词复数 )；单层小屋，多于一层的小屋 | |
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dunes
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| 沙丘( dune的名词复数 ) | |
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7
fluffy
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| adj.有绒毛的，空洞的 | |
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8
drenched
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| adj.湿透的；充满的v.使湿透( drench的过去式和过去分词 )；在某人（某物）上大量使用（某液体） | |
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9
rippling
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| 起涟漪的，潺潺流水般声音的 | |
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10
flicking
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| （尤指用手指或手快速地）轻击( flick的现在分词 )； （用…）轻挥； （快速地）按开关； 向…笑了一下（或瞥了一眼等） | |
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11
gushing
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| adj.迸出的；涌出的；喷出的；过分热情的v.喷，涌( gush的现在分词 )；滔滔不绝地说话 | |
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12
twig
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| n.小树枝，嫩枝；v.理解 | |
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13
huddled
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| 挤在一起（huddle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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14
trotted
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| 小跑，急走( trot的过去分词 )； 匆匆忙忙地走 | |
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15
gateway
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| n.大门口，出入口，途径，方法 | |
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16
frieze
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| n.(墙上的)横饰带，雕带 | |
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velvet
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| n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的 | |
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18
crammed
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| 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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19
fluting
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| 有沟槽的衣料； 吹笛子； 笛声； 刻凹槽 | |
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20
caper
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| v.雀跃，欢蹦；n.雀跃，跳跃；续随子，刺山柑花蕾；嬉戏 | |
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21
levity
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| n.轻率，轻浮，不稳定，多变 | |
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dignified
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| a.可敬的，高贵的 | |
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23
bleat
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| v.咩咩叫，(讲)废话，哭诉；n.咩咩叫，废话，哭诉 | |
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24
herds
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| 兽群( herd的名词复数 )； 牧群； 人群； 群众 | |
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25
puddles
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| n.水坑， （尤指道路上的）雨水坑( puddle的名词复数 ) | |
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eucalyptus
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| n.桉树，桉属植物 | |
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acorn
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| n.橡实，橡子 | |
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28
fumbled
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| （笨拙地）摸索或处理（某事物）( fumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 乱摸，笨拙地弄； 使落下 | |
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29
chunk
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| n.厚片，大块，相当大的部分（数量） | |
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30
sleeper
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| n.睡眠者，卧车，卧铺 | |
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31
drowsy
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| adj.昏昏欲睡的，令人发困的 | |
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32
twitched
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| vt.& vi.（使）抽动，（使）颤动（twitch的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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33
mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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myriads
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| n.无数，极大数量( myriad的名词复数 ) | |
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ruffling
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| 弄皱( ruffle的现在分词 )； 弄乱； 激怒； 扰乱 | |
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36
ledge
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| n.壁架，架状突出物；岩架，岩礁 | |
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37
porous
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| adj.可渗透的，多孔的 | |
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38
pebbles
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| [复数]鹅卵石； 沙砾； 卵石，小圆石( pebble的名词复数 ) | |
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39
ebb
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| vi.衰退，减退；n.处于低潮，处于衰退状态 | |
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40
wade
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| v.跋涉，涉水；n.跋涉 | |
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41
waded
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| （从水、泥等）蹚，走过，跋( wade的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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42
exulting
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| vi. 欢欣鼓舞，狂喜 | |
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43
swooped
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| 俯冲，猛冲( swoop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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44
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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45
velvety
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| adj. 像天鹅绒的, 轻软光滑的, 柔软的 | |
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46
bass
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| n.男低音(歌手)；低音乐器；低音大提琴 | |
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47
trout
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| n.鳟鱼；鲑鱼(属) | |
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48
briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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49
sleek
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| adj.光滑的，井然有序的；v.使光滑，梳拢 | |
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50
mania
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| n.疯狂；躁狂症，狂热，癖好 | |
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51
ripple
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| n.涟波，涟漪，波纹，粗钢梳；vt.使...起涟漪，使起波纹； vi.呈波浪状，起伏前进 | |
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52
fins
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| [医]散热片；鱼鳍；飞边；鸭掌 | |
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53
poke
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| n.刺，戳，袋；vt.拨开，刺，戳；vi.戳，刺，捅，搜索，伸出，行动散慢 | |
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54
almighty
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| adj.全能的，万能的；很大的，很强的 | |
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55
joyful
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| adj.欢乐的，令人欢欣的 | |
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56
basking
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| v.晒太阳，取暖( bask的现在分词 )；对…感到乐趣；因他人的功绩而出名；仰仗…的余泽 | |
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57
wringing
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| 淋湿的，湿透的 | |
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58
spotted
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| adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的 | |
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59
sip
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| v.小口地喝，抿，呷；n.一小口的量 | |
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60
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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61
jerseys
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| n.运动衫( jersey的名词复数 ) | |
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62
jersey
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| n.运动衫 | |
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63
hems
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| 布的褶边，贴边( hem的名词复数 )； 短促的咳嗽 | |
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64
varnished
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| 浸渍过的，涂漆的 | |
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65
ruffled
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| adj. 有褶饰边的, 起皱的 动词ruffle的过去式和过去分词 | |
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66
bowler
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| n.打保龄球的人，（板球的）投（球）手 | |
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67
bluster
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| v.猛刮；怒冲冲的说；n.吓唬，怒号；狂风声 | |
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68
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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69
kit
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| n.用具包，成套工具；随身携带物 | |
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70
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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71
gaily
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| adv.欢乐地，高兴地 | |
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72
flannel
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| n.法兰绒；法兰绒衣服 | |
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73
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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74
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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75
desperately
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| adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地 | |
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76
tugged
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| v.用力拉，使劲拉，猛扯( tug的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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77
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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78
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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79
cane
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| n.手杖，细长的茎，藤条；v.以杖击，以藤编制的 | |
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80
crabs
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| n.蟹( crab的名词复数 )；阴虱寄生病；蟹肉v.捕蟹( crab的第三人称单数 ) | |
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81
bulging
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| 膨胀； 凸出（部）； 打气； 折皱 | |
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82
Undid
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| v. 解开, 复原 | |
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83
rusty
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| adj.生锈的；锈色的；荒废了的 | |
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84
jug
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| n.(有柄，小口，可盛水等的)大壶，罐，盂 | |
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85
savages
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| 未开化的人，野蛮人( savage的名词复数 ) | |
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86
helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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87
wrecks
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| n.沉船( wreck的名词复数 )；（事故中）遭严重毁坏的汽车（或飞机等）；（身体或精神上）受到严重损伤的人；状况非常糟糕的车辆（或建筑物等）v.毁坏[毁灭]某物( wreck的第三人称单数 )；使（船舶）失事，使遇难，使下沉 | |
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88
winked
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| v.使眼色( wink的过去式和过去分词 )；递眼色（表示友好或高兴等）；（指光）闪烁；闪亮 | |
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89
lengthened
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| （时间或空间）延长，伸长( lengthen的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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90
hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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91
crouching
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的现在分词 ) | |
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92
wafted
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| v.吹送，飘送，（使）浮动( waft的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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93
scrambled
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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94
harry
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| vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼 | |
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95
disapproved
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| v.不赞成( disapprove的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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96
bliss
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| n.狂喜，福佑，天赐的福 | |
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97
hunched
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| （常指因寒冷、生病或愁苦）耸肩弓身的，伏首前倾的 | |
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98
withered
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| adj. 枯萎的，干瘪的，（人身体的部分器官）因病萎缩的或未发育良好的 动词wither的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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99
incessantly
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| ad.不停地 | |
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100
parched
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| adj.焦干的；极渴的；v.（使）焦干 | |
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101
veranda
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| n.走廊；阳台 | |
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102
impudent
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| adj.鲁莽的，卑鄙的，厚颜无耻的 | |
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103
fervent
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| adj.热的，热烈的，热情的 | |
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104
privately
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| adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地 | |
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105
concoction
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| n.调配(物)；谎言 | |
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106
bloody
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| adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染 | |
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107
buckle
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| n.扣子，带扣；v.把...扣住，由于压力而弯曲 | |
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108
linen
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| n.亚麻布，亚麻线，亚麻制品；adj.亚麻布制的，亚麻的 | |
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109
affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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110
grimaced
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| v.扮鬼相，做鬼脸( grimace的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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111
lighting
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| n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光 | |
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112
transparent
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| adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的 | |
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113
puff
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| n.一口(气)；一阵(风)；v.喷气，喘气 | |
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114
flicked
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| （尤指用手指或手快速地）轻击( flick的过去式和过去分词 )； （用…）轻挥； （快速地）按开关； 向…笑了一下（或瞥了一眼等） | |
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115
waterproof
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| n.防水材料；adj.防水的；v.使...能防水 | |
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116
touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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117
exquisite
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| adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的 | |
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118
petal
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| n.花瓣 | |
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119
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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120
horrid
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| adj.可怕的；令人惊恐的；恐怖的；极讨厌的 | |
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121
petals
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| n.花瓣( petal的名词复数 ) | |
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122
ginger
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| n.姜，精力，淡赤黄色；adj.淡赤黄色的；vt.使活泼，使有生气 | |
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123
catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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124
wrecked
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| adj.失事的，遇难的 | |
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125
dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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126
grudge
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| n.不满，怨恨，妒嫉；vt.勉强给，不情愿做 | |
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127
quaint
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| adj.古雅的，离奇有趣的，奇怪的 | |
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128
severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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129
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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130
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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131
flopped
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| v.（指书、戏剧等）彻底失败( flop的过去式和过去分词 )；（因疲惫而）猛然坐下；（笨拙地、不由自主地或松弛地）移动或落下；砸锅 | |
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132
flop
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| n.失败(者)，扑通一声；vi.笨重地行动，沉重地落下 | |
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133
fiery
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| adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的 | |
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134
bleached
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| 漂白的，晒白的，颜色变浅的 | |
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135
ripples
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| 逐渐扩散的感觉( ripple的名词复数 ) | |
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136
creeks
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| n.小湾( creek的名词复数 )；小港；小河；小溪 | |
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137
underneath
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| adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面 | |
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138
anemones
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| n.银莲花( anemone的名词复数 )；海葵 | |
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139
smelt
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| v.熔解，熔炼；n.银白鱼，胡瓜鱼 | |
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140
verandas
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| 阳台，走廊( veranda的名词复数 ) | |
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141
prone
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| adj.(to)易于…的，很可能…的；俯卧的 | |
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142
haze
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| n.霾，烟雾；懵懂，迷糊；vi.(over)变模糊 | |
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143
siesta
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| n.午睡 | |
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144
imprisoned
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| 下狱，监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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145
gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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146
tickle
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| v.搔痒，胳肢；使高兴；发痒；n.搔痒，发痒 | |
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147
pony
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| adj.小型的；n.小马 | |
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148
shudder
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| v.战粟，震动，剧烈地摇晃；n.战粟，抖动 | |
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149
cork
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| n.软木，软木塞 | |
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150
conspicuous
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| adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的 | |
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151
liking
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| n.爱好；嗜好；喜欢 | |
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152
spine
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| n.脊柱，脊椎；(动植物的)刺；书脊 | |
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153
scrawled
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| 乱涂，潦草地写( scrawl的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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154
extraordinarily
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| adv.格外地；极端地 | |
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155
precarious
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| adj.不安定的，靠不住的；根据不足的 | |
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156
pane
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| n.窗格玻璃，长方块 | |
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157
brigand
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| n.土匪，强盗 | |
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158
persistent
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| adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的 | |
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159
sardines
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| n. 沙丁鱼 | |
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160
astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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161
miraculously
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| ad.奇迹般地 | |
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162
pints
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| n.品脱( pint的名词复数 )；一品脱啤酒 | |
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163
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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164
wary
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| adj.谨慎的，机警的，小心的 | |
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165
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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166
chuckle
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| vi.／n.轻声笑，咯咯笑 | |
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167
copper
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| n.铜；铜币；铜器；adj.铜(制)的；(紫)铜色的 | |
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168
peg
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| n.木栓，木钉；vt.用木钉钉，用短桩固定 | |
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169
spun
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| v.纺，杜撰，急转身 | |
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170
wailed
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| v.哭叫，哀号( wail的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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171
stoutly
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| adv.牢固地，粗壮的 | |
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172
bellow
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| v.吼叫，怒吼；大声发出，大声喝道 | |
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173
trots
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| 小跑，急走( trot的名词复数 )； 匆匆忙忙地走 | |
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174
shrilled
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| （声音）尖锐的，刺耳的，高频率的( shrill的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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175
conspirators
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| n.共谋者，阴谋家( conspirator的名词复数 ) | |
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176
conspirator
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| n.阴谋者，谋叛者 | |
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177
repentant
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| adj.对…感到悔恨的 | |
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178
undo
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| vt.解开，松开；取消，撤销 | |
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179
smack
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| vt.拍，打，掴；咂嘴；vi.含有…意味；n.拍 | |
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180
dealing
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| n.经商方法，待人态度 | |
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181
racing
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| n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的 | |
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182
snug
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| adj.温暖舒适的，合身的，安全的；v.使整洁干净，舒适地依靠，紧贴；n.（英）酒吧里的私房 | |
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183
shrieked
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| v.尖叫( shriek的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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184
carnation
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| n.康乃馨（一种花） | |
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185
celestial
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| adj.天体的；天上的 | |
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186
dames
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| n.（在英国）夫人（一种封号），夫人（爵士妻子的称号）( dame的名词复数 )；女人 | |
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187
muffled
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| adj.（声音）被隔的；听不太清的；（衣服）裹严的；蒙住的v.压抑，捂住( muffle的过去式和过去分词 )；用厚厚的衣帽包着（自己） | |
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188
sweeping
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| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
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189
vaguely
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| adv.含糊地，暖昧地 | |
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190
passionately
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| ad.热烈地，激烈地 | |
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191
dilated
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| adj.加宽的，扩大的v.（使某物）扩大，膨胀，张大( dilate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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192
choir
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| n.唱诗班，唱诗班的席位，合唱团，舞蹈团；v.合唱 | |
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193
intensity
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| n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度 | |
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194
hymn
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| n.赞美诗，圣歌，颂歌 | |
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195
ledger
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| n.总帐，分类帐；帐簿 | |
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196
exultant
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| adj.欢腾的，狂欢的，大喜的 | |
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197
flopping
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| n.贬调v.（指书、戏剧等）彻底失败( flop的现在分词 )；（因疲惫而）猛然坐下；（笨拙地、不由自主地或松弛地）移动或落下；砸锅 | |
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198
confiding
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| adj.相信人的，易于相信的v.吐露（秘密，心事等）( confide的现在分词 )；（向某人）吐露（隐私、秘密等） | |
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199
stamina
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| n.体力；精力；耐力 | |
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200
watchful
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| adj.注意的，警惕的 | |
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201
graveyard
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| n.坟场 | |
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202
infinitely
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| adv.无限地，无穷地 | |
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203
bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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204
fowl
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| n.家禽，鸡，禽肉 | |
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205
resolute
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| adj.坚决的，果敢的 | |
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206
gallant
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| adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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207
murmur
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| n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言 | |
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208
rumble
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| n.隆隆声；吵嚷；v.隆隆响；低沉地说 | |
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209
stammered
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| v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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210
humbly
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| adv. 恭顺地，谦卑地 | |
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211
imploring
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| 恳求的，哀求的 | |
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212
stuffy
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| adj.不透气的，闷热的 | |
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213
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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214
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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215
vile
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| adj.卑鄙的，可耻的，邪恶的；坏透的 | |
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216
serene
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| adj. 安详的，宁静的，平静的 | |
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