The day following that on which Mrs Dotropy and Ruth had gone out to visit “the poor,” Jessie and Kate Seaward received a visit from a man who caused them no little anxiety—we might almost say alarm. He was a sea-captain of the name of Bream.
As this gentleman was rather eccentric, it may interest the reader to follow him from the commencement of the day on which we introduce him.
But first let it be stated that Captain Bream was a fine-looking man, though large and rugged2. His upper lip and chin were bare, for he was in the habit of mowing3 those regions every morning with a blunt razor. To see Captain Bream go through this operation of mowing when at sea in a gale4 of wind was a sight that might have charmed the humorous, and horrified5 the nervous. The captain’s shoulders were broad, and his bones big; his waistcoat, also, was large, his height six feet two, his voice a profound bass6, and his manner boisterous7 but hearty8. He was apt to roar in conversation, but it was in a gale of wind that you should have heard him! In such circumstances, the celebrated9 bull of Bashan would have been constrained10 to retire from his presence with its tail between its legs. When we say that Captain Bream’s eyes were kind eyes, and that the smile of his large mouth was a winning smile, we have sketched11 a full-length portrait of him,—or, as painters might put it, an “extra-full-length.”
Well, when Captain Bream, having mown his chin, presented himself in public, on the morning of the particular day of which we write, he appeared to be in a meditative12 mood, and sauntered slowly, with the professional gait of a sailor, through several narrow streets near London Bridge. His hands were thrust into his coat-pockets, and a half humorous, half perplexed13 expression rested on his face. Evidently something troubled him, and he gave vent14 to a little of that something in deep tones, being apt to think aloud as he went along in disjointed sentences.
“Very odd,” he murmured, “but that girl is always after some queer—well, no matter. It’s my business to—but it does puzzle me to guess why she should want me to live in such an out-o’-the-way—however, I suppose she knows, and that’s enough for me.”
“Shine yer boots, sir?” said a small voice cutting short these broken remarks.
“What?”
“Shine yer boots, sir, an’ p’raps I can ’elp yer to clear up yer mind w’en I’m a doin’ of it.”
It was the voice of a small shoeblack, whose eyes looked wistful.
The captain glanced at his boots; they wanted “shining” sadly, for the nautical15 valet who should have attended to such matters had neglected his duty that morning.
“Where d’ee live, my lad?” asked the captain, who, being large-hearted and having spent most of his life at sea, felt unusual interest in all things terrestrial when he chanced to be on shore.
“I live nowheres in par-tickler,” answered the boy.
“But where d’ee sleep of a night?”
“Vell, that depends. Mostly anywheres.”
“Got any father?”
“No, sir, I hain’t; nor yet no mother—never had no fathers nor mothers, as I knows on, an’ wot’s more, I don’t want any. They’re a chancey lot, is fathers an’ mothers—most of ’em. Better without ’em altogether, to my mind. Tother foot, sir.”
Looking down with a benignant smile at this independent specimen16 of humanity, the captain obeyed orders.
“D’ee make much at this work now, my lad?” asked the captain.
“Not wery much, sir. Just about enough to keep soul an’ body together, an’ not always that. It was on’y last veek as I was starvin’ to that extent that my soul very nigh broke out an’ made his escape, but the doctor he got ’old of it by the tail an’ ’eld on till ’e indooced it to stay on a bit longer. There you are, sir; might shave in ’em!”
“How much to pay?”
“Vell, gen’lemen usually gives me a penny, but that’s in or’nary cases. Ven I has to shine boots like a pair o’ ships’ boats I looks for suthin’ hextra—though I don’t always get it!”
“There you are, my lad,” said the captain, giving the boy something “hextra,” which appeared to satisfy him. Thereafter he proceeded to the Bridge, and, embarking17 on one of the river steamers, was soon deposited at Pimlico. Thence, traversing St. George’s Square, he soon found himself in the little street in which dwelt the Misses Seaward. He looked about him for some minutes and then entered a green-grocer’s shop, crushing his hat against the top of the door-way.
Wishing the green-grocer good-morning he asked if lodgings18 were to be had in that neighbourhood.
“Well, yes, sir,” he replied, “but I fear that you’d find most of ’em rather small for a man of your size.”
“No fear o’ that,” replied the captain with a loud guffaw19, which roused the grocer’s cat a little, “I’m used to small cabins, an’ smaller bunks22, d’ee see, an’ can stow myself away easy in any sort of hole. Why, I’ve managed to snooze in a bunk21 only five foot four, by clewin’ up my legs—though it wasn’t comfortable. But it’s not the size I care about so much as the character o’ the landlady23. I like tidy respectable people, you see—havin’ bin20 always used to a well-kept ship.”
“Ah! I know one who’ll just suit you. Up at the other end o’ the street. Two rooms kept by a young widow who—”
“Hold hard there,” interrupted the captain; “none o’ your young widows for me. They’re dangerous. Besides, big as I am, I don’t want two rooms to sleep in. If you know of any old maid, now, with one room—that’s what would suit me to a tee; an easy-going sort o’ woman, who—”
“I know of two elderly ladies,” interrupted the green-grocer, thoughtfully; “they’re sisters, and have got a small room to let; but—but—they’re delicate sort o’ creeters, you know; have seen better days, an’ are raither timid, an’ might want a female lodger24, or a man who—who—”
“Out with it,” interrupted the captain, “a man who is soft-spoken and well-mannered—not a big noisy old sea-horse like me! Is that what you would say?”
“Just so,” answered the green-grocer with an amiable26 nod.
“What’s the name of the sisters?”
“Seaward.”
“Seaward! eh!” exclaimed the captain in surprise. “That’s odd, now, that a seafarin’ man should be sent to seaward for his lodgin’s, even when he gets on shore. Ha! ha! I’ve always had a leanin’ to seaward. I’ll try the sisters. They can only tell me to ’bout ship, you know, and be off on the other tack27.”
And again the captain gave such boisterous vent to his mirth that the green-grocer’s cat got up and walked indignantly away, for, albeit28 well used to the assaults of small boys, it apparently29 could not stand the noise of this new and bass disturber of the peace.
Having ascertained30 that the Misses Seaward dwelt above the shop in which he stood, Captain Bream went straight up-stairs and rapped heavily at their door.
Now, although the sisters had been gradually reduced to the extreme of poverty, they had hitherto struggled successfully against the necessity of performing what is known as the “dirty work” of a house. By stinting31 themselves in food, working hard at anything they succeeded in getting to do, and mending and re-mending their garments until it became miraculous32, even to themselves, how these managed to hang together, they had, up to that period in their history, managed to pay to a slender little girl, out of their slender means, a still more slender salary for coming night and morning to clean their grate, light their fire, carry out their ashes, brush their boots, wash their door-steps, and otherwise perform work for which the sisters were peculiarly unfitted by age, training, and taste. This girl’s name was Liffie Lee. She was good as far as she went but she did not go far. Her goodness was not the result of principle. She had no principle; did not know what the word meant, but she had a nature, and that nature was soft, unselfish, self-oblivious,—the last a blessing33 of incalculable price!
It was Liffie Lee who responded to Captain Bream’s knock. She was at the time about to leave the house in undisturbed possession of its owners—or rather, occupiers.
“Does a Miss Seaward live here?”
It was a dark passage, and Liffie Lee almost quaked at the depth and metallic34 solemnity of the voice, as she glanced up at the spot where it appeared to come from.
“Yes, sir.”
“May I see her?”
“I—I’ll see, sir, if you’ll wait outside, sir.”
She gently yet quickly shut the door in the captain’s face, and next moment appeared in the little parlour with a flushed face and widely open eyes.
The biggest man she had ever seen, or heard, she said, wanted to see Miss Seaward.
Why did he want to see her and what was his name?
She didn’t know, and had omitted to ask his name, having been so frightened that she had left him at the door, which she had shut against him.
“An’, please, Miss,” continued Liffie, in a tone of suppressed eagerness, “if I was you I’d lock the parlour door in case he bu’sts in the outer one. You might open the winder an’ screech35 for the pleece.”
“Oh! Liffie, what a frightened thing you are,” remonstrated36 Jessie, “go and show the man in at once.”
“Oh! no, Miss,” pleaded Liffie, “you’d better ’ave ’im took up at once. You’ve no notion what dreadful men that sort are. I know ’em well. We’ve got some of ’em where we live, and—and they’re awful!”
Another knock at this point cut the conversation short, and Kate herself went to open the door.
“May I have a word with Miss Seaward?” asked the captain respectfully.
“Ye’es, certainly,” answered Kate, with some hesitation37, for, although reassured38 by the visitor’s manner, his appearance and voice alarmed her too. She ushered39 him into the parlour, however, which was suddenly reduced to a mere40 bandbox by contrast with him.
Being politely asked to take a chair, he bowed and took hold of one, but on regarding its very slender proportions—it was a cane41 chair—he smiled and shook his head. The smile did much for him.
“Pray take this one,” said Jessie, pointing to the old arm-chair, which was strong enough even for him, “our visitors are not usually such—such—”
“Thumping walruses42! out with it, Miss Seaward,” said the captain, seating himself—gently, for he had suffered in this matter more than once during his life—“I’m used to being found fault with for my size.”
“Pray do not imagine,” said Jessie, hastening to exculpate43 herself, “that I could be so very impolite as—as to—”
“Yes, yes, I know that,” interrupted the captain, blowing his nose—and the familiar operation was in itself something awful in such a small room—“and I am too big, there’s no doubt about that however, it can’t be helped. I must just grin and bear it. But I came here on business, so we’ll have business first, and pleasure, if you like, afterwards.”
“You may go now,” said Kate at this point to Liffie Lee, who was still standing44 transfixed in open-mouthed amazement46 gazing at the visitor.
With native obedience47 and humility48 the child left the room, though anxious to see and hear more.
“You have a furnished room to let I believe, ladies,” said the captain, coming at once to the point.
Jessie and Kate glanced at each other. The latter felt a strong tendency to laugh, and the former replied:—
“We have, indeed, one small room—a very small room, in fact a mere closet with a window in the roof,—which we are very anxious to let if possible to a lady—a—female. It is very poorly furnished, but it is comfortable, and we would make it very cheap. Is it about the hiring of such a room that you come?”
“Yes, madam, it is,” said the captain, decisively.
“But is the lady for whom you act,” said Jessie, “prepared for a particularly small room, and very poorly furnished?”
“Yes, she is,” replied the captain with a loud guffaw that made the very windows vibrate; “in fact I am the lady who wants the room. It’s true I’m not very lady-like, but I can say for myself that I’ll give you less trouble than many a lady would, an’ I don’t mind the cost.”
“Impossible!” exclaimed Miss Seaward with a mingled49 look of amusement and perplexity which she did not attempt to conceal50, while Kate laughed outright51; “why, sir, the room is not much, if at all, longer than yourself.”
“No matter,” returned the captain, “I’m nowise particular, an’ I’ve been recommended to come to you; so here I am, ready to strike a bargain if you’re agreeable.”
“Pray, may I ask who recommended you?” said Jessie.
The seaman52 looked perplexed for a moment.
“Well, I didn’t observe his name over the door,” he said, “but the man in the shop below recommended me.”
“Oh? the green-grocer!” exclaimed both ladies together, but they did not add what they thought, namely, that the green-grocer was a very impertinent fellow to play off upon them what looked very much like a practical joke.
“Perhaps the best way to settle the matter,” said Kate, “will be to show the gentleman our room. He will then understand the impossibility.”
“That’s right,” exclaimed the captain; rising—and in doing so he seemed about to damage the ceiling—“let’s go below, by all means, and see the cabin.”
“It is not down-stairs,” remarked Jessie, leading the way; “we are at the top of the house here, and the room is on a level with this one.”
“So much the better. I like a deck-cabin. In fact I’ve bin used to it aboard my last ship.”
On being ushered into the room which he wished to hire, the sailor found himself in an apartment so very unsuited to his size and character that even he felt slightly troubled.
“It’s not so much the size that bothers me,” he said, stroking his chin gently, “as the fittings.”
There was some ground for the seaman’s perplexity, for the closet in which he stood, apart from the fact of its being only ten feet long by six broad, had been arranged by the tasteful sisters after the manner of a lady’s boudoir, with a view to captivate some poor sister of very limited means, or, perhaps, some humble-minded and possibly undersized young clerk from the country. The bed, besides being rather small, and covered with a snow-white counterpane, was canopied53 with white muslin curtains lined with pink calico. The wash-hand stand was low, fragile, and diminutive54. The little deal table, which occupied an inconveniently55 large proportion of the space, was clothed in a garment similar to that of the bed. The one solitary56 chair was of that cheap construction which is meant to creak warningly when sat upon by light people, and to resolve itself into match-wood when the desecrator57 is heavy. Two pictures graced the walls—one the infant Samuel in a rosewood frame, the other an oil painting—of probably the first century, for its subject was quite undistinguishable—in a gold slip. The latter was a relic58 of better days—a spared relic, which the public had refused to buy at any price, though the auctioneer had described it as a rare specimen of one of the old—the very old—masters, with Rembrandtesque proclivities59. No chest of drawers obtruded60 itself in that small chamber61, but instead thereof the economical yet provident62 sisters, foreseeing the importance of a retreat for garments, had supplied a deal box, of which they stuffed the lid and then covered the whole with green baize, thus causing it to serve the double purpose of a wardrobe and a small sofa.
“However,” said Captain Bream, after a brief but careful look round, “it’ll do. With a little cuttin’ and carvin’ here an’ there, we’ll manage to squeeze in, for you must know, ladies, that we sea-farin’ men have a wonderful knack63 o’ stuffin’ a good deal into small space.”
The sisters made no reply. Indeed they were speechless, and horrified at the bare idea of the entrance of so huge a lodger into their quiet home.
“Look ye here, now,” he continued in a comfortable, self-satisfied tone, as he expanded his great arms along the length of the bed to measure it, “the bunk’s about five foot eight inches long. Well, I’m about six foot two in my socks—six inches short; that’s a difficulty no doubt, but it’s get-over-able this way, we’ll splice64 the green box to it.”
He grasped the sofa-wardrobe as he spoke25, and placed it to the foot of the bed, then embracing the entire mass of mattresses65 and bedding at the lower end, raised it up, thrust the green box under with his foot, and laid the bedding down on it—thus adding about eighteen inches to the length.
“There you are, d’ee see—quite long enough, an’ a foot to spare.”
“But it does not fit,” urged Kate, who, becoming desperate, resolved to throw every possible obstruction66 in the way.
“That’s true, madam,” returned the captain with an approving nod. “I see you’ve got a mechanical eye—there’s a difference of elevation67 ’tween the box and the bed of three inches or more, but bless you, that’s nothin’ to speak of. If you’d ever been in a gale o’ wind at sea you’d know that we seadogs are used to considerable difference of elevation between our heads an’ feet. My top-coat stuffed in’ll put that to rights. But you’ll have to furl the flummery tops’ls—to lower ’em altogether would be safer.”
He took hold of the muslin curtains with great tenderness as he spoke, fearing, apparently, to damage them.
“You see,” he continued, apologetically, “I’m not used to this sort o’ thing. Moreover, I’ve a tendency to nightmare. Don’t alarm yourselves, ladies, I never do anything worse to disturb folk than give a shout or a yell or two, but occasionally I do let fly with a leg or an arm when the fit’s on me, an’ if I should get entangled68 with this flummery, you know I’d be apt to damage it. Yes, the safest way will be to douse69 the tops’ls altogether. As to the chair—well, I’ll supply a noo one that’ll stand rough weather. If you’ll also clear away the petticoats from the table it’ll do well enough. In regard to the lookin’-glass, I know pretty well what I’m like, an’ don’t have any desire to study my portrait. As for shavin’, I’ve got a bull’s-eye sort of glass in the lid o’ my soap-box that serves all my purpose, and I shave wi’ cold water, so I won’t be botherin’ you in the mornin’s for hot. I’ve got a paintin’ of my last ship—the Daisy—done in water-colours—it’s a pretty big ’un, but by hangin’ Samuel on the other bulk-head, an’ stickin’ that black thing over the door, we can make room for it.”
As Captain Bream ran on in this fashion, smoothing down all difficulties, and making everything comfortable, the poor sisters grew more and more desperate, and Kate felt a tendency to recklessness coming on. Suddenly a happy thought occurred to her.
“But sir,” she interposed with much firmness of tone and manner, “there is one great difficulty in the way of our letting the room to you which I fear cannot be overcome.”
The captain looked at her inquiringly, and Jessie regarded her with admiration70 and wonder, for she could not conceive what this insurmountable difficulty could be.
“My sister and I,” continued Kate, “have both an unconquerable dislike to tobacco—”
“Oh! that’s no objection,” cried the captain with a light laugh—which in him, however, was an ear-splitting guffaw—“for I don’t smoke!”
“Don’t smoke?” repeated both sisters in tones of incredulity, for in their imagination a seaman who did not smoke seemed as great an impossibility as a street boy who did not whistle.
“An’ what’s more,” continued the captain, “I don’t drink. I’m a tee-total abstainer71. I leave smokin’ to steam-funnels, an’ drinkin’ to the fish.”
“But,” persisted Kate, on whom another happy thought had descended72, “my sister and I keep very early hours, and a latch-key we could never—”
“Pooh! that’s no difficulty,” again interrupted this unconquerable man of the sea; “I hate late hours myself, when I’m ashore73, havin’ more than enough of ’em when afloat. I’ll go to bed regularly at nine o’clock, an’ won’t want a latch-key.”
The idea of such a man going to bed at all was awesome74 enough, but the notion of his doing so in that small room, and in that delicately arranged little bed under that roof-tree, was so perplexing, that the sisters anxiously rummaged75 their minds for a new objection, but could find none until their visitor asked the rent of the room. Then Kate was assailed76 by another happy thought, and promptly77 named double the amount which she and Jessie had previously78 fixed45 as its value—which amount she felt sure would prove prohibitory.
Her dismay, then, may be imagined when the captain exclaimed with a sigh—perhaps it were better to say a breeze—of relief:—
“Well, then, that’s all comfortably settled. I consider the rent quite moderate. I’ll send up my chest to-morrow mornin’, an’ will turn up myself in the evenin’. I’ll bid ye good-day now, ladies, an’ beg your pardon for keepin’ you so long about this little matter.”
He held out his hand. One after another the crushed sisters put their delicate little hands into the seaman’s enormous paw, and meekly79 bade him good-bye, after which the nautical giant strode noisily out of the house, shut the door with an inadvertent bang, stumbled heavily down the dark stair and passage, and finally vanished from the scene.
Then Jessie and Kate Seaward returned to their little parlour, sat down at opposite sides of the miniature grate, and gazed at each other for some minutes in solemn silence—both strongly impressed with the feeling that they had passed through a tremendous storm, and got suddenly into a profoundly dead calm.
点击收听单词发音
1 consternation | |
n.大为吃惊,惊骇 | |
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2 rugged | |
adj.高低不平的,粗糙的,粗壮的,强健的 | |
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3 mowing | |
n.割草,一次收割量,牧草地v.刈,割( mow的现在分词 ) | |
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4 gale | |
n.大风,强风,一阵闹声(尤指笑声等) | |
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5 horrified | |
a.(表现出)恐惧的 | |
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6 bass | |
n.男低音(歌手);低音乐器;低音大提琴 | |
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7 boisterous | |
adj.喧闹的,欢闹的 | |
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8 hearty | |
adj.热情友好的;衷心的;尽情的,纵情的 | |
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9 celebrated | |
adj.有名的,声誉卓著的 | |
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10 constrained | |
adj.束缚的,节制的 | |
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11 sketched | |
v.草拟(sketch的过去式与过去分词形式) | |
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12 meditative | |
adj.沉思的,冥想的 | |
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13 perplexed | |
adj.不知所措的 | |
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14 vent | |
n.通风口,排放口;开衩;vt.表达,发泄 | |
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15 nautical | |
adj.海上的,航海的,船员的 | |
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16 specimen | |
n.样本,标本 | |
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17 embarking | |
乘船( embark的现在分词 ); 装载; 从事 | |
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18 lodgings | |
n. 出租的房舍, 寄宿舍 | |
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19 guffaw | |
n.哄笑;突然的大笑 | |
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20 bin | |
n.箱柜;vt.放入箱内;[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件 | |
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21 bunk | |
n.(车、船等倚壁而设的)铺位;废话 | |
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22 bunks | |
n.(车、船等倚壁而设的)铺位( bunk的名词复数 );空话,废话v.(车、船等倚壁而设的)铺位( bunk的第三人称单数 );空话,废话 | |
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23 landlady | |
n.女房东,女地主 | |
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24 lodger | |
n.寄宿人,房客 | |
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25 spoke | |
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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26 amiable | |
adj.和蔼可亲的,友善的,亲切的 | |
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27 tack | |
n.大头钉;假缝,粗缝 | |
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28 albeit | |
conj.即使;纵使;虽然 | |
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29 apparently | |
adv.显然地;表面上,似乎 | |
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30 ascertained | |
v.弄清,确定,查明( ascertain的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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31 stinting | |
v.限制,节省(stint的现在分词形式) | |
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32 miraculous | |
adj.像奇迹一样的,不可思议的 | |
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33 blessing | |
n.祈神赐福;祷告;祝福,祝愿 | |
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34 metallic | |
adj.金属的;金属制的;含金属的;产金属的;像金属的 | |
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35 screech | |
n./v.尖叫;(发出)刺耳的声音 | |
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36 remonstrated | |
v.抗议( remonstrate的过去式和过去分词 );告诫 | |
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37 hesitation | |
n.犹豫,踌躇 | |
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38 reassured | |
adj.使消除疑虑的;使放心的v.再保证,恢复信心( reassure的过去式和过去分词) | |
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39 ushered | |
v.引,领,陪同( usher的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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40 mere | |
adj.纯粹的;仅仅,只不过 | |
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41 cane | |
n.手杖,细长的茎,藤条;v.以杖击,以藤编制的 | |
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42 walruses | |
n.海象( walrus的名词复数 ) | |
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43 exculpate | |
v.开脱,使无罪 | |
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44 standing | |
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的 | |
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45 fixed | |
adj.固定的,不变的,准备好的;(计算机)固定的 | |
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46 amazement | |
n.惊奇,惊讶 | |
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47 obedience | |
n.服从,顺从 | |
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48 humility | |
n.谦逊,谦恭 | |
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49 mingled | |
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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50 conceal | |
v.隐藏,隐瞒,隐蔽 | |
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51 outright | |
adv.坦率地;彻底地;立即;adj.无疑的;彻底的 | |
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52 seaman | |
n.海员,水手,水兵 | |
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53 canopied | |
adj. 遮有天篷的 | |
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54 diminutive | |
adj.小巧可爱的,小的 | |
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55 inconveniently | |
ad.不方便地 | |
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56 solitary | |
adj.孤独的,独立的,荒凉的;n.隐士 | |
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57 desecrator | |
亵渎,玷污; 把(神物)供俗用 | |
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58 relic | |
n.神圣的遗物,遗迹,纪念物 | |
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59 proclivities | |
n.倾向,癖性( proclivity的名词复数 ) | |
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60 obtruded | |
v.强行向前,强行,强迫( obtrude的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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61 chamber | |
n.房间,寝室;会议厅;议院;会所 | |
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62 provident | |
adj.为将来做准备的,有先见之明的 | |
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63 knack | |
n.诀窍,做事情的灵巧的,便利的方法 | |
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64 splice | |
v.接合,衔接;n.胶接处,粘接处 | |
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65 mattresses | |
褥垫,床垫( mattress的名词复数 ) | |
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66 obstruction | |
n.阻塞,堵塞;障碍物 | |
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67 elevation | |
n.高度;海拔;高地;上升;提高 | |
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68 entangled | |
adj.卷入的;陷入的;被缠住的;缠在一起的v.使某人(某物/自己)缠绕,纠缠于(某物中),使某人(自己)陷入(困难或复杂的环境中)( entangle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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69 douse | |
v.把…浸入水中,用水泼;n.泼洒 | |
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70 admiration | |
n.钦佩,赞美,羡慕 | |
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71 abstainer | |
节制者,戒酒者,弃权者 | |
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72 descended | |
a.为...后裔的,出身于...的 | |
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73 ashore | |
adv.在(向)岸上,上岸 | |
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74 awesome | |
adj.令人惊叹的,难得吓人的,很好的 | |
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75 rummaged | |
翻找,搜寻( rummage的过去式和过去分词 ); 已经海关检查 | |
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76 assailed | |
v.攻击( assail的过去式和过去分词 );困扰;质问;毅然应对 | |
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77 promptly | |
adv.及时地,敏捷地 | |
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78 previously | |
adv.以前,先前(地) | |
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79 meekly | |
adv.温顺地,逆来顺受地 | |
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