I assume, therefore, that it was Uncle Rilas who orally convicted me, an assumption justified6 to some extent by putting two and two together after the poor old gentleman was laid away for his long sleep. He had been very emphatic7 in his belief that a fool and his money are soon parted. Up to the time of his death I had been in no way qualified8 to dispute this ancient theory. In theory, no doubt, I was the kind of fool he referred to, but in practice I was quite an untried novice9. It is very hard for even a fool to part with something he hasn't got. True, I parted with the little I had at college with noteworthy promptness about the middle of each term, but that could hardly have been called a fair test for the adage11. Not until Uncle Rilas died and left me all of his money was I able to demonstrate that only dead men and fools part with it. The distinction lies in the capacity for enjoyment12 while the sensation lasts. Dead men part with it because they have to, fools because they want to.
In any event, Uncle Rilas did not leave me his money until my freshman days were far behind me, wherein lies the solace13 that he may have outgrown15 an opinion while I was going through the same process. At twenty-three I confessed that all freshmen16 were insufferable, and immediately afterward17 took my degree and went out into the world to convince it that seniors are by no means adolescent. Having successfully passed the age of reason, I too felt myself admirably qualified to look with scorn upon all creatures employed in the business of getting an education. There were times when I wondered how on earth I could have stooped so low as to be a freshman. I still have the disquieting19 fear that my uncle did not modify his opinion of me until I was thoroughly20 over being a senior. You will note that I do not say he changed his opinion. Modify is the word.
His original estimate of me, as a freshman, of course,—was uttered when I, at the age of eighteen, picked out my walk in life, so to speak. After considering everything, I decided21 to be a literary man. A novelist or a playwright22, I hadn't much of a choice between the two, or perhaps a journalist. Being a journalist, of course, was preliminary; a sort of makeshift. At any rate, I was going to be a writer. My Uncle Rilas, a hard-headed customer who had read Scott as a boy and the Wall Street news as a man,—without being misled by either,—was scornful. He said that I would outgrow14 it, there was some consolation23 in that. He even admitted that when he was seventeen he wanted to be an actor. There you are, said he! I declared there was a great difference between being an actor and being a writer. Only handsome men can be actors, while I—well, by nature I was doomed24 to be nothing more engaging than a novelist, who doesn't have to spoil an illusion by showing himself in public.
Besides, I argued, novelists make a great deal of money, and playwrights25 too, for that matter. He said in reply that an ordinarily vigorous washerwoman could make more money than the average novelist, and she always had a stocking without a hole to keep it in, which was more to the point.
Now that I come to think of it, it was Uncle Rilas who oracularly prejudged me, and not Uncle John, who was by way of being a sort of literary chap himself and therefore lamentably26 unqualified to guide me in any course whatsoever27, especially as he had all he could do to keep his own wolf at bay without encouraging mine, and who, besides teaching good English, loved it wisely and too well. I think Uncle Rilas would have held Uncle John up to me as an example,—a scarecrow, you might say,—if it hadn't been for the fact that he loved him in spite of his English. He must have loved me in spite of mine.
My mother felt in her heart that I ought to be a doctor or a preacher, but she wasn't mean: she was positive I could succeed as a writer if I set my mind to it. She was also sure that I could be President of the United States or perhaps even a Bishop28. We were Episcopalian.
When I was twenty-seven my first short story appeared in a magazine of considerable weight, due to its advertising29 pages, but my Uncle Rilas didn't read it until I had convinced him that the honorarium30 amounted to three hundred dollars. Even then I was obliged to promise him a glimpse of the check when I got it. Somewhat belated, it came in the course of three or four months with a rather tart31 letter in which I was given to understand that it wasn't quite the thing to pester32 a great publishing house with queries33 of the kind I had been so persistent34 in propounding35. But at last Uncle Rilas saw the check and was properly impressed. He took back what he said about the washerwoman, but gave me a little further advice concerning the stocking.
In course of time my first novel appeared. It was a love story. Uncle Rilas read the first five chapters and then skipped over to the last page. Then he began it all over again and sat up nearly all night to finish it. The next day he called it "trash" but invited me to have luncheon36 with him at the Metropolitan37 Club, and rather noisily introduced me to a few old cronies of his, who were not sufficiently38 interested in me to enquire39 what my name was—a trifling40 detail he had overlooked in presenting me as his nephew—but who did ask me to have a drink.
A month later, he died. He left me a fortune, which was all the more staggering in view of the circumstance that had seen me named for my Uncle John and not for him.
It was not long afterward that I made a perfect fool of myself by falling in love. It turned out very badly. I can't imagine what got into me to want to commit bigamy after I had already proclaimed myself to be irrevocably wedded41 to my profession. Nevertheless, I deliberately43 coveted44 the experience, and would have attained45 to it no doubt had it not been for the young woman in the case. She would have none of me, but with considerable independence of spirit and, I must say, noteworthy acumen46, elected to wed42 a splendid looking young fellow who clerked in a jeweller's shop in Fifth Avenue. They had been engaged for several years, it seems, and my swollen47 fortune failed to disturb her sense of fidelity48. Perhaps you will be interested enough in a girl who could refuse to share a fortune of something like three hundred thousand dollars—(not counting me, of course)—to let me tell you briefly49 who and what she was. She was my typist. That is to say, she did piece-work for me as I happened to provide substance for her active fingers to work upon when she wasn't typing law briefs in the regular sort of grind. Not only was she an able typist, but she was an exceedingly wholesome50, handsome and worthy10 young woman. I think I came to like her with genuine resolution when I discovered that she could spell correctly and had the additional knack51 of uniting my stray infinitives52 with stubborn purposefulness, as well as the ability to administer my grammar with tact53 and discretion54.
Unfortunately she loved the jeweller's clerk. She tried to convince me, with a sweetness I shall never forget, that she was infinitely55 better suited to be a jeweller's wife than to be a weight upon the neck of a genius. Moreover, when I foolishly mentioned my snug56 fortune as an extra inducement, she put me smartly in my place by remarking that fortunes like wine are made in a day while really excellent jeweller's clerks are something like thirty years in the making. Which, I take it, was as much as to say that there is always room for improvement in a man. I confess I was somewhat disturbed by one of her gentlest remarks. She seemed to be repeating my Uncle Rilas, although I am quite sure she had never heard of him. She argued that the fortune might take wings and fly away, and then what would be to pay! Of course, it was perfectly57 clear to me, stupid as I must have been, that she preferred the jeweller's clerk to a fortune.
I was loth to lose her as a typist. The exact point where I appear to have made a fool of myself was when I first took it into my head that I could make something else of her. I not only lost a competent typist, but I lost a great deal of sleep, and had to go abroad for awhile, as men do when they find out unpleasant things about themselves in just that way.
I gave her as a wedding present a very costly58 and magnificent dining-room set, fondly hoping that the jeweller's clerk would experience a great deal of trouble in living up to it. At first I had thought of a Marie Antoinette bedroom set, but gave it up when I contemplated59 the cost.
If you will pardon me, I shall not go any further into this lamentable60 love affair. I submit, in extenuation61, that people do not care to be regaled with the heartaches of past affairs; they are only interested in those which appear to be in the process of active development or retrogression. Suffice to say, I was terribly cut up over the way my first serious affair of the heart turned out, and tried my best to hate myself for letting it worry me. Somehow I was able to attribute the fiasco to an inborn62 sense of shyness that has always made me faint-hearted, dilatory63 and unaggressive. No doubt if I had gone about it roughshod and fiery64 I could have played hob with the excellent jeweller's peace of mind, to say the least, but alas65! I succeeded only in approaching at a time when there was nothing left for me to do but to start him off in life with a mild handicap in the shape of a dining-room set that would not go with anything else he had in the apartment.
Still, some men, no matter how shy and procrastinating66 they may be—or reluctant, for that matter—are doomed to have love affairs thrust upon them, as you will perceive if you follow the course of this narrative67 to the bitter end.
In order that you may know me when you see me struggling through these pages, as one might struggle through a morass68 on a dark night, I shall take the liberty of describing myself in the best light possible under the circumstances.
I am a tallish sort of person, moderately homely69, and not quite thirty-five. I am strong but not athletic70. Whatever physical development I possess was acquired through the ancient and honourable71 game of golf and in swimming. In both of these sports I am quite proficient72. My nose is rather long and inquisitive73, and my chin is considered to be singularly firm for one who has no ambition to become a hero. My thatch74 is abundant and quite black. I understand that my eyes are green when I affect a green tie, light blue when I put on one of that delicate hue75, and curiously76 yellow when I wear brown about my neck. Not that I really need them, but I wear nose glasses when reading: to save my eyes, of course. I sometimes wear them in public, with a very fetching and imposing77 black band draping across my expanse of shirt front. I find this to be most effective when sitting in a box at the theatre. My tailor is a good one. I shave myself clean with an old-fashioned razor and find it to be quite safe and tractable78. My habits are considered rather good, and I sang bass79 in the glee club. So there you are. Not quite what yon would call a lady killer80, or even a lady's man, I fancy you'll say.
You will be surprised to learn, however, that secretly I am of a rather romantic, imaginative turn of mind. Since earliest childhood I have consorted81 with princesses and ladies of high degree,—mentally, of course,—and my bosom82 companions have been knights83 of valour and longevity84. Nothing could have suited me better than to have been born in a feudal85 castle a few centuries ago, from which I should have sallied forth86 in full armour87 on the slightest provocation88 and returned in glory when there was no one left in the neighbourhood to provoke me.
Even now, as I make this astounding89 statement, I can't help thinking of that confounded jeweller's clerk. At thirty-five I am still unattached and, so far as I can tell, unloved. What more could a sensible, experienced bachelor expect than that? Unless, of course, he aspired90 to be a monk91 or a hermit92, in which case he reasonably could be sure of himself if not of others.
Last winter in London my mother went to a good bit of trouble to set my cap for a lady who seemed in every way qualified to look after an only son as he should be looked after from a mother's point of view, and I declare to you I had a wretchedly close call of it. My poor mother, thinking it was quite settled, sailed for America, leaving me entirely94 unprotected, whereupon I succeeded in making my escape. Heaven knows I had no desperate longing95 to visit Palestine at that particular time, but I journeyed thither96 without a qualm of regret, and thereby97 avoided the surrender without love or honour.
For the past year I have done little or no work. My books are few and far between, so few in fact that more than once I have felt the sting of dilettantism98 inflicting99 my labours with more or less increasing sharpness. It is not for me to say that I despise a fortune, but I am constrained100 to remark that I believe poverty would have been a fairer friend to me. At any rate I now pamper101 myself to an unreasonable102 extent. For one thing, I feel that I cannot work,—much less think,—when opposed by distracting conditions such as women, tea, disputes over luggage, and things of that sort. They subdue103 all the romantic tendencies I am so parsimonious104 about wasting. My best work is done when the madding crowd is far from me. Hence I seek out remote, obscure places when I feel the plot boiling, and grind away for dear life with nothing to distract me save an unconquerable habit acquired very early in life which urges me to eat three meals a day and to sleep nine hours out of twenty-four.
A month ago, in Vienna, I felt the plot breaking out on me, very much as the measles105 do, at a most inopportune time for everybody concerned, and my secretary, more wide-awake than you'd imagine by looking at him, urged me to coddle the muse106 while she was willing and not to put her off till an evil day, as frequently I am in the habit of doing.
It was especially annoying, coming as it did, just as I was about to set off for a fortnight's motor-boat trip up the Danube with Elsie Hazzard and her stupid husband, the doctor. I compromised with myself by deciding to give them a week of my dreamy company, and then dash off to England where I could work off the story in a sequestered107 village I had had in mind for some time past.
The fourth day of our delectable108 excursion brought us to an ancient town whose name you would recall in an instant if I were fool enough to mention it, and where we were to put up for the night. On the crest109 of a stupendous crag overhanging the river, almost opposite the town, which isn't far from Krems, stood the venerable but unvenerated castle of that highhanded old robber baron110, the first of the Rothhoefens. He has been in his sarcophagus these six centuries, I am advised, but you wouldn't think so to look at the stronghold. At a glance you can almost convince yourself that he is still there, with battle-axe and broad-sword, and an inflamed111 eye at every window in the grim facade112.
We picked up a little of its history while in the town, and the next morning crossed over to visit the place. Its antiquity113 was considerably114 enhanced by the presence of a caretaker who would never see eighty again, and whose wife was even older. Their two sons lived with them in the capacity of loafers and, as things go in these rapid times of ours, appeared to be even older and more sere115 than their parents.
It is a winding116 and tortuous117 road that leads up to the portals of this huge old pile, and I couldn't help thinking how stupid I have always been in execrating118 the spirit of progress that conceives the funicular and rack-and-pinion railroads which serve to commercialise grandeur119 instead of protecting it. Half way up the hill, we paused to rest, and I quite clearly remember growling120 that if the confounded thing belonged to me I'd build a funicular or install an elevator without delay. Poor Elsie was too fatigued121 to say what she ought to have said to me for suggesting and even insisting on the visit.
The next day, instead of continuing our delightful122 trip down the river, we three were scurrying123 to Saalsburg, urged by a sudden and stupendous whim124 on my part, and filled with a new interest in life.
I had made up my mind to buy the castle!
The Hazzards sat up with me nearly the whole of the night, trying to talk me out of the mad design, but all to no purpose. I was determined125 to be the sort of fool that Uncle Rilas referred to when he so frequently quoted the old adage. My only argument in reply to their entreaties126 was that I had to have a quiet, inspirational place in which to work and besides I was quite sure we could beat the impoverished127 owner down considerably in the price, whatever it might turn out to be. While the ancient caretaker admitted that it was for sale, he couldn't give me the faintest notion what it was expected to bring, except that it ought to bring more from an American than from any one else, and that he would be proud and happy to remain in my service, he and his wife and his prodigiously128 capable sons, either of whom if put to the test could break all the bones in a bullock without half trying, Moreover, for such strong men, they ate very little and seldom slept, they were so eager to slave in the interests of the master. We all agreed that they looked strong enough, but as they were sleeping with some intensity129 all the time we were there, and making dreadful noises in the courtyard, we could only infer that they were making up for at least a week of insomnia130.
I had no difficulty whatever in striking a bargain with the abandoned wretch93 who owned the Schloss. He seemed very eager to submit to my demand that he knock off a thousand pounds sterling131, and we hunted up a notary132 and all the other officials necessary to the transfer of property. At the end of three days, I was the sole owner and proprietor133 of a feudal stronghold on the Danube, and the joyous134 Austrian was a little farther on his way to the dogs, a journey he had been negotiating with great ardour ever since coming into possession of an estate once valued at several millions. I am quite sure I have never seen a spendthrift with more energy than this fellow seems to have displayed in going through with his patrimony135. He was on his uppers, so to speak, when I came to his rescue, solely136 because he couldn't find a purchaser or a tenant137 for the castle, try as he would. Afterwards I heard that he had offered the place to a syndicate of Jews for one-third the price I paid, but luckily for me the Hebraic instinct was not so keen as mine. They let a very good bargain get away from them. I have not told my most intimate friends what I paid for the castle, but they are all generous enough to admit that I could afford it, no matter what it cost me. Their generosity138 stops there, however. I have never had so many unkind things said to me in all my life as have been said about this purely139 personal matter.
Well, to make the story short, the Hazzards and I returned to Schloss Rothhoefen in some haste, primarily for the purpose of inspecting it from dungeon140 to battlement. I forgot to mention that, being very tired after the climb up the steep, we got no further on our first visit than the great baronial hall, the dining-room and certain other impressive apartments customarily kept open for the inspection141 of visitors. An interesting concession142 on the part of the late owner (the gentleman hurrying to catch up with the dogs that had got a bit of a start on him),—may here be mentioned. He included all of the contents of the castle for the price paid, and the deed, or whatever you call it, specifically set forth that I, John Bellamy Smart, was the sole and undisputed owner of everything the castle held. This made the bargain all the more desirable, for I have never seen a more beautiful assortment143 of antique furniture and tapestry144 in Fourth Avenue than was to be found in Schloss Rothhoefen.
Our second and more critical survey of the lower floors of the castle revealed rather urgent necessity for extensive repairs and refurbishing, but I was not dismayed. With a blithesome145 disregard for expenses, I despatched Rudolph, the elder of the two sons to Linz with instructions to procure146 artisans who could be depended upon to undo147 the ravages148 of time to a certain extent and who might even suggest a remedy for leaks.
My friends, abhorring149 rheumatism150 and like complaints, refused to sleep over night in the drafty, almost paneless structure. They came over to see me on the ensuing day and begged me to return to Vienna with them. But, full of the project in hand, I would not be moved. With the house full of carpenters, blacksmiths, masons, locksmiths, tinsmiths, plumbers151, plasterers, glaziers, joiners, scrub-women and chimneysweeps, I felt that I couldn't go away and leave it without a controlling influence.
They promised to come and make me a nice short visit, however, after I'd got the castle primped up a bit: the mould off the walls of the bedrooms and the great fireplaces thoroughly cleared of obstructive swallows' nests, the beds aired and the larder152 stocked. Just as they were leaving, my secretary and my valet put in an appearance, having been summoned from Vienna the day before. I confess I was glad to see them. The thought of spending a second night in that limitless bed-chamber153, with all manner of night-birds trying to get in at the windows, was rather disturbing, and I welcomed my retainers with open arms.
My first night had been spent in a huge old bed, carefully prepared for occupancy by Herr Schmick's frau; and the hours, which never were so dark, in trying to fathom154 the infinite space that reached above me to the vaulted155 ceiling. I knew there was a ceiling, for I had seen its beams during the daylight hours, but to save my soul I couldn't imagine anything so far away as it seemed to be after the candles had been taken away by the caretaker's wife, who had tucked me away in the bed with ample propriety156 and thoroughness combined.
Twice during that interminable night I thought I heard a baby crying. So it is not unreasonable to suppose that I was more than glad to see Poopendyke clambering up the path with his typewriter in one hand and his green baise bag in the other, followed close behind by Britton and the Gargantuan157 brothers bearing trunks, bags, boxes and my golf clubs.
"Whew!" said Poopendyke, dropping wearily upon my doorstep—which, by the way, happens to be a rough hewn slab158 some ten feet square surmounted159 by a portcullis that has every intention of falling down unexpectedly one of these days and creating an earthquake. "Whew!" he repeated.
My secretary is a youngish man with thin, stooping shoulders and a habit of perpetually rubbing his knees together when he walks. I shudder160 to think of what would happen to them if he undertook to run. I could not resist a glance at them now.
"It is something of a climb, isn't it?" said I beamingly.
"In the name of heaven, Mr. Smart, what could have induced you to—" He got no farther than this, and to my certain knowledge this unfinished reproof161 was the nearest he ever came to openly convicting me of asininity162.
"Make yourself at home, old fellow," said I in some haste. I felt sorry for him. "We are going to be very cosy163 here."
"Cosy?" murmured he, blinking as he looked up, not at me but at the frowning walls that seemed to penetrate164 the sky.
"I haven't explored those upper regions," I explained nervously165, divining his thoughts. "We shall do it together, in a day or two."
"It looks as though it might fall down if we jostled it carelessly," he remarked, having recovered his breath.
"I am expecting masons at any minute," said I, contemplating166 the unstable167 stone crest of the northeast turret168 with some uneasiness. My face brightened suddenly. "That particular section of the castle is uninhabitable, I am told. It really doesn't matter if it collapses169. Ah, Britton! Here you are, I see. Good morning."
"Your coat and trousers need pressing, sir," said he. "And where am I to get the hot water for shaving, sir?"
"Frau Schmick will supply anything you need, Britton," said I, happy on being able to give the information.
"Come in and have a look about the place," said I, with a magnificent sweep of my arm to counteract172 the feeling of utter insignificance173 I was experiencing at the moment. I could see that my faithful retinue174 held me in secret but polite disdain175.
A day or two later the castle was swarming176 with workmen; the banging of hammers, the rasp of saws, the spattering of mortar177, the crashing of stone and the fumes178 of charcoal179 crucibles180 extended to the remotest recesses181; the tower of Babel was being reconstructed in the language of six or eight nations, and everybody was happy. I had no idea there were so many tinsmiths in the world. Every artisan in the town across the river seems to have felt it his duty to come over and help the men from Linz in the enterprise. There were so many of them that they were constantly getting in each other's way and quarrelling over matters of jurisdiction182 with even more spirit than we might expect to encounter among the labour unions at home.
Poopendyke, in great distress183 of mind, notified me on the fourth day of rehabilitation184 that the cost of labour as well as living had gone up appreciably185 since our installation. In fact it had doubled. He paid all of my bills, so I suppose he knew what he was talking about.
"You will be surprised to know, Mr. Smart," he said, consulting his sheets, "that scrub-women are getting more here than they do in New York City, and I am convinced that there are more scrub-women. Today we had thirty new ones scrubbing the loggia on the gun-room floor, and they all seem to have apprentices186 working under them. The carpenters and plasterers were not so numerous to-day. I paid them off last night, you see. It may interest you to hear that their wages for three days amounted to nearly seven hundred dollars in our money, to say nothing of materials—and breakage."
"Breakage?" I exclaimed in surprise.
"Yes, sir, breakage. They break nearly as much as they mend. We'll—we'll go bankrupt, sir, if we're not careful."
I liked his pronoun. "Never mind," I said, "we'll soon be rid of them."
"They've got it in their heads, sir, that it will take at least a year to finish the—"
"You tell the foremen that if this job isn't finished to our satisfaction by the end of the month, I'll fire all of them," said I, wrathfully.
"That's less than three weeks off, Mr. Smart. They don't seem to be making much headway."
"Well, you tell 'em, just the same." And that is how I dismissed it. "Tell 'em we've got to go to work ourselves."
"By the way, old man Schmick and his family haven't been paid for nearly two years. They have put in a claim. The late owner assured them they'd get their money from the next—"
"Discharge them at once," said I.
"We can't get on without them," protested he. "They know the ropes, so to speak, and, what's more to the point, they know all the keys. Yesterday I was nearly two hours in getting to the kitchen for a conference with Mrs. Schmick about the market-men. In the first place, I couldn't find the way, and in the second place all the doors are locked."
"Please send Herr Schmick to me in the—in the—" I couldn't recall the name of the administration chamber at the head of the grand staircase, so I was compelled to say: "I'll see him here."
"If we lose them we also are lost," was his sententious declaration. I believed him.
On the fifth day of our occupancy, Britton reported to me that he had devised a plan by which we could utilise the tremendous horse-power represented by the muscles of those lazy giants, Rudolph and Max. He suggested that we rig up a huge windlass at the top of the incline, with stout187 steel cables attached to a small car which could be hauled up the cliff by a hitherto wasted human energy, and as readily lowered. It sounded feasible and I instructed him to have the extraordinary railway built, but to be sure that the safety device clutches in the cog wheels were sound and trusty. It would prove to be an infinitely more graceful188 mode of ascending189 the peak than riding up on the donkeys I had been persuaded to buy, especially for Poopendyke and me, whose legs were so long that when we sat in the saddles our knees either touched our chins or were spread out so far that we resembled the Prussian coat-of-arms.
That evening, after the workmen had filed down the steep looking for all the world like an evacuating190 army, I sought a few moments of peace and quiet in the small balcony outside my bedroom windows. My room was in the western wing of the castle, facing the river. The eastern wing mounted even higher than the one in which we were living, and was topped by the loftiest watch tower of them all. We had not attempted to do any work over in that section as yet, for the simple reason that Herr Schmick couldn't find the keys to the doors.
The sun was disappearing beyond the highlands and a cool, soft breeze swept up through the valley. I leaned back in a comfortable chair that Britton had selected for me, and puffed191 at my pipe, not quite sure that my serenity192 was real or assumed. This was all costing me a pretty penny. Was I, after all, parting with my money in the way prescribed for fools? Was all this splendid antiquity worth the—
My reflections terminated sharply at that critical instant and I don't believe I ever felt called upon after that to complete the inquiry193.
I found myself staring as if stupefied at the white figure of a woman who stood in the topmost balcony of the eastern wing, fully18 revealed by the last glow of the sun and apparently194 as deep in dreams as I had been the instant before.
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arrogant
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| adj.傲慢的，自大的 | |
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freshman
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| n.大学一年级学生(可兼指男女) | |
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possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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faculty
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| n.才能；学院，系；(学院或系的)全体教学人员 | |
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justified
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emphatic
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| adj.强调的，着重的；无可置疑的，明显的 | |
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qualified
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| adj.合格的，有资格的，胜任的，有限制的 | |
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novice
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worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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adage
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| n.格言，古训 | |
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enjoyment
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| n.乐趣；享有；享用 | |
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solace
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| n.安慰；v.使快乐；vt.安慰(物)，缓和 | |
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outgrow
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| vt.长大得使…不再适用；成长得不再要 | |
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outgrown
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| 长[发展] 得超过（某物）的范围( outgrow的过去分词 )； 长[发展]得不能再要（某物）； 长得比…快； 生长速度超过 | |
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freshmen
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afterward
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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19
disquieting
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| adj.令人不安的，令人不平静的v.使不安，使忧虑，使烦恼( disquiet的现在分词 ) | |
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20
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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21
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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22
playwright
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| n.剧作家，编写剧本的人 | |
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23
consolation
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| n.安慰，慰问 | |
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24
doomed
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| 命定的 | |
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25
playwrights
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| n.剧作家( playwright的名词复数 ) | |
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26
lamentably
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| adv.哀伤地，拙劣地 | |
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27
whatsoever
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| adv.（用于否定句中以加强语气）任何；pron.无论什么 | |
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28
bishop
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| n.主教，（国际象棋）象 | |
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29
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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30
honorarium
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| n.酬金，谢礼 | |
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31
tart
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| adj.酸的；尖酸的，刻薄的；n.果馅饼；淫妇 | |
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32
pester
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| v.纠缠，强求 | |
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33
queries
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| n.问题( query的名词复数 )；疑问；询问；问号v.质疑，对…表示疑问( query的第三人称单数 )；询问 | |
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34
persistent
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| adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的 | |
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35
propounding
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| v.提出（问题、计划等）供考虑[讨论]，提议( propound的现在分词 ) | |
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36
luncheon
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| n.午宴，午餐，便宴 | |
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37
metropolitan
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| adj.大城市的，大都会的 | |
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38
sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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39
enquire
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| v.打听，询问；调查，查问 | |
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40
trifling
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| adj.微不足道的；没什么价值的 | |
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41
wedded
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|
| adj.正式结婚的；渴望…的，执著于…的v.嫁，娶，（与…）结婚( wed的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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42
wed
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| v.娶，嫁，与…结婚 | |
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43
deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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44
coveted
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| adj.令人垂涎的；垂涎的，梦寐以求的v.贪求，觊觎(covet的过去分词)；垂涎；贪图 | |
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45
attained
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| （通常经过努力）实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况） | |
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46
acumen
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| n.敏锐，聪明 | |
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47
swollen
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| adj.肿大的，水涨的；v.使变大，肿胀 | |
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48
fidelity
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| n.忠诚，忠实；精确 | |
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49
briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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50
wholesome
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| adj.适合；卫生的；有益健康的；显示身心健康的 | |
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51
knack
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| n.诀窍，做事情的灵巧的，便利的方法 | |
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52
infinitives
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| n.（动词）不定式( infinitive的名词复数 ) | |
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53
tact
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| n.机敏，圆滑，得体 | |
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54
discretion
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| n.谨慎；随意处理 | |
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55
infinitely
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| adv.无限地，无穷地 | |
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56
snug
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| adj.温暖舒适的，合身的，安全的；v.使整洁干净，舒适地依靠，紧贴；n.（英）酒吧里的私房 | |
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57
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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58
costly
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| adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的 | |
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59
contemplated
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| adj. 预期的 动词contemplate的过去分词形式 | |
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60
lamentable
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| adj.令人惋惜的，悔恨的 | |
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61
extenuation
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| n.减轻罪孽的借口；酌情减轻；细 | |
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62
inborn
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| adj.天生的，生来的，先天的 | |
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63
dilatory
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| adj.迟缓的，不慌不忙的 | |
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64
fiery
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| adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的 | |
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65
alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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66
procrastinating
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| 拖延，耽搁( procrastinate的现在分词 )； 拖拉 | |
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67
narrative
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| n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的 | |
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68
morass
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| n.沼泽，困境 | |
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69
homely
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| adj.家常的，简朴的；不漂亮的 | |
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70
athletic
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| adj.擅长运动的，强健的；活跃的，体格健壮的 | |
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71
honourable
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| adj.可敬的；荣誉的，光荣的 | |
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72
proficient
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| adj.熟练的，精通的；n.能手，专家 | |
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73
inquisitive
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| adj.求知欲强的，好奇的，好寻根究底的 | |
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74
thatch
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| vt.用茅草覆盖…的顶部；n.茅草(屋) | |
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75
hue
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| n.色度；色调；样子 | |
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76
curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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77
imposing
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| adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的 | |
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78
tractable
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| adj.易驾驭的；温顺的 | |
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79
bass
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| n.男低音(歌手)；低音乐器；低音大提琴 | |
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80
killer
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| n.杀人者，杀人犯，杀手，屠杀者 | |
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81
consorted
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| v.结伴( consort的过去式和过去分词 )；交往；相称；调和 | |
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82
bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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83
knights
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| 骑士； （中古时代的）武士( knight的名词复数 )； 骑士； 爵士； （国际象棋中）马 | |
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84
longevity
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| n.长命；长寿 | |
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85
feudal
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| adj.封建的，封地的，领地的 | |
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86
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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87
armour
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| （=armor）n.盔甲；装甲部队 | |
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88
provocation
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| n.激怒，刺激，挑拨，挑衅的事物，激怒的原因 | |
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89
astounding
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| adj.使人震惊的vt.使震惊，使大吃一惊astound的现在分词) | |
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90
aspired
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| v.渴望，追求( aspire的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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91
monk
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| n.和尚，僧侣，修道士 | |
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92
hermit
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| n.隐士，修道者；隐居 | |
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93
wretch
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| n.可怜的人，不幸的人；卑鄙的人 | |
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94
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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95
longing
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| n.（for）渴望 | |
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96
thither
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| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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97
thereby
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| adv.因此，从而 | |
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98
dilettantism
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| n.业余的艺术爱好，浅涉文艺，浅薄涉猎 | |
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99
inflicting
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| 把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的现在分词 ) | |
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100
constrained
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| adj.束缚的,节制的 | |
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101
pamper
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| v.纵容，过分关怀 | |
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102
unreasonable
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| adj.不讲道理的，不合情理的，过度的 | |
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103
subdue
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| vt.制服，使顺从，征服；抑制，克制 | |
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104
parsimonious
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| adj.吝啬的，质量低劣的 | |
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105
measles
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| n.麻疹，风疹，包虫病，痧子 | |
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106
muse
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| n.缪斯（希腊神话中的女神），创作灵感 | |
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107
sequestered
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|
| adj.扣押的；隐退的；幽静的；偏僻的v.使隔绝，使隔离( sequester的过去式和过去分词 )；扣押 | |
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108
delectable
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| adj.使人愉快的；美味的 | |
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109
crest
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| n.顶点；饰章；羽冠；vt.达到顶点；vi.形成浪尖 | |
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110
baron
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| n.男爵；(商业界等)巨头，大王 | |
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111
inflamed
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| adj.发炎的，红肿的v.（使）变红，发怒，过热( inflame的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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112
facade
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| n.(建筑物的)正面，临街正面；外表 | |
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113
antiquity
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| n.古老；高龄；古物，古迹 | |
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114
considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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115
sere
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| adj.干枯的；n.演替系列 | |
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116
winding
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| n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈 | |
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117
tortuous
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| adj.弯弯曲曲的，蜿蜒的 | |
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118
execrating
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| v.憎恶( execrate的现在分词 )；厌恶；诅咒；咒骂 | |
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119
grandeur
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| n.伟大，崇高，宏伟，庄严，豪华 | |
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120
growling
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| n.吠声, 咆哮声 v.怒吠, 咆哮, 吼 | |
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121
fatigued
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| adj. 疲乏的 | |
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122
delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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123
scurrying
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| v.急匆匆地走( scurry的现在分词 ) | |
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124
whim
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| n.一时的兴致，突然的念头；奇想，幻想 | |
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125
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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126
entreaties
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| n.恳求，乞求( entreaty的名词复数 ) | |
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127
impoverished
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|
| adj.穷困的，无力的，用尽了的v.使（某人）贫穷( impoverish的过去式和过去分词 )；使（某物）贫瘠或恶化 | |
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128
prodigiously
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| adv.异常地，惊人地，巨大地 | |
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129
intensity
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| n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度 | |
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130
insomnia
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| n.失眠，失眠症 | |
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131
sterling
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| adj.英币的(纯粹的，货真价实的)；n.英国货币(英镑) | |
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132
notary
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| n.公证人，公证员 | |
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133
proprietor
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| n.所有人；业主；经营者 | |
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134
joyous
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| adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的 | |
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135
patrimony
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| n.世袭财产，继承物 | |
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136
solely
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| adv.仅仅，唯一地 | |
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137
tenant
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| n.承租人；房客；佃户；v.租借，租用 | |
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138
generosity
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| n.大度，慷慨，慷慨的行为 | |
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139
purely
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| adv.纯粹地，完全地 | |
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140
dungeon
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| n.地牢，土牢 | |
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141
inspection
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| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
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142
concession
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| n.让步，妥协；特许(权) | |
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143
assortment
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| n.分类，各色俱备之物，聚集 | |
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144
tapestry
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| n.挂毯，丰富多采的画面 | |
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145
blithesome
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| adj.欢乐的，愉快的 | |
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146
procure
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| vt.获得，取得，促成；vi.拉皮条 | |
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147
undo
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| vt.解开，松开；取消，撤销 | |
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148
ravages
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| 劫掠后的残迹，破坏的结果，毁坏后的残迹 | |
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149
abhorring
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| v.憎恶( abhor的现在分词 )；（厌恶地）回避；拒绝；淘汰 | |
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150
rheumatism
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| n.风湿病 | |
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151
plumbers
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| n.管子工，水暖工( plumber的名词复数 )；[美][口]（防止泄密的）堵漏人员 | |
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152
larder
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| n.食物贮藏室，食品橱 | |
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153
chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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154
fathom
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| v.领悟，彻底了解 | |
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155
vaulted
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| adj.拱状的 | |
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156
propriety
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| n.正当行为；正当；适当 | |
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157
gargantuan
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| adj.巨大的，庞大的 | |
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158
slab
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| n.平板，厚的切片；v.切成厚板，以平板盖上 | |
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surmounted
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| 战胜( surmount的过去式和过去分词 )； 克服（困难）； 居于…之上； 在…顶上 | |
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160
shudder
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| v.战粟，震动，剧烈地摇晃；n.战粟，抖动 | |
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161
reproof
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| n.斥责，责备 | |
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162
asininity
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| n.愚钝 | |
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163
cosy
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| adj.温暖而舒适的，安逸的 | |
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164
penetrate
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| v.透(渗)入；刺入，刺穿；洞察，了解 | |
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nervously
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| adv.神情激动地，不安地 | |
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166
contemplating
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| 深思，细想，仔细考虑( contemplate的现在分词 )； 注视，凝视； 考虑接受（发生某事的可能性）； 深思熟虑，沉思，苦思冥想 | |
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unstable
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| adj.不稳定的，易变的 | |
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168
turret
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| n.塔楼，角塔 | |
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169
collapses
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| 折叠( collapse的第三人称单数 )； 倒塌； 崩溃； （尤指工作劳累后）坐下 | |
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170
exacting
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| adj.苛求的，要求严格的 | |
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171
smoothly
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| adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地 | |
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172
counteract
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| vt.对…起反作用，对抗，抵消 | |
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173
insignificance
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| n.不重要；无价值；无意义 | |
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174
retinue
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| n.侍从；随员 | |
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175
disdain
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| n.鄙视，轻视；v.轻视，鄙视，不屑 | |
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176
swarming
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| 密集( swarm的现在分词 )； 云集； 成群地移动； 蜜蜂或其他飞行昆虫成群地飞来飞去 | |
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177
mortar
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| n.灰浆，灰泥；迫击炮；v.把…用灰浆涂接合 | |
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178
fumes
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| n.(强烈而刺激的)气味，气体 | |
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179
charcoal
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| n.炭，木炭，生物炭 | |
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180
crucibles
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| n.坩埚，严酷的考验（ crucible的名词复数 ） | |
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181
recesses
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| n.壁凹( recess的名词复数 )；（工作或业务活动的）中止或暂停期间；学校的课间休息；某物内部的凹形空间v.把某物放在墙壁的凹处( recess的第三人称单数 )；将（墙）做成凹形，在（墙）上做壁龛；休息，休会，休庭 | |
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182
jurisdiction
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| n.司法权，审判权，管辖权，控制权 | |
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183
distress
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| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
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184
rehabilitation
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| n.康复，悔过自新，修复，复兴，复职，复位 | |
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185
appreciably
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| adv.相当大地 | |
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186
apprentices
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| 学徒，徒弟( apprentice的名词复数 ) | |
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188
graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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189
ascending
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| adj.上升的，向上的 | |
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190
evacuating
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| 撤离，疏散( evacuate的现在分词 )； 排空（胃肠），排泄（粪便）； （从危险的地方）撤出，搬出，撤空 | |
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191
puffed
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| adj.疏松的v.使喷出( puff的过去式和过去分词 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧 | |
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192
serenity
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| n.宁静，沉着，晴朗 | |
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193
inquiry
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| n.打听，询问，调查，查问 | |
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194
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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