CHAPTER XXV

 Kitty was undoubtedly¹ nearing the limit of human endurance.  Threats and offers of bribes² had alike failed to move the red-faced woman; not one out of a hundred questions had she answered save by the formula, “I’m sure I couldn’t say, Miss,” or, “You’ll have to ask himself about that.”

 

It was the fourth night of her incarceration³, the third since Symington’s visit.  At first she had demanded his presence; later she had implored⁴.  The reply was always the same: “Maybe soon; but you must have patience, Miss.”  Less than an hour ago she had heard it, and now the quaint⁵ little clock on the wall, which she had sometimes loved for its “company,” and sometimes wanted to smash for its heartlessness, tinkled⁶ nine.  Was another day going to pass without relief, another night of awful uncertainty⁷ approaching?  She had given up trying to persuade p. 257herself that her captor was not vile⁸ enough to carry out his menace against Colin—for Colin, she could not doubt, was the second prisoner.  Symington, asserted Despair, was surely vile enough for the dirtiest work, since he could so torture the mind of a helpless girl.

 

And yet Kitty Carstairs was not at the very end of her wits.  One thing she had in her power to do.  She could starve herself!  Yesterday she had scarcely touched food; to-day she had not broken her fast.  The tempting⁹ meals had gone out of the room as they had been brought in.  There on the table, with its mocking carnations¹⁰, was a silver tray bearing sundry¹¹ delicacies¹², exquisitely¹³ served, which the woman had left on her last visit for the night.  It taxed the girl’s powers of resistance, but her spirit conquered her flesh.

 

“God, hear me,” she whispered; “let me not eat till I am convinced that Colin has had food.”  She was feeling weak and somewhat faint, but the sickly headache had abated¹⁴, and her mind was very clear.

 

“I will try once more,” she told herself.  “I will pretend to be ill, and that may bring him.  Then I will show him I am determined¹⁵ to starve.  I shouldn’t be much use to him dead!”

 

p. 258Her finger was on the bell when she heard a sound in the passage.  The bolt was drawn¹⁶ back, and Symington’s voice said: “Get to your bed.  I don’t want to see you again to-night.”  A rough voice answered: “Right you are, sir.  Good night.”

 

Then Symington entered.  He had been keeping himself firmly in hand all day; he had an exhausted¹⁷ look, and was rather pale.

 

Without preface he exclaimed in hurt tones: “Kitty, what’s wrong with the food?”

 

“Is your other prisoner getting the same?” she asked quietly, approaching the table.

 

His laugh was lost in a crash.

 

Kitty had lifted the tray and flung it at his feet.

 

“There’s your rubbish!” she panted, catching¹⁸ hold of a chair-back.  “You can’t beat me!”

 

“By God!” he exclaimed furious, then restrained himself.  “You can’t keep it up, Kitty, my dear.  One day of real hunger is nothing to brag¹⁹ about.  Wait till you see my other prisoner.  I’m going to take you there now.  He has had three days of it—and no water since yesterday.  He’ll advise you not to be foolish.”

 

“You beast!”

 

He winced²⁰, but merely said, “Come!”

 

p. 259She did not hesitate even when he took hold of her arm.

 

“You are a great fool,” she said.  “Can’t you understand that any decent man would advise me to commit suicide rather than marry you?”

 

“Be silent!”  His fingers crushed her flesh.

 

He led her along a passage lit by electricity.  A couple of windows, she noticed, were boarded over with metal-lined wood.  They passed a couple of doors similarly strengthened and with stout²¹ bolts apparently²² new.  They turned a corner and stopped.  The topmost third of the door in front of them had been cut away, and the opening fitted with slim upright steel bars.

 

“Look in,” said Symington.

 

Kitty saw a chamber²³ which might have served as a storeroom in the past.  The shelving had been removed; the walls were torn and filthy²⁴.  A table, a chair, and an ancient sofa constituted the furnishings.  A single light hung from the ceiling.

 

On the sofa lay a young man, the state of whose raiment suggested a very long journey without a dressing-case.  His face was grey and pinched; his hands made vague, nervous movements.

 

“Oh, Colin!” she cried.

 

p. 260His eyes opened, peeringly; he struggled into a sitting posture²⁵, and pressed a hand to his brow,

 

“Why, it’s Kitty!” he said, with a laugh that died abruptly²⁶.  “I’d forgotten,” he muttered.

 

A short pause, then—“So we’re both prisoners.  But he won’t starve you, Kitty.  Well, I hope our jailer is enjoying himself while it lasts.  Oh, you’re there, Symington!  Kitty, has he told you about the thrashing I gave him the other night?”

 

Symington turned away with a badly suppressed snarl²⁷.

 

“Oh, did you, Colin?  Thank you, thank you!  But, Colin, what am I to do?  He’s starving you, and says he’ll give you nothing till I promise to marry him.”

 

“Really!  What a gentleman he is!  Of course you’ll marry him!”

 

“Come!” said Symington roughly.

 

Kitty held on to the bars.  “Colin, I’m starving myself—”

 

“No, no!  For God’s sake, Kitty—”  Colin rose, but staggered.  “I’ll pull through.  And don’t you be afraid.  It’s only for a little longer,” he said, and got to the door.  “Let me touch your hand, Kitty, and I’ll pull through.”

 

“Let go!” Symington said savagely²⁸, “or—”

 

p. 261“Forgive me, I’ve kissed your hand, Kitty dear,” said Colin in a weak, husky voice.

 

Beside himself, Symington tore her from the door inside which Colin had fallen.  As he left her in her own room he said—

 

“You’ll feel and think differently to-morrow.  I shan’t see you till then.  Going now to Dunford.  But before I leave I’ll supply our friend with plenty of water—well salted.”

1 undoubtedly   

adv.确实地，无疑地

参考例句：

• It is undoubtedly she who has said that.这话明明是她说的。
• He is undoubtedly the pride of China.毫无疑问他是中国的骄傲。

2 bribes   

n.贿赂( bribe的名词复数 )；向（某人）行贿，贿赂v.贿赂( bribe的第三人称单数 )；向（某人）行贿，贿赂

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• corrupt officials accepting bribes 接受贿赂的贪官污吏

3 incarceration   

n.监禁，禁闭；钳闭

参考例句：

• He hadn't changed much in his nearly three years of incarceration. 在将近三年的监狱生活中，他变化不大。 来自辞典例句
• Please, please set it free before it bursts from its long incarceration! 请你，请你将这颗心释放出来吧！否则它会因长期的禁闭而爆裂。 来自辞典例句

4 implored   

恳求或乞求（某人）( implore的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She implored him to stay. 她恳求他留下。
• She implored him with tears in her eyes to forgive her. 她含泪哀求他原谅她。

5 quaint   

adj.古雅的，离奇有趣的，奇怪的

参考例句：

• There were many small lanes in the quaint village.在这古香古色的村庄里，有很多小巷。
• They still keep some quaint old customs.他们仍然保留着一些稀奇古怪的旧风俗。

6 tinkled   

（使）发出丁当声，（使）发铃铃声( tinkle的过去式和过去分词 )； 叮当响着发出，铃铃响着报出

参考例句：

• The sheep's bell tinkled through the hills. 羊的铃铛叮当叮当地响彻整个山区。
• A piano tinkled gently in the background. 背景音是悠扬的钢琴声。

7 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。

8 vile   

adj.卑鄙的，可耻的，邪恶的；坏透的

参考例句：

• Who could have carried out such a vile attack?会是谁发起这么卑鄙的攻击呢？
• Her talk was full of vile curses.她的话里充满着恶毒的咒骂。

9 tempting   

a.诱人的, 吸引人的

参考例句：

• It is tempting to idealize the past. 人都爱把过去的日子说得那么美好。
• It was a tempting offer. 这是个诱人的提议。

10 carnations   

n.麝香石竹，康乃馨( carnation的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• You should also include some carnations to emphasize your underlying meaning.\" 另外要配上石竹花来加重这涵意的力量。” 来自汉英文学 - 围城
• Five men per ha. were required for rose production, 6 or 7 men for carnations. 种植玫瑰每公顷需5个男劳力，香石竹需6、7个男劳力。 来自辞典例句

11 sundry   

adj.各式各样的，种种的

参考例句：

• This cream can be used to treat sundry minor injuries.这种药膏可用来治各种轻伤。
• We can see the rich man on sundry occasions.我们能在各种场合见到那个富豪。

12 delicacies   

n.棘手( delicacy的名词复数 )；精致；精美的食物；周到

参考例句：

• Its flesh has exceptional delicacies. 它的肉异常鲜美。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• After these delicacies, the trappers were ready for their feast. 在享用了这些美食之后，狩猎者开始其大餐。 来自英汉非文学 - 民俗

13 exquisitely   

adv.精致地；强烈地；剧烈地；异常地

参考例句：

• He found her exquisitely beautiful. 他觉得她异常美丽。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He wore an exquisitely tailored gray silk and accessories to match. 他穿的是做工非常考究的灰色绸缎衣服，还有各种配得很协调的装饰。 来自教父部分

14 abated   

减少( abate的过去式和过去分词 )； 减去； 降价； 撤消（诉讼）

参考例句：

• The worker's concern about cuts in the welfare funding has not abated. 工人们对削减福利基金的关心并没有减少。
• The heat has abated. 温度降低了。

15 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

16 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

17 exhausted   

adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的

参考例句：

• It was a long haul home and we arrived exhausted.搬运回家的这段路程特别长，到家时我们已筋疲力尽。
• Jenny was exhausted by the hustle of city life.珍妮被城市生活的忙乱弄得筋疲力尽。

18 catching   

adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住

参考例句：

• There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
• Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。

19 brag   

v./n.吹牛，自夸；adj.第一流的

参考例句：

• He made brag of his skill.他夸耀自己技术高明。
• His wealth is his brag.他夸张他的财富。

20 winced   

赶紧避开，畏缩( wince的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He winced as the dog nipped his ankle. 狗咬了他的脚腕子，疼得他龇牙咧嘴。
• He winced as a sharp pain shot through his left leg. 他左腿一阵剧痛疼得他直龇牙咧嘴。

22 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

23 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

24 filthy   

adj.卑劣的；恶劣的，肮脏的

参考例句：

• The whole river has been fouled up with filthy waste from factories.整条河都被工厂的污秽废物污染了。
• You really should throw out that filthy old sofa and get a new one.你真的应该扔掉那张肮脏的旧沙发，然后再去买张新的。

25 posture   

n.姿势，姿态，心态，态度；v.作出某种姿势

参考例句：

• The government adopted an uncompromising posture on the issue of independence.政府在独立这一问题上采取了毫不妥协的态度。
• He tore off his coat and assumed a fighting posture.他脱掉上衣，摆出一副打架的架势。

26 abruptly   

adv.突然地，出其不意地

参考例句：

• He gestured abruptly for Virginia to get in the car.他粗鲁地示意弗吉尼亚上车。
• I was abruptly notified that a half-hour speech was expected of me.我突然被通知要讲半个小时的话。

27 snarl   

v.吼叫，怒骂，纠缠，混乱；n.混乱，缠结，咆哮

参考例句：

• At the seaside we could hear the snarl of the waves.在海边我们可以听见波涛的咆哮。
• The traffic was all in a snarl near the accident.事故发生处附近交通一片混乱。

28 savagely   

adv. 野蛮地，残酷地

参考例句：

• The roses had been pruned back savagely. 玫瑰被狠狠地修剪了一番。
• He snarled savagely at her. 他向她狂吼起来。