CHAPTER LVII.

Royal Ainsley was not a man to be trusted when under the influence of drink. As the minutes went by, and Ida did not come, he was beside himself with rage.

"What does she mean by keeping me waiting in this manner?" he roared. "By the Lord Harry¹, I'll make her pay for this!"

Then, like Eugene Mallard, who was watching but a few feet from him, he saw the light go out in Ida's room.

"That must be her room. She is coming at last," he murmured.

He braced² himself against the trunk of a tree, for by this time his limbs were none too steady under him.

When the door opened, and he saw Ida approach, an exclamation³ of satisfaction broke from his lips.

He sat down upon the mossy rock and watched the slim figure as it moved slowly over the greensward.

"She is certainly in no hurry to see me," he muttered, with a grim smile. "But I'll change all that."

Meanwhile, Ida had stopped short, and was standing⁴ motionless in the path.

Putting her hand into the pocket of her dress, the girl found, to her great amazement⁵, that she had come[241] away without the roll of bills she had intended to bring with her. In her excitement she had left the money on the table.

What should she do? There was no course to pursue but go back for it.

Then a superstitious⁶ terror for which she could not account seemed to seize her.

"It will surely be a bad omen⁷ to return to the house." she told herself; "and yet I dare not meet Royal Ainsley without the money. He will say that my story about forgetting the money is only an excuse."

1 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

2 braced   

adj.拉牢的v.支住( brace的过去式和过去分词 )；撑牢；使自己站稳；振作起来

参考例句：

• They braced up the old house with balks of timber. 他们用梁木加固旧房子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The house has a wooden frame which is braced with brick. 这幢房子是木结构的砖瓦房。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 exclamation   

n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词

参考例句：

• He could not restrain an exclamation of approval.他禁不住喝一声采。
• The author used three exclamation marks at the end of the last sentence to wake up the readers.作者在文章的最后一句连用了三个惊叹号，以引起读者的注意。

4 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

5 amazement   

n.惊奇，惊讶

参考例句：

• All those around him looked at him with amazement.周围的人都对他投射出惊异的眼光。
• He looked at me in blank amazement.他带着迷茫惊诧的神情望着我。

6 superstitious   

adj.迷信的

参考例句：

• They aim to deliver the people who are in bondage to superstitious belief.他们的目的在于解脱那些受迷信束缚的人。
• These superstitious practices should be abolished as soon as possible.这些迷信做法应尽早取消。

7 omen   

n.征兆，预兆；vt.预示

参考例句：

• The superstitious regard it as a bad omen.迷信的人认为那是一种恶兆。
• Could this at last be a good omen for peace?这是否终于可以视作和平的吉兆了？