chapter 13

Mrs. Trotter, Miss Trotter, Miss Toady¹, Lord Methuselah.

Dear Emma Trotter has been silent and rather ill-humored all the evening until now her pretty face lights up with smiles. Cannot you guess why? Pity the simple and affectionate creature! Lord Methuselah has not arrived until this moment: and see how the artless girl steps forward to greet him!

In the midst of all the selfishness and turmoil² of the world, how charming it is to find virgin³ hearts quite unsullied, and to look on at little romantic pictures of mutual⁴ love! Lord Methuselah, though you know his age by the peerage — though he is old, wigged⁵, gouty, rouged⁶, wicked, has lighted up a pure flame in that gentle bosom⁷. There was a talk about Tom Willoughby last year; and then, for a time, young Hawbuck (Sir John Hawbuck’s youngest son) seemed the favored man; but Emma never knew her mind until she met the dear creature before you in a Rhine steamboat. “Why are you so late, Edward?” says she. Dear artless child!

Her mother looks on with tender satisfaction. One can appreciate the joys of such an admirable parent!

“Look at them!” says Miss Toady. “I vow⁸ and protest they’re the handsomest couple in the room!”

Methuselah’s grandchildren are rather jealous and angry, and Mademoiselle Ariane, of the French theatre, is furious. But there’s no accounting⁹ for the mercenary envy of some people; and it is impossible to satisfy everybody.

1 toady   

v.奉承；n.谄媚者，马屁精

参考例句：

• He flung it in my teeth that I was a toady.他责备我是个马屁精。
• Arrogance has no defense against a toady.傲慢防不了谄媚者。

2 turmoil   

n.骚乱，混乱，动乱

参考例句：

• His mind was in such a turmoil that he couldn't get to sleep.内心的纷扰使他无法入睡。
• The robbery put the village in a turmoil.抢劫使全村陷入混乱。

3 virgin   

n.处女，未婚女子；adj.未经使用的；未经开发的

参考例句：

• Have you ever been to a virgin forest?你去过原始森林吗？
• There are vast expanses of virgin land in the remote regions.在边远地区有大片大片未开垦的土地。

4 mutual   

adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的

参考例句：

• We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
• Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。

5 wigged   

adj.戴假发的

参考例句：

• I have wigged him well. 我已给他装好了假发。 来自辞典例句
• He wigged me for being late. 他因我来迟而责骂我。 来自辞典例句

6 rouged   

胭脂，口红( rouge的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Tigress in a red jacket, her face powdered and rouged, followed him with her eyes. 虎妞穿着红袄，脸上抹着白粉与胭脂，眼睛溜着他。 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子
• She worked carefully on her penciled her eyebrows and rouged her lips. 她仔细地梳理着头发，描眉，涂口红。

7 bosom   

n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的

参考例句：

• She drew a little book from her bosom.她从怀里取出一本小册子。
• A dark jealousy stirred in his bosom.他内心生出一阵恶毒的嫉妒。

8 vow   

n.誓(言)，誓约；v.起誓，立誓

参考例句：

• My parents are under a vow to go to church every Sunday.我父母许愿，每星期日都去做礼拜。
• I am under a vow to drink no wine.我已立誓戒酒。

9 accounting   

n.会计，会计学，借贷对照表

参考例句：

• A job fell vacant in the accounting department.财会部出现了一个空缺。
• There's an accounting error in this entry.这笔账目里有差错。