Chapter 9 ALAIS: A STABLE HAND

Windsor Castle May 1172 The queen’s lady Margaret came for me as soon as Eleanor left. She was trailed by a hulking man who carried a great basket that held more food than an army could eat, much less two small women. Marie Helene stayed behind in the palace on business of her own, and I walked out with Margaret to picnic down by the riverbank. We sat on a grassy¹ knoll² not far from the palace gates, where Margaret said we would be able to see the king when he rode past with his men. Margaret was a pretty girl just two years older than I, with soft blue eyes and blond hair that kept slipping down from beneath her wimple. She was too shy to take her wimple off and leave her hair to fall across her shoulders and down her back, though there was no one but myself and our guard to see. She kept pushing her fine blond hair back up, beneath her linen³ headdress. As we ate our bread and cheese, I raised my face to the sky. Blue arched over our heads like the protective hand of God. Birds darted⁴ down from the trees by the roadside, searching for their own dinner in the grass. Margaret was a good companion. For all her youth and beauty, she knew when to hold her tongue. The afternoon passed in blessed silence, except for birdsong. When I was sated with food and wine, I lay back on our blanket, while the hulking guard cleared up the remains⁵ of our picnic. Before long I fell asleep, the warmth of the sun on my face. Margaret woke me gently when the shadows had begun to fall. “I must go back,” she said. “But the queen wanted me to show you the puppies in the stable. Will you go with me?” I rubbed sleep from my eyes. The servant and the picnic things were gone. Only Margaret and I remained, our blanket a raft on a vast sea of green. “Of course,” I said. “I am sorry to have kept you here.” “No matter.” She smiled, her dimples showing. Her shyness was beginning to fade a little, and I saw that she was eager to get back to the keep for some reason of her own. “The king rode by with his men. How you slept through all that noise is beyond me.” We came to the stables within the walls of the castle. They had just been mucked, so the smell of manure⁶ was strong. I raised my scented⁷ handkerchief to my nose and mouth, grateful that Marie Helene had made me bring it. “I will leave you,” Margaret said. “I have much to do in the castle now that the king is here.” I did not ask what one of Eleanor’s waiting women had to do with the king. I had heard of King Henry’s fascination⁹ with women, and thought it better not to know. She left me with a curtsy and a smile, off to meet her lover, perhaps. My mind was full of such things, ever since I had seen and known Richard. The inner stable was dimly lit, and I could see that no one else was there. I could hear the sound of iron striking metal in the smithy not far away but the stable stood empty of all but horses. I knew that I should return to the palace. But I loved puppies; I had not seen one since I was a small girl, at home in France. I stepped into the dappled shade, surrounded by horses in their stalls on both sides. I looked around once more for a groom¹⁰, but saw no one there. So when my veil slipped, I did not right it, but let it hang down my back. I saw no dogs at first, only horses in their stalls on either side of the central hall. I found the puppies finally tucked away in an empty stall, set behind a barrier of wood so that even their mother could not escape. The hunting hound eyed me at first, but when I let her sniff¹¹ my hand, she licked me. Only then did I turn to her pups, who lay with their mother on a soft bed of hay. The dogs were so small that they had not yet been weaned. They were some breed of hunting hound I had never seen before. They would grow to be large someday, for even as newborn puppies they were each as big as my hand, with flopping¹² ears and large paws. Heedless of my silk gown, I knelt in the straw beside them. One puppy bounded over to me, far bolder than the rest, his long ears almost brushing the straw, and yipped. I reached into the pen and drew the little dog up against my breast. He rested against my heart and nuzzled me, as if looking for warmth or milk. I laughed. “Sorry, little one, I am not your mother.” “You’re much more beautiful.” The voice sounded a little like Richard’s, and at the sound of it, my heart leaped. But when I rose to my feet, I saw that though the man who spoke¹⁴ was large like Richard, and had Richard’s dark red hair, that was where the resemblance ended. It must have been a trick of the fading light, for after first glance I saw that this man was poorly dressed in leather leggings and an old woolen¹⁵ tunic¹⁶, rags Richard would never allow into his presence, much less wear. The man moved toward me. I stepped back, but the wall of a horse stall blocked my path. I stood still with my back against it. The man stopped moving and raised his hands as if in surrender. “Princess, I mean you no harm. I’m just a simple man, come to tend my dogs.” I raised my chin, angry with myself that I had shown this peasant fear. “These are the king’s dogs,” I said. “That they are. And I have the caring of them, from time to time.” My mask of dignity crumbled¹⁷ at the warmth of his voice. As he smiled, the skin around his eyes creased¹⁸. His gaze reached for me, and held me, as if it might shelter me were a storm to come. The dog in my arms distracted me, for he had begun to gnaw¹⁹ on my veil where it fell across my breast. I wrested²⁰ it from him, and gave him the edge of my hair to chew instead. “You are Alais, Princess of France and Countess of the Vexin?” the man asked, watching me. I eyed him warily²¹, but saw no harm in him. Perhaps he was simpleminded, and that was why he was left to care for dogs. “I am,” I said, informing him of what all the castle knew. But before I could stand on my dignity again, I heard a yelp²² from the bed of straw at my feet. Another puppy had come forward at the sound of our voices, crying to be picked up. I turned from him and knelt, drawing the second puppy into my arms. The man watched in silence as I played with the dogs. “Am I interfering²³ with your work?” I asked. “If you need to tend them, I will go.” “No.” He held up one big hand to stop me, so I stayed where I was, my skirt and veil trailing in the straw. The puppies turned back to their mother to be fed. I set down the two I held, who quickly found a place at their mother’s teats. When I looked up, I found the man still there, watching me. “You are different than I thought you would be,” he said. I did not point out that it was impertinent for him to think anything of his betters. I saw that his eyes were a light gray. He had come no closer, but I could feel the strength of his gaze on me. “I am as God made me,” I said. “We can all say the same,” he replied. “But not all are as beautiful.” I frowned and got to my feet. He raised his hand again, and I froze, for he stood between me and the stable door. “I am sorry,” he said. “I did not mean to frighten you.” I faced him squarely so that he could see that I was not lying. “I am not frightened.” He smiled, a long, slow smile that made him almost handsome. “So I see.” “Good day, sirrah.” I stepped forward, but still he did not let me pass. I reined²⁴ in my temper, for even then I did not have the sense to be afraid. He was just a man, a servant, and he was in my way, as no servant had ever dared to be in all my life, not in France and not even in England. Still he watched me. I thought that he might not let me pass. I felt my heart kick against my ribs²⁵, but I stood my ground and did not drop my gaze from his. Finally, he laughed, and stepped out of my way. “Good day, Your Highness.” I only nodded to him, for I did not trust my voice. I walked into the castle, moving fast, for night was falling. I did not want to be late to the meal in the great hall. The queen was to present me to the king. I knew that I would have to bathe again, for now I smelled of the stables, and of the puppies I had held in my arms. I did not want to think of the man I had met, though his face stayed with me as I bathed and as I dressed in my new red gown. When Marie Helene went to put my hair up under a wimple, I stopped her, and called for a red veil. It was the man I thought of as I left my hair trailing down my back to my waist. It was his eyes I felt on me as I raised the veil over my curls and pinned it in place myself. “Your Highness, you cannot wear your hair that way It is not the fashion.” “We will set a new fashion, Marie Helene.” As I stepped into the great hall, I found it abuzz as I had never heard it. Fresh rushes were strewn on the floor, and gave off the scent⁸ of thyme as they were crushed beneath my feet. I felt as if all eyes were on me; I looked to no one but Eleanor. The hall seemed larger that night as I walked to the high table, with its gray stone walls covered in tapestries²⁶. The king’s table was set on its dais above the rest of the company, so that all might see Eleanor and the king as they ate their meal. The high table at Windsor was long, and seated over twenty people. Everyone had already taken their seats when I arrived. I did not look at them, knowing I would find King Henry’s ministers, and Eleanor’s ladies. I took a moment to wonder where Margaret was, but I did not turn from Eleanor to look for her. I knew that Angeline and Mathilde would be staring at me intently, as if praying for me to trip and fall. There was no danger of such a thing, and their rancor²⁷ usually amused me, but that night, I kept my eyes on the queen. Eleanor was seated in her place at the center of the high table. I went to kiss her, but the queen extended her hand to me. I took it, surprised by her formality I curtsied, bowing over her hand, while she sat on her gilded²⁸ throne. I thought perhaps she would offer the empty chair beside her, and invite me to eat from her trencher. I stood in silence and waited for this invitation, with Marie Helene two steps behind me. I felt Marie Helene’s hand on my sleeve, but I ignored her and did not take my eyes off the queen. Eleanor leaned back against her cushions and took her hand away from me. “Princess Alais, I present you to Henry, King of England and Duke of Normandy” I looked to the high seat at the head of the table, the seat that had always been vacant, and found the man from the stable staring back at me. All the manners of my childhood flew from my head as if they had never been. I did not even curtsy. My father would have been ashamed if he had seen me. The English king was not displeased³⁰ at my obvious shock but instead seemed to think it a great joke that I had not known him in the horse stable. He beamed at me as if I were a party to his joke, as if he had not made a fool of me, and was not making a fool of me now. He said nothing about our earlier meeting, his gray eyes warm on mine. I gathered my wits and took another step toward him, so that I might kneel before him where all the court could see me. I knew how to do this prettily³¹, without giving offense³² with overt³³ servility. I had been taught obeisance³⁴ as a very young child. I fell back on those lessons now; whatever he was and whatever he thought of me, this man was king. “Rise, Princess,” he said. “You are welcome to our court.” I was surprised to find him suddenly before me, offering a hand to help me stand. This was gallantry I had not looked for. His hand was warm on mine, and welcoming, though welcoming me to what, I did not know. “Perhaps, my lord king, you will seat the Princess Alais at your right hand as a sign of favor,” the queen asked in her public voice. “Yes, my lady Eleanor, I thank you. I will.” Something passed between them down the length of the table, a bolt of fire. Eleanor wore the bland³⁵ mask she often wore in public, but I wondered what she was thinking as she looked at the king. Henry’s huge peasant hand dwarfed³⁶ mine, and his wide shoulders seemed to block out half the room. His eyes never left Eleanor. King Henry did me the honor of escorting me to the head of the table himself, one hand under my own. He helped me sit beside him before he took his own gilded chair. His trencher was wide and long, full of venison and smoked fish. It was too far from me, and he took care to bring it closer to the edge of the table, so that I might eat. He took the first bite, as was proper. The rest of the hall picked up their conversations. Once the king began to eat, everyone else could eat as well. I looked to Eleanor at the center of the table. Marie Helene had taken my place beside her. The queen did not look to me or to the king, but fell into conversation with the man on the far side of her. He was a young lord new to court, who seemed overwhelmed to be seated at the high table, let alone next to the queen herself. I watched as she put the young man at ease. In only a few minutes, she had him laughing at something she had said. “Is it my wife you look at, or the young man beside her?” The king leaned close so that no one but the server behind us would hear. Startled, I met his eyes. Their gray was like the sky after a rain. I saw for the first time that there was also gray threaded through the red of his hair. The scent of him was sweet, sweeter than I would have imagined, like the sandalwood that burned in the braziers back home in Paris. He wore blue silk now, with a band of gold at his temples. Seeing him among his courtiers, I felt as if the man I had met in the stables had been a phantom³⁷ of my imagination. “At the queen, Your Majesty³⁸ I do not make it a habit to stare at strange men.” I heard my own voice, and winced³⁹ at how prudish⁴⁰ I sounded. The scent of him had thrown me off my guard, as had the touch of his breath on my cheek. I wondered at myself. Even Richard’s nearness had not put me so on edge. The king did not notice my discomfort⁴¹. He seemed pleased with my answer. “As well you should not. As my son’s betrothed⁴², you have your reputation to think of.” “Yes, my lord,” I said. “And that of my father.” “Ah, yes. Louis” The king gestured, and a servant brought more mead⁴³ and filled his tankard again. “We must not forget the honor of your father.”I spoke as if we were back in the stable, as if he were not king. “I never do, my lord.” As I had earlier that day, I felt his eyes on me. He said nothing vulgar, but his gaze moved over my curls where they were displayed more than hidden beneath my thin veil of silk. His boldness went beyond any compliment Richard had offered me. I felt his gaze on my body like hands, and my temper rose, as it rarely did. I found myself breathless with an anger I could not express. Henry smiled, pleased with my reaction. He gestured that I should eat. “You are too thin, Alais. Here, take a morsel⁴⁴ from my knife.” He offered me a bit of meat on his dinner dagger⁴⁵, and I stared first at it, then at him, to see if he was testing me. I found no mockery in his eyes, only watchfulness⁴⁶. I did not take the meat into my mouth, as it seemed he expected me to, but drew it from his knife with my fingers. I swallowed my anger as well as my pride, and I ate the morsel, chewing carefully so as not to choke. Henry watched every motion of my mouth. My hands felt heavy, and the hall felt warmer than it was. I swallowed the meat and took a sip⁴⁷ of my wine, which had been set out too long and had begun to sour. At Windsor, where Eleanor did not rule, the English court thought little of these things. Marie Helene was careful of the wine that was brought into my rooms, but when I sat at the high table at the king’s court, I had to take what came. After I finished the bite of venison, I looked at the king, once more in control of myself, my gaze mild. I passed his test, whatever it was, for he smiled at me. “The dogs are thriving, Alais.” “I am glad to hear it.” “They seemed to take to you. I wonder if you might visit them again with me.” “Of course, Your Majesty If you wish it.” Though Eleanor was still speaking with the young lord beside her, she was looking at me. “Do not concern yourself with Eleanor,” the king said. He saw where my gaze was tending. “My lord king,” I began, weighing my words with care. I had heard of his legendary⁴⁸ temper. “I am in the queen’s care. It is meet that I ask her permission, no matter what I do.” “Even if I order you otherwise?” I thought perhaps that he was making another jest at my expense. “My lord, I obey you in all things, as I would my own father.” This statement displeased him. His gray eyes darkened, and I tried again. “Your Majesty, I have been brought here to serve my father’s treaty. I am here as a princess of France. I will serve you always, in whatever way you require. For my honor is bound to your house, and will be for the rest of my life.” I thought this speech a pretty one, and watched his face as he took it in. Henry did not smile as I had hoped, but looked at my hair, at the way the curls fell across the front of my red gown. The firelight hit the silk and made the color shine like a small sun. The red caught my eye as I looked down at it, and I saw for the first time how beautiful that color was. “You would serve me out of duty.” “Of course,” I said, thinking that finally he understood me. “I would have you serve me for love.” I sat very still, my hand on the goblet⁴⁹ of my soured wine. “Love is not given blindly. Love is earned, my lord king.” Henry looked at me for a long moment, his beaker of mead in his hand. He rolled his mug along his palm, and I braced⁵⁰ myself, expecting him to order me from his presence. I was sure that he called for protestations of love from all those around him, and I was equally sure that all but myself had given them freely, whether true or not. I glanced across the hall, and found Richard staring at me. I had not known he was at court; I had thought him long since gone to the Aquitaine. Henry was speaking to me again, and I turned away from Richard. “You are not a liar⁵¹,” Henry said. “That is so, my lord.” He laughed at my earnestness, a great booming laugh that filled the hall. Conversation stopped all around us as people turned to look at the king, to see what had set him off in merriment. They saw only the king and myself, sitting before an almost untouched trencher. Some courtiers also laughed, though they did not know the joke, as indeed I did not. The king caught his breath and wiped his eyes on his sleeve. “Well, little princess, that makes one of us.” I could not believe that he had just called himself a liar. He laughed again, and I smiled in spite of myself, for Henry was charming, whatever else was true about him. When he smiled, it was as if the sun had come out after a heavy rain, and shone over all the court. All in his court lived by his moods, as I began to learn that day. The day I met him was an auspicious⁵² one, for nothing I said angered him, until the last. I was fortunate, for his moods could turn without warning, and what was a jest in one instant could send him into a black rage the next. Henry reached out and touched my cheek. He wore no gloves, and his hand was rough with calluses from riding and from sword-play. As once with Richard’s, I found myself caught and held by the warmth of his hand. His eyes met mine, and still he did not take his hand away. It was as if we were alone, though all the court watched us, Eleanor included. “Well, little princess, we will see if I can earn your love, if you will not give it freely.” A sudden hush⁵³ fell over the hall. At first, I thought the rest of the court shocked by the king’s boldness. But they had not heard what he said to me. Silence had fallen because Richard had risen from his place at one of the lower tables. As one, the court turned to look at him, as did I, Eleanor, and the king. I wondered why he was not seated at the high table with us, but I had no time to ask. “I have written a song for my betrothed,” Richard said. A young man rose to stand behind the prince, and strummed the lute⁵⁴ he carried. One note echoed across the great hall. There was no other sound. All I could hear was that note, and the sound of my own heart beating. Richard lifted his voice. A prince of royal blood sang a song he had written for me in front of his father, his mother, and all the court. Such a thing would never have happened in France. After the first note, he turned to me and met my eyes, and my nerves subsided⁵⁵. All I could see was him. Richard sang of a rose without thorns that grew in darkness, in a courtyard where light rarely shone. He sang of the rose’s soft petals⁵⁶ and sweet scent, of how all who saw it wished to pluck it, though no one had yet done so. The double meaning in that verse brought snickers here and there across the hall. Richard turned his eyes on them, and the laughter stopped. He raised his voice to sing the last verse in his beautiful tenor⁵⁷. He sang of the rose once more, of how the sun would shine on it, gild²⁹ its leaves and petals, protecting it always even as it fed its growth. He fell silent, his song finished. The applause began. Many stood, offering the prince glasses of wine, extolling⁵⁸ him. They were courtiers, trained to fawn⁵⁹, but there was a note of sincere admiration⁶⁰ in their praise. Richard nodded graciously, but otherwise did not heed¹³ them. He looked only at me. Richard bowed low as if to offer me fealty⁶¹. Tears rose in my eyes, and I blinked them away. His eyes shone as he sat down once more. Beakers of wine and mead were offered him, but he took none, his eyes never leaving my face. Only when he looked away did I turn to the king. Henry did not smile, his feelings well hidden behind the gray of his eyes. I saw the wheels of his mind turning, but I had no idea where his thoughts were tending. “Well, Princess, it seems you have given your love to my son already.” I heard the accusation⁶² in the king’s voice, but I did not have the sense to be frightened. “The Lord Richard has made me welcome. I am grateful for his kindness.” “Are you indeed? Well, he is not the only one who welcomes you. You will find that the kindness of a king extends far beyond that of a prince.” “I thank you, my lord.” Henry’s face softened⁶³ when I said this. As he met my gaze again, I heard the bells chiming for vespers, and I asked, “My lord king, may I go to the chapel⁶⁴?” “You would go to meet a lover?” he asked. I saw his gaze shift to Richard, where he sat among the young men. Richard met his father’s eyes, and a flash of hatred⁶⁵ passed between them. I forced myself to stillness, until my horror passed. “No, my lord. The call to prayer just rang. I have need of praying.” “By all means,” Henry said. “If God calls you, do not let me keep you. I am only your king.” I searched his face. Though he did not smile, his eyes sparkled with mirth. I could see nothing of the hatred that had lurked⁶⁶ in his gaze only a moment before. Perhaps it had been only a trick of the light. I stood and curtsied to him. Henry waved one hand, and I turned from him to curtsy to the queen. Eleanor raised her glass to me, and winked⁶⁷. She was pleased, both with Richard’s song and with the king’s reception of me. She had taught me to speak well and to hold my own with royalty⁶⁸. I could see, even with the distance between us, how proud she was of me. Richard stood when I did and simply looked at me. When I curtsied to him, he did not nod or bow in return. He watched me as I passed. Only as Marie Helene drew me out of the hall did he raise one hand to me. I gave him one more smile before I left him standing⁶⁹ among his father’s courtiers.

1 grassy   

adj.盖满草的；长满草的

参考例句：

• They sat and had their lunch on a grassy hillside.他们坐在长满草的山坡上吃午饭。
• Cattle move freely across the grassy plain.牛群自由自在地走过草原。

2 knoll   

n.小山，小丘

参考例句：

• Silver had terrible hard work getting up the knoll.对于希尔弗来说，爬上那小山丘真不是件容易事。
• He crawled up a small knoll and surveyed the prospect.他慢腾腾地登上一个小丘，看了看周围的地形。

3 linen   

n.亚麻布，亚麻线，亚麻制品；adj.亚麻布制的，亚麻的

参考例句：

• The worker is starching the linen.这名工人正在给亚麻布上浆。
• Fine linen and cotton fabrics were known as well as wool.精细的亚麻织品和棉织品像羊毛一样闻名遐迩。

4 darted   

v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔

参考例句：

• The lizard darted out its tongue at the insect. 蜥蜴伸出舌头去吃小昆虫。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The old man was displeased and darted an angry look at me. 老人不高兴了，瞪了我一眼。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

6 manure   

n.粪，肥，肥粒；vt.施肥

参考例句：

• The farmers were distributing manure over the field.农民们正在田间施肥。
• The farmers used manure to keep up the fertility of their land.农夫们用粪保持其土质的肥沃。

7 scented   

adj.有香味的；洒香水的；有气味的v.嗅到(scent的过去分词)

参考例句：

• I let my lungs fill with the scented air. 我呼吸着芬芳的空气。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The police dog scented about till he found the trail. 警犬嗅来嗅去，终于找到了踪迹。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

8 scent   

n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉

参考例句：

• The air was filled with the scent of lilac.空气中弥漫着丁香花的芬芳。
• The flowers give off a heady scent at night.这些花晚上散发出醉人的芳香。

9 fascination   

n.令人着迷的事物，魅力，迷恋

参考例句：

• He had a deep fascination with all forms of transport.他对所有的运输工具都很着迷。
• His letters have been a source of fascination to a wide audience.广大观众一直迷恋于他的来信。

10 groom   

vt.给（马、狗等）梳毛，照料，使...整洁

参考例句：

• His father was a groom.他父亲曾是个马夫。
• George was already being groomed for the top job.为承担这份高级工作，乔治已在接受专门的培训。

11 sniff   

vi.嗅…味道；抽鼻涕；对嗤之以鼻，蔑视

参考例句：

• The police used dogs to sniff out the criminals in their hiding - place.警察使用警犬查出了罪犯的藏身地点。
• When Munchie meets a dog on the beach, they sniff each other for a while.当麦奇在海滩上碰到另一条狗的时候，他们会彼此嗅一会儿。

12 flopping   

n.贬调v.（指书、戏剧等）彻底失败( flop的现在分词 )；（因疲惫而）猛然坐下；（笨拙地、不由自主地或松弛地）移动或落下；砸锅

参考例句：

• The fish are still flopping about. 鱼还在扑腾。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• What do you mean by flopping yourself down and praying agin me?' 咚一声跪下地来咒我，你这是什么意思” 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

13 heed   

v.注意，留意；n.注意，留心

参考例句：

• You must take heed of what he has told.你要注意他所告诉的事。
• For the first time he had to pay heed to his appearance.这是他第一次非得注意自己的外表不可了。

14 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

15 woolen   

adj.羊毛(制)的；毛纺的

参考例句：

• She likes to wear woolen socks in winter.冬天她喜欢穿羊毛袜。
• There is one bar of woolen blanket on that bed.那张床上有一条毛毯。

16 tunic   

n.束腰外衣

参考例句：

• The light loose mantle was thrown over his tunic.一件轻质宽大的斗蓬披在上衣外面。
• Your tunic and hose match ill with that jewel,young man.你的外套和裤子跟你那首饰可不相称呢，年轻人。

17 crumbled   

（把…）弄碎， （使）碎成细屑( crumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 衰落； 坍塌； 损坏

参考例句：

• He crumbled the bread in his fingers. 他用手指把面包捻碎。
• Our hopes crumbled when the business went bankrupt. 商行破产了，我们的希望也破灭了。

18 creased   

（使…）起折痕，弄皱( crease的过去式和过去分词 )； （皮肤）皱起，使起皱纹； 皱皱巴巴

参考例句：

• You've creased my newspaper. 你把我的报纸弄皱了。
• The bullet merely creased his shoulder. 子弹只不过擦破了他肩部的皮肤。

19 gnaw   

v.不断地啃、咬；使苦恼，折磨

参考例句：

• Dogs like to gnaw on a bone.狗爱啃骨头。
• A rat can gnaw a hole through wood.老鼠能啃穿木头。

20 wrested   

（用力）拧( wrest的过去式和过去分词 )； 费力取得； （从…）攫取； （ 从… ） 强行取去…

参考例句：

• The usurper wrested the power from the king. 篡位者从国王手里夺取了权力。
• But now it was all wrested from him. 可是现在，他却被剥夺了这一切。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

21 warily   

adv.留心地

参考例句：

• He looked warily around him,pretending to look after Carrie.他小心地看了一下四周，假装是在照顾嘉莉。
• They were heading warily to a point in the enemy line.他们正小心翼翼地向着敌人封锁线的某一处前进。

22 yelp   

vi.狗吠

参考例句：

• The dog gave a yelp of pain.狗疼得叫了一声。
• The puppy a yelp when John stepped on her tail.当约翰踩到小狗的尾巴，小狗发出尖叫。

23 interfering   

adj. 妨碍的 动词interfere的现在分词

参考例句：

• He's an interfering old busybody! 他老爱管闲事！
• I wish my mother would stop interfering and let me make my own decisions. 我希望我母亲不再干预，让我自己拿主意。

24 reined   

勒缰绳使（马）停步( rein的过去式和过去分词 )； 驾驭； 严格控制； 加强管理

参考例句：

• Then, all of a sudden, he reined up his tired horse. 这时，他突然把疲倦的马勒住了。
• The officer reined in his horse at a crossroads. 军官在十字路口勒住了马。

25 ribs   

n.肋骨( rib的名词复数 )；（船或屋顶等的）肋拱；肋骨状的东西；（织物的）凸条花纹

参考例句：

• He suffered cracked ribs and bruising. 他断了肋骨还有挫伤。
• Make a small incision below the ribs. 在肋骨下方切开一个小口。

26 tapestries   

n.挂毯( tapestry的名词复数 )；绣帷，织锦v.用挂毯（或绣帷）装饰( tapestry的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The wall of the banqueting hall were hung with tapestries. 宴会厅的墙上挂有壁毯。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The rooms were hung with tapestries. 房间里都装饰着挂毯。 来自《简明英汉词典》

27 rancor   

n.深仇，积怨

参考例句：

• I have no rancor against him.我对他无怨无仇。
• Their rancor dated from a political dogfight between them.他们的积怨来自于他们之间在政治上的狗咬狗。

28 gilded   

a.镀金的，富有的

参考例句：

• The golden light gilded the sea. 金色的阳光使大海如金子般闪闪发光。
• "Friends, they are only gilded disks of lead!" "朋友们，这只不过是些镀金的铅饼！ 来自英汉文学 - 败坏赫德莱堡

29 gild   

vt.给…镀金，把…漆成金色，使呈金色

参考例句：

• The sun transform the gild cupola into dazzling point of light.太阳将这些镀金的圆屋顶变成了闪耀的光点。
• With Dimitar Berbatov and Wayne Rooney primed to flower anew,Owen can gild the lily.贝巴和鲁尼如今蓄势待发，欧文也可以为曼联锦上添花。

30 displeased   

a.不快的

参考例句：

• The old man was displeased and darted an angry look at me. 老人不高兴了，瞪了我一眼。
• He was displeased about the whole affair. 他对整个事情感到很不高兴。

31 prettily   

adv.优美地；可爱地

参考例句：

• It was prettily engraved with flowers on the back.此件雕刻精美，背面有花饰图案。
• She pouted prettily at him.她冲他撅着嘴，样子很可爱。

32 offense   

n.犯规，违法行为；冒犯，得罪

参考例句：

• I hope you will not take any offense at my words. 对我讲的话请别见怪。
• His words gave great offense to everybody present.他的发言冲犯了在场的所有人。

33 overt   

adj.公开的，明显的，公然的

参考例句：

• His opponent's intention is quite overt.他的对手的意图很明显。
• We should learn to fight with enemy in an overt and covert way.我们应学会同敌人做公开和隐蔽的斗争。

34 obeisance   

n.鞠躬，敬礼

参考例句：

• He made obeisance to the king.他向国王表示臣服。
• While he was still young and strong all paid obeisance to him.他年轻力壮时所有人都对他毕恭毕敬。

35 bland   

adj.淡而无味的，温和的，无刺激性的

参考例句：

• He eats bland food because of his stomach trouble.他因胃病而吃清淡的食物。
• This soup is too bland for me.这汤我喝起来偏淡。

36 dwarfed   

vt.（使）显得矮小（dwarf的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• The old houses were dwarfed by the huge new tower blocks. 这些旧房子在新建的高楼大厦的映衬下显得十分矮小。
• The elephant dwarfed the tortoise. 那只乌龟跟那头象相比就显得很小。 来自《简明英汉词典》

37 phantom   

n.幻影，虚位，幽灵；adj.错觉的，幻影的，幽灵的

参考例句：

• I found myself staring at her as if she were a phantom.我发现自己瞪大眼睛看着她，好像她是一个幽灵。
• He is only a phantom of a king.他只是有名无实的国王。

38 majesty   

n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权

参考例句：

• The king had unspeakable majesty.国王有无法形容的威严。
• Your Majesty must make up your mind quickly!尊贵的陛下，您必须赶快做出决定！

39 winced   

赶紧避开，畏缩( wince的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He winced as the dog nipped his ankle. 狗咬了他的脚腕子，疼得他龇牙咧嘴。
• He winced as a sharp pain shot through his left leg. 他左腿一阵剧痛疼得他直龇牙咧嘴。

40 prudish   

adj.装淑女样子的，装规矩的，过分规矩的；adv.过分拘谨地

参考例句：

• I'm not prudish but I think these photographs are obscene.我并不是假正经的人，但我觉得这些照片非常淫秽。
• She was sexually not so much chaste as prudish.她对男女关系与其说是注重贞节，毋宁说是持身谨慎。

41 discomfort   

n.不舒服，不安，难过，困难，不方便

参考例句：

• One has to bear a little discomfort while travelling.旅行中总要忍受一点不便。
• She turned red with discomfort when the teacher spoke.老师讲话时她不好意思地红着脸。

42 betrothed   

n. 已订婚者 动词betroth的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• She is betrothed to John. 她同约翰订了婚。
• His daughter was betrothed to a teacher. 他的女儿同一个教师订了婚。

43 mead   

n.蜂蜜酒

参考例句：

• He gave me a cup of mead.他给我倒了杯蜂蜜酒。
• He drank some mead at supper.晚饭时他喝了一些蜂蜜酒。

44 morsel   

n.一口，一点点

参考例句：

• He refused to touch a morsel of the food they had brought.他们拿来的东西他一口也不吃。
• The patient has not had a morsel of food since the morning.从早上起病人一直没有进食。

45 dagger   

n.匕首，短剑，剑号

参考例句：

• The bad news is a dagger to his heart.这条坏消息刺痛了他的心。
• The murderer thrust a dagger into her heart.凶手将匕首刺进她的心脏。

46 watchfulness   

警惕，留心； 警觉（性）

参考例句：

• The escort and the universal watchfulness had completely isolated him. 护送和普遍一致的监视曾经使他完全孤立。
• A due watchfulness on the movements of the enemy was maintained. 他们对敌人的行动还是相当警惕的。

47 sip   

v.小口地喝，抿，呷；n.一小口的量

参考例句：

• She took a sip of the cocktail.她啜饮一口鸡尾酒。
• Elizabeth took a sip of the hot coffee.伊丽莎白呷了一口热咖啡。

48 legendary   

adj.传奇（中）的，闻名遐迩的；n.传奇（文学）

参考例句：

• Legendary stories are passed down from parents to children.传奇故事是由父母传给孩子们的。
• Odysseus was a legendary Greek hero.奥狄修斯是传说中的希腊英雄。

49 goblet   

n.高脚酒杯

参考例句：

• He poured some wine into the goblet.他向高脚酒杯里倒了一些葡萄酒。
• He swirled the brandy around in the huge goblet.他摇晃着高脚大玻璃杯使里面的白兰地酒旋动起来。

50 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》

51 liar   

n.说谎的人

参考例句：

• I know you for a thief and a liar!我算认识你了，一个又偷又骗的家伙！
• She was wrongly labelled a liar.她被错误地扣上说谎者的帽子。

52 auspicious   

adj.吉利的；幸运的，吉兆的

参考例句：

• The publication of my first book was an auspicious beginning of my career.我的第一本书的出版是我事业吉祥的开始。
• With favorable weather conditions it was an auspicious moment to set sail.风和日丽，正是扬帆出海的黄道吉日。

53 hush   

int.嘘，别出声；n.沉默，静寂；v.使安静

参考例句：

• A hush fell over the onlookers.旁观者们突然静了下来。
• Do hush up the scandal!不要把这丑事声张出去！

54 lute   

n.琵琶，鲁特琴

参考例句：

• He idly plucked the strings of the lute.他漫不经心地拨弄着鲁特琴的琴弦。
• He knows how to play the Chinese lute.他会弹琵琶。

55 subsided   

v.（土地）下陷（因在地下采矿）( subside的过去式和过去分词 )；减弱；下降至较低或正常水平；一下子坐在椅子等上

参考例句：

• After the heavy rains part of the road subsided. 大雨过后，部分公路塌陷了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• By evening the storm had subsided and all was quiet again. 傍晚， 暴风雨已经过去，四周开始沉寂下来。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

56 petals   

n.花瓣( petal的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• white petals tinged with blue 略带蓝色的白花瓣
• The petals of many flowers expand in the sunshine. 许多花瓣在阳光下开放。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

57 tenor   

n.男高音（歌手），次中音（乐器），要旨，大意

参考例句：

• The tenor of his speech was that war would come.他讲话的大意是战争将要发生。
• The four parts in singing are soprano,alto,tenor and bass.唱歌的四个声部是女高音、女低音、男高音和男低音。

58 extolling   

v.赞美( extoll的现在分词 )；赞颂，赞扬，赞美( extol的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He never stops extolling the virtues of the free market. 他不停地颂扬自由市场的种种好处。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They kept extolling my managerial skills. 他们不停地赞美我的管理技能。 来自辞典例句

59 fawn   

n.未满周岁的小鹿；v.巴结，奉承

参考例句：

• A fawn behind the tree looked at us curiously.树后面一只小鹿好奇地看着我们。
• He said you fawn on the manager in order to get a promotion.他说你为了获得提拔，拍经理的马屁。

60 admiration   

n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕

参考例句：

• He was lost in admiration of the beauty of the scene.他对风景之美赞不绝口。
• We have a great admiration for the gold medalists.我们对金牌获得者极为敬佩。

61 fealty   

n.忠贞，忠节

参考例句：

• He swore fealty to the king.他宣誓效忠国王。
• If you are fealty and virtuous,then I would like to meet you.如果你孝顺善良，我很愿意认识你。

62 accusation   

n.控告，指责，谴责

参考例句：

• I was furious at his making such an accusation.我对他的这种责备非常气愤。
• She knew that no one would believe her accusation.她知道没人会相信她的指控。

63 softened   

（使）变软( soften的过去式和过去分词 )； 缓解打击； 缓和； 安慰

参考例句：

• His smile softened slightly. 他的微笑稍柔和了些。
• The ice cream softened and began to melt. 冰淇淋开始变软并开始融化。

64 chapel   

n.小教堂，殡仪馆

参考例句：

• The nimble hero,skipped into a chapel that stood near.敏捷的英雄跳进近旁的一座小教堂里。
• She was on the peak that Sunday afternoon when she played in chapel.那个星期天的下午，她在小教堂的演出，可以说是登峰造极。

65 hatred   

n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨

参考例句：

• He looked at me with hatred in his eyes.他以憎恨的眼光望着我。
• The old man was seized with burning hatred for the fascists.老人对法西斯主义者充满了仇恨。

66 lurked   

vi.潜伏，埋伏（lurk的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• The murderers lurked behind the trees. 谋杀者埋伏在树后。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Treachery lurked behind his smooth manners. 他圆滑姿态的后面潜伏着奸计。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

67 winked   

v.使眼色( wink的过去式和过去分词 )；递眼色（表示友好或高兴等）；（指光）闪烁；闪亮

参考例句：

• He winked at her and she knew he was thinking the same thing that she was. 他冲她眨了眨眼，她便知道他的想法和她一样。
• He winked his eyes at her and left the classroom. 他向她眨巴一下眼睛走出了教室。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

68 royalty   

n.皇家，皇族

参考例句：

• She claims to be descended from royalty.她声称她是皇室后裔。
• I waited on tables，and even catered to royalty at the Royal Albert Hall.我做过服务生， 甚至在皇家阿伯特大厅侍奉过皇室的人。

69 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。