I cannot describe our finish any better than our start; for our fear passed away as it had come, without cause. Suddenly I was able to see, and hear, and cough, and clear my mouth. Looking back, I saw that the others were stopping too; and, in a short time, we were all together, though it was long before we could speak, and longer before we dared to.
No one was seriously injured. My poor wife had sprained1 her ankle, Leyland had torn one of his nails on a tree trunk, and I myself had scraped and damaged my ear. I never noticed it till I had stopped.
We were all silent, searching one another's faces. Suddenly Miss Mary Robinson gave a terrible shriek2. "Oh, merciful heavens! where is Eustace?" And then she would have fallen, if Mr. Sandbach had not caught her.
"We must go back, we must go back at once," said my Rose, who was quite the most collected of the party. "But I hope—I feel he is safe."
Such was the cowardice3 of Leyland, that he objected. But, finding himself in a minority, and being afraid of being left alone, he gave in. Rose and I supported my poor wife, Mr. Sandbach and Miss Robinson helped Miss Mary, and we returned slowly and silently, taking forty minutes to ascend4 the path that we had descended5 in ten.
Our conversation was naturally disjointed, as no one wished to offer an opinion on what had happened. Rose was the most talkative: she startled us all by saying that she had very nearly stopped where she was.
"Do you mean to say that you weren't—that you didn't feel compelled to go?" said Mr. Sandbach.
"Oh, of course, I did feel frightened"—she was the first to use the word—"but I somehow felt that if I could stop on it would be quite different, that I shouldn't be frightened at all, so to speak." Rose never did express herself clearly: still, it is greatly to her credit that she, the youngest of us, should have held on so long at that terrible time.
"I should have stopped, I do believe," she continued, "if I had not seen mamma go."
Rose's experience comforted us a little about Eustace. But a feeling of terrible foreboding was on us all, as we painfully climbed the chestnut-covered slopes and neared the little clearing. When we reached it our tongues broke loose. There, at the further side, were the remains6 of our lunch, and close to them, lying motionless on his back, was Eustace.
With some presence of mind I at once cried out: "Hey, you young monkey! jump up!" But he made no reply, nor did he answer when his poor aunts spoke7 to him. And, to my unspeakable horror, I saw one of those green lizards8 dart9 out from under his shirt-cuff as we approached.
We stood watching him as he lay there so silently, and my ears began to tingle10 in expectation of the outbursts of lamentations and tears.
Miss Mary fell on her knees beside him and touched his hand, which was convulsively entwined in the long grass.
As she did so, he opened his eyes and smiled.
I have often seen that peculiar11 smile since, both on the possessor's face and on the photographs of him that are beginning to get into the illustrated12 papers. But, till then, Eustace had always worn a peevish13, discontented frown; and we were all unused to this disquieting14 smile, which always seemed to be without adequate reason.
His aunts showered kisses on him, which he did not reciprocate15, and then there was an awkward pause, Eustace seemed so natural and undisturbed, yet, if he had not had astonishing experiences himself, he ought to have been all the more astonished at our extraordinary behaviour. My wife, with ready tact16, endeavoured to behave as if nothing had happened.
"Well, Mr. Eustace," she said, sitting down as she spoke, to ease her foot, "how have you been amusing yourself since we have been away?"
"Thank you, Mrs. Tytler, I have been very happy."
"And where have you been?"
"Here."
"And lying down all the time, you idle boy?"
"No, not all the time."
"What were you doing before?"
"Oh, my dear madam, hush19! hush!" Mr. Sandbach's voice broke in; and my wife, naturally mortified20 by the interruption, said no more and moved away. I was surprised to see Rose immediately take her place, and, with more freedom than she generally displayed, run her fingers through the boy's tousled hair.
"Eustace! Eustace!" she said, hurriedly, "tell me everything—every single thing."
Slowly he sat up—till then he had lain on his back.
"Oh, Rose," he whispered, and, my curiosity being aroused, I moved nearer to hear what he was going to say. As I did so, I caught sight of some goats' footmarks in the moist earth beneath the trees.
"Apparently21 you have had a visit from some goats," I observed. "I had no idea they fed up here."
Eustace laboriously22 got on to his feet and came to see; and when he saw the footmarks he lay down and rolled on them, as a dog rolls in dirt.
After that there was a grave silence, broken at length by the solemn speech of Mr. Sandbach.
"My dear friends," he said, "it is best to confess the truth bravely. I know that what I am going to say now is what you are all now feeling. The Evil One has been very near us in bodily form. Time may yet discover some injury that he has wrought23 among us. But, at present, for myself at all events, I wish to offer up thanks for a merciful deliverance."
With that he knelt down, and, as the others knelt, I knelt too, though I do not believe in the Devil being allowed to assail24 us in visible form, as I told Mr. Sandbach afterwards. Eustace came too, and knelt quietly enough between his aunts after they had beckoned25 to him. But when it was over he at once got up, and began hunting for something.
"Why! Someone has cut my whistle in two," he said. (I had seen Leyland with an open knife in his hand—a superstitious26 act which I could hardly approve.)
"Well, it doesn't matter," he continued.
"And why doesn't it matter?" said Mr. Sandbach, who has ever since tried to entrap27 Eustace into an account of that mysterious hour.
"Because I don't want it any more."
"Why?"
At that he smiled; and, as no one seemed to have anything more to say, I set off as fast as I could through the wood, and hauled up a donkey to carry my poor wife home. Nothing occurred in my absence, except that Rose had again asked Eustace to tell her what had happened; and he, this time, had turned away his head, and had not answered her a single word.
As soon as I returned, we all set off. Eustace walked with difficulty, almost with pain, so that, when we reached the other donkeys, his aunts wished him to mount one of them and ride all the way home. I make it a rule never to interfere29 between relatives, but I put my foot down at this. As it turned out, I was perfectly30 right, for the healthy exercise, I suppose, began to thaw31 Eustace's sluggish32 blood and loosen his stiffened33 muscles. He stepped out manfully, for the first time in his life, holding his head up and taking deep draughts34 of air into his chest. I observed with satisfaction to Miss Mary Robinson, that Eustace was at last taking some pride in his personal appearance.
Mr. Sandbach sighed, and said that Eustace must be carefully watched, for we none of us understood him yet. Miss Mary Robinson being very much—over much, I think—guided by him, sighed too.
"Come, come. Miss Robinson," I said, "there's nothing wrong with Eustace. Our experiences are mysterious, not his. He was astonished at our sudden departure, that's why he was so strange when we returned. He's right enough—improved, if anything."
"And is the worship of athletics35, the cult28 of insensate activity, to be counted as an improvement?" put in Leyland, fixing a large, sorrowful eye on Eustace, who had stopped to scramble36 on to a rock to pick some cyclamen. "The passionate37 desire to rend38 from Nature the few beauties that have been still left her—that is to be counted as an improvement too?"
It is mere39 waste of time to reply to such remarks, especially when they come from an unsuccessful artist, suffering from a damaged finger. I changed the conversation by asking what we should say at the hotel. After some discussion, it was agreed that we should say nothing, either there or in our letters home. Importunate40 truth-telling, which brings only bewilderment and discomfort41 to the hearers, is, in my opinion, a mistake; and, after a long discussion, I managed to make Mr. Sandbach acquiesce42 in my view.
Eustace did not share in our conversation. He was racing43 about, like a real boy, in the wood to the right. A strange feeling of shame; prevented us from openly mentioning our fright to him. Indeed, it seemed almost reasonable to conclude that it had made but little impression on him. So it disconcerted us when he bounded back with an armful of flowering acanthus, calling out:
"Do you suppose Gennaro'll be there when we get back?"
Gennaro was the stop-gap waiter, a clumsy, impertinent fisher-lad, who had been had up from Minori in the absence of the nice English-speaking Emmanuele. It was to him that we owed our scrappy lunch; and I could not conceive why Eustace desired to see him, unless it was to make mock with him of our behaviour.
"Yes, of course he will be there," said Miss Robinson. "Why do you ask, dear?"
"Oh, I thought I'd like to see him."
"And why?" snapped Mr. Sandbach.
"Because, because I do, I do; because, because I do." He danced away into the darkening wood to the rhythm of his words.
"This is very extraordinary," said Mr. Sandbach. "Did he like Gennaro before?"
"Gennaro has only been here two days," said Rose, "and I know that they haven't spoken to each other a dozen times."
Each time Eustace returned from the wood his spirits were higher. Once he came whooping44 down on us as a wild Indian, and another time he made believe to be a dog. The last time he came back with a poor dazed hare, too frightened to move, sitting on his arm. He was getting too uproarious, I thought; and we were all glad to leave the wood, and start upon the steep staircase path that leads down into Ravello. It was late and turning dark; and we made all the speed we could, Eustace scurrying45 in front of us like a goat.
Just where the staircase path debouches on the white high road, the next extraordinary incident of this extraordinary day occurred. Three old women were standing by the wayside. They, like ourselves, had come down from the woods, and they were resting their heavy bundles of fuel on the low parapet of the road. Eustace stopped in front of them, and, after a moment's deliberation, stepped forward and—kissed the left-hand one on the cheek!
"My good fellow!" exclaimed Mr. Sandbach, "are you quite crazy?"
Eustace said nothing, but offered the old woman some of his flowers, and then hurried on. I looked back; and the old woman's companions seemed as much astonished at the proceeding46 as we were. But she herself had put the flowers in her bosom47, and was murmuring blessings48.
This salutation of the old lady was the first example of Eustace's strange behaviour, and we were both surprised and alarmed. It was useless talking to him, for he either made silly replies, or else bounded away without replying at all.
He made no reference on the way home to Gennaro, and I hoped that that was forgotten. But, when we came to the Piazza49, in front of the Cathedral, he screamed out: "Gennaro! Gennaro!" at the top of his voice, and began running up the little alley50 that led to the hotel. Sure enough, there was Gennaro at the end of it, with his arms and legs sticking out of the nice little English-speaking waiter's dress suit, and a dirty fisherman's cap on his head—for, as the poor landlady51 truly said, however much she superintended his toilette, he always managed to introduce something incongruous into it before he had done.
Eustace sprang to meet him, and leapt right up into his arms, and put his own arms round his neck. And this in the presence, not only of us, but also of the landlady, the chambermaid, the facchino, and of two American ladies who were coming for a few days' visit to the little hotel.
I always make a point of behaving pleasantly to Italians, however little they may deserve it; but this habit of promiscuous52 intimacy53 was perfectly intolerable and could only lead to familiarity and mortification54 for all. Taking Miss Robinson aside, I asked her permission to speak seriously to Eustace on the subject of intercourse55 with social inferiors. She granted it; but I determined56 to wait till the absurd boy had calmed down a little from the excitement of the day. Meanwhile, Gennaro, instead of attending to the wants of the two new ladies, carried Eustace into the house, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
"Ho capito," I heard him say as he passed me. 'Ho capito' is the Italian for 'I have understood'; but, as Eustace had not spoken to him, I could not see the force of the remark. It served to increase our bewilderment, and, by the time we sat down at the dinner-table, our imaginations and our tongues were alike exhausted57.
I omit from this account the various comments that were made, as few of them seem worthy58 of being recorded. But, for three or four hours, seven of us were pouring forth59 our bewilderment in a stream of appropriate and inappropriate exclamations60. Some traced a connection between our behaviour in the afternoon and the behaviour of Eustace now. Others saw no connexion at all. Mr. Sandbach still held to the possibility of infernal influences, and also said that he ought to have a doctor. Leyland only saw the development of "that unspeakable Philistine61, the boy." Rose maintained, to my surprise, that everything was excusable; while I began to see that the young gentleman wanted a sound thrashing. The poor Miss Robinsons swayed helplessly about between these diverse opinions; inclining now to careful supervision62, now to acquiescence63, now to corporal chastisement64, now to Eno's Fruit Salt.
Dinner passed off fairly well, though Eustace was terribly fidgety, Gennaro as usual dropping the knives and spoons, and hawking65 and clearing his throat. He only knew a few words of English, and we were all reduced to Italian for making known our wants. Eustace, who had picked up a little somehow, asked for some oranges. To my annoyance66, Gennaro, in his answer made use of the second person singular—a form only used when addressing those who are both intimates and equals. Eustace had brought it on himself; but an impertinence of this kind was an affront67 to us all, and I was determined to speak, and to speak at once.
When I heard him clearing the table I went in, and, summoning up my Italian, or rather Neapolitan—the Southern dialects are execrable—I said, "Gennaro! I heard you address Signor Eustace with 'Tu.'"
"It is true."
"You are not right. You must use 'Lei' or 'Voi'—more polite forms. And remember that, though Signor Eustace is sometimes silly and foolish—this afternoon for example—yet you must always behave respectfully to him; for he is a young English gentleman, and you are a poor Italian fisher-boy."
I know that speech sounds terribly snobbish68, but in Italian one can say things that one would never dream of saying in English. Besides, it is no good speaking delicately to persons of that class. Unless you put things plainly, they take a vicious pleasure in misunderstanding you.
An honest English fisherman would have landed me one in the eye in a minute for such a remark, but the wretched down-trodden Italians have no pride. Gennaro only sighed, and said: "It is true."
"Quite so," I said, and turned to go. To my indignation I heard him add: "But sometimes it is not important."
"What do you mean?" I shouted.
"Signor Tytler, I wish to say this. If Eustazio asks me to call him 'Voi,' I will call him 'Voi.' Otherwise, no."
With that he seized up a tray of dinner things, and fled from the room with them; and I heard two more wine-glasses go on the court-yard floor.
I was now fairly angry, and strode out to interview Eustace. But he had gone to bed, and the landlady, to whom I also wished to speak, was engaged. After more vague wonderings, obscurely expressed owing to the presence of Janet and the two American ladies, we all went to bed, too, after a harassing70 and most extraordinary day.
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1
sprained
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| v.&n. 扭伤 | |
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shriek
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| v./n.尖叫，叫喊 | |
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cowardice
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| n.胆小，怯懦 | |
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ascend
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| vi.渐渐上升，升高；vt.攀登，登上 | |
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descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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8
lizards
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| n.蜥蜴( lizard的名词复数 ) | |
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dart
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| v.猛冲，投掷；n.飞镖，猛冲 | |
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tingle
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| vi.感到刺痛，感到激动；n.刺痛，激动 | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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illustrated
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| adj. 有插图的，列举的 动词illustrate的过去式和过去分词 | |
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peevish
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| adj.易怒的，坏脾气的 | |
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14
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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15
reciprocate
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| v.往复运动；互换；回报，酬答 | |
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tact
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| n.机敏，圆滑，得体 | |
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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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mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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hush
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| int.嘘，别出声；n.沉默，静寂；v.使安静 | |
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mortified
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| v.使受辱( mortify的过去式和过去分词 )；伤害（人的感情）；克制；抑制（肉体、情感等） | |
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21
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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laboriously
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| adv.艰苦地；费力地；辛勤地；（文体等）佶屈聱牙地 | |
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wrought
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| v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的 | |
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assail
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| v.猛烈攻击，抨击，痛斥 | |
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beckoned
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| v.（用头或手的动作）示意，召唤( beckon的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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superstitious
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| adj.迷信的 | |
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entrap
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| v.以网或陷阱捕捉，使陷入圈套 | |
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cult
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| n.异教，邪教；时尚，狂热的崇拜 | |
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interfere
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| v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰 | |
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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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thaw
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| v.（使）融化，（使）变得友善；n.融化，缓和 | |
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sluggish
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| adj.懒惰的，迟钝的，无精打采的 | |
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stiffened
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| 加强的 | |
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draughts
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| n. <英>国际跳棋 | |
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athletics
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| n.运动，体育，田径运动 | |
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scramble
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| v.爬行，攀爬，杂乱蔓延，碎片，片段，废料 | |
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passionate
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的 | |
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rend
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| vt.把…撕开，割裂；把…揪下来，强行夺取 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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importunate
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| adj.强求的；纠缠不休的 | |
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discomfort
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| n.不舒服，不安，难过，困难，不方便 | |
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acquiesce
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| vi.默许，顺从，同意 | |
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racing
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| n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的 | |
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whooping
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| 发嗬嗬声的，发咳声的 | |
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scurrying
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| v.急匆匆地走( scurry的现在分词 ) | |
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proceeding
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| n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报 | |
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bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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blessings
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| n.（上帝的）祝福( blessing的名词复数 )；好事；福分；因祸得福 | |
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piazza
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| n.广场；走廊 | |
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alley
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| n.小巷，胡同；小径，小路 | |
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landlady
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| n.女房东，女地主 | |
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52
promiscuous
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| adj.杂乱的，随便的 | |
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53
intimacy
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| n.熟悉，亲密，密切关系，亲昵的言行 | |
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54
mortification
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| n.耻辱，屈辱 | |
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intercourse
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| n.性交；交流，交往，交际 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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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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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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exclamations
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| n.呼喊( exclamation的名词复数 )；感叹；感叹语；感叹词 | |
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61
philistine
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| n.庸俗的人；adj.市侩的，庸俗的 | |
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supervision
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| n.监督，管理 | |
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acquiescence
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| n.默许；顺从 | |
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chastisement
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| n.惩罚 | |
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hawking
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| 利用鹰行猎 | |
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annoyance
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| n.恼怒，生气，烦恼 | |
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67
affront
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| n./v.侮辱，触怒 | |
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68
snobbish
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| adj.势利的，谄上欺下的 | |
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69
horrid
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| adj.可怕的；令人惊恐的；恐怖的；极讨厌的 | |
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70
harassing
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| v.侵扰，骚扰( harass的现在分词 )；不断攻击（敌人） | |
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