The opera was nearly over when I was accosted1 by a young man who, abruptly2, and without any introduction, told me that as a stranger — I had been very wrong in spending two months in Mantua without paying a visit to the natural history collection belonging to his father, Don Antonio Capitani, commissary and prebendal president.
“Sir,” I answered, “I have been guilty only through ignorance, and if you would be so good as to call for me at my hotel to-morrow morning, before the evening I shall have atoned3 for my error, and you will no longer have the right to address me the same reproach”
The son of the prebendal commissary called for me, and I found in his father a most eccentric, whimsical sort of man. The curiosities of his collection consisted of his family tree, of books of magic, relics4, coins which he believed to be antediluvian5, a model of the ark taken from nature at the time when Noah arrived in that extraordinary harbour, Mount Ararat, in Armenia. He load several medals, one of Sesostris, another of Semiramis, and an old knife of a queer shape, covered with rust6. Besides all those wonderful treasures, he possessed7, but under lock and key, all the paraphernalia8 of freemasonry.
“Pray, tell me,” I said to him, “what relation there is between this collection and natural history? I see nothing here representing the three kingdoms.”
“What! You do not see the antediluvian kingdom, that of Sesostris and that of Semiramis? Are not those the three kingdoms?”
When I heard that answer I embraced him with an exclamation9 of delight, which was sarcastic10 in its intent, but which he took for admiration11, and he at once unfolded all the treasures of his whimsical knowledge respecting his possessions, ending with the rusty12 blade which he said was the very knife with which Saint Peter cut off the ear of Malek.
“What!” I exclaimed, “you are the possessor of this knife, and you are not as rich as Croesus?”
“How could I be so through the possession of the knife?”
“In two ways. In the first place, you could obtain possession of all the treasures hidden under ground in the States of the Church.”
“Yes, that is a natural consequence, because St. Peter has the keys.”
“In the second place, you might sell the knife to the Pope, if you happen to possess proof of its authenticity13.”
“You mean the parchment. Of course I have it; do you think I would have bought one without the other?”
“All right, then. In order to get possession of that knife, the Pope would, I have no doubt, make a cardinal14 of your son, but you must have the sheath too.”
“I have not got it, but it is unnecessary. At all events I can have one made.”
“That would not do, you must have the very one in which Saint Peter himself sheathed15 the knife when God said, ‘Mitte gladium tuum in vaginam’. That very sheath does exist, and it is now in the hands of a person who might sell it to you at a reasonable price, or you might sell him your knife, for the sheath without the knife is of no use to him, just as the knife is useless to you without the sheath.”
“How much would it cost me?”
“One thousand sequins.”
“And how much would that person give me for the knife?”
“One thousand sequins, for one has as much value as the other.”
The commissary, greatly astonished, looked at his son, and said, with the voice of a judge on the bench,
“Well, son, would you ever have thought that I would be offered one thousand sequins for this knife?”
He then opened a drawer and took out of it an old piece of paper, which he placed before me. It was written in Hebrew, and a facsimile of the knife was drawn16 on it. I pretended to be lost in admiration, and advised him very strongly to purchase the sheath.
“It is not necessary for me to buy it, or for your friend to purchase the knife. We can find out and dig up the treasures together.”
“Not at all. The rubric says in the most forcible manner that the owner of the blade, ‘in vaginam’, shall be one. If the Pope were in possession of it he would be able, through a magical operation known to me, to cut off one of the ears of every Christian17 king who might be thinking of encroaching upon the rights of the Church.”
“Wonderful, indeed! But it is very true, for it is said in the Gospel that Saint Peter did cut off the ear of somebody.”
“Yes, of a king.”
“Oh, no! not of a king.”
“Of a king, I tell you. Enquire18 whether Malek or Melek does not mean king.”
“Well! in case I should make up my mind to sell the knife, who would give me the thousand sequins?”
“I would; one half to-morrow, cash down; the balance of five hundred in a letter of exchange payable19 one month after date.”
“Ah! that is like business. Be good enough, to accept a dish of macaroni with us to-morrow, and under a solemn pledge of secrecy20 we will discuss this important affair.”
I accepted and took my leave, firmly resolved on keeping up the joke. I came back on the following day, and the very first thing he told me was that, to his certain knowledge, there was an immense treasure hidden somewhere in the Papal States, and that he would make up his mind to purchase the sheath. This satisfied me that there was no fear of his taking me at my word, so I produced a purse full of gold, saying I was quite ready to complete our bargain for the purchase of the knife.
“The Treasure,” he said, “is worth millions; but let us have dinner. You are not going to be served in silver plates and dishes, but in real Raphael mosaic21.”
“My dear commissary, your magnificence astonishes me; mosaic is, indeed, by far superior to silver plate, although an ignorant fool would only consider it ugly earthen ware22.”
The compliment delighted him.
After dinner, he spoke23 as follows:
“A man in very good circumstances, residing in the Papal States, and owner of the country house in which he lives with all his family, is certain that there is a treasure in his cellar. He has written to my son, declaring himself ready to undertake all expenses necessary to possess himself of that treasure, if we could procure24 a magician powerful enough to unearth25 it.”
The son then took a letter out of his pocket, read me some passages, and begged me to excuse him if, in consequence of his having pledged himself to keep the secret, he could not communicate all the contents of the letter; but I had, unperceived by him, read the word Cesena, the name of the village, and that was enough for me.
“Therefore all that is necessary is to give me the possibility of purchasing the sheath on credit, for I have no ready cash at present. You need not be afraid of endorsing26 my letters of exchange, and if you should know the magician you might go halves with him.”
“The magician is ready; it is I, but unless you give me five hundred sequins cash down we cannot agree.”
“I have no money.”
“Then sell me the knife:”
“No.”
“You are wrong, for now that I have seen it I can easily take it from you. But I am honest enough not to wish to play such a trick upon you.”
“You could take my knife from me? I should like to be convinced of that, but I do not believe it.”
“You do not? Very well, to-morrow the knife will be in my possession, but when it is once in my hands you need not hope to see it again. A spirit which is under my orders will bring it to me at midnight, and the same spirit will tell me where the treasure is buried:”
“Let the spirit tell you that, and I shall be convinced.”
“Give me a pen, ink and paper.”
I asked a question from my oracle27, and the answer I had was that the treasure was to be found not far from the Rubicon.
“That is,” I said, “a torrent28 which was once a river:”
They consulted a dictionary, and found that the Rubicon flowed through Cesena. They were amazed, and, as I wished them to have full scope for wrong reasoning, I left them.
I had taken a fancy, not to purloin29 five hundred sequins from those poor fools, but to go and unearth the amount at their expense in the house of another fool, and to laugh at them all into the bargain. I longed to play the part of a magician. With that idea, when I left the house of the ridiculous antiquarian, I proceeded to the public library, where, with the assistance of a dictionary, I wrote the following specimen30 of facetious31 erudition:
“The treasure is buried in the earth at a depth of seventeen and a half fathoms32, and has been there for six centuries. Its value amounts to two millions of sequins, enclosed in a casket, the same which was taken by Godfrey de Bouillon from Mathilda, Countess of Tuscany, in the year 1081, when he endeavoured to assist Henry IV, against that princess. He buried the box himself in the very spot where it now is, before he went to lay siege to Jerusalem. Gregory VII, who was a great magician, having been informed of the place where it had been hidden, had resolved on getting possession of it himself, but death prevented him from carrying out his intentions. After the death of the Countess Mathilda, in the year 1116, the genius presiding over all hidden treasures appointed seven spirits to guard the box. During a night with a full moon, a learned magician can raise the treasure to the surface of the earth by placing himself in the middle of the magical ring called maximus:”
I expected to see the father and son, and they came early in the morning. After some rambling33 conversation, I gave them what I had composed at the library, namely, the history of the treasure taken from the Countess Mathilda.
I told them that I had made up my mind to recover the treasure, and I promised them the fourth part of it, provided they would purchase the sheath; I concluded by threatening again to possess myself of their knife.
“I cannot decide,” said the commissary, “before I have seen the sheath.”
“I pledge my word to shew it to you to-morrow,” I answered.
We parted company, highly pleased with each other.
In order to manufacture a sheath, such as the wonderful knife required, it was necessary to combine the most whimsical idea with the oddest shape. I recollected34 very well the form of the blade, and, as I was revolving35 in my mind the best way to produce something very extravagant36 but well adapted to the purpose I had in view, I spied in the yard of the hotel an old piece of leather, the remnant of what had been a fine gentleman’s boot; it was exactly what I wanted.
I took that old sole, boiled it, and made in it a slit37 in which I was certain that the knife would go easily. Then I pared it carefully on all sides to prevent the possibility of its former use being found out; I rubbed it with pumice stone, sand, and ochre, and finally I succeeded in imparting to my production such a queer, old-fashioned shape that I could not help laughing in looking at my work.
When I presented it to the commissary, and he had found it an exact fit for the knife, the good man remained astounded38. We dined together, and after dinner it was decided39 that his son should accompany me, and introduce me to the master of the house in which the treasure was buried, that I was to receive a letter of exchange for one thousand Roman crowns, drawn by the son on Bologna, which would be made payable to my name only after I should have found the treasure, and that the knife with the sheath would be delivered into my hands only when I should require it for the great operation; until then the son was to retain possession of it.
Those conditions having been agreed upon, we made an agreement in writing, binding40 upon all parties, and our departure was fixed41 for the day after the morrow.
As we left Mantua, the father pronounced a fervent42 blessing43 over his son’s head, and told me that he was count palatine, shewing me the diploma which he had received from the Pope. I embraced him, giving him his title of count, and pocketed his letter of exchange.
After bidding adieu to Marina, who was then the acknowledged mistress of Count Arcorati, and to Baletti whom I was sure of meeting again in Venice before the end of the year, I went to sup with my friend O’Neilan.
We started early in the morning, travelled through Ferrara and Bologna, and reached Cesena, where we put up at the posting-house. We got up early the next day and walked quietly to the house of George Franzia, a wealthy peasant, who was owner of the treasure. It was only a quarter of a mile from the city, and the good man was agreeably surprised by our arrival. He embraced Capitani, whom he knew already, and leaving me with his family he went out with my companion to talk business.
Observant as usual, I passed the family in review, and fixed my choice upon the eldest44 daughter. The youngest girl was ugly, and the son looked a regular fool. The mother seemed to be the real master of the household, and there were three or four servants going about the premises45.
The eldest daughter was called Genevieve, or Javotte, a very common name among the girls of Cesena. I told her that I thought her eighteen; but she answered, in a tone half serious, half vexed46, that I was very much mistaken, for she had only just completed her fourteenth year.
“I am very glad it is so, my pretty child.”
These words brought back her smile.
The house was well situated47, and there was not another dwelling48 around it for at least four hundred yards. I was glad to see that I should have comfortable quarters, but I was annoyed by a very unpleasant stink49 which tainted50 the air, and which could certainly not be agreeable to the spirits I had to evoke51.
“Madame Franzia,” said I, to the mistress of the house, “what is the cause of that bad smell?”
“Sir, it arises from the hemp52 which we are macerating.”
I concluded that if the cause were removed, I should get rid of the effect.
“What is that hemp worth, madam?” I enquired53.
“About forty crowns.”
“Here they are; the hemp belongs to me now, and I must beg your husband to have it removed immediately.”
Capitani called me, and I joined him. Franzia shewed me all the respect due to a great magician, although I had not much the appearance of one.
We agreed that he should receive one-fourth of the treasure, Capitani another fourth, and that the remainder should belong to me. We certainly did not shew much respect for the rights of Saint Peter.
I told Franzia that I should require a room with two beds for myself alone, and an ante-room with bathing apparatus54. Capitani’s room was to be in a different part of the house, and my room was to be provided with three tables, two of them small and one large. I added that he must at once procure me a sewing-girl between the ages of fourteen and eighteen, she was to be a virgin55, and it was necessary that she should, as well as every person in the house, keep the secret faithfully, in order that no suspicion of our proceedings56 should reach the Inquisition, or all would be lost.
“I intend to take up my quarters here to-morrow,” I added; “I require two meals every day, and the only wine I can drink is jevese. For my breakfast I drink a peculiar57 kind of chocolate which I make myself, and which I have brought with me. I promise to pay my own expenses in case we do not succeed. Please remove the hemp to a place sufficiently58 distant from the house, so that its bad smell may not annoy the spirits to be evoked59 by me, and let the air be purified by the discharge of gunpowder60. Besides, you must send a trusty servant to-morrow to convey our luggage from the hotel here, and keep constantly in the house and at my disposal one hundred new wax candles and three torches.”
After I had given those instructions to Franzia, I left him, and went towards Cesena with Capitani, but we had not gone a hundred yards when we heard the good man running after us.
“Sir,” he said to me, “be kind enough to take back the forty crowns which you paid to my wife for the hemp.”
“No, I will not do anything of the sort, for I do not want you to sustain any loss.”
“Take them back, I beg. I can sell the hemp in the course of the day for forty crowns without difficulty”
“In that case I will, for I have confidence in what you say.”
Such proceedings on my part impressed the excellent man very favourably61, and he entertained the deepest veneration62 for me, which was increased, when, against Capitani’s advice, I resolutely63 refused one hundred sequins which he wanted to force upon me for my travelling expenses. I threw him into raptures64 by telling him that on the eve of possessing an immense treasure, it was unnecessary to think of such trifles.
The next morning our luggage was sent for, and we found ourselves comfortably located in the house of the wealthy and simple Franzia.
He gave us a good dinner, but with too many dishes, and I told him to be more economical, and to give only some good fish for our supper, which he did. After supper he told me that, as far as the young maiden65 was concerned, he thought he could recommend his daughter Javotte, as he had consulted his wife, and had found I could rely upon the girl being a virgin.
“Very good,” I said; “now tell me what grounds you have for supposing that there is a treasure in your house?”
“In the first place, the oral tradition transmitted from father to son for the last eight generations; in the second, the heavy sounds which are heard under ground during the night. Besides, the door of the cellar opens and shuts of itself every three or four minutes; which must certainly be the work of the devils seen every night wandering through the country in the shape of pyramidal flames.”
“If it is as you say, it is evident that you have a treasure hidden somewhere in your house; it is as certain as the fact that two and two are four. Be very careful not to put a lock to the door of the cellar to prevent its opening and shutting of itself; otherwise you would have an earthquake, which would destroy everything here. Spirits will enjoy perfect freedom, and they break through every obstacle raised against them.”
“God be praised for having sent here, forty years ago, a learned man who told my father exactly the same thing! That great magician required only three days more to unearth the treasure when my father heard that the Inquisition had given orders to arrest him, and he lost no time in insuring his escape. Can you tell me how it is that magicians are not more powerful than the Inquisitors?”
“Because the monks66 have a greater number of devils under their command than we have. But I feel certain that your father had already expended67 a great deal of money with that learned man.”
“About two thousand crowns.”
“Oh! more, more.”
I told Franzia to follow me, and, in order to accomplish something in the magic line, I dipped a towel in some water, and uttering fearful words which belonged to no human language, I washed the eyes, the temples, and the chest of every person in the family, including Javotte, who might have objected to it if I had not begun with her father, mother, and brother. I made them swear upon my pocket-book that they were not labouring under any impure68 disease, and I concluded the ceremony by compelling Javotte to swear likewise that she had her maidenhood69. As I saw that she was blushing to the very roots of her hair in taking the oath, I was cruel enough to explain to her what it meant; I then asked her to swear again, but she answered that there was no need of it now that she knew what it was. I ordered all the family to kiss me, and finding that Javotte had eaten garlic I forbade the use of it entirely71, which order Franzia promised should be complied with.
Genevieve was not a beauty as far as her features were concerned; her complexion72 was too much sunburnt, and her mouth was too large, but her teeth were splendid, and her under lip projected slightly as if it had been formed to receive kisses. Her bosom73 was well made and as firm as a rock, but her hair was too light, and her hands too fleshy. The defects, however, had to be overlooked, and altogether she was not an unpleasant morsel74. I did not purpose to make her fall in love with me; with a peasant girl that task might have been a long one; all I wanted was to train her to perfect obedience75, which, in default of love, has always appeared to me the essential point. True that in such a case one does not enjoy the ecstatic raptures of love, but one finds a compensation in the complete control obtained over the woman.
I gave notice to the father, to Capitani, and to Javotte, that each would, in turn and in the order of their age, take supper with me, and that Javotte would sleep every night in my ante-room, where was to be placed a bath in which I would bathe my guest one half hour before sitting down to supper, and the guest was not to have broken his fast throughout the day.
I prepared a list of all the articles of which I pretended to be in need, and giving it to Franzia I told him to go to Cesena himself the next day, and to purchase everything without bargaining to obtain a lower price. Among other things, I ordered a piece, from twenty to thirty yards long, of white linen76, thread, scissors, needles, storax, myrrh, sulphur, olive oil, camphor, one ream of paper, pens and ink, twelve sheets of parchment, brushes, and a branch of olive tree to make a stick of eighteen inches in length.
After I had given all my orders very seriously and without any wish to laugh, I went to bed highly pleased with my personification of a magician, in which I was astonished to find myself so completely successful.
The next morning, as soon as I was dressed, I sent for Capitani, and commanded him to proceed every day to Cesena, to go to the best coffee-house, to learn carefully every piece of news and every rumour77, and to report them to me.
Franzia, who had faithfully obeyed my orders, returned before noon from the city with all the articles I had asked for.
“I have not bargained for anything,” he said to me, “and the merchants must, I have no doubt, have taken me for a fool, for I have certainly paid one-third more than the things are worth.”
“So much the worse for them if they have deceived you, but you would have spoilt everything if you had beaten them down in their price. Now, send me your daughter and let me be alone with her.”
As soon as Javotte was in my room, I made her cut the linen in seven pieces, four of five feet long, two of two feet, and one of two feet and a half; the last one was intended to form the hood70 of the robe I was to wear for the great operation. Then I said to Javotte:
“Sit down near my bed and begin sewing. You will dine here and remain at work until the evening. When your father comes, you must let us be alone, but as soon as he leaves me, come back and go to bed.”
She dined in my room, where her mother waited on her without speaking, and gave her nothing to drink except St. Jevese wine. Towards evening her father came, and she left us.
I had the patience to wash the good man while he was in the bath, after which he had supper with me; he ate voraciously78, telling me that it was the first time in his life that he had remained twenty- four hours without breaking his fast. Intoxicated79 with the St. Jevese wine he had drunk, he went to bed and slept soundly until morning, when his wife brought me my chocolate. Javotte was kept sewing as on the day before; she left the room in the evening when Capitani came in, and I treated him in the same manner as Franzia; on the third day, it was Javotte’s turn, and that had been the object I had kept in view all the time.
When the hour came, I said to her,
“Go, Javotte, get into the bath and call me when you are ready, for I must purify you as I have purified your father and Capitani.”
She obeyed, and within a quarter of an hour she called me. I performed a great many ablutions on every part of her body, making her assume all sorts of positions, for she was perfectly80 docile81, but, as I was afraid of betraying myself, I felt more suffering than enjoyment82, and my indiscreet hands, running over every part of her person, and remaining longer and more willingly on a certain spot, the sensitiveness of which is extreme, the poor girl was excited by an ardent83 fire which was at last quenched84 by the natural result of that excitement. I made her get out of the bath soon after that, and as I was drying her I was very near forgetting magic to follow the impulse of nature, but, quicker than I, nature relieved itself, and I was thus enabled to reach the end of the scene without anticipating the denouement85. I told Javotte to dress herself, and to come back to me as soon as she was ready.
She had been fasting all day, and her toilet did not take a long time. She ate with a ferocious86 appetite, and the St. Jevese wine, which she drank like water, imparted so much animation87 to her complexion that it was no longer possible to see how sunburnt she was. Being alone with her after supper, I said to her,
“My dear Javotte, have you been displeased88 at all I have compelled you to submit to this evening?”
“Not at all; I liked it very much.”
“Then I hope that you will have no objection to get in the bath with me to-morrow, and to wash me as I have washed you.”
“Most willingly, but shall I know how to do it well?”
“I will teach you, and for the future I wish you to sleep every night in my room, because I must have a complete certainty that on the night of the great operation I shall find you such as you ought to be.”
From that time Javotte was at her ease with me, all her restraint disappeared, she would look at me and smile with entire confidence. Nature had operated, and the mind of a young girl soon enlarges its sphere when pleasure is her teacher. She went to bed, and as she knew that she had no longer anything to conceal89 from me, her modesty90 was not alarmed when she undressed herself in my presence. It was very warm, any kind of covering is unpleasant in the hot weather, so she stripped to the skin and soon fell asleep. I did the same, but I could not help feeling some regret at having engaged myself not to take advantage of the position before the night of the great incantation. I knew that the operation to unearth the treasure would be a complete failure, but I knew likewise that it would not fail because Javotte’s virginity was gone.
At day-break the girl rose and began sewing. As soon as she had finished the robe, I told her to make a crown of parchment with seven long points, on which I painted some fearful figures and hieroglyphs91.
In the evening, one hour before supper, I got into the bath, and Javotte joined me as soon as I called her. She performed upon me with great zeal92 the same ceremonies that I had done for her the day before, and she was as gentle and docile as possible. I spent a delicious hour in that bath, enjoying everything, but respecting the essential point.
My kisses making her happy, and seeing that I had no objection to her caresses93, she loaded me with them. I was so pleased at all the amorous94 enjoyment her senses were evidently experiencing, that I made her easy by telling her that the success of the great magic operation depended upon the amount of pleasure she enjoyed. She then made extraordinary efforts to persuade me that she was happy, and without overstepping the limits where I had made up my mind to stop, we got out of the bath highly pleased with each other.
As we were on the point of going to bed, she said to me,
“Would it injure the success of your operation if we were to sleep together?”
“No, my dear girl; provided you are a virgin on the day of the great incantation, it is all I require.”
She threw herself in my arms, and we spent a delightful95 night, during which I had full opportunity of admiring the strength of her constitution as well as my own restraint, for I had sufficient control over myself not to break through the last obstacle.
I passed a great part of the following night with Franzia and Capitani in order to see with my own eyes the wonderful things which the worthy96 peasant had mentioned to me. Standing97 in the yard, I heard distinctly heavy blows struck under the ground at intervals98 of three or four minutes. It was like the noise which would be made by a heavy pestle99 falling in a large copper100 mortar101. I took my pistols and placed myself near the self-moving door of the cellar, holding a dark lantern in my hand. I saw the door open slowly, and in about thirty seconds closing with violence. I opened and closed it myself several times, and, unable to discover any hidden physical cause for the phenomenon, I felt satisfied that there was some unknown roguery at work, but I did not care much to find it out.
We went upstairs again, and, placing myself on the balcony, I saw in the yard several shadows moving about. They were evidently caused by the heavy and damp atmosphere, and as to the pyramidal flames which I could see hovering102 over the fields, it was a phenomenon well known to me. But I allowed my two companions to remain persuaded that they were the spirits keeping watch over the treasure.
That phenomenon is very common throughout southern Italy where the country is often at night illuminated103 by those meteors which the people believe to be devils, and ignorance has called night spirits, or will-o’-the-wisps.
Dear reader, the next chapter will tell you how my magic undertaking104 ended, and perhaps you will enjoy a good laugh at my expense, but you need not be afraid of hurting my feelings.
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1
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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abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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atoned
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| v.补偿，赎（罪）( atone的过去式和过去分词 )；补偿，弥补，赎回 | |
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relics
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| [pl.］n.遗物，遗迹，遗产；遗体，尸骸 | |
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antediluvian
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| adj.史前的，陈旧的 | |
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rust
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| n.锈；v.生锈；(脑子)衰退 | |
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possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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paraphernalia
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| n.装备；随身用品 | |
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exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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sarcastic
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| adj.讥讽的，讽刺的，嘲弄的 | |
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admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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rusty
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| adj.生锈的；锈色的；荒废了的 | |
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authenticity
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| n.真实性 | |
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cardinal
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| n.(天主教的)红衣主教；adj.首要的，基本的 | |
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sheathed
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| adj.雕塑像下半身包在鞘中的；覆盖的；铠装的；装鞘了的v.将（刀、剑等）插入鞘( sheathe的过去式和过去分词 )；包，覆盖 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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18
enquire
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| v.打听，询问；调查，查问 | |
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19
payable
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| adj.可付的，应付的，有利益的 | |
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20
secrecy
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| n.秘密，保密，隐蔽 | |
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21
mosaic
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| n./adj.镶嵌细工的，镶嵌工艺品的，嵌花式的 | |
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22
ware
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| n.(常用复数)商品，货物 | |
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23
spoke
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| 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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24
procure
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| vt.获得，取得，促成；vi.拉皮条 | |
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25
unearth
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| v.发掘，掘出，从洞中赶出 | |
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26
endorsing
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| v.赞同( endorse的现在分词 )；在（尤指支票的）背面签字；在（文件的）背面写评论；在广告上说本人使用并赞同某产品 | |
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oracle
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| n.神谕，神谕处，预言 | |
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28
torrent
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| n.激流，洪流；爆发，(话语等的)连发 | |
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29
purloin
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| v.偷窃 | |
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30
specimen
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| n.样本，标本 | |
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31
facetious
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| adj.轻浮的，好开玩笑的 | |
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32
fathoms
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| 英寻( fathom的名词复数 ) | |
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33
rambling
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| adj.[建]凌乱的，杂乱的 | |
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34
recollected
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| adj.冷静的；镇定的；被回忆起的；沉思默想的v.记起，想起( recollect的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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35
revolving
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| adj.旋转的，轮转式的；循环的v.（使）旋转( revolve的现在分词 )；细想 | |
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36
extravagant
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| adj.奢侈的；过分的；(言行等)放肆的 | |
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37
slit
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| n.狭长的切口；裂缝；vt.切开，撕裂 | |
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38
astounded
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| v.使震惊(astound的过去式和过去分词)；愕然；愕；惊讶 | |
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39
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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40
binding
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| 有约束力的，有效的，应遵守的 | |
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41
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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42
fervent
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| adj.热的，热烈的，热情的 | |
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43
blessing
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| n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿 | |
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44
eldest
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| adj.最年长的，最年老的 | |
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premises
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| n.建筑物，房屋 | |
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46
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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47
situated
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| adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的 | |
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48
dwelling
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| n.住宅，住所，寓所 | |
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49
stink
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| vi.发出恶臭；糟透，招人厌恶；n.恶臭 | |
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tainted
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| adj.腐坏的；污染的；沾污的；感染的v.使变质( taint的过去式和过去分词 )；使污染；败坏；被污染，腐坏，败坏 | |
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51
evoke
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| vt.唤起，引起，使人想起 | |
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52
hemp
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| n.大麻；纤维 | |
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53
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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54
apparatus
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| n.装置，器械；器具，设备 | |
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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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proceedings
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| n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报 | |
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57
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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58
sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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59
evoked
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| [医]诱发的 | |
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60
gunpowder
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| n.火药 | |
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61
favourably
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| adv. 善意地，赞成地 =favorably | |
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62
veneration
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| n.尊敬，崇拜 | |
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63
resolutely
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| adj.坚决地，果断地 | |
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64
raptures
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| 极度欢喜( rapture的名词复数 ) | |
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65
maiden
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| n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的 | |
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monks
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| n.修道士，僧侣( monk的名词复数 ) | |
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67
expended
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| v.花费( expend的过去式和过去分词 )；使用（钱等）做某事；用光；耗尽 | |
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68
impure
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| adj.不纯净的，不洁的；不道德的，下流的 | |
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69
maidenhood
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| n. 处女性, 处女时代 | |
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hood
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| n.头巾，兜帽，覆盖；v.罩上，以头巾覆盖 | |
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71
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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72
complexion
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| n.肤色；情况，局面；气质，性格 | |
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73
bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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74
morsel
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| n.一口，一点点 | |
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75
obedience
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| n.服从，顺从 | |
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76
linen
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| n.亚麻布，亚麻线，亚麻制品；adj.亚麻布制的，亚麻的 | |
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77
rumour
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| n.谣言，谣传，传闻 | |
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78
voraciously
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| adv.贪婪地 | |
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79
intoxicated
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| 喝醉的，极其兴奋的 | |
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80
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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81
docile
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| adj.驯服的，易控制的，容易教的 | |
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82
enjoyment
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| n.乐趣；享有；享用 | |
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83
ardent
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，强烈的，烈性的 | |
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84
quenched
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| 解（渴）( quench的过去式和过去分词 )； 终止（某事物）； （用水）扑灭（火焰等）； 将（热物体）放入水中急速冷却 | |
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85
denouement
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| n.结尾，结局 | |
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86
ferocious
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| adj.凶猛的，残暴的，极度的，十分强烈的 | |
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87
animation
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| n.活泼，兴奋，卡通片／动画片的制作 | |
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88
displeased
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| a.不快的 | |
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89
conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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90
modesty
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| n.谦逊，虚心，端庄，稳重，羞怯，朴素 | |
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91
hieroglyphs
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| n.象形字（如古埃及等所用的）( hieroglyph的名词复数 )；秘密的或另有含意的书写符号 | |
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92
zeal
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| n.热心，热情，热忱 | |
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93
caresses
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| 爱抚，抚摸( caress的名词复数 ) | |
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94
amorous
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| adj.多情的；有关爱情的 | |
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95
delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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96
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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97
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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98
intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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99
pestle
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| n.杵 | |
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100
copper
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| n.铜；铜币；铜器；adj.铜(制)的；(紫)铜色的 | |
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101
mortar
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| n.灰浆，灰泥；迫击炮；v.把…用灰浆涂接合 | |
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102
hovering
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| 鸟( hover的现在分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫 | |
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103
illuminated
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| adj.被照明的；受启迪的 | |
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104
undertaking
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| n.保证，许诺，事业 | |
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