On Low Sunday Charles paid us a visit with his lovely wife, who seemed totally indifferent to what Christine used to be. Her hair dressed with powder did not please me as well as the raven1 black of her beautiful locks, and her fashionable town attire2 did not, in my eyes, suit her as well as her rich country dress. But the countenances3 of husband and wife bore the stamp of happiness. Charles reproached me in a friendly manner because I had not called once upon them, and, in order to atone4 for my apparent negligence5, I went to see them the next day with M. Dandolo. Charles told me that his wife was idolized by his aunt and his sister who had become her bosom6 friend; that she was kind, affectionate, unassuming, and of a disposition7 which enforced affection. I was no less pleased with this favourable8 state of things than with the facility with which Christine was learning the Venetian dialect.
When M. Dandolo and I called at their house, Charles was not at home; Christine was alone with his two relatives. The most friendly welcome was proffered9 to us, and in the course of conversation the aunt praised the progress made by Christine in her writing very highly, and asked her to let me see her copy-book. I followed her to the next room, where she told me that she was very happy; that every day she discovered new virtues11 in her husband. He had told her, without the slightest appearance of suspicion of displeasure, that he knew that we had spent two days together in Treviso, and that he had laughed at the well-meaning fool who had given him that piece of information in the hope of raising a cloud in the heaven of their felicity.
Charles was truly endowed with all the virtues, with all the noble qualities of an honest and distinguished13 man. Twenty-six years afterwards I happened to require the assistance of his purse, and found him my true friend. I never was a frequent visitor at his house, and he appreciated my delicacy14. He died a few months before my last departure from Venice, leaving his widow in easy circumstances, and three well-educated sons, all with good positions, who may, for what I know, be still living with their mother.
In June I went to the fair at Padua, and made the acquaintance of a young man of my own age, who was then studying mathematics under the celebrated15 Professor Succi. His name was Tognolo, but thinking it did not sound well, he changed it for that of Fabris. He became, in after years, Comte de Fabris, lieutenant-general under Joseph II., and died Governor of Transylvania. This man, who owed his high fortune to his talents, would, perhaps, have lived and died unknown if he had kept his name of Tognolo, a truly vulgar one. He was from Uderzo, a large village of the Venetian Friuli. He had a brother in the Church, a man of parts, and a great gamester, who, having a deep knowledge of the world, had taken the name of Fabris, and the younger brother had to assume it likewise. Soon afterwards he bought an estate with the title of count, became a Venetian nobleman, and his origin as a country bumpkin was forgotten. If he had kept his name of Tognolo it would have injured him, for he could not have pronounced it without reminding his hearers of what is called, by the most contemptible16 of prejudices, low extraction, and the privileged class, through an absurd error, does not admit the possibility of a peasant having talent or genius. No doubt a time will come when society, more enlightened, and therefore more reasonable, will acknowledge that noble feelings, honour, and heroism18 can be found in every condition of life as easily as in a class, the blood of which is not always exempt19 from the taint20 of a misalliance.
The new count, while he allowed others to forget his origin, was too wise to forget it himself, and in legal documents he always signed his family name as well as the one he had adopted. His brother had offered him two ways to win fortune in the world, leaving him perfectly21 free in his choice. Both required an expenditure22 of one thousand sequins, but the abbe had put the amount aside for that purpose. My friend had to choose between the sword of Mars and the bird of Minerva. The abbe knew that he could purchase for his brother a company in the army of his Imperial and Apostolic Majesty23, or obtain for him a professorship at the University of Padua; for money can do everything. But my friend, who was gifted with noble feelings and good sense, knew that in either profession talents and knowledge were essentials, and before making a choice he was applying himself with great success to the study of mathematics. He utlimately decided24 upon the military profession, thus imitating Achilles, who preferred the sword to the distaff, and he paid for it with his life like the son of Peleus; though not so young, and not through a wound inflicted25 by an arrow, but from the plague, which he caught in the unhappy country in which the indolence of Europe allows the Turks to perpetuate26 that fearful disease.
The distinguished appearance, the noble sentiments, the great knowledge, and the talents of Fabris would have been turned into ridicule27 in a man called Tognolo, for such is the force of prejudices, particularly of those which have no ground to rest upon, that an ill-sounding name is degrading in this our stupid society. My opinion is that men who have an ill-sounding name, or one which presents an indecent or ridiculous idea, are right in changing it if they intend to win honour, fame, and fortune either in arts or sciences. No one can reasonably deny them that right, provided the name they assume belongs to nobody. The alphabet is general property, and everyone has the right to use it for the creation of a word forming an appellative sound. But he must truly create it. Voltaire, in spite of his genius, would not perhaps have reached posterity28 under his name of Arouet, especially amongst the French, who always give way so easily to their keen sense of ridicule and equivocation29. How could they have imagined that a writer ‘a rouet’ could be a man of genius? And D’Alembert, would he have attained30 his high fame, his universal reputation, if he had been satisfied with his name of M. Le Rond, or Mr. Allround? What would have become of Metastasio under his true name of Trapasso? What impression would Melanchthon have made with his name of Schwarzerd? Would he then have dared to raise the voice of a moralist philosopher, of a reformer of the Eucharist, and so many other holy things? Would not M. de Beauharnais have caused some persons to laugh and others to blush if he had kept his name of Beauvit, even if the first founder31 of his family had been indebted for his fortune to the fine quality expressed by that name?
Would the Bourbeux have made as good a figure on the throne as the Bourbons? I think that King Poniatowski ought to have abdicated33 the name of Augustus, which he had taken at the time of his accession to the throne, when he abdicated royalty34. The Coleoni of Bergamo, however, would find it rather difficult to change their name, because they would be compelled at the same time to change their coat of arms (the two generative glands), and thus to annihilate35 the glory of their ancestor, the hero Bartholomeo.
Towards the end of autumn my friend Fabris introduced me to a family in the midst of which the mind and the heart could find delicious food. That family resided in the country on the road to Zero. Card- playing, lovemaking, and practical jokes were the order of the day. Some of those jokes were rather severe ones, but the order of the day was never to get angry and to laugh at everything, for one was to take every jest pleasantly or be thought a bore. Bedsteads would at night tumble down under their occupants, ghosts were personated, diuretic pills or sugar-plums were given to young ladies, as well as comfits who produced certain winds rising from the netherlands, and impossible to keep under control. These jokes would sometimes go rather too far, but such was the spirit animating36 all the members of that circle; they would laugh. I was not less inured37 than the others to the war of offence and defence, but at last there was such a bitter joke played upon me that it suggested to me another, the fatal consequences of which put a stop to the mania38 by which we were all possessed39.
We were in the habit of walking to a farm which was about half a league distant by the road, but the distance could be reduced by half by going over a deep and miry ditch across which a narrow plank40 was thrown, and I always insisted upon going that way, in spite of the fright of the ladies who always trembled on the narrow bridge, although I never failed to cross the first, and to offer my hand to help them over. One fine day, I crossed first so as to give them courage, but suddenly, when I reached the middle of the plank, it gave way under me, and there I was in the ditch, up to the chin in stinking41 mud, and, in spite of my inward rage, obliged, according to the general understanding, to join in the merry laughter of all my companions. But the merriment did not last long, for the joke was too bad, and everyone declared it to be so. Some peasants were called to the rescue, and with much difficulty they dragged me out in the most awful state. An entirely42 new dress, embroidered43 with spangles, my silk stockings, my lace, everything, was of course spoiled, but not minding it, I laughed more heartily44 that anybody else, although I had already made an inward vow45 to have the most cruel revenge. In order to know the author of that bitter joke I had only to appear calm and indifferent about it. It was evident that the plank had been purposely sawn. I was taken back to the house, a shirt, a coat, a complete costume, were lent me, for I had come that time only for twenty-four hours, and had not brought anything with me. I went to the city the next morning, and towards the evening I returned to the gay company. Fabris, who had been as angry as myself, observed to me that the perpetrator of the joke evidently felt his guilt46, because he took good care not to discover himself. But I unveiled the mystery by promising47 one sequin to a peasant woman if she could find out who had sawn the plank. She contrived48 to discover the young man who had done the work. I called on him, and the offer of a sequin, together with my threats, compelled him to confess that he had been paid for his work by Signor Demetrio, a Greek, dealer49 in spices, a good and amiable50 man of between forty-five and fifty years, on whom I never played any trick, except in the case of a pretty, young servant girl whom he was courting, and whom I had juggled51 from him.
Satisfied with my discovery, I was racking my brain to invent a good practical joke, but to obtain complete revenge it was necessary that my trick should prove worse than the one he had played upon me. Unfortunately my imagination was at bay. I could not find anything. A funeral put an end to my difficulties.
Armed with my hunting-knife, I went alone to the cemetery52 a little after midnight, and opening the grave of the dead man who had been buried that very day, I cut off one of the arms near the shoulder, not without some trouble, and after I had re-buried the corpse53, I returned to my room with the arm of the defunct54. The next day, when supper was over, I left the table and retired55 to my chamber56 as if I intended to go to bed, but taking the arm with me I hid myself under Demetrio’s bed. A short time after, the Greek comes in, undresses himself, put his light out, and lies down. I give him time to fall nearly asleep; then, placing myself at the foot of the bed, I pull away the clothes little by little until he is half naked. He laughs and calls out,
“Whoever you may be, go away and let me sleep quietly, for I do not believe in ghosts;” he covers himself again and composes himself to sleep.
I wait five or six minutes, and pull again at the bedclothes; but when he tries to draw up the sheet, saying that he does not care for ghosts, I oppose some resistance. He sits up so as to catch the hand which is pulling at the clothes, and I take care that he should get hold of the dead hand. Confident that he has caught the man or the woman who was playing the trick, he pulls it towards him, laughing all the time; I keep tight hold of the arm for a few instants, and then let it go suddenly; the Greek falls back on his pillow without uttering a single word.
The trick was played, I leave the room without any noise, and, reaching my chamber, go to bed.
I was fast asleep, when towards morning I was awoke by persons going about, and not understanding why they should be up so early, I got up. The first person I met — the mistress of the house — told me that I had played an abominable59 joke.
“I? What have I done?”
“M. Demetrio is dying.”
“Have I killed him?”
She went away without answering me. I dressed myself, rather frightened, I confess, but determined60 upon pleading complete ignorance of everything, and I proceeded to Demetrio’s room; and I was confronted with horror-stricken countenances and bitter reproaches. I found all the guests around him. I protested my innocence61, but everyone smiled. The archpriest and the beadle, who had just arrived, would not bury the arm which was lying there, and they told me that I had been guilty of a great crime.
“I am astonished, reverend sir,” I said to the priest, “at the hasty judgment62 which is thus passed upon me, when there is no proof to condemn63 me.”
“You have done it,” exclaimed all the guests, “you alone are capable of such an abomination; it is just like you. No one but you would have dared to do such a thing!”
“I am compelled,” said the archpriest, “to draw up an official report.”
“As you please, I have not the slightest objection,” I answered, “I have nothing to fear.”
And I left the room.
I continued to take it coolly, and at the dinner-table I was informed that M. Demetrio had been bled, that he had recovered the use of his eyes, but not of his tongue or of his limbs. The next day he could speak, and I heard, after I had taken leave of the family, that he was stupid and spasmodic. The poor man remained in that painful state for the rest of his life. I felt deeply grieved, but I had not intended to injure him so badly. I thought that the trick he had played upon me might have cost my life, and I could not help deriving64 consolation65 from that idea.
On the same day, the archpriest made up his mind to have the arm buried, and to send a formal denunciation.against me to the episcopal chancellorship66 of Treviso.
Annoyed at the reproaches which I received on all sides, I returned to Venice. A fortnight afterwards I was summoned to appear before the ‘magistrato alla blasfemia’. I begged M. Barbaro to enquire67 the cause of the aforesaid summons, for it was a formidable court. I was surprised at the proceedings68 being taken against me, as if there had been a certainty of my having desecrated69 a grave, whilst there could be nothing but suspicion. But I was mistaken, the summons was not relating to that affair. M. Barbaro informed me in the evening that a woman had brought a complaint against me for having violated her daughter. She stated in her complaint that, having decoyed her child to the Zuecca, I had abused her by violence, and she adduced as a proof that her daughter was confined to her bed, owing to the bad treatment she had received from me in my endeavours to ravish her. It was one of those complaints which are often made, in order to give trouble and to cause expense, even against innocent persons. I was innocent of violation70, but it was quite true that I had given the girl a sound thrashing. I prepared my defence, and begged M. Barbaro to deliver it to the magistrate71’s secretary.
DECLARATION
I hereby declare that, on such a day, having met the woman with her daughter, I accosted72 them and offered to give them some refreshments73 at a coffee-house near by; that the daughter refused to accept my caresses74, and that the mother said to me —
“My daughter is yet a virgin75, and she is quite right not to lose her maidenhood76 without making a good profit by it.”
“If so,” I answered, “I will give you ten sequins for her virginity.”
“You may judge for yourself,” said the mother.
Having assured myself of the fact by the assistance of the sense of feeling, and having ascertained78 that it might be true, I told the mother to bring the girl in the afternoon to the Zuecca, and that I would give her the ten sequins. My offer was joyfully79 accepted, the mother brought her daughter to me, she received the money, and leaving us together in the Garden of the Cross, she went away. When I tried to avail myself of the right for which I had paid, the girl, most likely trained to the business by her mother, contrived to prevent me. At first the game amused me, but at last, being tired of it, I told her to have done. She answered quietly that it was not her fault if I was not able to do what I wanted. Vexed82 and annoyed, I placed her in such a position that she found herself at bay, but, making a violent effort, she managed to change her position and debarred me from making any further attempts.
“Why,” I said to her, “did you move?”
“Because I would not have it in that position.”
“You would not?”
“No.”
Without more ado, I got hold of a broomstick, and gave her a good lesson, in order to get something for the ten sequins which I had been foolish enough to pay in advance. But I have broken none of her limbs, and I took care to apply my blows only on her posteriors, on which spot I have no doubt that all the marks may be seen. In the evening I made her dress herself again, and sent her back in a boat which chanced to pass, and she was landed in safety. The mother received ten sequins, the daughter has kept her hateful maidenhood, and, if I am guilty of anything, it is only of having given a thrashing to an infamous83 girl, the pupil of a still more infamous mother.
My declaration had no effect. The magistrate was acquainted with the girl, and the mother laughed at having duped me so easily. I was summoned, but did not appear before the court, and a writ10 was on the point of being issued against my body, when the complaint of the profanation84 of a grave was filed against me before the same magistrate. It would have been less serious for me if the second affair had been carried before the Council of Ten, because one court might have saved me from the other.
The second crime, which, after all, was only a joke, was high felony in the eyes of the clergy85, and a great deal was made of it. I was summoned to appear within twenty-four hours, and it was evident that I would be arrested immediately afterwards. M. de Bragadin, who always gave good advice, told me that the best way to avoid the threatening storm was to run away. The advice was certainly wise, and I lost no time in getting ready.
I have never left Venice with so much regret as I did then, for I had some pleasant intrigues86 on hand, and I was very lucky at cards. My three friends assured me that, within one year at the furthest, the cases against me would be forgotten, and in Venice, when public opinion has forgotten anything, it can be easily arranged.
I left Venice in the evening and the next day I slept at Verona. Two days afterwards I reached Mantua. I was alone, with plenty of clothes and jewels, without letters of introduction, but with a well- filled purse, enjoying excellent health and my twenty-three years.
In Mantua I ordered an excellent dinner, the very first thing one ought to do at a large hotel, and after dinner I went out for a walk. In the evening, after I had seen the coffee-houses and the places of resort, I went to the theatre, and I was delighted to see Marina appear on the stage as a comic dancer, amid the greatest applause, which she deserved, for she danced beautifully. She was tall, handsome, very well made and very graceful87. I immediately resolved on renewing my acquaintance with her, if she happened to be free, and after the opera I engaged a boy to take me to her house. She had just sat down to supper with someone, but the moment she saw me she threw her napkin down and flew to my arms. I returned her kisses, judging by her warmth that her guest was a man of no consequence.
The servant, without waiting for orders, had already laid a plate for me, and Marina invited me to sit down near her. I felt vexed, because the aforesaid individual had not risen to salute88 me, and before I accepted Marina’s invitation I asked her who the gentleman was, begging her to introduce me.
“This gentleman,” she said, “is Count Celi, of Rome; he is my lover.”
“I congratulate you,” I said to her, and turning towards the so- called count, “Sir,” I added, “do not be angry at our mutual89 affection, Marina is my daughter.”
“She is a prostitute.”
“True,” said Marina, “and you can believe the count, for he is my procurer.”
At those words, the brute90 threw his knife at her face, but she avoided it by running away. The scoundrel followed her, but I drew my sword, and said,
“Stop, or you are a dead man.”
I immediately asked Marina to order her servant to light me out, but she hastily put a cloak on, and taking my arm she entreated91 me to take her with me.
“With pleasure,” I said.
The count then invited me to meet him alone, on the following day, at the Casino of Pomi, to hear what he had to say.
“Very well, sir, at four in the afternoon,” I answered.
I took Marina to my inn, where I lodged92 her in the room adjoining mine, and we sat down to supper.
Marina, seeing that I was thoughtful, said,
“Are you sorry to have saved me from the rage of that brute?”
“No, I am glad to have done so, but tell me truly who and what he is.”
“He is a gambler by profession, and gives himself out as Count Celi. I made his acquaintance here. He courted me, invited me to supper, played after supper, and, having won a large sum from an Englishman whom he had decoyed to his supper by telling him that I would be present, he gave me fifty guineas, saying that he had given me an interest in his bank. As soon as I had become his mistress, he insisted upon my being compliant93 with all the men he wanted to make his dupes, and at last he took up his quarters at my lodgings94. The welcome I gave you very likely vexed him, and you know the rest. Here I am, and here I will remain until my departure for Mantua where I have an engagement as first dancer. My servant will bring me all I need for to-night, and I will give him orders to move all my luggage to-morrow. I will not see that scoundrel any more. I will be only yours, if you are free as in Corfu, and if you love me still.”
“Yes, my dear Marina, I do love you, but if you wish to be my mistress, you must be only mine.”
“Oh! of course. I have three hundred sequins, and I will give them to you to-morrow if you will take me as your mistress.”
“I do not want any money; all I want is yourself. Well, it is all arranged; to-morrow evening we shall feel more comfortable.”
“Perhaps you are thinking of a duel95 for to-morrow? But do not imagine such a thing, dearest. I know that man; he is an arrant96 coward.”
“I must keep my engagement with him.”
“I know that, but he will not keep his, and I am very glad of it.”
Changing the conversation and speaking of our old acquaintances, she informed me that she had quarreled with her brother Petronio, that her sister was primadonna in Genoa, and that Bellino Therese was still in Naples, where she continued to ruin dukes. She concluded by saying;
“I am the most unhappy of the family.”
“How so? You are beautiful, and you have become an excellent dancer. Do not be so prodigal97 of your favours, and you cannot fail to meet with a man who will take care of your fortune.”
“To be sparing of my favours is very difficult; when I love, I am no longer mine, but when I do not love, I cannot be amiable. Well, dearest, I could be very happy with you.”
“Dear Marina, I am not wealthy, and my honour would not allow me. . . . ”
“Hold your tongue; I understand you.”
“Why have you not a lady’s maid with you instead of a male servant?”
“You are right. A maid would look more respectable, but my servant is so clever and so faithful!”
“I can guess all his qualities, but he is not a fit servant for you.”
The next day after dinner I left Marina getting ready for the theatre, and having put everything of value I possessed in my pocket, I took a carriage and proceeded to the Casino of Pomi. I felt confident of disabling the false count, and sent the carriage away. I was conscious of being guilty of great folly98 in exposing my life with such an adversary99. I might have broken my engagement with him without implicating100 my honour, but, the fact is that I felt well disposed for a fight, and as I was certainly in the right I thought the prospect101 of a duel very delightful102. A visit to a dancer, a brute professing103 to be a nobleman, who insults her in my presence, who wants to kill her, who allows her to be carried off in his very teeth, and whose only opposition104 is to give me an appointment! It seemed to me that if I had failed to come, I should have given him the right to call me a coward.
The count had not yet arrived. I entered the coffee-room to wait for him. I met a good-looking Frenchman there, and I addressed him. Being pleased with his conversation, I told him that I expected the arrival of a man, and that as my honour required that he should find me alone I would feel grateful if he would go away as soon as I saw the man approaching. A short time afterwards I saw my adversary coming along, but with a second. I then told the Frenchman that he would oblige me by remaining, and he accepted as readily as if I had invited him to a party of pleasure. The count came in with his follower105, who was sporting a sword at least forty inches long, and had all the look of a cut-throat. I advanced towards the count, and said to him dryly —
“You told me that you would come alone.”
“My friend will not be in the way, as I only want to speak to you.”
“If I had known that, I would not have gone out of my way. But do not let us be noisy, and let us go to some place where we can exchange a few words without being seen. Follow me.”
I left the coffee-room with the young Frenchman, who, being well acquainted with the place, took me to the most favourable spot, and we waited there for the two other champions, who were walking slowly and talking together. When they were within ten paces I drew my sword and called upon my adversary to get ready. My Frenchman had already taken out his sword, but he kept it under his arm.
“Two to one!” exclaimed Celi.
“Send your friend away, and this gentleman will go likewise; at all events, your friend wears a sword, therefore we are two against two.”
“Yes,” said the Frenchman, “let us have a four-handed game.”
“I do not cross swords with a dancer,” said the cutthroat.
He had scarcely uttered those words when my friend, going up to him, told him that a dancer was certainly as good as a blackleg, and gave him a violent bow with the flat of his sword on the face. I followed his example with Celi, who began to beat a retreat, and said that he only wanted to tell me something, and that he would fight afterwards.
“Well, speak.”
“You know me and I do not know you. Tell me who you are.”
My only answer was to resume laying my sword upon the scoundrel, while the Frenchman was shewing the same dexterity106 upon the back of his companion, but the two cowards took to their heels, and there was nothing for us to do but to sheathe107 our weapons. Thus did the duel end in a manner even more amusing than Marina herself had anticipated.
My brave Frenchman was expecting someone at the casino. I left him after inviting108 him to supper for that evening after the opera. I gave him; the name which I had assumed for my journey and the address of my hotel.
I gave Marina a full description of the adventure.
“I will,” she said, “amuse everybody at the theatre this evening with the story of your meeting. But that which pleases me most is that, if your second is really a dancer, he can be no other than M. Baletti, who is engaged with me for the Mantua Theatre.”
I stored all my valuables in my trunk again, and went to the opera, where I saw Baletti, who recognized me, and pointed109 me out to all his friends, to whom he was relating the adventure. He joined me after the performance, and accompanied me to the inn. Marina, who had already returned, came to my room as soon as she heard my voice, and I was amused at the surprise of the amiable Frenchman, when he saw the young artist with whom he had engaged to dance the comic parts. Marina, although an excellent dancer, did not like the serious style. Those two handsome adepts110 of Terpsichore had never met before, and they began an amorous111 warfare112 which made me enjoy my supper immensely, because, as he was a fellow artist, Marina assumed towards Baletti a tone well adapted to the circumstances, and very different to her usual manner with other men. She shone with wit and beauty that evening, and was in an excellent temper, for she had been much applauded by the public, the true version of the Celi business being already well known.
The theatre was to be open only for ten more nights, and as Marina wished to leave Milan immediately after the last performance, we decided on travelling together. In the mean time, I invited Baletti (it was an Italian name which he had adopted for the stage) to be our guest during the remainder of our stay in Milan. The friendship between us had a great influence upon all the subsequent events of my life, as the reader will see in these Memoirs113. He had great talent as a dancer, but that was the least of his excellent qualities. He was honest, his feelings were noble, he had studied much, and he had received the best education that could be given in those days in France to a nobleman.
On the third day I saw plainly that Marina wished to make a conquest of her colleague, and feeling what great advantage might accrue114 to her from it I resolved on helping115 her. She had a post-chaise for two persons, and I easily persuaded her to take Baletti with her, saying that I wished to arrive alone in Mantua for several reasons which I could not confide58 to her. The fact was that if I had arrived with her, people would have naturally supposed that I was her lover, and I wished to avoid that. Baletti was delighted with the proposal; he insisted upon paying his share of the expenses, but Marina would not hear of it. The reasons alleged116 by the young man for paying his own expenses were excellent ones, and it was with great difficulty that I prevailed upon him to accept Marina’s offer, but I ultimately succeeded. I promised to wait for them on the road, so as to take dinner and supper together, and on the day appointed for our departure I left Milan one hour before them.
Reaching the city of Cremona very early, where we intended to sleep, I took a walk about the streets, and, finding a coffee-house, I went in. I made there the acquaintance of a French officer, and we left the coffee-room together to take a short ramble117. A very pretty woman happened to pass in a carriage, and my companion stopped her to say a few words. Their conversation was soon over, and the officer joined me again.
“Who is that lovely lady?” I enquired118.
“She is a truly charming woman, and I can tell you an anecdote119 about her worthy120 of being transmitted to posterity. You need not suppose that I am going to exaggerate, for the adventure is known to everybody in Cremona. The charming woman whom you have just seen is gifted with wit greater even than her beauty, and here is a specimen121 of it. A young officer, one amongst many military men who were courting her, when Marshal de Richelieu was commanding in Genoa, boasted of being treated by her with more favour than all the others, and one day, in the very coffee-room where we met, he advised a brother officer not to lose his time in courting her, because he had no chance whatever of obtaining any favour.
“‘My dear fellow,’ said the other officer, ‘I have a much better right to give you that piece of advice; for I have already obtained from her everything which can be granted to a lover.’
“‘I am certain that you are telling a lie,’ exclaimed the young man, ‘and I request you to follow me out.’
“‘Most willingly,’ said the indiscreet swain, ‘but what is the good of ascertaining122 the truth through a duel and of cutting our throats, when I can make the lady herself certify123 the fact in your presence.’
“‘I bet twenty-five louis that it is all untrue,’ said the incredulous officer.
“‘I accept your bet. Let us go.’
“The two contending parties proceeded together towards the dwelling124 of the lady whom you saw just now, who was to name the winner of the twenty-five louis.
“They found her in her dressing-room. ‘Well gentlemen,’ she said, ‘what lucky wind has brought you here together at this hour?
“‘It is a bet, madam,’ answered the unbelieving officer, ‘and you alone can be the umpire in our quarrel. This gentleman has been boasting of having obtained from you everything a woman can grant to the most favoured lover. I have given him the lie in the most impressive manner, and a duel was to ensue, when he offered to have the truth of his boast certified125 by you. I have bet twenty-five Louis that you would not admit it, and he has taken my bet. Now, madam, you can say which of us two is right.’
“You have lost, sir,” she said to him; ‘but now I beg both of you to quit my house, and I give you fair warning that if you ever dare to shew your faces here again, you will be sorry for it.’
“The two heedless fellows went away dreadfully mortified127. The unbeliever paid the bet, but he was deeply vexed, called the other a coxcomb128, and a week afterwards killed him in a duel.
“Since that time the lady goes to the casino, and continues to mix in society, but does not see company at her own house, and lives in perfect accord with her husband.”
“How did the husband take it all?”
“Quite well, and like an intelligent, sensible man. He said that, if his wife had acted differently, he would have applied129 for a divorce, because in that case no one would have entertained a doubt of her being guilty.”
“That husband is indeed a sensible fellow. It is certain that, if his wife had given the lie to the indiscreet officer, he would have paid the bet, but he would have stood by what he had said, and everybody would have believed him. By declaring him the winner of the bet she has cut the matter short, and she has avoided a judgment by which she would have been dishonoured130. The inconsiderate boaster was guilty of a double mistake for which he paid the penalty of his life, but his adversary was as much wanting in delicacy, for in such matters rightly-minded men do not venture upon betting. If the one who says yes is imprudent, the one who says no is a dupe. I like the lady’s presence of mind.”
“But what sentence would you pass on her. Guilty or not guilty?”
“Not guilty.”
“I am of the same opinion, and it has been the verdict of the public likewise, for she has since been treated even better than before the affair. You will see, if you go to the casino, and I shall be happy to introduce you to her”
I invited the officer to sup with us, and we spent a very pleasant evening. After he had gone, I remarked with pleasure that Marina was capable of observing the rules of propriety132. She had taken a bedroom to herself, so as not to hurt the feelings of her respectable fellow- dancer.
When I arrived in Mantua, I put up at St. Mark’s hotel. Marina, to whom I had given a notice that my intention was to call on her but seldom, took up her abode133 in the house assigned to her by the theatrical134 manager.
In the afternoon of the same day, as I was walking about, I went into a bookseller’s shop to ascertain77 whether there was any new work out. I remained there without perceiving that the night had come, and on being told that the shop was going to be closed, I went out. I had only gone a few yards when I was arrested by a patrol, the officer of which told me that, as I had no lantern and as eight o’clock had struck, his duty was to take me to the guardhouse. It was in vain that I observed that, having arrived only in the afternoon, I could not know that order of the police. I was compelled to follow him.
When we reached the guardhouse, the officer of the patrol introduced me to his captain, a tall, fine-looking young man who received me in the most cheerful manner. I begged him to let me return to my hotel as I needed rest after my journey. He laughed and answered, “No, indeed, I want you to spend a joyous135 night with me, and in good company.” He told the officer to give me back my sword, and, addressing me again, he said, “I only consider you, my dear sir, as my friend and guest.”
I could not help being amused at such a novel mode of invitation, and I accepted it. He gave some orders to a German soldier, and soon afterwards the table was laid out for four persons. The two other officers joined us, and we had a very gay supper. When the desert had been served the company was increased by the arrival of two disgusting, dissolute females. A green cloth was spread over the table, and one of the officers began a faro bank. I punted so as not to appear unwilling136 to join the game, and after losing a few sequins I went out to breathe the fresh air, for we had drunk freely. One of the two females followed me, teased me, and finally contrived, in spite of myself, to make me a present which condemned137 me to a regimen of six weeks. After that fine exploit, I went in again.
A young and pleasant officer, who had lost some fifteen or twenty sequins, was swearing like a trooper because the banker had pocketed his money and was going. The young officer had a great deal of gold before him on the table, and he contended that the banker ought to have warned him that it would be the last game.
“Sir,” I said to him, politely, “you are in the wrong, for faro is the freest of games. Why do you not take the bank yourself?”
“It would be too much trouble, and these gentlemen do not punt high enough for me, but if that sort of thing amuses you, take the bank and I will punt.”
“Captain,” I said, “will you take a fourth share in my bank?”
“Willingly.”
“Gentlemen, I beg you to give notice that I will lay the cards down after six games.”
I asked for new packs of cards, and put three hundred sequins on the table. The captain wrote on the back of a card, “Good for a hundred sequins, O’Neilan,” and placing it with my gold I began my bank.
The young officer was delighted, and said to me,
“Your bank might be defunct before the end of the sixth game.”
I did not answer, and the play went on.
At the beginning of the fifth game, my bank was in the pangs138 of death; the young officer was in high glee. I rather astonished him by telling him that I was glad to lose, for I thought him a much more agreeable companion when he was winning.
There are some civilities which very likely prove unlucky for those to whom they are addressed, and it turned out so in this case, for my compliment turned his brain. During the fifth game, a run of adverse139 cards made him lose all he had won, and as he tried to do violence to Dame140 Fortune in the sixth round, he lost every sequin he had.
“Sir,” he said to me, “you have been very lucky, but I hope you will give me my revenge to-morrow.”
“It would be with the greatest pleasure, sir, but I never play except when I am under arrest.”
I counted my money, and found that I had wan80 two hundred and fifty sequins, besides a debt of fifty sequins due by an officer who played on trust which Captain O’Neilan took on his own account. I completed his share, and at day-break he allowed me to go away.
As soon as I got to my hotel, I went to bed, and when I awoke, I had a visit from Captain Laurent, the officer who had played on trust. Thinking that his object was to pay me what he had lost, I told him that O’Neilan had taken his debt on himself, but he answered than he had only called for the purpose of begging of me a loan of six sequins on his note of hand, by which he would pledge his honour to repay me within one week. I gave him the money, and he begged that the matter, might remain between us.
“I promise it,” I said to him, “but do not break your word.”
The next day I was ill, and the reader is aware of the nature of my illness. I immediately placed myself under a proper course of diet, however unpleasant it was at my age; but I kept to my system, and it cured me rapidly.
Three or four days afterwards Captain O’Neilan called on me, and when I told him the nature of my sickness he laughed, much to my surprise.
“Then you were all right before that night?” he enquired.
“Yes, my health was excellent.”
“I am sorry that you should have lost your health in such an ugly place. I would have warned you if I had thought you had any intentions in that quarter.”
“Did you know of the woman having . . .?”
“Zounds! Did I not? It is only a week since I paid a visit to the very same place myself, and I believe the creature was all right before my visit.”
“Then I have to thank you for the present she has bestowed141 upon me.”
“Most likely; but it is only a trifle, and you can easily get cured if you care to take the trouble.”
“What! Do you not try to cure yourself?”
“Faith, no. It would be too much trouble to follow a regular diet, and what is the use of curing such a trifling142 inconvenience when I am certain of getting it again in a fortnight. Ten times in my life I have had that patience, but I got tired of it, and for the last two years I have resigned myself, and now I put up with it.”
“I pity you, for a man like you would have great success in love.”
“I do not care a fig32 for love; it requires cares which would bother me much more than the slight inconvenience to which we were alluding143, and to which I am used now.”
“I am not of your opinion, for the amorous pleasure is insipid144 when love does not throw a little spice in it. Do you think, for instance, that the ugly wretch145 I met at the guard-room is worth what I now suffer on her account?”
“Of course not, and that is why I am sorry for you. If I had known, I could have introduced you to something better.”
“The very best in that line is not worth my health, and health ought to be sacrificed only for love.”
“Oh! you want women worthy of love? There are a few here; stop with us for some time, and when you are cured there is nothing to prevent you from making conquests.”
O’Neilan was only twenty-three years old; his father, who was dead, had been a general, and the beautiful Countess Borsati was his sister. He presented me to the Countess Zanardi Nerli, still more lovely than his sister, but I was prudent131 enough not to burn my incense146 before either of them, for it seemed to me that everybody could guess the state of my health.
I have never met a young man more addicted147 to debauchery than O’Neilan. I have often spent the night rambling148 about with him, and I was amazed at his cynical149 boldness and impudence150. Yet he was noble, generous, brave, and honourable151. If in those days young officers were often guilty of so much immorality152, of so many vile17 actions, it was not so much their fault as the fault of the privileges which they enjoyed through custom, indulgence, or party spirit. Here is an example:
One day O’Neilan, having drunk rather freely, rides through the city at full speed. A poor old woman who was crossing the street has no time to avoid him, she falls, and her head is cut open by the horse’s feet. O’Neilan places himself under arrest, but the next day he is set at liberty. He had, only to plead that it was an accident.
The officer Laurent not having called upon me to redeem153 his promisory note of six sequins during the week, I told him in the street that I would no longer consider myself bound to keep the affair secret. Instead of excusing himself, he said,
“I do not care!”
The answer was insulting, and I intended to compel him to give me reparation, but the next day O’Neilan told me that Captain Laurent had gone mad and had been locked up in a mad-house. He subsequently recovered his reason, but his conduct was so infamous that he was cashiered.
O’Neilan, who was as brave as Bayard, was killed a few years afterwards at the battle of Prague. A man of his complexion154 was certain to fall the victim of Mars or of Venus. He might be alive now if he had been endowed only with the courage of the fox, but he had the courage of the lion. It is a virtue12 in a soldier, but almost a fault in an officer. Those who brave danger with a full knowledge of it are worthy of praise, but those who do not realize it escape only by a miracle, and without any merit attaching itself to them. Yet we must respect those great warriors155, for their unconquerable courage is the offspring of a strong soul, of a virtue which places them above ordinary mortals.
Whenever I think of Prince Charles de Ligne I cannot restrain my tears. He was as brave as Achilles, but Achilles was invulnerable. He would be alive now if he had remembered during the fight that he was mortal. Who are they that, having known him, have not shed tears in his memory? He was handsome, kind, polished, learned, a lover of the arts, cheerful, witty156 in his conversation, a pleasant companion, and a man of perfect equability. Fatal, terrible revolution! A cannon157 ball took him from his friends, from his family, from the happiness which surrounded him.
The Prince de Waldeck has also paid the penalty of his intrepidity158 with the loss of one arm. It is said that he consoles himself for that loss with the consciousness that with the remaining one he can yet command an army.
O you who despise life, tell me whether that contempt of life renders you worthy of it?
The opera opened immediately after Easter, and I was present at every performance. I was then entirely cured, and had resumed my usual life. I was pleased to see that Baletti shewed off Marina to the best advantage. I never visited her, but Baletti was in the habit of breakfasting with me almost every morning.
He had often mentioned an old actress who had left the stage for more than twenty years, and pretended to have been my father’s friend. One day I took a fancy to call upon her, and he accompanied me to her house.
I saw an old, broken-down crone whose toilet astonished me as much as her person. In spite of her wrinkles, her face was plastered with red and white, and her eyebrows159 were indebted to India ink for their black appearance. She exposed one-half of her flabby, disgusting bosom, and there could be no doubt as to her false set of teeth. She wore a wig160 which fitted very badly, and allowed the intrusion of a few gray hairs which had survived the havoc161 of time. Her shaking hands made mine quiver when she pressed them. She diffused162 a perfume of amber57 at a distance of twenty yards, and her affected163, mincing164 manner amused and sickened me at the same time. Her dress might possibly have been the fashion twenty years before. I was looking with dread126 at the fearful havoc of old age upon a face which, before merciless time had blighted165 it, had evidently been handsome, but what amazed me was the childish effrontery166 with which this time-withered167 specimen of womankind was still waging war with the help of her blasted charms.
Baletti, who feared lest my too visible astonishment168 should vex81 her, told her that I was amazed at the fact that the beautiful strawberry which bloomed upon her chest had not been withered by the hand of Time. It was a birth-mark which was really very much like a strawberry. “It is that mark,” said the old woman, simpering, “which gave me the name of ‘La Fragoletta.’”
Those words made me shudder169.
I had before my eyes the fatal phantom170 which was the cause of my existence. I saw the woman who had thirty years before, seduced171 my father: if it had not been for her, he would never have thought of leaving his father’s house, and would never have engendered172 me in the womb of a Venetian woman. I have never been of the opinion of the old author who says, ‘Nemo vitam vellet si daretur scientibus’.
Seeing how thoughtful I was, she politely enquired my name from Baletti, for he had presented me only as a friend, and without having given her notice of my visit. When he told her that my name was Casanova, she was extremely surprised.
“Yes, madam,” I said, “I am the son of Gaetan Casanova, of Parma.”
“Heavens and earth! what is this? Ah! my friend, I adored your father! He was jealous without cause, and abandoned me. Had he not done so, you would have been my son! Allow me to embrace you with the feelings of a loving mother.”
I expected as much, and, for fear she should fall, I went to her, received her kiss, and abandoned myself to her tender recollections. Still an actress, she pressed her handkerchief to her eyes, pretending to weep, and assuring me that I was not to doubt the truth of what she said.
“Although,” she added, “I do not look an old woman yet.”
“The only fault of your dear father,” she continued, “was a want of gratitude”
I have no doubt that she passed the same sentence upon the son, for, in spite of her kind invitation, I never paid her another visit.
My purse was well filled, and as I did not care for Mantua, I resolved on going to Naples, to see again my dear Therese, Donna Lucrezia, Palo father and son, Don Antonio Casanova, and all my former acquaintances. However, my good genius did not approve of that decision, for I was not allowed to carry it into execution. I should have left Mantua three days later, had I not gone to the opera that night.
I lived like an anchorite during my two months’ stay in Mantua, owing to the folly. I committed on the night of my arrival. I played only that time, and then I had been lucky. My slight erotic inconvenience, by compelling me to follow the diet necessary to my cure, most likely saved me from greater misfortunes which, perhaps, I should not have been able to avoid.
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1
raven
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| n.渡鸟，乌鸦；adj.乌亮的 | |
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attire
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| v.穿衣，装扮[同]array；n.衣着；盛装 | |
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countenances
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| n.面容( countenance的名词复数 )；表情；镇静；道义支持 | |
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atone
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| v.赎罪，补偿 | |
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negligence
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| n.疏忽，玩忽，粗心大意 | |
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bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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favourable
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| adj.赞成的，称赞的，有利的，良好的，顺利的 | |
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proffered
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| v.提供，贡献，提出( proffer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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writ
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| n.命令状，书面命令 | |
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virtues
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| 美德( virtue的名词复数 )； 德行； 优点； 长处 | |
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virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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delicacy
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| n.精致，细微，微妙，精良；美味，佳肴 | |
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celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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contemptible
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| adj.可鄙的，可轻视的，卑劣的 | |
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vile
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| adj.卑鄙的，可耻的，邪恶的；坏透的 | |
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heroism
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| n.大无畏精神，英勇 | |
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exempt
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| adj.免除的；v.使免除；n.免税者，被免除义务者 | |
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taint
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| n.污点；感染；腐坏；v.使感染；污染 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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expenditure
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| n.(时间、劳力、金钱等)支出；使用，消耗 | |
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majesty
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| n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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inflicted
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| 把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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perpetuate
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| v.使永存，使永记不忘 | |
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ridicule
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| v.讥讽，挖苦；n.嘲弄 | |
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posterity
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| n.后裔，子孙，后代 | |
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equivocation
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| n.模棱两可的话，含糊话 | |
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attained
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| （通常经过努力）实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况） | |
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Founder
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| n.创始者，缔造者 | |
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fig
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| n.无花果(树) | |
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abdicated
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| 放弃（职责、权力等）( abdicate的过去式和过去分词 )； 退位，逊位 | |
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royalty
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| n.皇家，皇族 | |
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annihilate
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| v.使无效；毁灭；取消 | |
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animating
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| v.使有生气( animate的现在分词 )；驱动；使栩栩如生地动作；赋予…以生命 | |
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inured
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| adj.坚强的，习惯的 | |
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mania
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| n.疯狂；躁狂症，狂热，癖好 | |
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possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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plank
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| n.板条，木板，政策要点，政纲条目 | |
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41
stinking
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| adj.臭的，烂醉的，讨厌的v.散发出恶臭( stink的现在分词 )；发臭味；名声臭；糟透 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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embroidered
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| adj．绣花的 | |
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heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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vow
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| n.誓(言)，誓约；v.起誓，立誓 | |
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guilt
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| n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责 | |
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promising
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| adj.有希望的，有前途的 | |
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contrived
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| adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的 | |
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dealer
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| n.商人，贩子 | |
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amiable
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| adj.和蔼可亲的，友善的，亲切的 | |
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51
juggled
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| v.歪曲( juggle的过去式和过去分词 )；耍弄；有效地组织；尽力同时应付（两个或两个以上的重要工作或活动） | |
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52
cemetery
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| n.坟墓，墓地，坟场 | |
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corpse
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| n.尸体，死尸 | |
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54
defunct
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| adj.死亡的；已倒闭的 | |
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55
retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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56
chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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amber
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| n.琥珀；琥珀色；adj.琥珀制的 | |
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58
confide
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| v.向某人吐露秘密 | |
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59
abominable
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| adj.可厌的，令人憎恶的 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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61
innocence
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| n.无罪；天真；无害 | |
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62
judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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63
condemn
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| vt.谴责，指责；宣判(罪犯)，判刑 | |
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64
deriving
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| v.得到( derive的现在分词 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取 | |
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consolation
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| n.安慰，慰问 | |
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66
chancellorship
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| 长官的职位或任期 | |
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67
enquire
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| v.打听，询问；调查，查问 | |
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proceedings
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| n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报 | |
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69
desecrated
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| 毁坏或亵渎( desecrate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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violation
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| n.违反(行为)，违背(行为)，侵犯 | |
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magistrate
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| n.地方行政官，地方法官，治安官 | |
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accosted
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| v.走过去跟…讲话( accost的过去式和过去分词 )；跟…搭讪；（乞丐等）上前向…乞讨；（妓女等）勾搭 | |
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refreshments
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| n.点心,便餐;(会议后的)简单茶点招 待 | |
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caresses
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| 爱抚，抚摸( caress的名词复数 ) | |
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virgin
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| n.处女，未婚女子；adj.未经使用的；未经开发的 | |
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maidenhood
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| n. 处女性, 处女时代 | |
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ascertain
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| vt.发现，确定，查明，弄清 | |
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78
ascertained
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| v.弄清，确定，查明( ascertain的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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79
joyfully
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| adv. 喜悦地, 高兴地 | |
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wan
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| (wide area network)广域网 | |
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81
vex
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| vt.使烦恼，使苦恼 | |
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82
vexed
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| adj.争论不休的；（指问题等）棘手的；争论不休的问题；烦恼的v.使烦恼( vex的过去式和过去分词 )；使苦恼；使生气；详细讨论 | |
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83
infamous
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| adj.声名狼藉的，臭名昭著的，邪恶的 | |
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profanation
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| n.亵渎 | |
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85
clergy
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| n.[总称]牧师，神职人员 | |
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86
intrigues
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| n.密谋策划( intrigue的名词复数 )；神秘气氛；引人入胜的复杂情节v.搞阴谋诡计( intrigue的第三人称单数 )；激起…的好奇心 | |
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graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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salute
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| vi.行礼，致意，问候，放礼炮；vt.向…致意，迎接，赞扬；n.招呼，敬礼，礼炮 | |
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mutual
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| adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的 | |
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90
brute
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| n.野兽，兽性 | |
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entreated
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| 恳求，乞求( entreat的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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lodged
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| v.存放( lodge的过去式和过去分词 )；暂住；埋入；（权利、权威等）归属 | |
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compliant
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| adj.服从的，顺从的 | |
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lodgings
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| n. 出租的房舍, 寄宿舍 | |
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duel
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| n./v.决斗；(双方的)斗争 | |
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arrant
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| adj.极端的；最大的 | |
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prodigal
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| adj.浪费的，挥霍的，放荡的 | |
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folly
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| n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话 | |
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adversary
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| adj.敌手，对手 | |
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100
implicating
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| vt.牵涉，涉及（implicate的现在分词形式） | |
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prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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102
delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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103
professing
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| 声称( profess的现在分词 )； 宣称； 公开表明； 信奉 | |
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opposition
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| n.反对，敌对 | |
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follower
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| n.跟随者；随员；门徒；信徒 | |
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106
dexterity
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| n.(手的)灵巧，灵活 | |
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107
sheathe
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| v.（将刀剑）插入鞘；包，覆盖 | |
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inviting
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| adj.诱人的，引人注目的 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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adepts
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| n.专家，能手( adept的名词复数 ) | |
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111
amorous
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| adj.多情的；有关爱情的 | |
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112
warfare
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| n.战争(状态)；斗争；冲突 | |
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113
memoirs
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| n.回忆录；回忆录传( mem,自oir的名词复数) | |
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114
accrue
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| v.(利息等)增大，增多 | |
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115
helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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116
alleged
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| a.被指控的，嫌疑的 | |
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ramble
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| v.漫步，漫谈，漫游；n.漫步，闲谈，蔓延 | |
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118
enquired
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| 打听( enquire的过去式和过去分词 )； 询问； 问问题； 查问 | |
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119
anecdote
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| n.轶事，趣闻，短故事 | |
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120
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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121
specimen
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| n.样本，标本 | |
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122
ascertaining
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| v.弄清，确定，查明( ascertain的现在分词 ) | |
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123
certify
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| vt.证明，证实；发证书(或执照)给 | |
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124
dwelling
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| n.住宅，住所，寓所 | |
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125
certified
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| a.经证明合格的；具有证明文件的 | |
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126
dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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mortified
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| v.使受辱( mortify的过去式和过去分词 )；伤害（人的感情）；克制；抑制（肉体、情感等） | |
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128
coxcomb
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| n.花花公子 | |
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129
applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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130
dishonoured
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| a.不光彩的，不名誉的 | |
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131
prudent
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| adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的 | |
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132
propriety
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| n.正当行为；正当；适当 | |
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133
abode
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| n.住处，住所 | |
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134
theatrical
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| adj.剧场的，演戏的；做戏似的，做作的 | |
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135
joyous
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| adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的 | |
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136
unwilling
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| adj.不情愿的 | |
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137
condemned
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| adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词 | |
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138
pangs
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| 突然的剧痛( pang的名词复数 )； 悲痛 | |
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139
adverse
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| adj.不利的；有害的；敌对的，不友好的 | |
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140
dame
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| n.女士 | |
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141
bestowed
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| 赠给，授予( bestow的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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142
trifling
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| adj.微不足道的；没什么价值的 | |
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143
alluding
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| 提及，暗指( allude的现在分词 ) | |
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144
insipid
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| adj.无味的，枯燥乏味的，单调的 | |
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145
wretch
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| n.可怜的人，不幸的人；卑鄙的人 | |
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146
incense
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| v.激怒；n.香，焚香时的烟，香气 | |
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147
addicted
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| adj.沉溺于....的，对...上瘾的 | |
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148
rambling
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| adj.[建]凌乱的，杂乱的 | |
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149
cynical
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| adj.(对人性或动机)怀疑的，不信世道向善的 | |
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150
impudence
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| n.厚颜无耻；冒失；无礼 | |
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151
honourable
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| adj.可敬的；荣誉的，光荣的 | |
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152
immorality
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| n. 不道德, 无道义 | |
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153
redeem
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| v.买回，赎回，挽回，恢复，履行（诺言等） | |
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154
complexion
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| n.肤色；情况，局面；气质，性格 | |
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155
warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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156
witty
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| adj.机智的，风趣的 | |
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157
cannon
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| n.大炮，火炮；飞机上的机关炮 | |
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158
intrepidity
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| n.大胆，刚勇；大胆的行为 | |
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159
eyebrows
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| 眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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160
wig
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| n.假发 | |
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161
havoc
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| n.大破坏，浩劫，大混乱，大杂乱 | |
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diffused
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| 散布的，普及的，扩散的 | |
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affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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164
mincing
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| adj.矫饰的；v.切碎；切碎 | |
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165
blighted
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| adj.枯萎的，摧毁的 | |
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166
effrontery
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| n.厚颜无耻 | |
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167
withered
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| adj. 枯萎的，干瘪的，（人身体的部分器官）因病萎缩的或未发育良好的 动词wither的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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168
astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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169
shudder
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| v.战粟，震动，剧烈地摇晃；n.战粟，抖动 | |
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170
phantom
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| n.幻影，虚位，幽灵；adj.错觉的，幻影的，幽灵的 | |
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171
seduced
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| 诱奸( seduce的过去式和过去分词 )； 勾引； 诱使堕落； 使入迷 | |
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172
engendered
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| v.产生（某形势或状况），造成，引起( engender的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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