THE robbery at the Bank had not languished1 before, and did not cease to occupy a front place in the attention of the principal of that establishment now. In boastful proof of his promptitude and activity, as a remarkable2 man, and a self-made man, and a commercial wonder more admirable than Venus, who had risen out of the mud instead of the sea, he liked to show how little his domestic affairs abated3 his business ardour. Consequently, in the first few weeks of his resumed bachelorhood, he even advanced upon his usual display of bustle4, and every day made such a rout5 in renewing his investigations6 into the robbery, that the officers who had it in hand almost wished it had never been committed.
They were at fault too, and off the scent7. Although they had been so quiet since the first outbreak of the matter, that most people really did suppose it to have been abandoned as hopeless, nothing new occurred. No implicated8 man or woman took untimely courage, or made a self-betraying step. More remarkable yet, Stephen Blackpool could not be heard of, and the mysterious old woman remained a mystery.
Things having come to this pass, and showing no latent signs of stirring beyond it, the upshot of Mr. Bounderby's investigations was, that he resolved to hazard a bold burst. He drew up a placard, offering Twenty Pounds reward for the apprehension9 of Stephen Blackpool, suspected of complicity in the robbery of Coketown Bank on such a night; he described the said Stephen Blackpool by dress, complexion10, estimated height, and manner, as minutely as he could; he recited how he had left the town, and in what direction he had been last seen going; he had the whole printed in great black letters on a staring broadsheet; and he caused the walls to be posted with it in the dead of night, so that it should strike upon the sight of the whole population at one blow.
The factory-bells had need to ring their loudest that morning to disperse11 the groups of workers who stood in the tardy12 daybreak, collected round the placards, devouring13 them with eager eyes. Not the least eager of the eyes assembled, were the eyes of those who could not read. These people, as they listened to the friendly voice that read aloud - there was always some such ready to help them - stared at the characters which meant so much with a vague awe14 and respect that would have been half ludicrous, if any aspect of public ignorance could ever be otherwise than threatening and full of evil. Many ears and eyes were busy with a vision of the matter of these placards, among turning spindles, rattling15 looms16, and whirling wheels, for hours afterwards; and when the Hands cleared out again into the streets, there were still as many readers as before.
Slackbridge, the delegate, had to address his audience too that night; and Slackbridge had obtained a clean bill from the printer, and had brought it in his pocket. Oh, my friends and fellow- countrymen, the down-trodden operatives of Coketown, oh, my fellow- brothers and fellow-workmen and fellow-citizens and fellowmen, what a to-do was there, when Slackbridge unfolded what he called 'that damning document,' and held it up to the gaze, and for the execration17 of the working-man community! 'Oh, my fellow-men, behold18 of what a traitor19 in the camp of those great spirits who are enrolled20 upon the holy scroll21 of Justice and of Union, is appropriately capable! Oh, my prostrate22 friends, with the galling23 yoke24 of tyrants25 on your necks and the iron foot of despotism treading down your fallen forms into the dust of the earth, upon which right glad would your oppressors be to see you creeping on your bellies26 all the days of your lives, like the serpent in the garden - oh, my brothers, and shall I as a man not add, my sisters too, what do you say, now, of Stephen Blackpool, with a slight stoop in his shoulders and about five foot seven in height, as set forth27 in this degrading and disgusting document, this blighting28 bill, this pernicious placard, this abominable29 advertisement; and with what majesty30 of denouncement will you crush the viper31, who would bring this stain and shame upon the God-like race that happily has cast him out for ever! Yes, my compatriots, happily cast him out and sent him forth! For you remember how he stood here before you on this platform; you remember how, face to face and foot to foot, I pursued him through all his intricate windings32; you remember how he sneaked33 and slunk, and sidled, and splitted of straws, until, with not an inch of ground to which to cling, I hurled34 him out from amongst us: an object for the undying finger of scorn to point at, and for the avenging35 fire of every free and thinking mind to scorch36 and scar! And now, my friends - my labouring friends, for I rejoice and triumph in that stigma37 - my friends whose hard but honest beds are made in toil38, and whose scanty39 but independent pots are boiled in hardship; and now, I say, my friends, what appellation40 has that dastard41 craven taken to himself, when, with the mask torn from his features, he stands before us in all his native deformity, a What? A thief! A plunderer42! A proscribed43 fugitive44, with a price upon his head; a fester and a wound upon the noble character of the Coketown operative! Therefore, my band of brothers in a sacred bond, to which your children and your children's children yet unborn have set their infant hands and seals, I propose to you on the part of the United Aggregate45 Tribunal, ever watchful46 for your welfare, ever zealous47 for your benefit, that this meeting does Resolve: That Stephen Blackpool, weaver48, referred to in this placard, having been already solemnly disowned by the community of Coketown Hands, the same are free from the shame of his misdeeds, and cannot as a class be reproached with his dishonest actions!'
Thus Slackbridge; gnashing and perspiring49 after a prodigious50 sort. A few stern voices called out 'No!' and a score or two hailed, with assenting51 cries of 'Hear, hear!' the caution from one man, 'Slackbridge, y'or over hetter in't; y'or a goen too fast!' But these were pigmies against an army; the general assemblage subscribed52 to the gospel according to Slackbridge, and gave three cheers for him, as he sat demonstratively panting at them.
These men and women were yet in the streets, passing quietly to their homes, when Sissy, who had been called away from Louisa some minutes before, returned.
'Who is it?' asked Louisa.
'It is Mr. Bounderby,' said Sissy, timid of the name, 'and your brother Mr. Tom, and a young woman who says her name is Rachael, and that you know her.'
'What do they want, Sissy dear?'
'They want to see you. Rachael has been crying, and seems angry.'
'Father,' said Louisa, for he was present, 'I cannot refuse to see them, for a reason that will explain itself. Shall they come in here?'
As he answered in the affirmative, Sissy went away to bring them. She reappeared with them directly. Tom was last; and remained standing53 in the obscurest part of the room, near the door.
'Mrs. Bounderby,' said her husband, entering with a cool nod, 'I don't disturb you, I hope. This is an unseasonable hour, but here is a young woman who has been making statements which render my visit necessary. Tom Gradgrind, as your son, young Tom, refuses for some obstinate54 reason or other to say anything at all about those statements, good or bad, I am obliged to confront her with your daughter.'
'You have seen me once before, young lady,' said Rachael, standing in front of Louisa.
Tom coughed.
'You have seen me, young lady,' repeated Rachael, as she did not answer, 'once before.'
Tom coughed again.
'I have.'
Rachael cast her eyes proudly towards Mr. Bounderby, and said, 'Will you make it known, young lady, where, and who was there?'
'I went to the house where Stephen Blackpool lodged55, on the night of his discharge from his work, and I saw you there. He was there too; and an old woman who did not speak, and whom I could scarcely see, stood in a dark corner. My brother was with me.'
'Why couldn't you say so, young Tom?' demanded Bounderby.
'I promised my sister I wouldn't.' Which Louisa hastily confirmed. 'And besides,' said the whelp bitterly, 'she tells her own story so precious well - and so full - that what business had I to take it out of her mouth!'
'Say, young lady, if you please,' pursued Rachael, 'why, in an evil hour, you ever came to Stephen's that night.'
'I felt compassion56 for him,' said Louisa, her colour deepening, 'and I wished to know what he was going to do, and wished to offer him assistance.'
'Thank you, ma'am,' said Bounderby. 'Much flattered and obliged.'
'Did you offer him,' asked Rachael, 'a bank-note?'
'Yes; but he refused it, and would only take two pounds in gold.'
Rachael cast her eyes towards Mr. Bounderby again.
'Oh, certainly!' said Bounderby. 'If you put the question whether your ridiculous and improbable account was true or not, I am bound to say it's confirmed.'
'Young lady,' said Rachael, 'Stephen Blackpool is now named as a thief in public print all over this town, and where else! There have been a meeting to-night where he have been spoken of in the same shameful58 way. Stephen! The honestest lad, the truest lad, the best!' Her indignation failed her, and she broke off sobbing59.
'I am very, very sorry,' said Louisa.
'Oh, young lady, young lady,' returned Rachael, 'I hope you may be, but I don't know! I can't say what you may ha' done! The like of you don't know us, don't care for us, don't belong to us. I am not sure why you may ha' come that night. I can't tell but what you may ha' come wi' some aim of your own, not mindin to what trouble you brought such as the poor lad. I said then, Bless you for coming; and I said it of my heart, you seemed to take so pitifully to him; but I don't know now, I don't know!'
Louisa could not reproach her for her unjust suspicions; she was so faithful to her idea of the man, and so afflicted60.
'And when I think,' said Rachael through her sobs61, 'that the poor lad was so grateful, thinkin you so good to him - when I mind that he put his hand over his hard-worken face to hide the tears that you brought up there - Oh, I hope you may be sorry, and ha' no bad cause to be it; but I don't know, I don't know!'
'You're a pretty article,' growled62 the whelp, moving uneasily in his dark corner, 'to come here with these precious imputations! You ought to be bundled out for not knowing how to behave yourself, and you would be by rights.'
She said nothing in reply; and her low weeping was the only sound that was heard, until Mr. Bounderby spoke57.
'Come!' said he, 'you know what you have engaged to do. You had better give your mind to that; not this.'
''Deed, I am loath,' returned Rachael, drying her eyes, 'that any here should see me like this; but I won't be seen so again. Young lady, when I had read what's put in print of Stephen - and what has just as much truth in it as if it had been put in print of you - I went straight to the Bank to say I knew where Stephen was, and to give a sure and certain promise that he should be here in two days. I couldn't meet wi' Mr. Bounderby then, and your brother sent me away, and I tried to find you, but you was not to be found, and I went back to work. Soon as I come out of the Mill to-night, I hastened to hear what was said of Stephen - for I know wi' pride he will come back to shame it! - and then I went again to seek Mr. Bounderby, and I found him, and I told him every word I knew; and he believed no word I said, and brought me here.'
'So far, that's true enough,' assented63 Mr. Bounderby, with his hands in his pockets and his hat on. 'But I have known you people before to-day, you'll observe, and I know you never die for want of talking. Now, I recommend you not so much to mind talking just now, as doing. You have undertaken to do something; all I remark upon that at present is, do it!'
'I have written to Stephen by the post that went out this afternoon, as I have written to him once before sin' he went away,' said Rachael; 'and he will be here, at furthest, in two days.'
'Then, I'll tell you something. You are not aware perhaps,' retorted Mr. Bounderby, 'that you yourself have been looked after now and then, not being considered quite free from suspicion in this business, on account of most people being judged according to the company they keep. The post-office hasn't been forgotten either. What I'll tell you is, that no letter to Stephen Blackpool has ever got into it. Therefore, what has become of yours, I leave you to guess. Perhaps you're mistaken, and never wrote any.'
'He hadn't been gone from here, young lady,' said Rachael, turning appealingly to Louisa, 'as much as a week, when he sent me the only letter I have had from him, saying that he was forced to seek work in another name.'
'Oh, by George!' cried Bounderby, shaking his head, with a whistle, 'he changes his name, does he! That's rather unlucky, too, for such an immaculate chap. It's considered a little suspicious in Courts of Justice, I believe, when an Innocent happens to have many names.'
'What,' said Rachael, with the tears in her eyes again, 'what, young lady, in the name of Mercy, was left the poor lad to do! The masters against him on one hand, the men against him on the other, he only wantin to work hard in peace, and do what he felt right. Can a man have no soul of his own, no mind of his own? Must he go wrong all through wi' this side, or must he go wrong all through wi' that, or else be hunted like a hare?'
'Indeed, indeed, I pity him from my heart,' returned Louisa; 'and I hope that he will clear himself.'
'You need have no fear of that, young lady. He is sure!'
'All the surer, I suppose,' said Mr. Bounderby, 'for your refusing to tell where he is? Eh?'
'He shall not, through any act of mine, come back wi' the unmerited reproach of being brought back. He shall come back of his own accord to clear himself, and put all those that have injured his good character, and he not here for its defence, to shame. I have told him what has been done against him,' said Rachael, throwing off all distrust as a rock throws of the sea, 'and he will be here, at furthest, in two days.'
'Notwithstanding which,' added Mr. Bounderby, 'if he can be laid hold of any sooner, he shall have an earlier opportunity of clearing himself. As to you, I have nothing against you; what you came and told me turns out to be true, and I have given you the means of proving it to be true, and there's an end of it. I wish you good night all! I must be off to look a little further into this.'
Tom came out of his corner when Mr. Bounderby moved, moved with him, kept close to him, and went away with him. The only parting salutation of which he delivered himself was a sulky 'Good night, father!' With a brief speech, and a scowl64 at his sister, he left the house.
Since his sheet-anchor had come home, Mr. Gradgrind had been sparing of speech. He still sat silent, when Louisa mildly said:
'Rachael, you will not distrust me one day, when you know me better.'
'It goes against me,' Rachael answered, in a gentler manner, 'to mistrust any one; but when I am so mistrusted - when we all are - I cannot keep such things quite out of my mind. I ask your pardon for having done you an injury. I don't think what I said now. Yet I might come to think it again, wi' the poor lad so wronged.'
'Did you tell him in your letter,' inquired Sissy, 'that suspicion seemed to have fallen upon him, because he had been seen about the Bank at night? He would then know what he would have to explain on coming back, and would be ready.'
'Yes, dear,' she returned; 'but I can't guess what can have ever taken him there. He never used to go there. It was never in his way. His way was the same as mine, and not near it.'
Sissy had already been at her side asking her where she lived, and whether she might come to-morrow night, to inquire if there were news of him.
'I doubt,' said Rachael, 'if he can be here till next day.'
'Then I will come next night too,' said Sissy.
When Rachael, assenting to this, was gone, Mr. Gradgrind lifted up his head, and said to his daughter:
'Louisa, my dear, I have never, that I know of, seen this man. Do you believe him to be implicated?'
'I think I have believed it, father, though with great difficulty. I do not believe it now.'
'That is to say, you once persuaded yourself to believe it, from knowing him to be suspected. His appearance and manner; are they so honest?'
'Very honest.'
'And her confidence not to be shaken! I ask myself,' said Mr. Gradgrind, musing65, 'does the real culprit know of these accusations66? Where is he? Who is he?'
His hair had latterly began to change its colour. As he leaned upon his hand again, looking gray and old, Louisa, with a face of fear and pity, hurriedly went over to him, and sat close at his side. Her eyes by accident met Sissy's at the moment. Sissy flushed and started, and Louisa put her finger on her lip.
Next night, when Sissy returned home and told Louisa that Stephen was not come, she told it in a whisper. Next night again, when she came home with the same account, and added that he had not been heard of, she spoke in the same low frightened tone. From the moment of that interchange of looks, they never uttered his name, or any reference to him, aloud; nor ever pursued the subject of the robbery, when Mr. Gradgrind spoke of it.
The two appointed days ran out, three days and nights ran out, and Stephen Blackpool was not come, and remained unheard of. On the fourth day, Rachael, with unabated confidence, but considering her despatch67 to have miscarried, went up to the Bank, and showed her letter from him with his address, at a working colony, one of many, not upon the main road, sixty miles away. Messengers were sent to that place, and the whole town looked for Stephen to be brought in next day.
During this whole time the whelp moved about with Mr. Bounderby like his shadow, assisting in all the proceedings68. He was greatly excited, horribly fevered, bit his nails down to the quick, spoke in a hard rattling voice, and with lips that were black and burnt up. At the hour when the suspected man was looked for, the whelp was at the station; offering to wager69 that he had made off before the arrival of those who were sent in quest of him, and that he would not appear.
The whelp was right. The messengers returned alone. Rachael's letter had gone, Rachael's letter had been delivered. Stephen Blackpool had decamped in that same hour; and no soul knew more of him. The only doubt in Coketown was, whether Rachael had written in good faith, believing that he really would come back, or warning him to fly. On this point opinion was divided.
Six days, seven days, far on into another week. The wretched whelp plucked up a ghastly courage, and began to grow defiant70. 'Was the suspected fellow the thief? A pretty question! If not, where was the man, and why did he not come back?'
Where was the man, and why did he not come back? In the dead of night the echoes of his own words, which had rolled Heaven knows how far away in the daytime, came back instead, and abided by him until morning.
1 languished | |
长期受苦( languish的过去式和过去分词 ); 受折磨; 变得(越来越)衰弱; 因渴望而变得憔悴或闷闷不乐 | |
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2 remarkable | |
adj.显著的,异常的,非凡的,值得注意的 | |
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3 abated | |
减少( abate的过去式和过去分词 ); 减去; 降价; 撤消(诉讼) | |
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4 bustle | |
v.喧扰地忙乱,匆忙,奔忙;n.忙碌;喧闹 | |
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5 rout | |
n.溃退,溃败;v.击溃,打垮 | |
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6 investigations | |
(正式的)调查( investigation的名词复数 ); 侦查; 科学研究; 学术研究 | |
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7 scent | |
n.气味,香味,香水,线索,嗅觉;v.嗅,发觉 | |
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8 implicated | |
adj.密切关联的;牵涉其中的 | |
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9 apprehension | |
n.理解,领悟;逮捕,拘捕;忧虑 | |
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10 complexion | |
n.肤色;情况,局面;气质,性格 | |
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11 disperse | |
vi.使分散;使消失;vt.分散;驱散 | |
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12 tardy | |
adj.缓慢的,迟缓的 | |
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13 devouring | |
吞没( devour的现在分词 ); 耗尽; 津津有味地看; 狼吞虎咽地吃光 | |
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14 awe | |
n.敬畏,惊惧;vt.使敬畏,使惊惧 | |
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15 rattling | |
adj. 格格作响的, 活泼的, 很好的 adv. 极其, 很, 非常 动词rattle的现在分词 | |
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16 looms | |
n.织布机( loom的名词复数 )v.隐约出现,阴森地逼近( loom的第三人称单数 );隐约出现,阴森地逼近 | |
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17 execration | |
n.诅咒,念咒,憎恶 | |
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18 behold | |
v.看,注视,看到 | |
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19 traitor | |
n.叛徒,卖国贼 | |
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20 enrolled | |
adj.入学登记了的v.[亦作enrol]( enroll的过去式和过去分词 );登记,招收,使入伍(或入会、入学等),参加,成为成员;记入名册;卷起,包起 | |
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21 scroll | |
n.卷轴,纸卷;(石刻上的)漩涡 | |
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22 prostrate | |
v.拜倒,平卧,衰竭;adj.拜倒的,平卧的,衰竭的 | |
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23 galling | |
adj.难堪的,使烦恼的,使焦躁的 | |
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24 yoke | |
n.轭;支配;v.给...上轭,连接,使成配偶 | |
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25 tyrants | |
专制统治者( tyrant的名词复数 ); 暴君似的人; (古希腊的)僭主; 严酷的事物 | |
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26 bellies | |
n.肚子( belly的名词复数 );腹部;(物体的)圆形或凸起部份;腹部…形的 | |
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27 forth | |
adv.向前;向外,往外 | |
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28 blighting | |
使凋萎( blight的现在分词 ); 使颓丧; 损害; 妨害 | |
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29 abominable | |
adj.可厌的,令人憎恶的 | |
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30 majesty | |
n.雄伟,壮丽,庄严,威严;最高权威,王权 | |
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31 viper | |
n.毒蛇;危险的人 | |
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32 windings | |
(道路、河流等)蜿蜒的,弯曲的( winding的名词复数 ); 缠绕( wind的现在分词 ); 卷绕; 转动(把手) | |
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33 sneaked | |
v.潜行( sneak的过去式和过去分词 );偷偷溜走;(儿童向成人)打小报告;告状 | |
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34 hurled | |
v.猛投,用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 );大声叫骂 | |
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35 avenging | |
adj.报仇的,复仇的v.为…复仇,报…之仇( avenge的现在分词 );为…报复 | |
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36 scorch | |
v.烧焦,烤焦;高速疾驶;n.烧焦处,焦痕 | |
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37 stigma | |
n.耻辱,污名;(花的)柱头 | |
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38 toil | |
vi.辛劳工作,艰难地行动;n.苦工,难事 | |
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39 scanty | |
adj.缺乏的,仅有的,节省的,狭小的,不够的 | |
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40 appellation | |
n.名称,称呼 | |
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41 dastard | |
n.卑怯之人,懦夫;adj.怯懦的,畏缩的 | |
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42 plunderer | |
掠夺者 | |
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43 proscribed | |
v.正式宣布(某事物)有危险或被禁止( proscribe的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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44 fugitive | |
adj.逃亡的,易逝的;n.逃犯,逃亡者 | |
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45 aggregate | |
adj.总计的,集合的;n.总数;v.合计;集合 | |
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46 watchful | |
adj.注意的,警惕的 | |
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47 zealous | |
adj.狂热的,热心的 | |
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48 weaver | |
n.织布工;编织者 | |
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49 perspiring | |
v.出汗,流汗( perspire的现在分词 ) | |
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50 prodigious | |
adj.惊人的,奇妙的;异常的;巨大的;庞大的 | |
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51 assenting | |
同意,赞成( assent的现在分词 ) | |
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52 subscribed | |
v.捐助( subscribe的过去式和过去分词 );签署,题词;订阅;同意 | |
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53 standing | |
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的 | |
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54 obstinate | |
adj.顽固的,倔强的,不易屈服的,较难治愈的 | |
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55 lodged | |
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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56 compassion | |
n.同情,怜悯 | |
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57 spoke | |
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说 | |
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58 shameful | |
adj.可耻的,不道德的 | |
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59 sobbing | |
<主方>Ⅰ adj.湿透的 | |
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60 afflicted | |
使受痛苦,折磨( afflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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61 sobs | |
啜泣(声),呜咽(声)( sob的名词复数 ) | |
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62 growled | |
v.(动物)发狺狺声, (雷)作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 );低声咆哮着说 | |
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63 assented | |
同意,赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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64 scowl | |
vi.(at)生气地皱眉,沉下脸,怒视;n.怒容 | |
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65 musing | |
n. 沉思,冥想 adj. 沉思的, 冥想的 动词muse的现在分词形式 | |
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66 accusations | |
n.指责( accusation的名词复数 );指控;控告;(被告发、控告的)罪名 | |
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67 despatch | |
n./v.(dispatch)派遣;发送;n.急件;新闻报道 | |
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68 proceedings | |
n.进程,过程,议程;诉讼(程序);公报 | |
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69 wager | |
n.赌注;vt.押注,打赌 | |
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70 defiant | |
adj.无礼的,挑战的 | |
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