Just before Christmas Mrs. Hunter retired1 to a select Episcopal heaven, and Anson became the responsible head of his family. An unmarried aunt who had lived with them for years ran the house, and attempted with helpless inefficiency3 to chaperone the younger girls. All the children were less self-reliant than Anson, more conventional both in their virtues4 and in their shortcomings. Mrs. Hunter's death had postponed5 the début of one daughter and the wedding of another. Also it had taken something deeply material from all of them, for with her passing the quiet, expensive superiority of the Hunters came to an end.
For one thing, the estate, considerably6 diminished by two inheritance taxes and soon to be divided among six children, was not a notable fortune any more. Anson saw a tendency in his youngest sisters to speak rather respectfully of families that hadn't "existed" twenty years ago. His own feeling of precedence was not echoed in them—sometimes they were conventionally snobbish7, that was all. For another thing, this was the last summer they would spend on the Connecticut estate; the clamor against it was too loud: "Who wants to waste the best months of the year shut up in that dead old town?" Reluctantly he yielded—the house would go into the market in the fall, and next summer they would rent a smaller place in Westchester County. It was a step down from the expensive simplicity8 of his father's idea, and, while he sympathized with the revolt, it also annoyed him; during his mother's lifetime he had gone up there at least every other week-end—even in the gayest summers.
Yet he himself was part of this change, and his strong instinct for life had turned him in his twenties from the hollow obsequies of that abortive9 leisure class. He did not see this clearly—he still felt that there was a norm, a standard of society. But there was no norm, it was doubtful if there had ever been a true norm in New York. The few who still paid and fought to enter a particular set succeeded only to find that as a society it scarcely functioned—or, what was more alarming, that the Bohemia from which they fled sat above them at table.
At twenty-nine Anson's chief concern was his own growing loneliness. He was sure now that he would never marry. The number of weddings at which he had officiated as best man or usher10 was past all counting—there was a drawer at home that bulged11 with the official neckties of this or that wedding-party, neckties standing12 for romances that had not endured a year, for couples who had passed completely from his life. Scarf-pins, gold pencils, cuff-buttons, presents from a generation of grooms13 had passed through his jewel-box and been lost—and with every ceremony he was less and less able to imagine himself in the groom14's place. Under his hearty15 good-will toward all those marriages there was despair about his own.
And as he neared thirty he became not a little depressed16 at the inroads that marriage, especially lately, had made upon his friendships. Groups of people had a disconcerting tendency to dissolve and disappear. The men from his own college—and it was upon them he had expended17 the most time and affection—were the most elusive18 of all. Most of them were drawn19 deep into domesticity, two were dead, one lived abroad, one was in Hollywood writing continuities for pictures that Anson went faithfully to see.
Most of them, however, were permanent commuters with an intricate family life centring around some suburban20 country club, and it was from these that he felt his estrangement21 most keenly.
In the early days of their married life they had all needed him; he gave them advice about their slim finances, he exorcised their doubts about the advisability of bringing a baby into two rooms and a bath, especially he stood for the great world outside. But now their financial troubles were in the past and the fearfully expected child had evolved into an absorbing family. They were always glad to see old Anson, but they dressed up for him and tried to impress him with their present importance, and kept their troubles to themselves. They needed him no longer.
A few weeks before his thirtieth birthday the last of his early and intimate friends was married. Anson acted in his usual rôle of best man, gave his usual silver tea-service, and went down to the usual Homeric to say good-by. It was a hot Friday afternoon in May, and as he walked from the pier22 he realized that Saturday closing had begun and he was free until Monday morning.
"Go where?" he asked himself.
The Yale Club, of course; bridge until dinner, then four or five raw cocktails23 in somebody's room and a pleasant confused evening. He regretted that this afternoon's groom wouldn't be along—they had always been able to cram24 so much into such nights: they knew how to attach women and how to get rid of them, how much consideration any girl deserved from their intelligent hedonism. A party was an adjusted thing—you took certain girls to certain places and spent just so much on their amusement; you drank a little, not much, more than you ought to drink, and at a certain time in the morning you stood up and said you were going home. You avoided college boys, sponges, future engagements, fights, sentiment, and indiscretions. That was the way it was done. All the rest was dissipation.
In the morning you were never violently sorry—you made no resolutions, but if you had overdone25 it and your heart was slightly out of order, you went on the wagon26 for a few days without saying anything about it, and waited until an accumulation of nervous boredom27 projected you into another party.
The lobby of the Yale Club was unpopulated. In the bar three very young alumni looked up at him, momentarily and without curiosity.
"Hello there, Oscar," he said to the bartender. "Mr. Cahill been around this afternoon?"
"Oh ... that so?"
"Gone to the ball game. Lot of men gone up."
Anson looked once again into the lobby, considered for a moment, and then walked out and over to Fifth Avenue. From the broad window of one of his clubs—one that he had scarcely visited in five years—a gray man with watery29 eyes stared down at him. Anson looked quickly away—that figure sitting in vacant resignation, in supercilious30 solitude31, depressed him. He stopped and, retracing32 his steps, started over 47th Street toward Teak Warden33's apartment. Teak and his wife had once been his most familiar friends—it was a household where he and Dolly Karger had been used to go in the days of their affair. But Teak had taken to drink, and his wife had remarked publicly that Anson was a bad influence on him. The remark reached Anson in an exaggerated form—when it was finally cleared up, the delicate spell of intimacy34 was broken, never to be renewed.
"Is Mr. Warden at home?" he inquired.
"They've gone to the country."
The fact unexpectedly cut at him. They were gone to the country and he hadn't known. Two years before he would have known the date, the hour, come up at the last moment for a final drink, and planned his first visit to them. Now they had gone without a word.
Anson looked at his watch and considered a week-end with his family, but the only train was a local that would jolt35 through the aggressive heat for three hours. And to-morrow in the country, and Sunday—he was in no mood for porch-bridge with polite undergraduates, and dancing after dinner at a rural road-house, a diminutive36 of gaiety which his father had estimated too well.
"Oh, no," he said to himself.... "No."
He was a dignified37, impressive young man, rather stout38 now, but otherwise unmarked by dissipation. He could have been cast for a pillar of something—at times you were sure it was not society, at others nothing else—for the law, for the church. He stood for a few minutes motionless on the sidewalk in front of a 47th Street apartment-house; for almost the first time in his life he had nothing whatever to do.
Then he began to walk briskly up Fifth Avenue, as if he had just been reminded of an important engagement there. The necessity of dissimulation39 is one of the few characteristics that we share with dogs, and I think of Anson on that day as some well-bred specimen40 who had been disappointed at a familiar back door. He was going to see Nick, once a fashionable bartender in demand at all private dances, and now employed in cooling non-alcoholic champagne41 among the labyrinthine42 cellars of the Plaza43 Hotel.
"Nick," he said, "what's happened to everything?"
"Dead," Nick said.
"Make me a whiskey sour." Anson handed a pint44 bottle over the counter. "Nick, the girls are different; I had a little girl in Brooklyn and she got married last week without letting me know."
"That a fact? Ha-ha-ha," responded Nick diplomatically. "Slipped it over on you."
"Absolutely," said Anson. "And I was out with her the night before."
"Ha-ha-ha," said Nick, "ha-ha-ha!"
"Do you remember the wedding, Nick, in Hot Springs where I had the waiters and the musicians singing 'God save the King'?"
"Now where was that, Mr. Hunter?" Nick concentrated doubtfully. "Seems to me that was——"
"Next time they were back for more, and I began to wonder how much I'd paid them," continued Anson.
"—seems to me that was at Mr. Trenholm's wedding."
"Don't know him," said Anson decisively. He was offended that a strange name should intrude45 upon his reminiscences; Nick perceived this.
"Naw—aw—" he admitted, "I ought to know that. It was one of your crowd—Brakins .... Baker——"
"Bicker46 Baker," said Anson responsively. "They put me in a hearse after it was over and covered me up with flowers and drove me away."
"Ha-ha-ha," said Nick. "Ha-ha-ha."
Nick's simulation of the old family servant paled presently and Anson went up-stairs to the lobby. He looked around—his eyes met the glance of an unfamiliar47 clerk at the desk, then fell upon a flower from the morning's marriage hesitating in the mouth of a brass48 cuspidor. He went out and walked slowly toward the blood-red sun over Columbus Circle. Suddenly he turned around and, retracing his steps to the Plaza, immured49 himself in a telephone-booth.
Later he said that he tried to get me three times that afternoon, that he tried every one who might be in New York—men and girls he had not seen for years, an artist's model of his college days whose faded number was still in his address book—Central told him that even the exchange existed no longer. At length his quest roved into the country, and he held brief disappointing conversations with emphatic50 butlers and maids. So-and-so was out, riding, swimming, playing golf, sailed to Europe last week. Who shall I say phoned?
It was intolerable that he should pass the evening alone—the private reckonings which one plans for a moment of leisure lose every charm when the solitude is enforced. There were always women of a sort, but the ones he knew had temporarily vanished, and to pass a New York evening in the hired company of a stranger never occurred to him—he would have considered that that was something shameful51 and secret, the diversion of a travelling salesman in a strange town.
Anson paid the telephone bill—the girl tried unsuccessfully to joke with him about its size—and for the second time that afternoon started to leave the Plaza and go he knew not where. Near the revolving52 door the figure of a woman, obviously with child, stood sideways to the light—a sheer beige cape53 fluttered at her shoulders when the door turned and, each time, she looked impatiently toward it as if she were weary of waiting. At the first sight of her a strong nervous thrill of familiarity went over him, but not until he was within five feet of her did he realize that it was Paula.
"Why, Anson Hunter!"
His heart turned over.
"Why, Paula——"
"Why, this is wonderful. I can't believe it, Anson!"
She took both his hands, and he saw in the freedom of the gesture that the memory of him had lost poignancy54 to her. But not to him—he felt that old mood that she evoked55 in him stealing over his brain, that gentleness with which he had always met her optimism as if afraid to mar2 its surface.
"We're at Rye for the summer. Pete had to come East on business—you know of course I'm Mrs. Peter Hagerty now—so we brought the children and took a house. You've got to come out and see us."
"Can I?" he asked directly. "When?"
"When you like. Here's Pete." The revolving door functioned, giving up a fine tall man of thirty with a tanned face and a trim mustache. His immaculate fitness made a sharp contrast with Anson's increasing bulk, which was obvious under the faintly tight cut-away coat.
"You oughtn't to be standing," said Hagerty to his wife. "Let's sit down here." He indicated lobby chairs, but Paula hesitated.
"I've got to go right home," she said. "Anson, why don't you—why don't you come out and have dinner with us to-night? We're just getting settled, but if you can stand that——"
Hagerty confirmed the invitation cordially.
"Come out for the night."
Their car waited in front of the hotel, and Paula with a tired gesture sank back against silk cushions in the corner.
"There's so much I want to talk to you about," she said, "it seems hopeless."
"I want to hear about you."
"Well"—she smiled at Hagerty—"that would take a long time too. I have three children—by my first marriage. The oldest is five, then four, then three." She smiled again. "I didn't waste much time having them, did I?"
"Boys?"
"A boy and two girls. Then—oh, a lot of things happened, and I got a divorce in Paris a year ago and married Pete. That's all—except that I'm awfully56 happy."
In Rye they drove up to a large house near the Beach Club, from which there issued presently three dark, slim children who broke from an English governess and approached them with an esoteric cry. Abstractedly and with difficulty Paula took each one into her arms, a caress57 which they accepted stiffly, as they had evidently been told not to bump into Mummy. Even against their fresh faces Paula's skin showed scarcely any weariness—for all her physical languor58 she seemed younger than when he had last seen her at Palm Beach seven years ago.
At dinner she was preoccupied59, and afterward60, during the homage61 to the radio, she lay with closed eyes on the sofa, until Anson wondered if his presence at this time were not an intrusion. But at nine o'clock, when Hagerty rose and said pleasantly that he was going to leave them by themselves for a while, she began to talk slowly about herself and the past.
"My first baby," she said—"the one we call Darling, the biggest little girl—I wanted to die when I knew I was going to have her, because Lowell was like a stranger to me. It didn't seem as though she could be my own. I wrote you a letter and tore it up. Oh, you were so bad to me, Anson."
It was the dialogue again, rising and falling. Anson felt a sudden quickening of memory.
"Weren't you engaged once?" she asked—"a girl named Dolly something?"
"I wasn't ever engaged. I tried to be engaged, but I never loved anybody but you, Paula."
"Oh," she said. Then after a moment: "This baby is the first one I ever really wanted. You see, I'm in love now—at last."
He didn't answer, shocked at the treachery of her remembrance. She must have seen that the "at last" bruised62 him, for she continued:
"I was infatuated with you, Anson—you could make me do anything you liked. But we wouldn't have been happy. I'm not smart enough for you. I don't like things to be complicated like you do." She paused. "You'll never settle down," she said.
The phrase struck at him from behind—it was an accusation63 that of all accusations64 he had never merited.
"I could settle down if women were different," he said. "If I didn't understand so much about them, if women didn't spoil you for other women, if they had only a little pride. If I could go to sleep for a while and wake up into a home that was really mine—why, that's what I'm made for, Paula, that's what women have seen in me and liked in me. It's only that I can't get through the preliminaries any more."
Hagerty came in a little before eleven; after a whiskey Paula stood up and announced that she was going to bed. She went over and stood by her husband.
"Where did you go, dearest?" she demanded.
"I had a drink with Ed Saunders."
"I was worried. I thought maybe you'd run away."
She rested her head against his coat.
"He's sweet, isn't he, Anson?" she demanded.
"Absolutely," said Anson, laughing.
She raised her face to her husband.
"Well, I'm ready," she said. She turned to Anson: "Do you want to see our family gymnastic stunt65?"
"Yes," he said in an interested voice.
"All right. Here we go!"
Hagerty picked her up easily in his arms.
"This is called the family acrobatic stunt," said Paula. "He carries me up-stairs. Isn't it sweet of him?"
"Yes," said Anson.
"And I love him," she said. "I've just been telling you, haven't I, Anson?"
"Yes," he said.
"He's the dearest thing that ever lived in this world; aren't you, darling? ... Well, good night. Here we go. Isn't he strong?"
"Yes," Anson said.
"Yes," Anson said.
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1
retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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mar
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| vt.破坏，毁坏，弄糟 | |
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inefficiency
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| n.无效率，无能；无效率事例 | |
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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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postponed
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| vt.& vi.延期，缓办，（使）延迟vt.把…放在次要地位；[语]把…放在后面（或句尾）vi.（疟疾等）延缓发作（或复发） | |
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considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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snobbish
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| adj.势利的，谄上欺下的 | |
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simplicity
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| n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯 | |
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abortive
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| adj.不成功的，发育不全的 | |
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usher
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| n.带位员，招待员；vt.引导，护送；vi.做招待，担任引座员 | |
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bulged
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| 凸出( bulge的过去式和过去分词 )； 充满； 塞满（某物） | |
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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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13
grooms
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| n.新郎( groom的名词复数 )；马夫v.照料或梳洗（马等）( groom的第三人称单数 )；使做好准备；训练；（给动物）擦洗 | |
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groom
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| vt.给（马、狗等）梳毛，照料，使...整洁 | |
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hearty
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| adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的 | |
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depressed
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| adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的 | |
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expended
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| v.花费( expend的过去式和过去分词 )；使用（钱等）做某事；用光；耗尽 | |
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elusive
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| adj.难以表达(捉摸)的；令人困惑的；逃避的 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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suburban
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| adj.城郊的，在郊区的 | |
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estrangement
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| n.疏远，失和，不和 | |
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pier
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| n.码头；桥墩，桥柱；[建]窗间壁，支柱 | |
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cocktails
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| n.鸡尾酒( cocktail的名词复数 )；餐前开胃菜；混合物 | |
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cram
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| v.填塞，塞满，临时抱佛脚，为考试而学习 | |
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overdone
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| v.做得过分( overdo的过去分词 )；太夸张；把…煮得太久；（工作等）过度 | |
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wagon
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| n.四轮马车，手推车，面包车；无盖运货列车 | |
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boredom
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| n.厌烦，厌倦，乏味，无聊 | |
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haven
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| n.安全的地方，避难所，庇护所 | |
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watery
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| adj.有水的，水汪汪的；湿的，湿润的 | |
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supercilious
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| adj.目中无人的，高傲的；adv.高傲地；n.高傲 | |
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solitude
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| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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retracing
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| v.折回( retrace的现在分词 )；回忆；回顾；追溯 | |
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warden
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| n.监察员，监狱长，看守人，监护人 | |
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intimacy
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| n.熟悉，亲密，密切关系，亲昵的言行 | |
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jolt
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| v.（使）摇动，（使）震动，（使）颠簸 | |
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diminutive
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| adj.小巧可爱的，小的 | |
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dignified
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| a.可敬的，高贵的 | |
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dissimulation
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| n.掩饰，虚伪，装糊涂 | |
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specimen
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| n.样本，标本 | |
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champagne
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| n.香槟酒；微黄色 | |
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labyrinthine
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| adj.如迷宫的；复杂的 | |
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plaza
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| n.广场，市场 | |
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pint
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| n.品脱 | |
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intrude
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| vi.闯入；侵入；打扰，侵扰 | |
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bicker
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| vi.(为小事)吵嘴，争吵 | |
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unfamiliar
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| adj.陌生的，不熟悉的 | |
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brass
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| n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器 | |
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immured
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| v.禁闭，监禁( immure的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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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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51
shameful
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| adj.可耻的，不道德的 | |
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52
revolving
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| adj.旋转的，轮转式的；循环的v.（使）旋转( revolve的现在分词 )；细想 | |
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53
cape
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| n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风 | |
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poignancy
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| n.辛酸事，尖锐 | |
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55
evoked
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| [医]诱发的 | |
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56
awfully
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| adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地 | |
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57
caress
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| vt./n.爱抚，抚摸 | |
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58
languor
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| n.无精力，倦怠 | |
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preoccupied
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| adj.全神贯注的，入神的；被抢先占有的；心事重重的v.占据（某人）思想，使对…全神贯注，使专心于( preoccupy的过去式) | |
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60
afterward
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| adv.后来；以后 | |
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homage
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| n.尊敬，敬意，崇敬 | |
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62
bruised
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| [医]青肿的，瘀紫的 | |
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accusation
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| n.控告，指责，谴责 | |
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accusations
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| n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名 | |
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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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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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pajamas
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| n.睡衣裤 | |
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