Chapter 31

I SAT UP in bed, confused and shocked.

I did not deserve this. I was no knight¹, no noble. Just a commoner. And a lucky one at that-fortunate not to have been ripped to shreds² by a beast. My ordeal³ came back to me, my wife and child. It had been more than a week since I set out to find Sophie.

Your care is most appreciated, Doctor, but I must leave. Please thank my gracious hostess for me.

I got up out of bed but managed to limp no farther than a couple of painful steps. There was a knock at the door. Auguste went to see who was there.

You may thank the lady yourself, the doctor said. She has come.

It was Emilie, adorned⁴ in a dress of linen⁵ gilded⁶ with golden borders. God, I had not been imagining her. She was as lovely as the vision from my dreams. Except her eyes shimmered⁷ soft and green.

I see our patient rises, Emilie exclaimed, seemingly delighted. How is our Red today, Auguste?

His ears are not injured. Nor is his tongue, the doctor said, prodding⁸ at me.

I didn't know whether to bow or kneel. I did not speak to nobles directly unless addressed. But something made me look into her eyes. I cleared my throat. I would be dead if not for you, lady. There is no way I can express my thanks.

I did what anyone would do. Besides, having vanquished⁹ your boar, what a shame it would've been if you had become the dinner of the next pest that stumbled by.

Auguste pushed qver a stool and Emilie sat down. If you must show gratitude¹⁰, you can do so by permitting me a few questions.

Any, I said. Please ask.

First, an easy one. What is your name, redhead?

My name is Hugh, lady. I bowed my head. Hugh De Luc.

And you were on your way to Treille, Hugh De Luc, when you encountered the boorish¹¹ boar?

I was, my lady. Though the doctor has informed me that my direction was slightly askew¹².

So it would seem. Lady Emilie smiled. This surprised me. I had never met a noble with a very keen sense of humor, unless it was cruel humor. And on this journey you set out alone. With no food. Or water. Or proper clothes... ?

I felt a lump in my throat-not from nerves but because of what must have seemed my enormous stupidity. I was in a hurry, I said.

A hurry? Emilie nodded with polite jest. But it seems, if I recall my mathematics, that no matterhow fast you traveled, be it the wrong direction, it would only widen the distance to your goal, no?

I felt like an idiot in front of this woman who had saved me. I'm sure I blushed. In a hurryand confused , I replied.

I would say. She widened her eyes. And the purpose of such haste... and confusion, if you don't mind... ?

All at once, my being ill at ease shifted. This was not a game, and I was not a toy for amusement, no matter how much I owed her.

Emilie's expression shifted as well, as if she sensed my unease. Please know I do not mock you. You cried out in anguish¹³ many times during the trip. I know you carry a heavy weight. You may be no knight, but you are surely on a mission.

I bowed my head. All the lightness of the moment fled from me. How could I speak of such horrors? To this woman who did not know me? My throat went dry. It is true. I do have a mission, lady. But I cannot tell of it.

Please tell, sir. (I couldn't believe it. She addressed me as sir. ) You are troubled. I do not belittle¹⁴ you at all. Perhaps I can help.

I am afraid you cannot help, I said and bowed my head. You have helped too much already.

You may trust me, sir. How can I prove it more than I already have?

I smiled. She had me there. Just know, then, that these are not the tales of a noble, the kind you are no doubt used to hearing.

I do not seek entertainment, she replied, her eyes firmly on mine.

My experience with those highborn had always taught me to beware of their taxes and random¹⁵ killing¹⁶ and total indifference¹⁷ to our plight¹⁸. But she seemed different. I could see compassion¹⁹ in her eyes. I'd felt it in that first glance as I lay by the road near death.

I'll tell it to you, lady. You have earned that. I only hope it does not upset you.

I assure you, Hugh, Lady Emilie said with a smile, if you have not already noticed, you will find my tolerance²⁰ for the upsetting to be quite high.

1 knight   

n.骑士，武士；爵士

参考例句：

• He was made an honourary knight.他被授予荣誉爵士称号。
• A knight rode on his richly caparisoned steed.一个骑士骑在装饰华丽的马上。

2 shreds   

v.撕碎，切碎( shred的第三人称单数 )；用撕毁机撕毁（文件）

参考例句：

• Peel the carrots and cut them into shreds. 将胡罗卜削皮，切成丝。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I want to take this diary and rip it into shreds. 我真想一赌气扯了这日记。 来自汉英文学 - 中国现代小说

3 ordeal   

n.苦难经历，（尤指对品格、耐力的）严峻考验

参考例句：

• She managed to keep her sanity throughout the ordeal.在那场磨难中她始终保持神志正常。
• Being lost in the wilderness for a week was an ordeal for me.在荒野里迷路一星期对我来说真是一场磨难。

4 adorned   

[计]被修饰的

参考例句：

• The walls were adorned with paintings. 墙上装饰了绘画。
• And his coat was adorned with a flamboyant bunch of flowers. 他的外套上面装饰着一束艳丽刺目的鲜花。

5 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。

6 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

7 shimmered   

v.闪闪发光，发微光( shimmer的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The sea shimmered in the sunlight. 阳光下海水闪烁着微光。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• A heat haze shimmered above the fields. 田野上方微微闪烁着一层热气。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 prodding   

v.刺，戳( prod的现在分词 )；刺激；促使；（用手指或尖物）戳

参考例句：

• He needed no prodding. 他不用督促。
• The boy is prodding the animal with a needle. 那男孩正用一根针刺那动物。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

9 vanquished   

v.征服( vanquish的过去式和过去分词 )；战胜；克服；抑制

参考例句：

• She had fought many battles, vanquished many foes. 她身经百战，挫败过很多对手。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I vanquished her coldness with my assiduity. 我对她关心照顾从而消除了她的冷淡。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

10 gratitude   

adj.感激，感谢

参考例句：

• I have expressed the depth of my gratitude to him.我向他表示了深切的谢意。
• She could not help her tears of gratitude rolling down her face.她感激的泪珠禁不住沿着面颊流了下来。

11 boorish   

adj.粗野的，乡巴佬的

参考例句：

• His manner seemed rather boorish.他的举止看上去很俗气。
• He disgusted many with his boorish behaviour.他的粗野行为让很多人都讨厌他。

12 askew   

adv.斜地；adj.歪斜的

参考例句：

• His glasses had been knocked askew by the blow.他的眼镜一下子被打歪了。
• Her hat was slightly askew.她的帽子戴得有点斜。

13 anguish   

n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼

参考例句：

• She cried out for anguish at parting.分手时，她由于痛苦而失声大哭。
• The unspeakable anguish wrung his heart.难言的痛苦折磨着他的心。

14 belittle   

v.轻视，小看，贬低

参考例句：

• Do not belittle what he has achieved.不能小看他取得的成绩。
• When you belittle others,you are actually the one who appears small.当你轻视他人时， 真正渺小的其实是你自己。

15 random   

adj.随机的；任意的；n.偶然的(或随便的)行动

参考例句：

• The list is arranged in a random order.名单排列不分先后。
• On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查，发现肉变质了。

16 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

17 indifference   

n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎

参考例句：

• I was disappointed by his indifference more than somewhat.他的漠不关心使我很失望。
• He feigned indifference to criticism of his work.他假装毫不在意别人批评他的作品。

18 plight   

n.困境，境况，誓约，艰难；vt.宣誓，保证，约定

参考例句：

• The leader was much concerned over the plight of the refugees.那位领袖对难民的困境很担忧。
• She was in a most helpless plight.她真不知如何是好。

19 compassion   

n.同情，怜悯

参考例句：

• He could not help having compassion for the poor creature.他情不自禁地怜悯起那个可怜的人来。
• Her heart was filled with compassion for the motherless children.她对于没有母亲的孩子们充满了怜悯心。

20 tolerance   

n.宽容；容忍，忍受；耐药力；公差

参考例句：

• Tolerance is one of his strengths.宽容是他的一个优点。
• Human beings have limited tolerance of noise.人类对噪音的忍耐力有限。