The coast-line at Staneholme was high and bold, but in place of descending12 sheerly and precipitately13 to the yellow sands, it sloped in a green bank, broken by gullies, where the long sea-grass grew in tangled14 tufts, interspersed15 with the yellow leaves of the fern, and in whose sheltered recesses16 Nelly Carnegie so often lingered, that she left them to future generations as "Lady Staneholme's Walks."
There she could see the London smacks17 and foreign [Page 186]luggers beating up to ride at the pier18 of Leith. There she could sit for hours, half-hidden, and protected from the sea blast, mechanically pulling to pieces the dried, blackened seaweed blown up among the small, prickly blush roses. In her green quilted petticoat and spencer she might have been one of the "good people's changelings," only the hue19 of her cheek was more like that of a brownie of the wold; and, truly, to her remote world there was an impenetrable mystery about the young mistress of Staneholme, in her estrangement20 and mournfulness. Some said that she had favoured another lover, whom Staneholme had slain21 in a duel22 or a night-brawl; some that the old Staneholmes had sold themselves to the Devil, and a curse was on their remotest descendants; for was not the young laird fey at times, and would not the blithe23 sisters pass into care-worn wives and matrons?
There sat Nelly, looking at the sea, musing24 dreamily and drearily25 on Old Edinburgh, or pondering with sluggish26 curiosity over the Homes, and what, from casual looks and words, she could not help gathering27 of their history. The Lairds of Staneholme had wild moss-trooper blood in their veins28, and they had vindicated29 it to the last generation by unsettled lives, reckless intermeddling with public affairs, and inveterate30 feuds31 with their brother lairds.
Adam Home's was a hot heart, constant in its impetuosity, buried beneath an icy crust which he strove to preserve, but which hissed32 and crackled when outward motives33 failed, or when opposition34 fanned the inner glow. With the elements of a despot but half tamed, and like [Page 187]many another tyrant35, unchallenged master of his surroundings, Staneholme wielded36 his authority with fair result. Tenant37 and servant, hanger-on and sprig of the central tree, bore regard as well as fear for the young laird—all save Staneholme's whilom love and wedded38 wife.
Nelly did not wish to understand this repressed, ardent39 nature, although its developments sometimes forced themselves upon her. She had heard Staneholme hound on a refractory40 tyke till he shouted himself hoarse41, and yet turn aside before the badger42 was unearthed43; she had seen him climb the scaurs, and hang dizzily in mid-air over the black water, to secure the wildfowl he had shot, and it was but carrion44; and once, Joan and Madge, to whom he was wont45 to be indulgent in a condescending46, superior way, trembled before the stamp of his foot and the kindling47 flash of his eye. Some affair abroad had disturbed him and he came into the hall, when his sisters' voices were raised giddily as they played off an idle, ill-thought-of jest on grave, cold Nelly. "Queans and fools," he termed them, and bade them "end their steer48" so harshly, that the free, thoughtful girls did not think of pouting49 or crying, but shrank back in affright. Nelly Carnegie, whom he had humbled50 to the dust, was below his anger.
When the grey mansion51 of Staneholme basked52 in the autumn sun, an auspicious53 event gladdened its chambers54. Joan was matched with a gay, gallant55 young cousin from Teviotdale, and from the commencement of the short wooing to the indefatigable56 dance which the young bride herself led off right willingly, all was celebrated57 with smiles and blessings58, and harvest-home fulness of joy and grati[Page 188]tude. But a dark shadow moved among the merrymakers. A young heart robbed of its rights, like an upbraiding59 ghost, regarded the simple, loving, trusting pair, and compared their consecrated60 vows61 with the mockery of a rite62 into which it had been driven.
The only change time brought to Nelly, was the progress of an unacknowledged bond between her and good old Lady Staneholme. The obstacle to any interchange of ideas and positive confidence between them, was the inducement to the tacit companionship adopted by the sick, wayward heart, with its malady63 of wrong and grief. Influenced by an instinctive64, inexplicable65 attraction, Nelly's uncertain footsteps followed Lady Staneholme, and kept pace with her soft tread, when she overlooked her spinners and knitters, gave out her linen66 and spices, turned over her herbs, and visited her sick and aged67. There they were seen—the smiling, deaf old lady, fair in her wrinkles, and her mute, dark, sad daughter whom in patient ignorance she folded in her mantle68 of universal charity.

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1
rugged
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adj.高低不平的,粗糙的,粗壮的,强健的 | |
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2
bluebell
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n.风铃草 | |
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moor
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n.荒野,沼泽;vt.(使)停泊;vi.停泊 | |
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exhausted
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adj.极其疲惫的,精疲力尽的 | |
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5
Forsaken
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adj. 被遗忘的, 被抛弃的 动词forsake的过去分词 | |
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6
burnishing
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n.磨光,抛光,擦亮v.擦亮(金属等),磨光( burnish的现在分词 );被擦亮,磨光 | |
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7
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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gull
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n.鸥;受骗的人;v.欺诈 | |
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hardy
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adj.勇敢的,果断的,吃苦的;耐寒的 | |
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lore
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n.传说;学问,经验,知识 | |
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doughty
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adj.勇猛的,坚强的 | |
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descending
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n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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precipitately
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adv.猛进地 | |
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tangled
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adj. 纠缠的,紊乱的 动词tangle的过去式和过去分词 | |
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interspersed
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adj.[医]散开的;点缀的v.intersperse的过去式和过去分词 | |
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recesses
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n.壁凹( recess的名词复数 );(工作或业务活动的)中止或暂停期间;学校的课间休息;某物内部的凹形空间v.把某物放在墙壁的凹处( recess的第三人称单数 );将(墙)做成凹形,在(墙)上做壁龛;休息,休会,休庭 | |
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17
smacks
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掌掴(声)( smack的名词复数 ); 海洛因; (打的)一拳; 打巴掌 | |
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pier
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n.码头;桥墩,桥柱;[建]窗间壁,支柱 | |
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19
hue
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n.色度;色调;样子 | |
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estrangement
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n.疏远,失和,不和 | |
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21
slain
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杀死,宰杀,杀戮( slay的过去分词 ); (slay的过去分词) | |
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22
duel
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n./v.决斗;(双方的)斗争 | |
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blithe
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adj.快乐的,无忧无虑的 | |
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musing
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n. 沉思,冥想 adj. 沉思的, 冥想的 动词muse的现在分词形式 | |
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drearily
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沉寂地,厌倦地,可怕地 | |
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sluggish
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adj.懒惰的,迟钝的,无精打采的 | |
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gathering
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n.集会,聚会,聚集 | |
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veins
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n.纹理;矿脉( vein的名词复数 );静脉;叶脉;纹理 | |
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vindicated
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v.澄清(某人/某事物)受到的责难或嫌疑( vindicate的过去式和过去分词 );表明或证明(所争辩的事物)属实、正当、有效等;维护 | |
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30
inveterate
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adj.积习已深的,根深蒂固的 | |
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feuds
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n.长期不和,世仇( feud的名词复数 ) | |
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32
hissed
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发嘶嘶声( hiss的过去式和过去分词 ); 发嘘声表示反对 | |
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motives
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n.动机,目的( motive的名词复数 ) | |
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opposition
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n.反对,敌对 | |
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35
tyrant
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n.暴君,专制的君主,残暴的人 | |
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wielded
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手持着使用(武器、工具等)( wield的过去式和过去分词 ); 具有; 运用(权力); 施加(影响) | |
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tenant
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n.承租人;房客;佃户;v.租借,租用 | |
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38
wedded
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adj.正式结婚的;渴望…的,执著于…的v.嫁,娶,(与…)结婚( wed的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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39
ardent
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adj.热情的,热烈的,强烈的,烈性的 | |
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refractory
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adj.倔强的,难驾驭的 | |
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41
hoarse
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adj.嘶哑的,沙哑的 | |
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42
badger
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v.一再烦扰,一再要求,纠缠 | |
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unearthed
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出土的(考古) | |
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44
carrion
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n.腐肉 | |
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45
wont
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adj.习惯于;v.习惯;n.习惯 | |
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46
condescending
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adj.谦逊的,故意屈尊的 | |
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47
kindling
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n. 点火, 可燃物 动词kindle的现在分词形式 | |
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48
steer
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vt.驾驶,为…操舵;引导;vi.驾驶 | |
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49
pouting
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v.撅(嘴)( pout的现在分词 ) | |
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50
humbled
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adj. 卑下的,谦逊的,粗陋的 vt. 使 ... 卑下,贬低 | |
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51
mansion
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n.大厦,大楼;宅第 | |
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52
basked
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v.晒太阳,取暖( bask的过去式和过去分词 );对…感到乐趣;因他人的功绩而出名;仰仗…的余泽 | |
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53
auspicious
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adj.吉利的;幸运的,吉兆的 | |
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chambers
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n.房间( chamber的名词复数 );(议会的)议院;卧室;会议厅 | |
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55
gallant
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adj.英勇的,豪侠的;(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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56
indefatigable
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adj.不知疲倦的,不屈不挠的 | |
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57
celebrated
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adj.有名的,声誉卓著的 | |
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58
blessings
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n.(上帝的)祝福( blessing的名词复数 );好事;福分;因祸得福 | |
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59
upbraiding
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adj.& n.谴责(的)v.责备,申斥,谴责( upbraid的现在分词 ) | |
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60
consecrated
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adj.神圣的,被视为神圣的v.把…奉为神圣,给…祝圣( consecrate的过去式和过去分词 );奉献 | |
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61
vows
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誓言( vow的名词复数 ); 郑重宣布,许愿 | |
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62
rite
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n.典礼,惯例,习俗 | |
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malady
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n.病,疾病(通常做比喻) | |
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instinctive
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adj.(出于)本能的;直觉的;(出于)天性的 | |
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inexplicable
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adj.无法解释的,难理解的 | |
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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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67
aged
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adj.年老的,陈年的 | |
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68
mantle
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n.斗篷,覆罩之物,罩子;v.罩住,覆盖,脸红 | |
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