The reader will doubtless refer the circumstance to the jealousy1 which is supposed to prompt the Faithful where women are required to pass before men; yet the best evidence of the Governor's thoughtfulness for his female guests met them at their approach to the Castle. There was not a man visible except a sentinel on the battlement above the gate, and he stood faced inwardly, making it impossible for him to see them when they drew near.
"Where are the horsemen of whom you spoke3? And the garrison4, where are they?" Sergius asked the Prince.
The latter shrugged5 his shoulders, as he answered:
"They will return presently."
Further proof of the same thoughtfulness was presented when the two chairs were set down in the broad stone-paved passage receiving from the front door. The sole occupant there was a man, tall as the monk6, but unnaturally7 slender; indeed, his legs resembled those of a lay figure, so thin were they, while the residue8 of his person, although clad in a burnoose gorgeously embroidered9, would have reminded a modern of the skeletons surgeons keep for office furniture. Besides blackness deep as the unlighted corner of a cellar, he had no beard. The Prince of India recognized him as one of the indispensables of an Eastern harem, and made ready to obey him without dissent--only the extravagance of the broidery on the burnoose confirmed him in the opinion that the chief just arrived outranked the Governor. "This is the Kislar Aga of a Prince," he said to himself.
The eunuch, like one accustomed to the duty, superintended the placement of the chairs; then, resting the point of a very bright crescent-shaped sword on the floor, he said, in a voice more incisive10 than the ordinary feminine tenor11:
"I will now conduct the ladies, and guard them. No one will presume to follow."
The Prince replied: "It is well; but they will be comforted if permitted to abide12 together."
He spoke with deference13, and the black responded:
"This is a fort, not a palace. There is but one chamber14 for the two."
"And if I wish to communicate with them or they with me?"
"Bismillah!" the eunuch replied. "They are not prisoners. I will deliver what thou hast for them or they for thee."
Thereupon the Princess and Lael stepped from the chairs, and went with their guide. When they were gone, word sped through the Castle, and with clamor and clangor, doors opened, and men poured forth16 in companies. And again the Prince reflected: "Such discipline pertains17 to princes only."
Now the office of eunuch was by no means an exclusive pagan institution; time out of mind it had been a feature of Byzantine courts; and Constantine Dragases, the last, and probably the most Christian18 of Greek emperors, not only tolerated, but recognized it as honorable. With this explanation the reader ought not to be surprised if the Princess Irene accepted the guidance offered her without fear or even hesitation19. Doubtless she had been in similar keeping many times.
Climbing a number of stairways, the eunuch brought his fair charges into a part of the Castle where there were signs of refinement20. The floors were swept; the doors garnished21 with rugs; a delicate incense22 lingered in the air; and to rescue the tenants23, whoever they might be, from darkness, lighted lamps swung from the ceiling, and were affixed24 to the walls. Stopping finally before a portiere, he held it aside while saying:
"Enter here, and be at home. Upon the table yonder there is a little bell; ring, and I will answer."
And seeing Lael clinging closely to the Princess, he added: "Be not afraid. Know ye rather that my master, when a child, heard the story of Hatim, a warrior25 and poet of the Arabs, and ever since he has lived believing hospitality a virtue26 without which there can be no godliness. Do not forget the bell."
They entered and were alone.
To their amazement27 the room was more than comfortably furnished. What may be termed a chandelier swung from the ceiling with many lamps ready for lighting28; under it there was a circular divan29; then along the four sides a divan extended continuously, with pillows at the corners in heaps. Matting covered the floor, and here and there rugs of gay dyes offered noticeable degrees of warmth and coloring. Large trays filled the deep recesses30 of the windows, and though the smell of musk31 overpowered the sweet outgivings of the roses blooming in them, they sufficed to rouge32 the daylight somewhat scantily34 admitted. The roughness and chill of the walls were provided against by woollen drapery answering for arras.
They went first to one of the windows, and peered out. Below them the world was being deluged35 with fiercely driven rain. There was the Bosphorus lashed36 into waves already whitened with foam37. The European shore was utterly38 curtained from sight. Gust39 after gust raved40 around the Castle, whistling and moaning; and as she beheld41 the danger escaped, the Princess thought of the saying of the Prince of India and repeated it in a spirit of thanksgiving: "By the will of God thou art here."
The reflection reconciled her to the situation, and led on till presently the face and martial42 figure of the Governor reproduced themselves to her fancy. How handsome he appeared--how courteous--how young!--scarcely older than herself! How readily she had yielded to his invitation! She blushed at the thought.
Lael interrupted the revery, which was not without charm, and for that reason would likely return, by bringing her a child's slipper43 found near the central divan; and while examining the embroidery44 of many-colored beads45 adorning46 it, she divined the truth.
Isolated47 as the Castle was on a frontier of the Islamic world, and crowded with men and material of war, yet the Governor was permitted his harem, and this was its room in common. Here his wives, many or few, for the time banished48 to some other quarters, were in the habit of meeting for the enjoyment49 of the scant33 pleasantries afforded by life like theirs.
Again she was interrupted. The arras over one of the walls was pushed aside, and two women came in with refreshments50. A third followed with a small table of Turkish pattern which she placed on the floor. The viands52, very light and simple, were set upon the table; then a fourth one came bringing an armful of shawls and wraps. The last was a Greek, and she explained that the Lord of the Castle, her master, was pleased to make his guests comfortable. In the evening later a more substantial repast would be served. Meantime she was appointed to wait on them.
The guests, assured by the presence of other women in the Castle, partook of the refection; after which the table was removed, and the attendants for the present dismissed. Wrapping themselves then in shawls, for they had not altogether escaped the rain, and were beginning to feel the mists stealing into the chamber through the unglazed windows, they took to the divan, piling the cushions about them defensively.
In this condition, comfortable, cosey, perfectly54 at rest, and with the full enjoyment of the sensations common to every one in the midst of a novel adventure, the Princess proceeded to draw from Lael an account of herself; and the ingenuousness55 of the girl proved very charming, coupled as it was with a most unexpected intelligence. The case was the not unusual one of education wholly unsupported by experience. The real marvel56 to the inquisitor was that she should have made discovery of two such instances the same day, and been thrown into curious relation with them. And as women always run parallels between persons who interest them, the Princess was struck with the similarities between Sergius and Lael. They were both young, both handsome, both unusually well informed and at the same time singularly unsophisticated. In the old pagan style, what did Fate mean by thus bringing them together? She determined57 to keep watch of the event.
And when, in course of her account, Lael spoke of the Prince of India, Irene awoke at once to a mystery connected with him. Lacking the full story, the narrator could give just enough of it to stimulate58 wonder. Who was he? Where was Cipango? He was rich--learned--knew all the sciences, all the languages--he had visited countries everywhere, even the inhabited islands. To be sure, he had not appeared remarkable59; indeed, she gave him small attention when he was before her; she recalled him chiefly by his eyes and velvet60 pelisse. While she was mentally resolving to make better study of him, the eunuch appeared under the portiere, and, coming forward, said, with a half salaam61 to the Princess:
"My master does not wish his guests to think themselves forgotten. The kinswoman of the most august Emperor Constantine, he remembers, is without employment to lighten the passage of a time which must be irksome to her. He humbly62 prays her to accept his sympathy, and sends me to say that a famous story-teller, going to the court of the Sultan at Adrianople, arrived at the Castle to-day. Would the Princess be pleased to hear him?"
"In what tongue does he recite?" she asked.
"Arabic, Turkish, Greek, Latin, Hebrew," was the reply.
"Oh, a most wise man!"
Irene consulted Lael, and thinking to offer her amusement, assented63 to the suggestion, with thanks to the Governor.
"Have the veils ready," the eunuch said, as he retreated backward to the door. "The story-teller is a man, and he will come directly."
The story-teller was ushered64 in. He walked to the divan where his auditors65 sat, slowly, as if he knew himself under close observation, and courted it.
Now caravans66 were daily shows in Constantinople. The little bell of the donkey leading its string of laden68 camels through the narrow streets might be heard any hour, and the Shaykh in charge was almost invariably an Arab. So the Princess had seen many of the desert-born, and was familiar with their peculiarities69; never, however, had chance brought a nobler specimen70 of the race before her. As he approached, stepping as modern stage heroes are wont71, she saw the red slippers72, the white shirt falling to the ankles and girdled at the waist, its bosom73 a capacious pocket, the white and red striped cloak over the shoulders. She marked the material of which they were made, the shirt of selected Angora wool, the cloak of camel's hair, in its fineness iridescent74 and soft as velvet. She saw in the girdle an empty scabbard for a yatagan elaborately covered with brilliants. She saw on the head a kerchief of mixed silk and cotton, tasselled, heavily striated75 red and yellow, and secured by the usual cord; but she scarcely more than noticed them--the air of the man, high, stately, king-like, was a superior attraction, and she gazed at his face unconscious that her own was uncovered.
The features were regular, the complexion76 sunburned to the hue77 of reddish copper78, the beard thin, the nose sharp, the cheeks hollow, the eyes, through the double shade of brows and kerchief, glittered like balls of polished black amber15. His hands were crossed above the girdle after the manner of Eastern servants before acknowledged superiors; his salutation was expressive79 of most abject80 homage81; yet when he raised himself, and met the glance of the Princess, his eyes lingered, and brightened, and directly he cast off or forgot his humility82, and looked lordlier than an Emir boasting of his thousand tents, with ten spears to each, and a score of camels to the spear. She endured the gaze awhile; for it seemed she had seen the face before--where, she could not tell; and when, as presently happened, she began to feel the brightness of the eyes intenser growing, the sensation reminded her of the Governor at the landing. Could this be he? No, the countenance83 here was of a man already advanced in life. And why should the Governor resort to disguise? The end, nevertheless, was the same as on the landing--she drew down the veil. Then he became humble84 again, and spoke, his eyes downcast, his hands crossed:
"This faithful servant"--he pointed53 to the eunuch "my friend"--the eunuch crossed his hands, and assumed an attitude of pleased attention--"brought me from his master--may the most Merciful and Compassionate85 continue a pillow to the good man here and to his soul hereafter!--how a kinswoman of the Emperor whose capital is to the earth a star, and he as the brightness thereof, had taken refuge with him from the storm, and was now his guest, and languishing86 for want of amusement. Would I tell her a story? I have a horde87 of parables88, tales, and traditions, and many nations have contributed to it; but, alas89, O Princess! they are simple, and such as beguile90 tentmen and tentwomen shut in by the desert, their fancies tender as children's. I fear your laughter. But here I am; and as the night bird sings when the moon is risen, because the moon is beautiful and must be saluted91, even so I am obedient. Command me."
The speech was in Greek, with the slightest imperfection of accent; at the conclusion the Princess was silent.
"Knowest thou"--she at length said--"knowest thou of one Hatim, renowned92 as a warrior and poet of the Arabs?"
The eunuch saw the reference, and smiled. Asking of Hatim now was only another form of inquiry93 after his master; not merely had the latter been in her mind; she wished to know more about him. On his part, the story-teller arose from his servile posture94, and asked with the animation95 of one to whom a favorite theme is presented:
"Noble lady, know you aught of the desert?"
"I have never been there," the Princess answered.
"Though not beautiful, it is the home of mysteries," he said, with growing enthusiasm. "When he whom in the same breath you worship as God and the Son of God--an opposition96 beyond the depth of our simple faith--made ready to proclaim himself, he went for a time into the Wilderness97, and dwelt there. So likewise our Prophet, seeing the dawn of his day, betook himself to Hiva, a rock, bleak98, barren, waterless. Why, O Princess, if not for purification, and because God of preference has founded his dwelling99 there, wasting it indeed the better to nurse his goodness in a perfected solitude100? Granting this, why may I not assert without shocking you that the sons of the desert are the noblest of men?--
"Such was Hatim!
"In the Hijaz and the Nejd, they tell of him thus:
"In the day the Compassionate set about world-making, which is but a pastime with him, nor nearly so much as nest-building to a mother-dove, he rested. The mountains and rivers and seas were in their beds, and the land was variegated101 to please him, here a forest, there a grassy102 plain; nothing remained unfinished except the sand oceans, and they only wanted water. He rested.
"Now, if, with their sky, a sun-field in the day, a gallery of stars at night, and their winds, flying from sea to sea, but gathering103 no taint104, the deserts are treeless, and unknowing the sweetness of gardens and the glory of grass, it was not by accident or forgetfulness; for with him, the Compassionate, the Merciful, there are no accidents or lapses105 of any kind. He is all attention and ever present. Thus the Throne verse--'Drowsiness overcomes him not nor sleep.... His firmament106 spans the Heaven and the Earth, and the care of them does not distress107 him.'
"Why then the yellowness and the burning, the sameness and solitude, and the earth intolerant of rain and running stream, and of roads and paths--why, if there was neither accident nor forgetfulness?
"He is the High and the Great! Accuse him not!
"In that moment of rest, not from weariness or overburden, but to approve the work done, and record the approval as a judgment108, he said, speaking to his Almightiness as to a familiar: 'As it is it shall stay. A time will come when with men I, and the very name of me, shall go out utterly like the green of last year's leaf. He who walks in a garden thinks of it only; but he who abides109 in a desert, wanting to see the beautiful, must look into the sky, and looking there he shall be reminded of me, and say aloud and as a lover, 'There is no God but him, the Compassionate, the Merciful.... The eyes see him not, but he seeth the eyes; and He is the Gracious, the Knowing'.... So also comes a time when religion shall be without heart, dead, and the quickening of worship lost in idolatry; when men shall cry, God, my God, to stones and graven images, and sing to hear their singing, and the loud music it goes with. And that time shall be first in lands of growth and freshness, in cities where comforts and luxuries are as honey in hives after the flowering of palms. Wherefore--Lo, the need of deserts. There I shall never be forgotten. And out of them, out of their hardness and heat, out of their yellow distances and drouth, religion shall arise again, and go forth purified unto universality; for I shall be always present there, a life-giver. And against those days of evil, I shall keep men there, the best of their kind, and their good qualities shall not rust110; they shall be brave, for I may want swords; they shall keep the given word, for as I am the Truth, so shall my chosen be; there shall be no end to charity among them, for in such lands charity is life, and must take every form, friendship, love of one another, love of giving, and hospitality, unto which are riches and plenty. And in their worship, I shall be first, and honor next. And as Truth is the Soul of the World, it being but another of my names, for its salvation111 they shall speak with tongues of fire, this one an orator112, that one a poet; and living in the midst of death, they shall fear me not at all, but dishonor more. Mine are the Sons of the Desert--the Word-Keepers!--the Unconquered and Conquerless! For my name's sake, I nominate them Mine, and I alone am the High and the Great.... And there shall be amongst them exemplars of this virtue and that one singly; and at intervals113 through the centuries standards for emulation114 among the many, a few, in whom all the excellences115 shall be blent in indivisible comeliness116.'
"So came Hatim, of the Bene-Tayyi, lustrous117 as the moon of Ramazan to eager watchers on high hilltops, and better than other men, even as all the virtues118 together are better than any one of them, excepting charity and love of God.
"Now Hatim's mother was a widow, poor, and without relations, but beloved by the Compassionate, and always in his care, because she was wise beyond the men of her time, and kept his laws, as they were known, and taught them to her son. One day a great cry arose in the village. Everybody rushed to see the cause, and then joined in the clamor.
"Up in the north there was an appearance the like of which had never been beheld, nor were there any to tell what it was from hearsay119. Some pooh-poohed, saying, contemptuously:
"'Tis only a cloud.'
"Others, observing how rapidly it came, in movement like a bird sailing on outspread motionless wings, said:
"'A roc! A roc!'
"When the object was nearer, a few of the villagers, in alarm, ran to their houses, shrieking120:
"'Israfil, Israfil! He is bringing the end of time!'
"Soon the sight was nearly overhead; then it was going by, its edge overhead, the rest of it extending eastwardly121; and it was long and broad as a pasture for ten thousand camels, and horses ten thousand. It had no likeness122 earthly except a carpet of green silk; nor could those standing123 under describe what bore it along. They thought they heard the sound of a strong wind, but as the air above far and near was full of birds great and small, birds of the water as well as the land, all flying evenly with the carpet, and making a canopy124 of their wings, and shade deeper than a cloud's, the beholders were uncertain whether the birds or the wind served it. In passing, it dipped gently, giving them a view of what it carried--a throne of pearl and rainbow, and a crowned King sitting in majesty126; at his left hand, an army of spirits, at his right, an army of men in martial sheen.
"While the prodigy127 was before them, the spectators stirred not; nor was there one brave enough to speak; most of them with their eyes devoured128 it all, King and throne, birds, men and spirits; though afterwards there was asking:
"'Did you see the birds?'
"'No.'
"'The spirits?'
"'No.'
"'The men?'
"'I saw only the King upon His throne.'
"In the passing, also, a man, in splendor129 of apparel, stood on the carpet's edge and shouted:
"'God is great! I bear witness there is no God but God.'
"The same instant something fell from his hand. When the marvel was out of sight in the south, some bethought them, and went to see what it was which fell. They came back laughing, 'It was only a gourd130, and as we have much better on our camel-saddles, we threw it away.'
"But the mother of Hatim, listening to the report, was not content. In her childhood she heard what was tradition then; how Solomon, at the completion of his temple in Jerusalem, journeyed to Mecca upon a carpet of silk wafted131 by the wind, with men, spirits, and birds. Wherefore, saying to herself, 'It was Solomon going to Mecca. Not for nothing threw he the gourd,' she went alone, and brought it in, and opened it, finding three seeds--one red, like a ruby132; a second blue, like a sapphire133; the third green, like an emerald.
"Now she might have sold the seeds, for they were beautiful as gems134 cut for a crown, and enriched herself; but Hatim was all the world to her. They were for him, she said, and getting a brown nut such as washes up from vines in the sea, she cut it, put the treasures into it, sealed them there, and tied them around the boy's neck.
"'Thanks, O Solomon,' she said. 'There is no God but God; and I shall teach the lesson to my Hatim in the morning, when al hudhud flies for water; at noon, when it whistles to itself in the shade; and at night, when it draws a wing over its head to darken the darkness, and sleep.'
"And from that day through all his days Hatim wore the brown nut with the three seeds in it; nor was there ever such an amulet135 before or since; for, besides being defended by the genii who are Solomon's servants, he grew one of the exemplars promised by God, having in himself every virtue. No one braver than he; none so charitable; none so generous and merciful; none so eloquent136; none on whose lips poetry was such sweet speech for the exalting137 of souls; above all, never had there been such a keeper of his word of promise.
"And of this judge you by some of the many things they tell of him.
"A famine fell upon the land. It was when Hatim had become Sheik of his tribe. The women and children were perishing. The men could no more than witness their suffering. They knew not whom to accuse; they knew no one to receive a prayer. The time predicted was come--the name of God had gone out utterly, like the green of last year's leaf. In the Sheik's tent even, as with the poorest, hunger could not be allayed--there was nothing to eat. The last camel had been devoured--one horse remained. More than once the good man went out to kill him, but the animal was so beautiful--so affectionate--so fleet! And the desert was not wide enough to hold his fame! How much easier to say, 'Another day--to-morrow it may rain.'
"He sat in his tent telling his wife and children stories, for he was not merely the best warrior of his day; he was the most renowned poet and storyteller. Riding into battle, his men would say, 'Sing to us, O Hatim--sing, and we will fight.' And they he loved best, listening to him, had nigh forgot their misery138, when the curtain of the tent was raised.
"'Who is there?' he asked.
"'Thy neighbor,' and the voice was a woman's. 'My children are anhungred and crying, and I have nothing for them. Help, O Sheik, help or they die.'
"'Bring them here,' he said, rising.
"'She is not worse off than we,' said his wife, 'nor are her children more hungry than ours. What will you do?'
"'The appeal was to me,' he answered.
"And passing out, he slew139 the horse, and kindled140 a fire; then, while the stranger and her children were sharing piece by piece with his own, 'Shame, shame!' he said, 'that ye alone should eat;' and going through the dowar, he brought the neighbors together, and he only went hungry. There was no more of the meat left. Was ever one merciful like Hatim? In combat, he gave lives, but took none. Once an antagonist141 under his foot, called to him: 'Give me thy spear, Hatim,' and he gave it.
"'Foolish man!' his brethren exclaimed.
"'What else was there?' he answered. 'Did not the poor man ask a gift of me?'
"Never a captive besought142 his help vainly. On a journey once, a prisoner begged him to buy his liberty; but he was without the money required, and on that account he was sorely distressed143. To his entreaties144, the strangers listened hard-heartedly; at last he said to them:
"Am not I--Hatim--good as he? Let him go, and take me.'
"And knocking the chains from the unfortunate, he had them put on himself, and wore them until the ransom145 came.
"In his eyes a poet was greater than a king, and than singing a song well the only thing better was being the subject of a song. Perpetuation146 by tombs he thought vulgar; so the glory unremembered in verse deserved oblivion. Was it wonderful he gave and kept giving to story-tellers, careless often if what he thus disposed of was another's?
"Once in his youth--and at hearing this, O Princess, the brown-faced sons of the desert, old and young, laugh, and clap their hands--he gave of his grandfather's store until the prudent147 old man, intending to cure him of his extravagance, sent him to tend his herds149 in the country. Alas!
"Across the plain Hatim one day beheld a caravan67, and finding it escorting three poets to the court of the King of El-Herah, he invited them to stop with him, and while he killed a camel for each of them, they recited songs in his praise, and that of his kin2. When they wished to resume the journey, he detained them.
"'There is no gift like the gift of song,' he said. 'I will do better by you than will he, the King to whom you are going. Stay with me, and for every verse you write I will give you a camel. Behold125 the herd148!'
"And at departing, they had each a hundred camels, and he three hundred verses.
"'Where is the herd?' the grandfather asked, when next he came to the pasture.
"'See thou. Here are songs in honor of our house,' Hatim answered, proudly--'songs by great poets; and they will be repeated until all Arabia is filled with our glory.'
"'Alas! Thou hast ruined me!' the elder cried, beating his breast.
"'What!' said Hatim, indignantly. 'Carest thou more for the dirty brutes150 than for the crown of honor I bought with them?'"
Here the Arab paused. The recitation, it is to be remarked, had been without action, or facial assistance--a wholly unornate delivery; and now he kept stately silence. His eyes, intensely bright in the shadow of the kufiyeh, may have produced the spell which held the Princess throughout; or it may have been the eyes and voice; or, quite as likely, the character of Hatim touched a responsive chord in her breast.
"I thank you," she said, adding presently: "In saying I regret the story ended so soon, I pray you receive my opinion of its telling. I doubt if Hatim himself could have rendered it better."
The Arab recognized the compliment with the faintest of bows, but made no reply in words. Irene then raised her veil, and spoke again.
"Thy Hatim, O eloquent Arab, was warrior and poet, and, as thou hast shown him to me, he was also a philosopher. In what age did he live?"
"He was a shining light in the darkness preceding the appearance of the Prophet. That period is dateless with us."
"It is of little consequence," she continued. "Had he lived in our day, he would have been more than poet, warrior and philosopher--he would be a Christian. His charity and love of others, his denial of self, sound like the Christ. Doubtless he could have died for his fellow-men. Hast thou not more of him? Surely he lived long and happily."
"Yes," said the Arab, with a flash of the eyes to denote his appreciation151 of the circumstance. "He is reported to have been the most wretched of men. His wife--I pray you will observe I am speaking by the tradition-- his wife had the power, so dreadful to husbands, of raising Iblis at pleasure. It delighted her to beat him and chase him from his tent; at last she abandoned him."
"Ah!" the Princess exclaimed. "His charities were not admirable in her eyes."
"The better explanation, Princess, may be found in a saying we have in the desert--'A tall man may wed51 a small woman, but a great soul shall not enter into bonds with a common one.'"
There was silence then, and as the gaze of the story-teller was again finding a fascination152 in her face, Irene took refuge behind her veil, but said, presently:
"With permission, I will take the story of Hatim for mine; but here is my friend--what hast thou for her?"
The story-teller turned to Lael.
"Her pleasure shall be mine," he said.
"I should like something Indian," the girl answered, timidly, for the eyes oppressed her also.
"Alas! India has no tales of love. Her poetry is about gods and abstract religions. Wherefore, if I may choose, I will a tale from Persia next. In that country there was a verse-maker called Firdousi, and he wrote a great poem, The Shah Nameh, with a warrior for hero. This is how Rustem, in single combat, killed Sohrab, not knowing the youth was his son until after the awful deed was done."
The tale was full of melancholy153 interest, and told with singular grace; but it continued until after nightfall; of which the party was admonished154 by the attendants coming to light the lamps. At the conclusion, the Arab courteously155 apologized for the time he had wrested156 from them.
"In dealing157 with us, O Princess," he said, "patience is full as lovely as charity."
Lifting the veil again, she extended her hand to him, saying, "The obligation is with us. I thank you for making light and pleasant an afternoon which else had been tedious."
He kissed her hand, and followed the eunuch to the door. Then the supper was announced.
收听单词发音 |
1
jealousy
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| n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌 | |
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2
kin
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| n.家族，亲属，血缘关系；adj.亲属关系的，同类的 | |
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3
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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garrison
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| n.卫戍部队；驻地，卫戍区；vt.派(兵)驻防 | |
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5
shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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monk
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| n.和尚，僧侣，修道士 | |
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7
unnaturally
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| adv.违反习俗地；不自然地；勉强地；不近人情地 | |
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8
residue
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| n.残余，剩余，残渣 | |
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9
embroidered
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| adj．绣花的 | |
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incisive
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| adj.敏锐的，机敏的，锋利的，切入的 | |
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tenor
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| n.男高音（歌手），次中音（乐器），要旨，大意 | |
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12
abide
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| vi.遵守；坚持；vt.忍受 | |
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13
deference
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| n.尊重，顺从；敬意 | |
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14
chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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15
amber
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| n.琥珀；琥珀色；adj.琥珀制的 | |
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16
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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17
pertains
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| 关于( pertain的第三人称单数 )； 有关； 存在； 适用 | |
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18
Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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19
hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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20
refinement
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| n.文雅；高尚；精美；精制；精炼 | |
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21
garnished
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| v.给（上餐桌的食物）加装饰( garnish的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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22
incense
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| v.激怒；n.香，焚香时的烟，香气 | |
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23
tenants
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| n.房客( tenant的名词复数 )；佃户；占用者；占有者 | |
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24
affixed
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| adj.[医]附着的，附着的v.附加( affix的过去式和过去分词 )；粘贴；加以；盖（印章） | |
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25
warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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26
virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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27
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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28
lighting
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| n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光 | |
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29
divan
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| n.长沙发；（波斯或其他东方诗人的）诗集 | |
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30
recesses
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| n.壁凹( recess的名词复数 )；（工作或业务活动的）中止或暂停期间；学校的课间休息；某物内部的凹形空间v.把某物放在墙壁的凹处( recess的第三人称单数 )；将（墙）做成凹形，在（墙）上做壁龛；休息，休会，休庭 | |
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31
musk
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| n.麝香, 能发出麝香的各种各样的植物，香猫 | |
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32
rouge
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| n.胭脂，口红唇膏；v.(在…上)擦口红 | |
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33
scant
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| adj.不充分的，不足的；v.减缩，限制，忽略 | |
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34
scantily
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| adv.缺乏地；不充足地；吝啬地；狭窄地 | |
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35
deluged
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| v.使淹没( deluge的过去式和过去分词 )；淹没；被洪水般涌来的事物所淹没；穷于应付 | |
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36
lashed
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| adj.具睫毛的v.鞭打( lash的过去式和过去分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥 | |
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37
foam
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| v./n.泡沫，起泡沫 | |
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38
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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39
gust
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| n.阵风，突然一阵（雨、烟等），（感情的）迸发 | |
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40
raved
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| v.胡言乱语( rave的过去式和过去分词 )；愤怒地说；咆哮；痴心地说 | |
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41
beheld
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| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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42
martial
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| adj.战争的，军事的，尚武的，威武的 | |
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43
slipper
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| n.拖鞋 | |
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44
embroidery
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| n.绣花，刺绣；绣制品 | |
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45
beads
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| n.（空心）小珠子( bead的名词复数 )；水珠；珠子项链 | |
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46
adorning
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| 修饰，装饰物 | |
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47
isolated
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| adj.与世隔绝的 | |
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48
banished
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| v.放逐，驱逐( banish的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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49
enjoyment
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| n.乐趣；享有；享用 | |
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50
refreshments
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| n.点心,便餐;(会议后的)简单茶点招 待 | |
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51
wed
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| v.娶，嫁，与…结婚 | |
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52
viands
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| n.食品，食物 | |
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53
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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54
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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55
ingenuousness
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| n.率直；正直；老实 | |
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56
marvel
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| vi.(at)惊叹vt.感到惊异；n.令人惊异的事 | |
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57
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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58
stimulate
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| vt.刺激，使兴奋；激励，使…振奋 | |
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59
remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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60
velvet
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| n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的 | |
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61
salaam
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| n.额手之礼，问安，敬礼；v.行额手礼 | |
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62
humbly
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| adv. 恭顺地，谦卑地 | |
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63
assented
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| 同意，赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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64
ushered
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| v.引，领，陪同( usher的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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65
auditors
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| n.审计员，稽核员( auditor的名词复数 )；（大学课程的）旁听生 | |
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66
caravans
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| （可供居住的）拖车（通常由机动车拖行）( caravan的名词复数 )； 篷车； （穿过沙漠地带的）旅行队（如商队） | |
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67
caravan
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| n.大蓬车；活动房屋 | |
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68
laden
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| adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的 | |
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69
peculiarities
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| n. 特质, 特性, 怪癖, 古怪 | |
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70
specimen
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| n.样本，标本 | |
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71
wont
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| adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯 | |
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72
slippers
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| n. 拖鞋 | |
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73
bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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74
iridescent
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| adj.彩虹色的，闪色的 | |
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75
striated
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| adj.有纵线，条纹的 | |
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76
complexion
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| n.肤色；情况，局面；气质，性格 | |
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77
hue
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| n.色度；色调；样子 | |
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78
copper
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| n.铜；铜币；铜器；adj.铜(制)的；(紫)铜色的 | |
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79
expressive
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| adj.表现的，表达…的，富于表情的 | |
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80
abject
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| adj.极可怜的，卑屈的 | |
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81
homage
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| n.尊敬，敬意，崇敬 | |
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82
humility
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| n.谦逊，谦恭 | |
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83
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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84
humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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85
compassionate
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| adj.有同情心的，表示同情的 | |
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86
languishing
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| a. 衰弱下去的 | |
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87
horde
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| n.群众，一大群 | |
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88
parables
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| n.（圣经中的）寓言故事( parable的名词复数 ) | |
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89
alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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90
beguile
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| vt.欺骗，消遣 | |
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91
saluted
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| v.欢迎，致敬( salute的过去式和过去分词 )；赞扬，赞颂 | |
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92
renowned
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| adj.著名的，有名望的，声誉鹊起的 | |
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93
inquiry
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| n.打听，询问，调查，查问 | |
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94
posture
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| n.姿势，姿态，心态，态度；v.作出某种姿势 | |
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95
animation
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| n.活泼，兴奋，卡通片／动画片的制作 | |
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96
opposition
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| n.反对，敌对 | |
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97
wilderness
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| n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠 | |
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98
bleak
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| adj.(天气)阴冷的；凄凉的；暗淡的 | |
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99
dwelling
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| n.住宅，住所，寓所 | |
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100
solitude
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| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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101
variegated
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| adj.斑驳的，杂色的 | |
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102
grassy
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| adj.盖满草的；长满草的 | |
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103
gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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104
taint
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| n.污点；感染；腐坏；v.使感染；污染 | |
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105
lapses
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| n.失误，过失( lapse的名词复数 )；小毛病；行为失检；偏离正道v.退步( lapse的第三人称单数 )；陷入；倒退；丧失 | |
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106
firmament
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| n.苍穹；最高层 | |
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107
distress
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| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
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108
judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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109
abides
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| 容忍( abide的第三人称单数 )； 等候； 逗留； 停留 | |
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110
rust
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| n.锈；v.生锈；(脑子)衰退 | |
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111
salvation
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| n.（尤指基督）救世，超度，拯救，解困 | |
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112
orator
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| n.演说者，演讲者，雄辩家 | |
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113
intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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114
emulation
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| n.竞争；仿效 | |
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115
excellences
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| n.卓越( excellence的名词复数 )；（只用于所修饰的名词后）杰出的；卓越的；出类拔萃的 | |
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116
comeliness
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| n. 清秀, 美丽, 合宜 | |
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117
lustrous
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| adj.有光泽的；光辉的 | |
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118
virtues
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| 美德( virtue的名词复数 )； 德行； 优点； 长处 | |
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119
hearsay
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| n.谣传，风闻 | |
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120
shrieking
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| v.尖叫( shriek的现在分词 ) | |
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121
eastwardly
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| 向东，从东方 | |
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122
likeness
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| n.相像，相似（之处） | |
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123
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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124
canopy
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| n.天篷，遮篷 | |
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125
behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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126
majesty
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| n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权 | |
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127
prodigy
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| n.惊人的事物，奇迹，神童，天才，预兆 | |
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128
devoured
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| 吞没( devour的过去式和过去分词 )； 耗尽； 津津有味地看； 狼吞虎咽地吃光 | |
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129
splendor
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| n.光彩；壮丽，华丽；显赫，辉煌 | |
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130
gourd
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| n.葫芦 | |
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131
wafted
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| v.吹送，飘送，（使）浮动( waft的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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132
ruby
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| n.红宝石，红宝石色 | |
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133
sapphire
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| n.青玉，蓝宝石；adj.天蓝色的 | |
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134
gems
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| growth； economy； management； and customer satisfaction 增长 | |
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135
amulet
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| n.护身符 | |
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136
eloquent
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| adj.雄辩的，口才流利的；明白显示出的 | |
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137
exalting
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| a.令人激动的，令人喜悦的 | |
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138
misery
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| n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦 | |
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139
slew
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| v.（使）旋转；n.大量，许多 | |
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140
kindled
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| （使某物）燃烧，着火( kindle的过去式和过去分词 )； 激起（感情等）； 发亮，放光 | |
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141
antagonist
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| n.敌人，对抗者，对手 | |
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142
besought
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| v.恳求，乞求（某事物）( beseech的过去式和过去分词 )；(beseech的过去式与过去分词) | |
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143
distressed
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| 痛苦的 | |
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144
entreaties
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| n.恳求，乞求( entreaty的名词复数 ) | |
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145
ransom
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| n.赎金，赎身；v.赎回，解救 | |
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146
perpetuation
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| n.永存，不朽 | |
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147
prudent
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| adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的 | |
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148
herd
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| n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起 | |
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149
herds
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| 兽群( herd的名词复数 )； 牧群； 人群； 群众 | |
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150
brutes
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| 兽( brute的名词复数 )； 畜生； 残酷无情的人； 兽性 | |
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151
appreciation
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| n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨 | |
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152
fascination
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| n.令人着迷的事物，魅力，迷恋 | |
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153
melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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154
admonished
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| v.劝告( admonish的过去式和过去分词 )；训诫；（温和地）责备；轻责 | |
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155
courteously
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| adv.有礼貌地，亲切地 | |
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156
wrested
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| （用力）拧( wrest的过去式和过去分词 )； 费力取得； （从…）攫取； （ 从… ） 强行取去… | |
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157
dealing
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| n.经商方法，待人态度 | |
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