Having broken the ice with the social gathering6, at which every one alike showed exhibits, Lorraine began to run all her organizations on more popular lines. She persuaded a few volunteers to superintend the little girls' games; she set aside two special pages for their efforts in the manuscript magazine, and allowed them to vote for their own captain in their basket-ball club. These fresh departures did not pass without opposition7. Some of [62]her colleagues hinted broadly that Lorraine was making a bid for popularity.
"Monitresses should be loyal to the Sixth!" sniffed8 Vivien. "We don't want to mix with Dick, Tom and Harry9!"
"Don't you?" laughed Patsie, who never could resist a shot at Vivien. "I should have thought it was just Dick, Tom and Harry you wanted to mix with, and you're disgusted because it's only Maud, Gertie and Florrie! Honestly, you'd be far happier in a boys' school. You'd better get your mother to send you to one!"
"There's such a thing as co-education!" retorted Vivien.
She chuckled thoughtfully, for Vivien's remark had given her an idea. She confided11 it to Audrey, who was rather a chum of hers.
"I'm a little fed up with the Duchess," she remarked, "and I want to play a rag on her. I must play a rag on somebody, for things have been so dull lately, and the school wants livening up. She said something about co-education."
"Why, boys and girls going to school together. I believe they do it in America, and at just two or three places in England. I'm going to pretend that Miss Kingsley's taken it up, and that some boys are coming here. Vivien would be so fearfully excited. Oh! and I'll tell you what"—Patsie's eyes danced—"the most topping notion's just come to me! Let me whisper it!"
[63]Audrey bent13 a wavy14 brown head with a pale pink hair ribbon to receive the communication, then exploded into ripples15 of laughter.
The confederates did not publish their plans beforehand. Patsie was an experienced joker, and knew that the point would be lost if any hint were to leak out. It was noticeable, however, that in recreation time she paraded round the gymnasium arm-in-arm with Gracie Tatham and Sybil Snow, two tall Fifth Form girls. The fact was commented upon by Vivien herself.
"Another of Patsie's sudden friendships!" she remarked. "She doesn't generally have two going at the same time. What's come to her?"
"She's weighed down by her responsibility as a monitress, and is trying to spread culture through the school," explained Audrey, with a grave mouth, but an irrepressible twinkle in her eyes.
"Culture! Great Minerva! I'm sorry for the school if it takes Patsie as a model!"
Vivien, like most of us, was a mixture of faults and virtues17. One of her strong points was punctuality, and on this Patsie counted. She was nearly always one of the first to enter the cloak-room in the mornings. She liked to look over her lessons and set her books in order. On the following Thursday she turned up as usual at about a quarter to nine, and found, to her surprise, that Patsie and Audrey had already taken off their hats, and were tidying their hair in front of the mirror.
[64]"You here! Wonders will never cease! What's brought you out so early? Dear me, there's a large amount of titivating going on! Is all that for Miss Turner's benefit?"
Patsie deliberately18 fluffed out her hair, twisted a kiss-curl round her finger, and readjusted her slide before she answered:
"Haven't you heard the news?" she said abstractedly, pushing aside Audrey, who was trying to edge her from the mirror.
"What news?"
"Miss Kingsley's trying a new venture. I think you'll get a surprise when you go into our class-room!"
"Of course some boys' schools have really had to be given up for lack of masters, so what else can be done while the war's on?" added Audrey.
"What d'you mean?"
"I won't exactly tell you, but I can give you a hint. Look over there!" and Patsie nodded in the direction of the window.
Hanging on hooks were two boys' overcoats and caps. Vivien gazed at them as if thunderstruck.
"I don't know what you call it," said Audrey, "but I think it will be rather a stunt. Come along, Patsie, and have first innings!"
As the chums ran from the room, Vivien hurriedly buttoned her shoes and tore after them.
[65]"I don't know any more than yourself yet."
"We'll soon find out," volunteered Patsie flinging open the door of the Sixth Form room.
An unusual spectacle certainly greeted them: unusual at any rate in a ladies' school. Sitting on the desks with their backs to the door were two masculine figures, engaged in the pleasing occupation of pelting21 each other with exercise-books.
Apparently22 they did not hear the girls' entrance, for they continued their conversation.
"Rather a blossomy stunt to be here!"
"Great Judkins, yes! Guess we'll make things hum! I'm nuts on the girls!"
"Hope they're a decent-looking set!"
"Oh, right enough on the whole! But, old chap, let me tell you there's one—her name's Vivien——"
Here, to prevent awkward revelations, Vivien interrupted with a judicious23 cough. The long, trouser-clad legs slid from the desks, and the two manly24 voices ejaculated:
"Hallo! Our new school mates! How d'ye do?"
"Charmed to meet you, I'm sure!"
Quite in a flutter, Vivien advanced, looked, gasped, and spluttered out:
The masculine figures, unmindful of manners, collapsed26 on to the nearest seats, and sobbed27 with laughter.
"Took you in this time, old sport! Don't we [66]make killing28 boys? I believe you were just gone on us both! Oh, how it hurts to laugh! I feel weak!"
"I think you're a pair of idiots!" retorted Vivien. "I don't see anything funny in it."
"We do, though!" cackled Patsie. "Oh, Vivien, you looked so interested and excited! It gave me spasms29! There, don't get ratty over it! Brace30 up!"
"It was a jinky joke!" burbled Audrey. "I say, you two, you'd better scoot quick and do some lightning changing! If Miss Janet comes in there'll be squalls! She's not quite ready yet for co-education here. Stick on your waterproofs31 again! There, bolt before you're caught!"
"A nice monitress you are, Patsie Sullivan!" exploded the outraged32 Vivien. "Where's our authority to go to, I should like to know, if you and Audrey put Fifth Form girls up to such tricks? I wonder you condescend33 to it! If I were head girl, I can tell you I'd have something to say to you! But with these new slack ways there'll be no respect for us left. The school's going to the dogs, in my opinion!"
Patsie and Audrey beat a hurried retreat, for they knew that there was a certain amount of justice in Vivien's remarks. Their escapade, a report of which would, of course, be circulated through the school, would in no way enhance the authority of the Sixth. They hoped Lorraine would not hear about it, though it seemed inevitable34 that it must come to her ears. As a matter of [67]fact, Lorraine learnt the whole story before she had taken off her boots. She made little comment, but went into class with a cloud on her face.
The head girl was going through the difficult experience, shared by all who are suddenly placed in authority, of trying to hold the reins35 so as to satisfy everybody. To keep slackers up to the mark without gaining for herself the unenviable reputation of "a Tartar", to be pleasant with the juniors without loss of dignity, to preserve old standards while adopting new ones, called for all the tact36 she possessed37. She often felt her cousin a great impediment. Vivien was one of those people who love to give good advice, and to say what they would do in certain circumstances, urging on others drastic measures which they would probably never enforce themselves if they happened to be in authority. Sometimes, however, the objections were just, and this was a case in point. The matter floated in Lorraine's mind all the morning, as a kind of background to English literature and mathematics. She called a monitresses' meeting for four o'clock that very day.
When afternoon school was over, and Miss Janet, with the big volume of Milton, had taken her departure, Lorraine assembled her committee, intercepting38 Patsie and Audrey, who were trying to sneak39 from the room.
"Look here, you've got to stop!" she assured them.
"I've to call at the dressmaker's; I've brought my bicycle on purpose!" objected Audrey.
[68]"Then the dressmaker will have to wait ten minutes."
"And I'm due at the dentist's," declared Patsie.
"The dentist can wait too! It's most important for us all to be at this meeting. I can't possibly let any one off it."
Rather sulkily, Audrey and Patsie went back to their desks. Possibly they might have rebelled, but public opinion was plainly against them. Vivien was looking virtuous40, and Dorothy made some pointed41 remarks about duty before pleasure.
"If you think going to the dentist's and having that horrible drill whirling round and round inside your tooth is a pleasure, I wish you'd go instead of me," retorted Patsie, flinging her books back into her desk and banging the lid hard. "You'd be only too welcome to take my place."
"Don't be shrill42, child. Business is business, and the sooner we get it over the better. I want to go home myself."
"I won't keep you all more than a few minutes," interposed Lorraine. "What I want to say is this, that though I have openly rather held a brief for the juniors in some ways, I don't mean our authority over them to be in the least lessened43. Please don't misunderstand me about it. We must thoroughly44 uphold our dignity as monitresses," (turning a reproachful eye on Patsie and Audrey) "and enforce the rules as much as ever."
"We're certainly not going to grow slack. I [69]put it to every monitress to make it a point of honour to keep up discipline. There must be no truckling even with Fifth Form girls. Rules are rules!"
"Right you are, O Queen!"
"We'll be a regular set of dragons!"
"No giving in on our part!"
"Those juniors have been trying it on lately!"
"They're the limit sometimes!"
"Well, I'm glad we're all agreed," remarked Lorraine. "Whatever happens, we must support one another. I need not keep you any longer now. Patsie wants to get away to her dentist."
"Ugh! I don't feel in such a hurry to go and be tortured when it comes to the point," shuddered46 Patsie.
"But I'm keen on the dressmaker. She's making me the sweetest coat-frock you ever saw—in brown velveteen with braid trimming!" purred Audrey.
Having decided47 to keep a tight hand over the turbulent juniors, the monitresses proceeded to live up to their resolution. They inspected the cloak-room, sternly repressed giggling48 and talking on the stairs, and insisted upon an orderly queue for the issue of library books. Even Patsie turned the twinkle in her eye into a glance of reproof49. The lower forms, who had certainly been trying how far they could go, were disposed to rebel, and gave trouble on one or two occasions, but the slightest attempt at mutiny was met with instant firmness.
"Don't let them master you for a minute," counselled Lorraine. "If anything very flagrant [70]happens, report to me, and we'll deal with it in Committee."
It was only a few days after this, at twenty minutes past two by the big clock in the hall, that Vivien turned into the Sixth Form room, where most of her fellow-monitresses were assembled. Her cheeks were scarlet50, and her eyes flashed sparks.
"I've been having such a row with those wretched kids!" she exploded. "What do you think a lot of them were doing? Why, they'd actually gone into the gym., where everything had been placed ready for senior drill, and were racketing about with the clubs and dumb-bells. The second they saw me they bolted, and made a dash through the far door and out into the garden, leaving clubs and dumb-bells lying just anywhere. You never saw such a mess as the gym. was in! I had to send Effie Swan and Theresa Dawson to put things in order again. Then I went round to the cloak-room, and asked every single girl if she had been in the gym. Some of them owned up quite frankly51, but one told me a deliberate lie."
"Absolutely sure. Couldn't be mistaken. I saw her myself in the gym. She was the very last to run out."
"The mean little sneak! Lying is the absolute limit!" frowned Lorraine. "We can't stand that kind of thing—we shall just have to make an example of her. Which kiddie was it?"
[71]"I'm frightfully sorry to have to say it—but it was Monica."
There was dead silence for a moment. Lorraine's face was grim.
"Are you perfectly sure, Vivien?" asked Claudia.
"If you saw her, there's no more to be said," declared Lorraine emphatically. "Monica must report herself here after four o'clock, and we'll deal with the case as it deserves. Nellie, will you please take her this message," rapidly scribbling53 the summons on a piece of exercise-paper, "and tell her she's to come before going to the cloak-room. Dorothy, would you mind fetching me the Guilds Register? I'm going to cross off Monica's name. We can't have a liar54 in any of the societies."
"Oh, Lorraine, stop! Don't condemn55 her unheard!" pleaded Claudia. "She may have some excuse to offer."
"Qui s'excuse s'accuse!" returned Lorraine bitterly. "I'm afraid it's only too plain."
"But do let me try to find out! Don't be in such a dreadful hurry! Wait a bit!"
"What's the use of waiting? It had better be done now!"
And Lorraine, with a firm hand, drew a thick ink line through the name of Monica Forrester.
All through afternoon school Lorraine's head was in a whirl. The fact that Monica was her sister made her the more ready to punish her severely56. No one should say that she showed favour to her own family. After the crusade she had made for discipline, it was necessary to be [72]stern. And yet—Monica! She could not credit the child with telling a lie. Naughty and wilful57 she had often been, but deceitful and untruthful never. It was indeed a hard blow to be obliged to convict her of such sneaking58 behaviour. Yet duty was duty, and Lorraine set her teeth. Just before four o'clock Claudia asked permission from the mistress to leave a few minutes earlier, and made her exit while Patsie was collecting the essay books. Lorraine looked at her reproachfully, but of course could make no comment before Miss Turner. Directly the latter had taken her departure, there came a timid tap at the door, and Monica entered, a white-faced little figure with big puzzled eyes.
"Yes, I did send for you," replied Lorraine grimly. "I want to ask you, before all the monitresses, whether you were in the gym. this afternoon. Give a straight answer, Monica!"
"I've told Vivien I wasn't."
"Do you stick to that?"
"Yes."
"But Vivien saw you!"
"So she says. Can't you believe me, Lorraine?"
Monica's grey eyes were fixed60 full on her sister's face. There was a quiver in her voice. Lorraine steeled her heart and looked away.
"The word of a monitress is sufficient. I have been obliged to strike your name off the Guilds Register, Monica. For this term, at any rate, you won't have the privilege of belonging to any of the societies. I want you juniors to understand once and for all that you can't break rules and tell untruths. If you'd only confess!"
"I can't confess what I've not done!"
"But it's been proved against you, so it's no use persisting in denying it. I——"
"Stop a moment, Lorraine!" cried Claudia, bursting suddenly into the room. "It's quite a mistake! It wasn't Monica, after all! I ran downstairs and caught those juniors as they came out. I watched their backs, and Irene Holt has just the same blue serge and buttons as Monica, and the same coloured hair ribbon. They aren't alike in front, but their back views are absolute twins. I took Irene by the shoulders, and told her I knew she was guilty, and letting the blame fall on Monica, and she threw up the sponge at once, literally61 howled, and acknowledged it was she who had been in the gym. I told her to go and wait in her own form room, and she's sitting there, boo-hooing for all she's worth."
Lorraine's face cleared like sunlight bursting through a cloud. Her relief at the turn events had taken was intense.
"Shall I bring up the wretched kid?" asked Claudia.
"Oh, do please forgive her!" pleaded Monica. "She's such a scared rabbit! She never knows what she's saying!"
"Well, I call that sporting of you!" said Vivien, [74]smacking Monica heartily63 on the back. "I vote we just say no more about the whole business. Let Irene scoot off and mop her eyes at home. She's been punished enough, I dare say."
"Right you are!" agreed the others readily.
"I'll tell her she may go, then," said Claudia. "Lorraine, for goodness' sake take a penknife and scratch out that score you made through Monica's name in the Guilds Register. I told you to wait, but you were in such a precious hurry to execute vengeance64."
"I'll be only too glad to restore the honour of the family," smiled Lorraine.
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1
undue
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| adj.过分的；不适当的；未到期的 | |
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contention
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| n.争论，争辩，论战；论点，主张 | |
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etiquette
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| n.礼仪，礼节；规矩 | |
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aloof
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| adj.远离的；冷淡的，漠不关心的 | |
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guilds
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| 行会，同业公会，协会( guild的名词复数 ) | |
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gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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opposition
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| n.反对，敌对 | |
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sniffed
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| v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的过去式和过去分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说 | |
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harry
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| vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼 | |
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chuckled
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| 轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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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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vaguely
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| adv.含糊地，暖昧地 | |
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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wavy
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| adj.有波浪的，多浪的，波浪状的，波动的，不稳定的 | |
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ripples
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| 逐渐扩散的感觉( ripple的名词复数 ) | |
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stunt
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| n.惊人表演，绝技，特技；vt.阻碍...发育，妨碍...生长 | |
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virtues
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| 美德( virtue的名词复数 )； 德行； 优点； 长处 | |
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deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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pelting
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| 微不足道的，无价值的，盛怒的 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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judicious
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| adj.明智的，明断的，能作出明智决定的 | |
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manly
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| adj.有男子气概的；adv.男子般地，果断地 | |
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wretches
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| n.不幸的人( wretch的名词复数 )；可怜的人；恶棍；坏蛋 | |
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collapsed
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| adj.倒塌的 | |
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sobbed
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| 哭泣，啜泣( sob的过去式和过去分词 )； 哭诉，呜咽地说 | |
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killing
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| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
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spasms
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| n.痉挛( spasm的名词复数 )；抽搐；（能量、行为等的）突发；发作 | |
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brace
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| n. 支柱,曲柄,大括号; v. 绷紧,顶住,(为困难或坏事)做准备 | |
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waterproofs
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| n.防水衣物，雨衣 usually plural( waterproof的名词复数 )v.使防水，使不透水( waterproof的第三人称单数 ) | |
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outraged
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| a.震惊的，义愤填膺的 | |
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condescend
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| v.俯就，屈尊；堕落，丢丑 | |
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inevitable
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| adj.不可避免的，必然发生的 | |
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reins
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| 感情，激情； 缰( rein的名词复数 )； 控制手段； 掌管； （成人带着幼儿走路以防其走失时用的）保护带 | |
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tact
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| n.机敏，圆滑，得体 | |
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possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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intercepting
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| 截取（技术），截接 | |
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sneak
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| vt.潜行(隐藏,填石缝)；偷偷摸摸做；n.潜行；adj.暗中进行 | |
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virtuous
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| adj.有品德的，善良的，贞洁的，有效力的 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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lessened
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| 减少的，减弱的 | |
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thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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pointedly
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| adv.尖地，明显地 | |
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shuddered
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| v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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giggling
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| v.咯咯地笑( giggle的现在分词 ) | |
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49
reproof
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| n.斥责，责备 | |
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scarlet
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| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
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frankly
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| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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53
scribbling
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| n.乱涂[写]胡[乱]写的文章[作品]v.潦草的书写( scribble的现在分词 )；乱画；草草地写；匆匆记下 | |
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54
liar
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| n.说谎的人 | |
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55
condemn
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| vt.谴责，指责；宣判(罪犯)，判刑 | |
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severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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wilful
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| adj.任性的，故意的 | |
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sneaking
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| a.秘密的，不公开的 | |
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59
faltered
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| （嗓音）颤抖( falter的过去式和过去分词 )； 支吾其词； 蹒跚； 摇晃 | |
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60
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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61
literally
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| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 | |
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62
awfully
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| adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地 | |
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63
heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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64
vengeance
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| n.报复，报仇，复仇 | |
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