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Chapter 2
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    Don't you remember me now--at Mrs. Murrett's?"She threw the question at Darrow across a table of the quietcoffee-room to which, after a vainly prolonged quest for hertrunk, he had suggested taking her for a cup of tea.

  In this musty retreat she had removed her dripping hat, hungit on the fender to dry, and stretched herself on tiptoe infront of the round eagle-crowned mirror, above the mantelvases of dyed immortelles, while she ran her fingers comb-wise through her hair. The gesture had acted on Darrow'snumb feelings as the glow of the fire acted on hiscirculation; and when he had asked: "Aren't your feet wet,too?" and, after frank inspection1 of a stout-shod sole, shehad answered cheerfully: "No--luckily I had on my newboots," he began to feel that human intercourse2 would stillbe tolerable if it were always as free from formality.

  The removal of his companion's hat, besides provoking thisreflection, gave him his first full sight of her face; andthis was so favourable3 that the name she now pronounced fellon him with a quite disproportionate shock of dismay.

  "Oh, Mrs. Murrett's--was it THERE?"He remembered her now, of course: remembered her as one ofthe shadowy sidling presences in the background of thatawful house in Chelsea, one of the dumb appendages4 of theshrieking unescapable Mrs. Murrett, into whose talons5 he hadfallen in the course of his head-long pursuit of Lady UlricaCrispin. Oh, the taste of stale follies6! How insipid7 itwas, yet how it clung!

  "I used to pass you on the stairs," she reminded him.

  Yes: he had seen her slip by--he recalled it now--as hedashed up to the drawing-room in quest of Lady Ulrica. Thethought made him steal a longer look. How could such a facehave been merged8 in the Murrett mob? Its fugitive9 slantinglines, that lent themselves to all manner of tender tiltsand foreshortenings, had the freakish grace of some younghead of the Italian comedy. The hair stood up from herforehead in a boyish elf-lock, and its colour matched herauburn eyes flecked with black, and the little brown spot onher cheek, between the ear that was meant to have a rosebehind it and the chin that should have rested on a ruff.

  When she smiled, the left corner of her mouth went up alittle higher than the right; and her smile began in hereyes and ran down to her lips in two lines of light. He haddashed past that to reach Lady Ulrica Crispin!

  "But of course you wouldn't remember me," she was saying.

  "My name is Viner--Sophy Viner."Not remember her? But of course he DID! He was genuinelysure of it now. "You're Mrs. Murrett's niece," he declared.

  She shook her head. "No; not even that. Only her reader.""Her reader? Do you mean to say she ever reads?"Miss Viner enjoyed his wonder. "Dear, no! But I wrotenotes, and made up the visiting-book, and walked the dogs,and saw bores for her."Darrow groaned10. "That must have been rather bad!""Yes; but nothing like as bad as being her niece.""That I can well believe. I'm glad to hear," he added,"that you put it all in the past tense."She seemed to droop11 a little at the allusion12; then shelifted her chin with a jerk of defiance13. "Yes. All is atan end between us. We've just parted in tears--but not insilence!""Just parted? Do you mean to say you've been there all thistime?""Ever since you used to come there to see Lady Ulrica? Doesit seem to you so awfully14 long ago?"The unexpectedness of the thrust--as well as its doubtfultaste--chilled his growing enjoyment15 of her chatter16. He hadreally been getting to like her--had recovered, under thecandid approval of her eye, his usual sense of being apersonable young man, with all the privileges pertaining17 tothe state, instead of the anonymous18 rag of humanity he hadfelt himself in the crowd on the pier19. It annoyed him, atthat particular moment, to be reminded that naturalness isnot always consonant20 with taste.

  She seemed to guess his thought. "You don't like my sayingthat you came for Lady Ulrica?" she asked, leaning over thetable to pour herself a second cup of tea.

  He liked her quickness, at any rate. "It's better," helaughed, "than your thinking I came for Mrs. Murrett!""Oh, we never thought anybody came for Mrs. Murrett! It wasalways for something else: the music, or the cook--whenthere was a good one--or the other people; generally ONEof the other people.""I see."She was amusing, and that, in his present mood, was more tohis purpose than the exact shade of her taste. It was odd,too, to discover suddenly that the blurred21 tapestry22 of Mrs.

  Murrett's background had all the while been alive and fullof eyes. Now, with a pair of them looking into his, he wasconscious of a queer reversal of perspective.

  "Who were the 'we'? Were you a cloud of witnesses?""There were a good many of us." She smiled. "Let me see--who was there in your time? Mrs. Bolt--and Mademoiselle--andProfessor Didymus and the Polish Countess. Don't youremember the Polish Countess? She crystal-gazed, and playedaccompaniments, and Mrs. Murrett chucked her because Mrs.

  Didymus accused her of hypnotizing the Professor. But ofcourse you don't remember. We were all invisible to you;but we could see. And we all used to wonder about you----"Again Darrow felt a redness in the temples. "What aboutme?""Well--whether it was you or she who..."He winced23, but hid his disapproval24. It made the time passto listen to her.

  "And what, if one may ask, was your conclusion?""Well, Mrs. Bolt and Mademoiselle and the Countess naturallythought it was SHE; but Professor Didymus and JimmyBrance--especially Jimmy----""Just a moment: who on earth is Jimmy Brance?"She exclaimed in wonder: "You WERE absorbed--not toremember Jimmy Brance! He must have been right about you,after all." She let her amused scrutiny25 dwell on him. "Buthow could you? She was false from head to foot!""False----?" In spite of time and satiety26, the male instinctof ownership rose up and repudiated27 the charge.

  Miss Viner caught his look and laughed. "Oh, I only meantexternally! You see, she often used to come to my room aftertennis, or to touch up in the evenings, when they were goingon; and I assure you she took apart like a puzzle. In factI used to say to Jimmy--just to make him wild--:'I'll betyou anything you like there's nothing wrong, because I knowshe'd never dare un--'" She broke the word in two, and herquick blush made her face like a shallow-petalled roseshading to the deeper pink of the centre.

  The situation was saved, for Darrow, by an abrupt28 rush ofmemories, and he gave way to a mirth which she as franklyechoed. "Of course," she gasped29 through her laughter, "Ionly said it to tease Jimmy----"Her amusement obscurely annoyed him. "Oh, you're allalike!" he exclaimed, moved by an unaccountable sense ofdisappointment.

  She caught him up in a flash--she didn't miss things! "Yousay that because you think I'm spiteful and envious30? Yes--Iwas envious of Lady Ulrica...Oh, not on account of you orJimmy Brance! Simply because she had almost all the thingsI've always wanted: clothes and fun and motors, andadmiration and yachting and Paris--why, Paris alone wouldbe enough!--And how do you suppose a girl can see that sortof thing about her day after day, and never wonder why somewomen, who don't seem to have any more right to it, have itall tumbled into their laps, while others are writing dinnerinvitations, and straightening out accounts, and copyingvisiting lists, and finishing golf-stockings, and matchingribbons, and seeing that the dogs get their sulphur? Onelooks in one's glass, after all!"She launched the closing words at him on a cry that liftedthem above the petulance31 of vanity; but his sense of herwords was lost in the surprise of her face. Under theflying clouds of her excitement it was no longer a shallowflower-cup but a darkening gleaming mirror that might giveback strange depths of feeling. The girl had stuff in her--he saw it; and she seemed to catch the perception in hiseyes.

  "That's the kind of education I got at Mrs. Murrett's--andI never had any other," she said with a shrug32.

  "Good Lord--were you there so long?""Five years. I stuck it out longer than any of the others."She spoke33 as though it were something to be proud of.

  "Well, thank God you're out of it now!"Again a just perceptible shadow crossed her face. "Yes--I'mout of it now fast enough.""And what--if I may ask--are you doing next?"She brooded a moment behind drooped34 lids; then, with a touchof hauteur35: "I'm going to Paris: to study for the stage.""The stage?" Darrow stared at her, dismayed. All hisconfused contradictory36 impressions assumed a new aspect atthis announcement; and to hide his surprise he addedlightly: "Ah--then you will have Paris, after all!""Hardly Lady Ulrica's Paris. It s not likely to be roses,roses all the way.""It's not, indeed." Real compassion37 prompted him tocontinue: "Have you any--any influence you can count on?"She gave a somewhat flippant little laugh. "None but myown. I've never had any other to count on."He passed over the obvious reply. "But have you any ideahow the profession is over-crowded? I know I'm trite----""I've a very clear idea. But I couldn't go on as I was.""Of course not. But since, as you say, you'd stuck it outlonger than any of the others, couldn't you at least haveheld on till you were sure of some kind of an opening?"She made no reply for a moment; then she turned a listlessglance to the rain-beaten window. "Oughtn't we bestarting?" she asked, with a lofty assumption ofindifference that might have been Lady Ulrica's.

  Darrow, surprised by the change, but accepting her rebuff asa phase of what he guessed to be a confused and tormentedmood, rose from his seat and lifted her jacket from thechair-back on which she had hung it to dry. As he held ittoward her she looked up at him quickly.

  "The truth is, we quarrelled," she broke out, "and I leftlast night without my dinner--and without my salary.""Ah--" he groaned, with a sharp perception of all the sordiddangers that might attend such a break with Mrs. Murrett.

  "And without a character!" she added, as she slipped herarms into the jacket. "And without a trunk, as it appears--but didn't you say that, before going, there'd be time foranother look at the station?"There was time for another look at the station; but the lookagain resulted in disappointment, since her trunk wasnowhere to be found in the huge heap disgorged by the newly-arrived London express. The fact caused Miss Viner amoment's perturbation; but she promptly38 adjusted herself tothe necessity of proceeding39 on her journey, and her decisionconfirmed Darrow's vague resolve to go to Paris instead ofretracing his way to London.

  Miss Viner seemed cheered at the prospect40 of his company,and sustained by his offer to telegraph to Charing41 Cross forthe missing trunk; and he left her to wait in the fly whilehe hastened back to the telegraph office. The enquirydespatched, he was turning away from the desk when anotherthought struck him and he went back and indited42 a message tohis servant in London: "If any letters with French post-markreceived since departure forward immediately to TerminusHotel Gare du Nord Paris."Then he rejoined Miss Viner, and they drove off through therain to the pier.


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 inspection y6TxG     
n.检查,审查,检阅
参考例句:
  • On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查,发现肉变质了。
  • The soldiers lined up for their daily inspection by their officers.士兵们列队接受军官的日常检阅。
2 intercourse NbMzU     
n.性交;交流,交往,交际
参考例句:
  • The magazine becomes a cultural medium of intercourse between the two peoples.该杂志成为两民族间文化交流的媒介。
  • There was close intercourse between them.他们过往很密。
3 favourable favourable     
adj.赞成的,称赞的,有利的,良好的,顺利的
参考例句:
  • The company will lend you money on very favourable terms.这家公司将以非常优惠的条件借钱给你。
  • We found that most people are favourable to the idea.我们发现大多数人同意这个意见。
4 appendages 5ed0041aa3aab8c9e76c5d0b7c40fbe4     
n.附属物( appendage的名词复数 );依附的人;附属器官;附属肢体(如臂、腿、尾等)
参考例句:
  • The 11th segment carries a pair of segmented appendages, the cerci. 第十一节有一对分节的附肢,即尾须。 来自辞典例句
  • Paired appendages, with one on each side of the body, are common in many animals. 很多动物身上有成对的附肢,一侧一个,这是很普遍的现象。 来自辞典例句
5 talons 322566a2ccb8410b21604b31bc6569ac     
n.(尤指猛禽的)爪( talon的名词复数 );(如爪般的)手指;爪状物;锁簧尖状突出部
参考例句:
  • The fingers were curved like talons, but they closed on empty air. 他的指头弯得像鹰爪一样,可是抓了个空。 来自英汉文学 - 热爱生命
  • The tiger has a pair of talons. 老虎有一对利爪。 来自辞典例句
6 follies e0e754f59d4df445818b863ea1aa3eba     
罪恶,时事讽刺剧; 愚蠢,蠢笨,愚蠢的行为、思想或做法( folly的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • He has given up youthful follies. 他不再做年轻人的荒唐事了。
  • The writings of Swift mocked the follies of his age. 斯威夫特的作品嘲弄了他那个时代的愚人。
7 insipid TxZyh     
adj.无味的,枯燥乏味的,单调的
参考例句:
  • The food was rather insipid and needed gingering up.这食物缺少味道,需要加点作料。
  • She said she was a good cook,but the food she cooked is insipid.她说她是个好厨师,但她做的食物却是无味道的。
8 merged d33b2d33223e1272c8bbe02180876e6f     
(使)混合( merge的过去式和过去分词 ); 相融; 融入; 渐渐消失在某物中
参考例句:
  • Turf wars are inevitable when two departments are merged. 两个部门合并时总免不了争争权限。
  • The small shops were merged into a large market. 那些小商店合并成为一个大商场。
9 fugitive bhHxh     
adj.逃亡的,易逝的;n.逃犯,逃亡者
参考例句:
  • The police were able to deduce where the fugitive was hiding.警方成功地推断出那逃亡者躲藏的地方。
  • The fugitive is believed to be headed for the border.逃犯被认为在向国境线逃窜。
10 groaned 1a076da0ddbd778a674301b2b29dff71     
v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 );发牢骚;抱怨;受苦
参考例句:
  • He groaned in anguish. 他痛苦地呻吟。
  • The cart groaned under the weight of the piano. 大车在钢琴的重压下嘎吱作响。 来自《简明英汉词典》
11 droop p8Zyd     
v.低垂,下垂;凋萎,萎靡
参考例句:
  • The heavy snow made the branches droop.大雪使树枝垂下来。
  • Don't let your spirits droop.不要萎靡不振。
12 allusion CfnyW     
n.暗示,间接提示
参考例句:
  • He made an allusion to a secret plan in his speech.在讲话中他暗示有一项秘密计划。
  • She made no allusion to the incident.她没有提及那个事件。
13 defiance RmSzx     
n.挑战,挑衅,蔑视,违抗
参考例句:
  • He climbed the ladder in defiance of the warning.他无视警告爬上了那架梯子。
  • He slammed the door in a spirit of defiance.他以挑衅性的态度把门砰地一下关上。
14 awfully MPkym     
adv.可怕地,非常地,极端地
参考例句:
  • Agriculture was awfully neglected in the past.过去农业遭到严重忽视。
  • I've been feeling awfully bad about it.对这我一直感到很难受。
15 enjoyment opaxV     
n.乐趣;享有;享用
参考例句:
  • Your company adds to the enjoyment of our visit. 有您的陪同,我们这次访问更加愉快了。
  • After each joke the old man cackled his enjoyment.每逢讲完一个笑话,这老人就呵呵笑着表示他的高兴。
16 chatter BUfyN     
vi./n.喋喋不休;短促尖叫;(牙齿)打战
参考例句:
  • Her continuous chatter vexes me.她的喋喋不休使我烦透了。
  • I've had enough of their continual chatter.我已厌烦了他们喋喋不休的闲谈。
17 pertaining d922913cc247e3b4138741a43c1ceeb2     
与…有关系的,附属…的,为…固有的(to)
参考例句:
  • Living conditions are vastly different from those pertaining in their country of origin. 生活条件与他们祖国大不相同。
  • The inspector was interested in everything pertaining to the school. 视察员对有关学校的一切都感兴趣。
18 anonymous lM2yp     
adj.无名的;匿名的;无特色的
参考例句:
  • Sending anonymous letters is a cowardly act.寄匿名信是懦夫的行为。
  • The author wishes to remain anonymous.作者希望姓名不公开。
19 pier U22zk     
n.码头;桥墩,桥柱;[建]窗间壁,支柱
参考例句:
  • The pier of the bridge has been so badly damaged that experts worry it is unable to bear weight.这座桥的桥桩破损厉害,专家担心它已不能负重。
  • The ship was making towards the pier.船正驶向码头。
20 consonant mYEyY     
n.辅音;adj.[音]符合的
参考例句:
  • The quality of this suit isn't quite consonant with its price.这套衣服的质量和价钱不相称。
  • These are common consonant clusters at the beginning of words.这些单词的开头有相同辅音组合。
21 blurred blurred     
v.(使)变模糊( blur的过去式和过去分词 );(使)难以区分;模模糊糊;迷离
参考例句:
  • She suffered from dizziness and blurred vision. 她饱受头晕目眩之苦。
  • Their lazy, blurred voices fell pleasantly on his ears. 他们那种慢吞吞、含糊不清的声音在他听起来却很悦耳。 来自《简明英汉词典》
22 tapestry 7qRy8     
n.挂毯,丰富多采的画面
参考例句:
  • How about this artistic tapestry and this cloisonne vase?这件艺术挂毯和这个景泰蓝花瓶怎么样?
  • The wall of my living room was hung with a tapestry.我的起居室的墙上挂着一块壁毯。
23 winced 7be9a27cb0995f7f6019956af354c6e4     
赶紧避开,畏缩( wince的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He winced as the dog nipped his ankle. 狗咬了他的脚腕子,疼得他龇牙咧嘴。
  • He winced as a sharp pain shot through his left leg. 他左腿一阵剧痛疼得他直龇牙咧嘴。
24 disapproval VuTx4     
n.反对,不赞成
参考例句:
  • The teacher made an outward show of disapproval.老师表面上表示不同意。
  • They shouted their disapproval.他们喊叫表示反对。
25 scrutiny ZDgz6     
n.详细检查,仔细观察
参考例句:
  • His work looks all right,but it will not bear scrutiny.他的工作似乎很好,但是经不起仔细检查。
  • Few wives in their forties can weather such a scrutiny.很少年过四十的妻子经得起这么仔细的观察。
26 satiety hY5xP     
n.饱和;(市场的)充分供应
参考例句:
  • There is no satiety in study.学无止境。
  • Their presence in foods induces satiety at meal time.它们在食物中的存在诱导进餐时的满足感。
27 repudiated c3b68e77368cc11bbc01048bf409b53b     
v.(正式地)否认( repudiate的过去式和过去分词 );拒绝接受;拒绝与…往来;拒不履行(法律义务)
参考例句:
  • All slanders and libels should be repudiated. 一切诬蔑不实之词,应予推倒。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • The Prime Minister has repudiated racist remarks made by a member of the Conservative Party. 首相已经驳斥了一个保守党成员的种族主义言论。 来自辞典例句
28 abrupt 2fdyh     
adj.突然的,意外的;唐突的,鲁莽的
参考例句:
  • The river takes an abrupt bend to the west.这河突然向西转弯。
  • His abrupt reply hurt our feelings.他粗鲁的回答伤了我们的感情。
29 gasped e6af294d8a7477229d6749fa9e8f5b80     
v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 );喘息;倒抽气;很想要
参考例句:
  • She gasped at the wonderful view. 如此美景使她惊讶得屏住了呼吸。
  • People gasped with admiration at the superb skill of the gymnasts. 体操运动员的高超技艺令人赞叹。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
30 envious n8SyX     
adj.嫉妒的,羡慕的
参考例句:
  • I don't think I'm envious of your success.我想我并不嫉妒你的成功。
  • She is envious of Jane's good looks and covetous of her car.她既忌妒简的美貌又垂涎她的汽车。
31 petulance oNgxw     
n.发脾气,生气,易怒,暴躁,性急
参考例句:
  • His petulance made her impatient.他的任性让她无法忍受。
  • He tore up the manuscript in a fit of petulance.他一怒之下把手稿撕碎了。
32 shrug Ry3w5     
v.耸肩(表示怀疑、冷漠、不知等)
参考例句:
  • With a shrug,he went out of the room.他耸一下肩,走出了房间。
  • I admire the way she is able to shrug off unfair criticism.我很佩服她能对错误的批评意见不予理会。
33 spoke XryyC     
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
参考例句:
  • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
  • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
34 drooped ebf637c3f860adcaaf9c11089a322fa5     
弯曲或下垂,发蔫( droop的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • Her eyelids drooped as if she were on the verge of sleep. 她眼睑低垂好像快要睡着的样子。
  • The flowers drooped in the heat of the sun. 花儿晒蔫了。
35 hauteur z58yc     
n.傲慢
参考例句:
  • Once,she had been put off by his hauteur.她曾经对他的傲慢很反感。
  • A deeper shade of hauteur overspread his features,but he said not a word.一阵傲慢的阴影罩上了他的脸,可是他一句话也没有说。
36 contradictory VpazV     
adj.反驳的,反对的,抗辩的;n.正反对,矛盾对立
参考例句:
  • The argument is internally contradictory.论据本身自相矛盾。
  • What he said was self-contradictory.他讲话前后不符。
37 compassion 3q2zZ     
n.同情,怜悯
参考例句:
  • He could not help having compassion for the poor creature.他情不自禁地怜悯起那个可怜的人来。
  • Her heart was filled with compassion for the motherless children.她对于没有母亲的孩子们充满了怜悯心。
38 promptly LRMxm     
adv.及时地,敏捷地
参考例句:
  • He paid the money back promptly.他立即还了钱。
  • She promptly seized the opportunity his absence gave her.她立即抓住了因他不在场给她创造的机会。
39 proceeding Vktzvu     
n.行动,进行,(pl.)会议录,学报
参考例句:
  • This train is now proceeding from Paris to London.这次列车从巴黎开往伦敦。
  • The work is proceeding briskly.工作很有生气地进展着。
40 prospect P01zn     
n.前景,前途;景色,视野
参考例句:
  • This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。
  • The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。
41 charing 188ca597d1779221481bda676c00a9be     
n.炭化v.把…烧成炭,把…烧焦( char的现在分词 );烧成炭,烧焦;做杂役女佣
参考例句:
  • We married in the chapel of Charing Cross Hospital in London. 我们是在伦敦查令十字医院的小教堂里结的婚。 来自辞典例句
  • No additional charge for children under12 charing room with parents. ☆十二岁以下小童与父母同房不另收费。 来自互联网
42 indited 4abebbe1f2826ee347006afa15018eb9     
v.写(文章,信等)创作,赋诗,创作( indite的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:


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