There were a great many things sung and said at the festive8 board in the course of the evening; but very few of them would amuse or interest the reader, as they did the hearers. One thing, however, must not be passed by, as it had its consequences: Major Rickards drank bumpers9 apiece to the King, the Prince, Church and State, the Army, the Navy, and Kate Peyton. By the time he got to her, two-thirds of his discretion10 had oozed11 away in loyalty12, esprit du corps13, and port wine; so he sang the young lady's praises in vinous terms, and of course immortalized the very exploit she most desired to consign14 to oblivion: Arma viraginemque canebat. He sang the duel15: and in a style which I could not, consistently with the interests of literature, reproduce on a larger scale. Hasten we to the concluding versicles of his song.
"So then, sir, we placed our men for the third time, and you may take my word for it, one or both of these heroes would have bit the dust at that discharge; but, by Jove, sir, just as they were going to pull trigger, in galloped16 your adorable daughter, and swooned off her foaming17 horse in the middle of us. Disarmed18 us, sir, in a moment, melted our valor19, bewitched our senses; and the great God of War had to retreat before little Cupid, and the charms of beauty in distress20."
"Little idiot!" observed the tender parent; and was much distempered.
He said no more about it to Major Rickards; but, when they all retired21 for the night, he undertook to show Father Francis his room, and sat in it with him a good half-hour talking about Kate.
"Here's a pretty scandal!" said he: "I must marry the silly girl out of hand, before this gets wind; and you must help me."
In a word, the result of the conference was, that Kate should be publicly engaged to Neville to-morrow and married to him as soon as her month's mourning should be over.

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1
dispersing
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adj. 分散的 动词disperse的现在分词形式 | |
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2
truant
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n.懒惰鬼,旷课者;adj.偷懒的,旷课的,游荡的;v.偷懒,旷课 | |
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3
squire
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n.护卫, 侍从, 乡绅 | |
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4
premises
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n.建筑物,房屋 | |
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5
alacrity
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n.敏捷,轻快,乐意 | |
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6
inclement
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adj.严酷的,严厉的,恶劣的 | |
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7
distinguished
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adj.卓越的,杰出的,著名的 | |
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8
festive
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adj.欢宴的,节日的 | |
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9
bumpers
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(汽车上的)保险杠,缓冲器( bumper的名词复数 ) | |
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10
discretion
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n.谨慎;随意处理 | |
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11
oozed
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v.(浓液等)慢慢地冒出,渗出( ooze的过去式和过去分词 );使(液体)缓缓流出;(浓液)渗出,慢慢流出 | |
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12
loyalty
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n.忠诚,忠心 | |
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13
corps
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n.(通信等兵种的)部队;(同类作的)一组 | |
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14
consign
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vt.寄售(货品),托运,交托,委托 | |
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15
duel
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n./v.决斗;(双方的)斗争 | |
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16
galloped
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(使马)飞奔,奔驰( gallop的过去式和过去分词 ); 快速做[说]某事 | |
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17
foaming
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adj.布满泡沫的;发泡 | |
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18
disarmed
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v.裁军( disarm的过去式和过去分词 );使息怒 | |
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19
valor
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n.勇气,英勇 | |
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20
distress
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n.苦恼,痛苦,不舒适;不幸;vt.使悲痛 | |
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21
retired
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adj.隐退的,退休的,退役的 | |
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22
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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