CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

She woke him up the next morning with his breakfast. 'It's a very special day, Paul, isn't it?' 'Yes.' She bent¹ over and kissed him. 'I love you, Paul. Can I start reading it now?' 78 'No, Annie, you must wait. It's important that you wait.' But she had gone blank again. He waited patiently for her to return and then repeated his answer, so that this time she would hear it. 'I'll leave you now,' she said. 'But you'll call me when you've finished the book, won't you? I've got some champagne² in the fridge. I don't know much about wine and things, but the man at the shop said it was the best. I want us to have the best, Paul.' 'That sounds lovely, Annie. But there is one other thing you could do for me, to make it special.' 'What's that?' 'I'd really like a cigarette - just one, when I finish. There were some cigarettes in my suitcase.' 'But cigarettes are bad for you.' 'Annie, do you really think I have to worry about dying³ from smoking⁴ now? Do you really think that?' She didn't say anything. 'I just want one cigarette. I've always relaxed with a cigarette immediately after finishing a book.' 'All right,' she said. 'But long before the champagne. I don't want to drink expensive champagne with my favourite author with all that dirty smoke in the air.' She left and a while later came back with a single cigarette and a box of matches - with only one match in it. She put them quietly on the table and crept⁵ out of the room, not wanting to disturb her favourite author. Several hours later Paul wrote the two words which every author loves and hates most: THE END. He sat back in satisfaction. Then he bent over to the loose board in the floor.

1 bent   

n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的

参考例句：

• He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
• We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。

2 champagne   

n.香槟酒；微黄色

参考例句：

• There were two glasses of champagne on the tray.托盘里有两杯香槟酒。
• They sat there swilling champagne.他们坐在那里大喝香槟酒。

3 dying   

adj.垂死的，临终的

参考例句：

• He was put in charge of the group by the dying leader.他被临终的领导人任命为集团负责人。
• She was shown into a small room,where there was a dying man.她被领进了一间小屋子，那里有一个垂死的人。

4 smoking   

n.吸烟，抽烟；冒烟

参考例句：

• He was wise to give up smoking.他戒烟是明智的。
• He has decided to cut out smoking and drinking.他已决心戒烟、戒酒。

5 crept   

v.蹑手蹑足地走( creep的过去式和过去分词 )；缓慢地行进；爬行；匍匐

参考例句：

• I crept up the stairs, trying not to wake my parents. 为了尽量不吵醒父母，我蹑手蹑脚地上了楼。
• He had crept up on his unsuspecting victim from behind. 他从背后悄悄逼近了那毫无戒备的受害者。