The feeling, however, had no immediate1 effect upon Mr. Millborne’s actions. He soon got over his trifling2 illness, and was vexed3 with himself for having, in a moment of impulse, confided4 such a case of conscience to anybody.
But the force which had prompted it, though latent, remained with him and ultimately grew stronger. The upshot was that about four months after the date of his illness and disclosure, Millborne found himself on a mild spring morning at Paddington Station, in a train that was starting for the west. His many intermittent5 thoughts on his broken promise from time to time, in those hours when loneliness brought him face to face with his own personality, had at last resulted in this course.
The decisive stimulus6 had been given when, a day or two earlier, on looking into a Post-Office Directory, he learnt that the woman he had not met for twenty years was still living on at Exonbury under the name she had assumed when, a year or two after her disappearance7 from her native town and his, she had returned from abroad as a young widow with a child, and taken up her residence at the former city. Her condition was apparently8 but little changed, and her daughter seemed to be with her, their names standing9 in the Directory as ‘Mrs. Leonora Frankland and Miss Frankland, Teachers of Music and Dancing.’
Mr. Millborne reached Exonbury in the afternoon, and his first business, before even taking his luggage into the town, was to find the house occupied by the teachers. Standing in a central and open place it was not difficult to discover, a well-burnished brass10 doorplate bearing their names prominently. He hesitated to enter without further knowledge, and ultimately took lodgings11 over a toyshop opposite, securing a sitting-room13 which faced a similar drawing or sitting-room at the Franklands’, where the dancing lessons were given. Installed here he was enabled to make indirectly14, and without suspicion, inquiries15 and observations on the character of the ladies over the way, which he did with much deliberateness.
He learnt that the widow, Mrs. Frankland, with her one daughter, Frances, was of cheerful and excellent repute, energetic and painstaking16 with her pupils, of whom she had a good many, and in whose tuition her daughter assisted her. She was quite a recognized townswoman, and though the dancing branch of her profession was perhaps a trifle worldly, she was really a serious-minded lady who, being obliged to live by what she knew how to teach, balanced matters by lending a hand at charitable bazaars17, assisting at sacred concerts, and giving musical recitations in aid of funds for bewildering happy savages18, and other such enthusiasms of this enlightened country. Her daughter was one of the foremost of the bevy19 of young women who decorated the churches at Easter and Christmas, was organist in one of those edifices20, and had subscribed21 to the testimonial of a silver broth-basin that was presented to the Reverend Mr. Walker as a token of gratitude22 for his faithful and arduous23 intonations24 of six months as sub-precentor in the Cathedral. Altogether mother and daughter appeared to be a typical and innocent pair among the genteel citizens of Exonbury.
As a natural and simple way of advertising25 their profession they allowed the windows of the music-room to be a little open, so that you had the pleasure of hearing all along the street at any hour between sunrise and sunset fragmentary gems26 of classical music as interpreted by the young people of twelve or fourteen who took lessons there. But it was said that Mrs. Frankland made most of her income by letting out pianos on hire, and by selling them as agent for the makers27.
The report pleased Millborne; it was highly creditable, and far better than he had hoped. He was curious to get a view of the two women who led such blameless lives.
He had not long to wait to gain a glimpse of Leonora. It was when she was standing on her own doorstep, opening her parasol, on the morning after his arrival. She was thin, though not gaunt; and a good, well-wearing, thoughtful face had taken the place of the one which had temporarily attracted him in the days of his nonage. She wore black, and it became her in her character of widow. The daughter next appeared; she was a smoothed and rounded copy of her mother, with the same decision in her mien28 that Leonora had, and a bounding gait in which he traced a faint resemblance to his own at her age.
For the first time he absolutely made up his mind to call on them. But his antecedent step was to send Leonora a note the next morning, stating his proposal to visit her, and suggesting the evening as the time, because she seemed to be so greatly occupied in her professional capacity during the day. He purposely worded his note in such a form as not to require an answer from her which would be possibly awkward to write.
No answer came. Naturally he should not have been surprised at this; and yet he felt a little checked, even though she had only refrained from volunteering a reply that was not demanded.
At eight, the hour fixed29 by himself, he crossed over and was passively admitted by the servant. Mrs. Frankland, as she called herself, received him in the large music-and-dancing room on the first-floor front, and not in any private little parlour as he had expected. This cast a distressingly30 business-like colour over their first meeting after so many years of severance31. The woman he had wronged stood before him, well-dressed, even to his metropolitan32 eyes, and her manner as she came up to him was dignified33 even to hardness. She certainly was not glad to see him. But what could he expect after a neglect of twenty years!
‘How do you do, Mr. Millborne?’ she said cheerfully, as to any chance caller. ‘I am obliged to receive you here because my daughter has a friend downstairs.’
‘Your daughter—and mine.’
‘Ah—yes, yes,’ she replied hastily, as if the addition had escaped her memory. ‘But perhaps the less said about that the better, in fairness to me. You will consider me a widow, please.’
‘Certainly, Leonora . . . ’ He could not get on, her manner was so cold and indifferent. The expected scene of sad reproach, subdued34 to delicacy35 by the run of years, was absent altogether. He was obliged to come to the point without preamble36.
‘You are quite free, Leonora—I mean as to marriage? There is nobody who has your promise, or—’
‘O yes; quite free, Mr. Millborne,’ she said, somewhat surprised.
‘Then I will tell you why I have come. Twenty years ago I promised to make you my wife; and I am here to fulfil that promise. Heaven forgive my tardiness37!’
Her surprise was increased, but she was not agitated38. She seemed to become gloomy, disapproving39. ‘I could not entertain such an idea at this time of life,’ she said after a moment or two. ‘It would complicate40 matters too greatly. I have a very fair income, and require no help of any sort. I have no wish to marry . . . What could have induced you to come on such an errand now? It seems quite extraordinary, if I may say so!’
‘It must—I daresay it does,’ Millborne replied vaguely41; ‘and I must tell you that impulse—I mean in the sense of passion—has little to do with it. I wish to marry you, Leonora; I much desire to marry you. But it is an affair of conscience, a case of fulfilment. I promised you, and it was dishonourable of me to go away. I want to remove that sense of dishonour42 before I die. No doubt we might get to love each other as warmly as we did in old times?’
She dubiously43 shook her head. ‘I appreciate your motives44, Mr. Millborne; but you must consider my position; and you will see that, short of the personal wish to marry, which I don’t feel, there is no reason why I should change my state, even though by so doing I should ease your conscience. My position in this town is a respected one; I have built it up by my own hard labours, and, in short, I don’t wish to alter it. My daughter, too, is just on the verge45 of an engagement to be married, to a young man who will make her an excellent husband. It will be in every way a desirable match for her. He is downstairs now.’
‘Does she know—anything about me?’
‘O no, no; God forbid! Her father is dead and buried to her. So that, you see, things are going on smoothly46, and I don’t want to disturb their progress.’
He nodded. ‘Very well,’ he said, and rose to go. At the door, however, he came back again.
‘Still, Leonora,’ he urged, ‘I have come on purpose; and I don’t see what disturbance47 would be caused. You would simply marry an old friend. Won’t you reconsider? It is no more than right that we should be united, remembering the girl.’
‘Well, I won’t detain you,’ he added. ‘I shall not be leaving Exonbury yet. You will allow me to see you again?’
‘Yes; I don’t mind,’ she said reluctantly.
The obstacles he had encountered, though they did not reanimate his dead passion for Leonora, did certainly make it appear indispensable to his peace of mind to overcome her coldness. He called frequently. The first meeting with the daughter was a trying ordeal49, though he did not feel drawn50 towards her as he had expected to be; she did not excite his sympathies. Her mother confided to Frances the errand of ‘her old friend,’ which was viewed by the daughter with strong disfavour. His desire being thus uncongenial to both, for a long time Millborne made not the least impression upon Mrs. Frankland. His attentions pestered51 her rather than pleased her. He was surprised at her firmness, and it was only when he hinted at moral reasons for their union that she was ever shaken. ‘Strictly speaking,’ he would say, ‘we ought, as honest persons, to marry; and that’s the truth of it, Leonora.’
‘I have looked at it in that light,’ she said quickly. ‘It struck me at the very first. But I don’t see the force of the argument. I totally deny that after this interval52 of time I am bound to marry you for honour’s sake. I would have married you, as you know well enough, at the proper time. But what is the use of remedies now?’
They were standing at the window. A scantly-whiskered young man, in clerical attire53, called at the door below. Leonora flushed with interest.
‘Who is he?’ said Mr. Millborne.
‘My Frances’s lover. I am so sorry—she is not at home! Ah! they have told him where she is, and he has gone to find her . . . I hope that suit will prosper54, at any rate!’
‘Why shouldn’t it?’
‘Well, he cannot marry yet; and Frances sees but little of him now he has left Exonbury. He was formerly55 doing duty here, but now he is curate of St. John’s, Ivell, fifty miles up the line. There is a tacit agreement between them, but—there have been friends of his who object, because of our vocation56. However, he sees the absurdity57 of such an objection as that, and is not influenced by it.’
‘Your marriage with me would help the match, instead of hindering it, as you have said.’
‘Do you think it would?’
‘It certainly would, by taking you out of this business altogether.’
By chance he had found the way to move her somewhat, and he followed it up. This view was imparted to Mrs. Frankland’s daughter, and it led her to soften58 her opposition59. Millborne, who had given up his lodging12 in Exonbury, journeyed to and fro regularly, till at last he overcame her negations, and she expressed a reluctant assent60.
They were married at the nearest church; and the goodwill—whatever that was—of the music-and-dancing connection was sold to a successor only too ready to jump into the place, the Millbornes having decided61 to live in London.
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1
immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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trifling
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| adj.微不足道的；没什么价值的 | |
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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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4
confided
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| v.吐露（秘密，心事等）( confide的过去式和过去分词 )；（向某人）吐露（隐私、秘密等） | |
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intermittent
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| adj.间歇的，断断续续的 | |
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6
stimulus
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| n.刺激，刺激物，促进因素，引起兴奋的事物 | |
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7
disappearance
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| n.消失，消散，失踪 | |
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8
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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9
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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10
brass
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| n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器 | |
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11
lodgings
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| n. 出租的房舍, 寄宿舍 | |
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12
lodging
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| n.寄宿，住所；(大学生的)校外宿舍 | |
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13
sitting-room
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| n.（BrE）客厅，起居室 | |
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indirectly
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| adv.间接地，不直接了当地 | |
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15
inquiries
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| n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听 | |
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painstaking
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| adj.苦干的；艰苦的，费力的，刻苦的 | |
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17
bazaars
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| （东方国家的）市场( bazaar的名词复数 )； 义卖； 义卖市场； （出售花哨商品等的）小商品市场 | |
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savages
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| 未开化的人，野蛮人( savage的名词复数 ) | |
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bevy
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| n.一群 | |
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edifices
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| n.大建筑物( edifice的名词复数 ) | |
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21
subscribed
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| 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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gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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arduous
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| adj.艰苦的，费力的，陡峭的 | |
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intonations
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| n.语调，说话的抑扬顿挫( intonation的名词复数 )；（演奏或唱歌中的）音准 | |
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25
advertising
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| n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的 | |
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26
gems
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| growth； economy； management； and customer satisfaction 增长 | |
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makers
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| n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式） | |
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mien
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| n.风采；态度 | |
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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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distressingly
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| adv. 令人苦恼地；悲惨地 | |
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severance
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| n.离职金；切断 | |
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32
metropolitan
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| adj.大城市的，大都会的 | |
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dignified
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| a.可敬的，高贵的 | |
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subdued
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| adj. 屈服的，柔和的，减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词 | |
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delicacy
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| n.精致，细微，微妙，精良；美味，佳肴 | |
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preamble
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| n.前言；序文 | |
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37
tardiness
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| n.缓慢；迟延；拖拉 | |
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agitated
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| adj.被鼓动的，不安的 | |
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disapproving
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| adj.不满的，反对的v.不赞成( disapprove的现在分词 ) | |
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40
complicate
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| vt.使复杂化，使混乱，使难懂 | |
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41
vaguely
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| adv.含糊地，暖昧地 | |
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42
dishonour
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| n./vt.拒付（支票、汇票、票据等）；vt.凌辱，使丢脸；n.不名誉，耻辱，不光彩 | |
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43
dubiously
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| adv.可疑地，怀疑地 | |
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44
motives
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| n.动机，目的( motive的名词复数 ) | |
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45
verge
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| n.边，边缘；v.接近，濒临 | |
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46
smoothly
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| adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地 | |
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47
disturbance
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| n.动乱，骚动；打扰，干扰；(身心)失调 | |
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48
nervously
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| adv.神情激动地，不安地 | |
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49
ordeal
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| n.苦难经历，（尤指对品格、耐力的）严峻考验 | |
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50
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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51
pestered
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| 使烦恼，纠缠( pester的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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52
interval
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| n.间隔，间距；幕间休息，中场休息 | |
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53
attire
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| v.穿衣，装扮[同]array；n.衣着；盛装 | |
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54
prosper
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| v.成功，兴隆，昌盛；使成功，使昌隆，繁荣 | |
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55
formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 | |
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56
vocation
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| n.职业，行业 | |
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57
absurdity
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| n.荒谬，愚蠢；谬论 | |
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58
soften
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| v.(使)变柔软；(使)变柔和 | |
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59
opposition
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| n.反对，敌对 | |
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60
assent
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| v.批准，认可；n.批准，认可 | |
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61
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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