Chapter 7

One December evening three months afterward¹ Count Muffat was strolling in the Passage des Panoramas². The evening was very mild, and owing to a passing shower, the passage had just become crowded with people. There was a perfect mob of them, and they thronged³ slowly and laboriously⁴ along between the shops on either side. Under the windows, white with reflected light, the pavement was violently illuminated⁵. A perfect stream of brilliancy emanated⁶ from white globes, red lanterns, blue transparencies, lines of gas jets, gigantic watches and fans, outlined in flame and burning in the open. And the motley displays in the shops, the gold ornaments⁷ of the jeweler's, the glass ornaments of the confectioner's, the light-colored silks of the modiste's, seemed to shine again in the crude light of the reflectors behind the clear plate-glass windows, while among the bright-colored, disorderly array of shop signs a huge purple glove loomed⁹ in the distance like a bleeding hand which had been severed¹¹ from an arm and fastened to a yellow cuff¹².

Count Muffat had slowly returned as far as the boulevard. He glanced out at the roadway and then came sauntering back along the shopwindows. The damp and heated atmosphere filled the narrow passage with a slight luminous¹³ mist. Along the flagstones, which had been wet by the drip-drop of umbrellas, the footsteps of the crowd rang continually, but there was no sound of voices. Passers-by elbowed him at every turn and cast inquiring looks at his silent face, which the gaslight rendered pale. And to escape these curious manifestations¹⁴ the count posted himself in front of a stationer's, where with profound attention contemplated¹⁵ an array of paperweights in the form of glass bowls containing floating landscapes and flowers.

He was conscious of nothing: he was thinking of Nana. Why had she lied to him again? That morning she had written and told him not to trouble about her in the evening, her excuse being that Louiset was ill and that she was going to pass the night at her aunt's in order to nurse him. But he had felt suspicious and had called at her house, where he learned from the porter that Madame had just gone off to her theater. He was astonished at this, for she was not playing in the new piece. Why then should she have told him this falsehood, and what could she be doing at the Varietes that evening? Hustled¹⁶ by a passer-by, the count unconsciously left the paperweights and found himself in front of a glass case full of toys, where he grew absorbed over an array of pocketbooks and cigar cases, all of which had the same blue swallow stamped on one corner. Nana was most certainly not the same woman! In the early days after his return from the country she used to drive him wild with delight, as with pussycat caresses¹⁸ she kissed him all round his face and whiskers and vowed¹⁹ that he was her own dear pet and the only little man she adored. He was no longer afraid of Georges, whom his mother kept down at Les Fondettes. There was only fat Steiner to reckon with, and he believed he was really ousting²⁰ him, but he did not dare provoke an explanation on his score. He knew he was once more in an extraordinary financial scrape and on the verge²¹ of being declared bankrupt on 'change, so much so that he was clinging fiercely to the shareholders²² in the Landes Salt Pits and striving to sweat a final subscription²³ out of them. Whenever he met him at Nana's she would explain reasonably enough that she did not wish to turn him out of doors like a dog after all he had spent on her. Besides, for the last three months he had been living in such a whirl of sensual excitement that, beyond the need of possessing her, he had felt no very distinct impressions. His was a tardy²⁴ awakening²⁵ of the fleshly instinct, a childish greed of enjoyment²⁶, which left no room for either vanity or jealousy²⁷. Only one definite feeling could affect him now, and that was Nana's decreasing kindness. She no longer kissed him on the beard! It made him anxious, and as became a man quite ignorant of womankind, he began asking himself what possible cause of offense²⁸ he could have given her. Besides, he was under the impression that he was satisfying all her desires. And so he harked back again and again to the letter he had received that morning with its tissue of falsehoods, invented for the extremely simple purpose of passing an evening at her own theater. The crowd had pushed him forward again, and he had crossed the passage and was puzzling his brain in front of the entrance to a restaurant, his eyes fixed³⁰ on some plucked larks³¹ and on a huge salmon³² laid out inside the window.

At length he seemed to tear himself away from this spectacle. He shook himself, looked up and noticed that it was close on nine o'clock. Nana would soon be coming out, and he would make her tell the truth. And with that he walked on and recalled to memory the evenings he once passed in that region in the days when he used to meet her at the door of the theater.

He knew all the shops, and in the gas-laden³³ air he recognized their different scents³⁴, such, for instance, as the strong savor³⁵ of Russia leather, the perfume of vanilla³⁶ emanating³⁷ from a chocolate dealer's basement, the savor of musk³⁸ blown in whiffs from the open doors of the perfumers. But he did not dare linger under the gaze of the pale shopwomen, who looked placidly³⁹ at him as though they knew him by sight. For one instant he seemed to be studying the line of little round windows above the shops, as though he had never noticed them before among the medley⁴⁰ of signs. Then once again he went up to the boulevard and stood still a minute or two. A fine rain was now falling, and the cold feel of it on his hands calmed him. He thought of his wife who was staying in a country house near Macon, where her friend Mme de Chezelles had been ailing⁴¹ a good deal since the autumn. The carriages in the roadway were rolling through a stream of mud. The country, he thought, must be detestable in such vile⁴² weather. But suddenly he became anxious and re-entered the hot, close passage down which he strode among the strolling people. A thought struck him: if Nana were suspicious of his presence there she would be off along the Galerie Montmartre.

After that the count kept a sharp lookout⁴³ at the very door of the theater, though he did not like this passage end, where he was afraid of being recognized. It was at the corner between the Galerie des Varietes and the Galerie Saint-Marc, an equivocal corner full of obscure little shops. Of these last one was a shoemaker's,

where customers never seemed to enter. Then there were two or three upholsterers', deep in dust, and a smoky, sleepy reading room and library, the shaded lamps in which cast a green and slumberous⁴⁴ light all the evening through. There was never anyone in this corner save well-dressed, patient gentlemen, who prowled about the wreckage⁴⁵ peculiar⁴⁶ to a stage door, where drunken sceneshifters and ragged⁴⁷ chorus girls congregate⁴⁸. In front of the theater a single gas jet in a ground-glass globe lit up the doorway⁴⁹. For a moment or two Muffat thought of questioning Mme Bron; then he grew afraid lest Nana should get wind of his presence and escape by way of the boulevard. So he went on the march again and determined⁵⁰ to wait till he was turned out at the closing of the gates, an event which had happened on two previous occasions. The thought of returning home to his solitary⁵¹ bed simply wrung⁵² his heart with anguish⁵³. Every time that golden-haired girls and men in dirty linen⁵⁴ came out and stared at him he returned to his post in front of the reading room, where, looking in between two advertisements posted on a windowpane, he was always greeted by the same sight. It was a little old man, sitting stiff and solitary at the vast table and holding a green newspaper in his green hands under the green light of one of the lamps. But shortly before ten o'clock another gentleman, a tall, good-looking, fair man with well-fitting gloves, was also walking up and down in front of the stage door. Thereupon at each successive turn the pair treated each other to a suspicious sidelong glance. The count walked to the corner of the two galleries, which was adorned⁵⁵ with a high mirror, and when he saw himself therein, looking grave and elegant, he was both ashamed and nervous.Ten o'clock struck, and suddenly it occurred to Muffat that it would be very easy to find out whether Nana were in her dressing⁵⁶ room or not. He went up the three steps, crossed the little yellow-painted lobby and slipped into the court by a door which simply shut with a latch⁵⁷. At that hour of the night the narrow, damp well of a court, with its pestiferous water closets, its fountain, its back view ot the kitchen stove and the collection of plants with which the portress used to litter the place, was drenched⁵⁸ in dark mist; but the two walls, rising pierced with windows on either hand, were flaming with light, since the property room and the firemen's office were situated⁵⁹ on the ground floor, with the managerial bureau on the left, and on the right and upstairs the dressing rooms of the company. The mouths of furnaces seemed to be opening on the outer darkness from top to bottom of this well. The count had at once marked the light in the windows of the dressing room on the first floor, and as a man who is comforted and happy, he forgot where he was and stood gazing upward amid the foul⁶⁰ mud and faint decaying smell peculiar to the premises⁶¹ of this antiquated⁶² Parisian building. Big drops were dripping from a broken waterspout, and a ray of gaslight slipped from Mme Bron's window and cast a yellow glare over a patch of moss-clad pavement, over the base of a wall which had been rotted by water from a sink, over a whole cornerful of nameless filth⁶³ amid which old pails and broken crocks lay in fine confusion round a spindling tree growing mildewed⁶⁴ in its pot. A window fastening creaked, and the count fled.

Nana was certainly going to come down. He returned to his post in front of the reading room; among its slumbering⁶⁵ shadows, which seemed only broken by the glimmer⁶⁶ of a night light, the little old man still sat motionless, his side face sharply outlined against his newspaper. Then Muffat walked again and this time took a more prolonged turn and, crossing the large gallery, followed the Galerie des Varietes as far as that of Feydeau. The last mentioned was cold and deserted⁶⁷ and buried in melancholy⁶⁸ shadow. He returned from it, passed by the theater, turned the corner of the Galerie Saint-Marc and ventured as far as the Galerie Montmartre, where a sugar-chopping machine in front of a grocer's interested him awhile. But when he was taking his third turn he was seized with such dread⁶⁹ lest Nana should escape behind his back that he lost all self-respect. Thereupon he stationed himself beside the fair gentleman in front of the very theater. Both exchanged a glance of fraternal humility⁷⁰ with which was mingled⁷¹ a touch of distrust, for it was possible they might yet turn out to be rivals. Some sceneshifters who came out smoking their pipes between the acts brushed rudely against them, but neither one nor the other ventured to complain. Three big wenches with untidy hair and dirty gowns appeared on the doorstep. They were munching⁷² apples and spitting out the cores, but the two men bowed their heads and patiently braved their impudent⁷⁴ looks and rough speeches, though they were hustled and, as it were, soiled by these trollops, who amused themselves by pushing each other down upon them.

At that very moment Nana descended⁷⁵ the three steps. She grew very pale when she noticed Muffat.

"Oh, it's you!" she stammered⁷⁶.

The sniggering extra ladies were quite frightened when they recognized her, and they formed in line and stood up, looking as stiff and serious as servants whom their mistress has caught behaving badly. The tall fair gentleman had moved away; he was at once reassured⁷⁸ and sad at heart.

"Well, give me your arm," Nana continued impatiently.

They walked quietly off. The count had been getting ready to question her and now found nothing to say.

It was she who in rapid tones told a story to the effect that she had been at her aunt's as late as eight o'clock, when, seeing Louiset very much better, she had conceived the idea of going down to the theater for a few minutes.

"On some important business?" he queried⁷⁹.

'Yes, a new piece," she replied after some slight hesitation⁸⁰. "They wanted my advice."

He knew that she was not speaking the truth, but the warm touch of her arm as it leaned firmly on his own, left him powerless. He felt neither anger nor rancor⁸¹ after his long, long wait; his one thought was to keep her where she was now that he had got hold of her. Tomorrow, and not before, he would try and find out what she had come to her dressing room after. But Nana still appeared to hesitate; she was manifestly a prey⁸² to the sort of secret anguish that besets⁸³ people when they are trying to regain⁸⁴ lost ground and to initiate⁸⁵ a plan of action. Accordingly, as they turned the corner of the Galerie des Varietes, she stopped in front of the show in a fan seller's window.

"I say, that's pretty," she whispered; "I mean that mother-of-pearl mount with the feathers."

Then, indifferently:

"So you're seeing me home?"

"Of course," he said, with some surprise, "since your child's better."

She was sorry she had told him that story. Perhaps Louiset was passing through another crisis! She talked of returning to the Batignolles. But when he offered to accompany her she did not insist on going. For a second or two she was possessed⁸⁶ with the kind of white-hot fury which a woman experiences when she feels herself entrapped⁸⁷ and must, nevertheless, behave prettily⁸⁸. But in the end she grew resigned and determined to gain time. If only she could get rid of the count toward midnight everything would happen as she wished.

"Yes, it's true; you're a bachelor tonight," she murmured. "Your wife doesn't return till tomorrow, eh?"

"Yes," replied Muffat. It embarrassed him somewhat to hear her talking familiarly about the countess.

But she pressed him further, asking at what time the train was due and wanting to know whether he were going to the station to meet her. She had begun to walk more slowly than ever, as though the shops interested her very much.

"Now do look!" she said, pausing anew before a jeweler's window, "what a funny bracelet⁹⁰!"

She adored the Passage des Panoramas. The tinsel of the ARTICLE DE PARIS, the false jewelry⁹¹, the gilded⁹² zinc⁹³, the cardboard made to look like leather, had been the passion of her early youth. It remained, and when she passed the shop-windows she could not tear herself away from them. It was the same with her today as when she was a ragged, slouching child who fell into reveries in front of the chocolate maker's sweet-stuff shows or stood listening to a musical box in a neighboring shop or fell into supreme⁹⁴ ecstasies⁹⁵ over cheap, vulgarly designed knickknacks, such as nutshell workboxes, ragpickers' baskets for holding toothpicks, Vendome columns and Luxor obelisks⁹⁶ on which thermometers were mounted. But that evening she was too much agitated⁹⁷ and looked at things without seeing them. When all was said and done, it bored her to think she was not free. An obscure revolt raged within her, and amid it all she felt a wild desire to do something foolish. It was a great thing gained, forsooth, to be mistress of men of position! She had been devouring⁹⁸ the prince's substance and Steiner's, too, with her childish caprices, and yet she had no notion where her money went. Even at this time of day her flat in the Boulevard Haussmann was not entirely⁹⁹ furnished. The drawing room alone was finished, and with its red satin upholsteries and excess of ornamentation and furnirure it struck a decidedly false note. Her creditors¹⁰¹, moreover, would now take to tormenting¹⁰² her more than ever before whenever she had no money on hand, a fact which caused her constant surprise, seeing that she was wont¹⁰³ to quote her self as a model of economy. For a month past that thief Steiner had been scarcely able to pay up his thousand francs on the occasions when she threatened to kick him out of doors in case he failed to bring them. As to Muffat, he was an idiot: he had no notion as to what it was usual to give, and she could not, therefore, grow angry with him on the score of miserliness. Oh, how gladly she would have turned all these folks off had she not repeated to herself a score of times daily a whole string of economical maxims¹⁰⁴!

One ought to be sensible, Zoe kept saying every morning, and Nana herself was constantly haunted by the queenly vision seen at Chamont. It had now become an almost religious memory with her, and through dint¹⁰⁵ of being ceaselessly recalled it grew even more grandiose¹⁰⁶. And for these reasons, though trembling with repressed indignation, she now hung submissively on the count's arm as they went from window to window among the fast-diminishing crowd. The pavement was drying outside, and a cool wind blew along the gallery, swept the close hot air up beneath the glass that imprisoned¹⁰⁷ it and shook the colored lanterns and the lines of gas jets and the giant fan which was flaring¹⁰⁸ away like a set piece in an illumination. At the door of the restaurant a waiter was putting out the gas, while the motionless attendants in the empty, glaring shops looked as though they had dropped off to sleep with their eyes open.

"Oh, what a duck!" continued Nana, retracing¹⁰⁹ her steps as far as the last of the shops in order to go into ecstasies over a porcelain¹¹⁰ greyhound standing¹¹¹ with raised forepaw in front of a nest hidden among roses.

At length they quitted the passage, but she refused the offer of a cab. It was very pleasant out she said; besides, they were in no hurry, and it would be charming to return home on foot. When they were in front of the Cafe Anglais she had a sudden longing¹¹² to eat oysters¹¹³. Indeed, she said that owing to Louiset's illness she had tasted nothing since morning. Muffat dared not oppose her. Yet as he did not in those days wish to be seen about with her he asked for a private supper room and hurried to it along the corridors. She followed him with the air of a woman familiar with the house, and they were on the point of entering a private room, the door of which a waiter held open, when from a neighboring saloon, whence issued a perfect tempest of shouts and laughter, a man rapidiy emerged. It was Daguenet.

"By Jove, it's Nana!" he cried.

The count had briskly disappeared into the private room, leaving the door ajar behind him. But Daguenet winked¹¹⁵ behind his round shoulders and added in chaffing tones:

"The deuce, but you're doing nicely! You catch 'em in the Tuileries nowadays!"

Nana smiled and laid a finger on her lips to beg him to be silent. She could see he was very much exalted¹¹⁶, and yet she was glad to have met him, for she still felt tenderly toward him, and that despite the nasty way he had cut her when in the company of fashionable ladies.

"What are you doing now?" she asked amicably¹¹⁷.

"Becoming respectable. Yes indeed, I'm thinking of getting married."

She shrugged¹¹⁹ her shoulders with a pitying air. But he jokingly continued to the effect that to be only just gaining enough on 'change to buy ladies bouquets¹²⁰ could scarcely be called an income, provided you wanted to look respectable too! His three hundred thousand francs had only lasted him eighteen months! He wanted to be practical, and he was going to marry a girl with a huge dowry and end off as a PREFET, like his father before him! Nana still smiled incredulously. She nodded in the direction of the saloon: "Who are you with in there?"

"Oh, a whole gang," he said, forgetting all about his projects under the influence of returning intoxication¹²¹. "Just think! Lea is telling us about her trip in Egypt. Oh, it's screaming! There's a bathing story--"

And he told the story while Nana lingered complaisantly. They had ended by leaning up against the wall in the corridor, facing one another. Gas jets were flaring under the low ceiling, and a vague smell of cookery hung about the folds of the hangings. Now and again, in order to hear each other's voices when the din¹⁰ in the saloon became louder than ever, they had to lean well forward. Every few seconds, however, a waiter with an armful of dishes found his passage barred and disturbed them. But they did not cease their talk for that; on the contrary, they stood close up to the walls and, amid the uproar¹²² of the supper party and the jostlings of the waiters, chatted as quietly as if they were by their own firesides.

"Just look at that," whispered the young man, pointing to the door of the private room through which Muffat had vanished.

Both looked. The door was quivering slightly; a breath of air seemed to be disturbing it, and at last, very, very slowly and without the least sound, it was shut to. They exchanged a silent chuckle¹²³. The count must be looking charmingly happy all alone in there!

"By the by," she asked, "have you read Fauchery's article about me?"

"Yes, 'The Golden Fly,'" replied Daguenet; "I didn't mention it to you as I was afraid of paining you."

"Paining me--why? His article's a very long one."

She was flattered to think that the Figaro should concern itself about her person. But failing the explanations of her hairdresser Francis, who had brought her the paper, she would not have understood that it was she who was in question. Daguenet scrutinized¹²⁴ her slyly, sneering¹²⁵ in his chaffing way. Well, well, since she was pleased, everybody else ought to be.

"By your leave!" shouted a waiter, holding a dish of iced cheese in both hands as he separated them.

Nana had stepped toward the little saloon where Muffat was waiting.

"Well, good-by!" continued Daguenet. "Go and find your cuckold again."

But she halted afresh.

"Why d'you call him cuckold?"

"Because he is a cuckold, by Jove!"

She came and leaned against the wall again; she was profoundly interested.

"Ah!" she said simply.

"What, d'you mean to say you didn't know that? Why, my dear girl, his wife's Fauchery's mistress. It probably began in the country. Some time ago, when I was coming here, Fauchery left me, and I suspect he's got an assignation with her at his place tonight. They've made up a story about a journey, I fancy."

Overcome with surprise, Nana remained voiceless.

"I suspected it," she said at last, slapping her leg. "I guessed it by merely looking at her on the highroad that day. To think of its being possible for an honest woman to deceive her husband, and with that blackguard Fauchery too! He'll teach her some pretty things!"

"Oh, it isn't her trial trip," muttered Daguenet wickedly. "Perhaps she knows as much about it as he does."

At this Nana gave vent²⁹ to an indignant exclamation¹²⁶.

"Indeed she does! What a nice world! It's too foul!"

"By your leave!" shouted a waiter, laden with bottles, as he separated them.

Daguenet drew her forward again and held her hand for a second or two. He adopted his crystalline tone of voice, the voice with notes as sweet as those of a harmonica, which had gained him his success among the ladies of Nana's type.

"Good-by, darling! You know I love you always."

She disengaged her hand from his, and while a thunder of shouts and bravos, which made the door in the saloon tremble again, almost drowned her words she smilingly remarked:

"It's over between us, stupid! But that doesn't matter. Do come up one of these days, and we'll have a chat."

Then she became serious again and in the outraged¹²⁷ tones of a respectable woman:

"So he's a cuckold, is he?" she cried. "Well, that IS a nuisance, dear boy. They've always sickened me, cuckolds have."

When at length she went into the private room she noticed that Muffat was sitting resignedly on a narrow divan¹²⁸ with pale face and twitching¹²⁹ hands. He did not reproach her at all, and she, greatly moved, was divided between feelings of pity and of contempt. The poor man! To think of his being so unworthily cheated by a vile wife! She had a good mind to throw her arms round his neck and comfort him. But it was only fair all the same! He was a fool with women, and this would teach him a lesson! Nevertheless, pity overcame her. She did not get rid of him as she had determined to do after the oysters had been discussed. They scarcely stayed a quarter of an hour in the Cafe Anglais, and together they went into the house in the Boulevard Haussmann. It was then eleven. Before midnight she would have easily have discovered some means of getting rid of him kindly¹³⁰.

In the anteroom, however, she took the precaution of giving Zoe an order. "You'll look out for him, and you'll tell him not to make a noise if the other man's still with me."

"But where shall I put him, madame?"

"Keep him in the kitchen. It's more safe."

In the room inside Muffat was already taking off his overcoat. A big fire was burning on the hearth¹³¹. It was the same room as of old, with its rosewood furniture and its hangings and chair coverings of figured damask with the large blue flowers on a gray background. On two occasions Nana had thought of having it redone, the first in black velvet¹³², the second in white satin with bows, but directly Steiner consented she demanded the money that these changes would cost simply with a view to pillaging¹³³ him. She had, indeed, only indulged in a tiger skin rug for the hearth and a cut-glass hanging lamp.

"I'm not sleepy; I'm not going to bed," she said the moment they were shut in together.

The count obeyed her submissively, as became a man no longer afraid of being seen. His one care now was to avoid vexing¹³⁴ her.

"As you will," he murmured.

Nevertheless, he took his boots off, too, before seating himself in front of the fire. One of Nana's pleasures consisted in undressing herself in front of the mirror on her wardrobe door, which reflected her whole height. She would let everything slip off her in turn and then would stand perfectly¹³⁵ naked and gaze and gaze in complete oblivion of all around her. Passion for her own body, ecstasy¹³⁶ over her satin skin and the supple¹³⁷ contours of her shape, would keep her serious, attentive¹³⁸ and absorbed in the love of herself. The hairdresser frequently found her standing thus and would enter without her once turning to look at him. Muffat used to grow angry then, but he only succeeded in astonishing her. What was coming over the man? She was doing it to please herself, not other people.

That particular evening she wanted to have a better view of herself, and she lit the six candles attached to the frame of the mirror. But while letting her shift slip down she paused. She had been preoccupied¹³⁹ for some moments past, and a question was on her lips.

"You haven't read the Figaro article, have you? The paper's on the table." Daguenet's laugh had recurred¹⁴⁰ to her recollections, and she was harassed¹⁴¹ by a doubt. If that Fauchery had slandered¹⁴² her she would be revenged.

"They say that it's about me," she continued, affecting indifference¹⁴³. "What's your notion, eh, darling?"

And letting go her shift and waiting till Muffat should have done reading, she stood naked. Muffat was reading slowly Fauchery's article entitled "The Golden Fly," describing the life of a harlot descended from four or five generations of drunkards and tainted¹⁴⁴ in her blood by a cumulative¹⁴⁵ inheritance of misery¹⁴⁶ and drink, which in her case has taken the form of a nervous exaggeration of the sexual instinct. She has shot up to womanhood in the slums and on the pavements of Paris, and tall, handsome and as superbly grown as a dunghill plant, she avenges¹⁴⁷ the beggars and outcasts of whom she is the ultimate product. With her the rottenness that is allowed to ferment¹⁴⁸ among the populace is carried upward and rots the aristocracy. She becomes a blind power of nature, a leaven¹⁴⁹ of destruction, and unwittingly she corrupts¹⁵⁰ and disorganizes all Paris, churning it between her snow-white thighs¹⁵¹ as milk is monthly churned by housewives. And it was at the end of this article that the comparison with a fly occurred, a fly of sunny hue¹⁵³ which has flown up out of the dung, a fly which sucks in death on the carrion¹⁵⁴ tolerated by the roadside and then buzzing, dancing and glittering like a precious stone enters the windows of palaces and poisons the men within by merely settling on them in her flight.

Muffat lifted his head; his eyes stared fixedly¹⁵⁵; he gazed at the fire.

"Well?" asked Nana.

But he did not answer. It seemed as though he wanted to read the article again. A cold, shivering feeling was creeping from his scalp to his shoulders. This article had been written anyhow. The phrases were wildly extravagant¹⁵⁶; the unexpected epigrams and quaint¹⁵⁷ collocations of words went beyond all bounds. Yet notwithstanding this, he was struck by what he had read, for it had rudely awakened¹⁵⁸ within him much that for months past he had not cared to think about.

He looked up. Nana had grown absorbed in her ecstatic self-contemplation. She was bending her neck and was looking attentively¹⁵⁹ in the mirror at a little brown mark above her right haunch. She was touching¹⁶⁰ it with the tip of her finger and by dint of bending backward was making it stand out more clearly than ever. Situated where it was, it doubtless struck her as both quaint and pretty. After that she studied other parts of her body with an amused expression and much of the vicious curiosity of a child. The sight of herself always astonished her, and she would look as surprised and ecstatic as a young girl who has discovered her puberty. Slowly, slowly, she spread out her arms in order to give full value to her figure, which suggested the torso of a plump Venus. She bent¹⁶¹ herself this way and that and examined herself before and behind, stooping to look at the side view of her bosom¹⁶² and at the sweeping¹⁶³ contours of her thighs. And she ended with a strange amusement which consisted of swinging to right and left, her knees apart and her body swaying from the waist with the perpetual jogging, twitching movements peculiar to an oriental dancer in the danse du ventre.

Muffat sat looking at her. She frightened him. The newspaper had dropped from his hand. For a moment he saw her as she was, and he despised himself. Yes, it was just that; she had corrupted¹⁶⁴ his life; he already felt himself tainted to his very marrow¹⁶⁵ by impurities¹⁶⁶ hitherto undreamed of. Everything was now destined¹⁶⁷ to rot within him, and in the twinkling of an eye he understood what this evil entailed¹⁶⁸. He saw the ruin brought about by this kind of "leaven"--himself poisoned, his family destroyed, a bit of the social fabric¹⁶⁹ cracking and crumbling¹⁷⁰. And unable to take his eyes from the sight, he sat looking fixedly at her, striving to inspire himself with loathing¹⁷¹ for her nakedness.

Nana no longer moved. With an arm behind her neck, one hand clasped in the other, and her elbows far apart, she was throwing back her head so that he could see a foreshortened reflection of her half-closed eyes, her parted lips, her face clothed with amorous¹⁷² laughter. Her masses of yellow hair were unknotted behind, and they covered her back with the fell of a lioness.

Bending back thus, she displayed her solid Amazonian waist and firm bosom, where strong muscles moved under the satin texture¹⁷³ of the skin. A delicate line, to which the shoulder and the thigh¹⁵² added their slight undulations, ran from one of her elbows to her foot, and Muffat's eyes followed this tender profile and marked how the outlines of the fair flesh vanished in golden gleams and how its rounded contours shone like silk in the candlelight. He thought of his old dread of Woman, of the Beast of the Scriptures¹⁷⁴, at once lewd¹⁷⁵ and wild. Nana was all covered with fine hair; a russet made her body velvety¹⁷⁶, while the Beast was apparent in the almost equine development of her flanks, in the fleshy exuberances and deep hollows of her body, which lent her sex the mystery and suggestiveness lurking¹⁷⁷ in their shadows. She was, indeed, that Golden Creature, blind as brute¹⁷⁸ force, whose very odor ruined the world. Muffat gazed and gazed as a man possessed, till at last, when he had shut his eyes in order to escape it, the Brute reappeared in the darkness of the brain, larger, more terrible, more suggestive in its attitude. Now, he understood, it would remain before his eyes, in his very flesh, forever.

But Nana was gathering¹⁷⁹ herself together. A little thrill of tenderness seemed to have traversed her members. Her eyes were moist; she tried, as it were, to make herself small, as though she could feel herself better thus. Then she threw her head and bosom back and, melting, as it were, in one great bodily caress¹⁷, she rubbed her cheeks coaxingly¹⁸⁰, first against one shoulder, then against the other. Her lustful¹⁸¹ mouth breathed desire over her limbs. She put out her lips, kissed herself long in the neighborhood of her armpit and laughed at the other Nana who also was kissing herself in the mirror.

Then Muffat gave a long sigh. This solitary pleasure exasperated¹⁸² him. Suddenly all his resolutions were swept away as though by a mighty¹⁸⁴ wind. In a fit of brutal¹⁸⁵ passion he caught Nana to his breast and threw her down on the carpet.

"Leave me alone!" she cried. "You're hurting me!"

He was conscious of his undoing¹⁸⁶; he recognized in her stupidity, vileness¹⁸⁷ and falsehood, and he longed to possess her, poisoned though she was.

"Oh, you're a fool!" she said savagely¹⁸⁸ when he let her get up.

Nevertheless, she grew calm. He would go now. She slipped on a nightgown trimmed with lace and came and sat down on the floor in front of the fire. It was her favorite position. When she again questioned him about Fauchery's article Muffat replied vaguely¹⁸⁹, for he wanted to avoid a scene. Besides, she declared that she had found a weak spot in Fauchery. And with that she relapsed into a long silence and reflected on how to dismiss the count. She would have liked to do it in an agreeable way, for she was still a good-natured wench, and it bored her to cause others pain, especially in the present instance where the man was a cuckold. The mere⁷⁷ thought of his being that had ended by rousing her sympathies!

"So you expect your wife tomorrow morning?" she said at last.

Muffat had stretched himself in an armchair. He looked drowsy¹⁹⁰, and his limbs were tired. He gave a sign of assent¹⁹¹. Nana sat gazing seriously at him with a dull tumult¹⁹² in her brain. Propped¹⁹³ on one leg, among her slightly rumpled¹⁹⁴ laces she was holding one of her bare feet between her hands and was turning it mechanically about and about.

"Have you been married long?" she asked.

"Nineteen years," replied the count

"Ah! And is your wife amiable¹⁹⁵? Do you get on comfortably together?"

He was silent. Then with some embarrassment¹⁹⁶:

"You know I've begged you never to talk of those matters."

"Dear me, why's that?" she cried, beginning to grow vexed¹⁹⁷ directly. "I'm sure I won't eat your wife if I DO talk about her. Dear boy, why, every woman's worth--"

But she stopped for fear of saying too much. She contented¹⁹⁸ herself by assuming a superior expression, since she considered herself extremely kind. The poor fellow, he needed delicate handling! Besides, she had been struck by a laughable notion, and she smiled as she looked him carefully over.

"I say," she continued, "I haven't told you the story about you that Fauchery's circulating. There's a viper²⁰⁰, if you like! I don't bear him any ill will, because his article may be all right, but he's a regular viper all the same."

And laughing more gaily²⁰¹ than ever, she let go her foot and, crawling along the floor, came and propped herself against the count's knees.

"Now just fancy, he swears you were still like a babe when you married your wife. You were still like that, eh? Is it true, eh?"

Her eyes pressed for an answer, and she raised her hands to his shoulders and began shaking him in order to extract the desired confession²⁰².

"Without doubt," he at last made answer gravely.

Thereupon she again sank down at his feet. She was shaking with uproarious laughter, and she stuttered and dealt him little slaps.

"No, it's too funny! There's no one like you; you're a marvel²⁰³. But, my poor pet, you must just have been stupid! When a man doesn't know--oh, it is so comical! Good heavens, I should have liked to have seen you! And it came off well, did it? Now tell me something about it! Oh, do, do tell me!"

She overwhelmed him with questions, forgetting nothing and requiring the veriest details. And she laughed such sudden merry peals²⁰⁴ which doubled her up with mirth, and her chemise slipped and got turned down to such an extent, and her skin looked so golden in the light of the big fire, that little by little the count described to her his bridal night. He no longer felt at all awkward. He himself began to be amused at last as he spoke²⁰⁵. Only he kept choosing his phrases, for he still had a certain sense of modesty²⁰⁶. The young woman, now thoroughly²⁰⁷ interested, asked him about the countess. According to his account, she had a marvelous figure but was a regular iceberg²⁰⁸ for all that.

"Oh, get along with you!" he muttered indolently. "You have no cause to be jealous."

Nana had ceased laughing, and she now resumed her former position and, with her back to the fire, brought her knees up under her chin with her clasped hands. Then in a serious tone she declared:

"It doesn't pay, dear boy, to look like a ninny with one's wife the first night."

"Why?" queried the astonished count.

"Because," she replied slowly, assuming a doctorial expression.

And with that she looked as if she were delivering a lecture and shook her head at him. In the end, however, she condescended²⁰⁹ to explain herself more lucidly²¹⁰.

"Well, look here! I know how it all happens. Yes, dearie, women don't like a man to be foolish. They don't say anything because there's such a thing as modesty, you know, but you may be sure they think about it for a jolly long time to come. And sooner or later, when a man's been an ignoramus, they go and make other arrangements. That's it, my pet."

He did not seem to understand. Whereupon she grew more definite still. She became maternal²¹¹ and taught him his lesson out of sheer goodness of heart, as a friend might do. Since she had discovered him to be a cuckold the information had weighed on her spirits; she was madly anxious to discuss his position with him.

"Good heavens! I'm talking of things that don't concern me. I've said what I have because everybody ought to be happy. We're having a chat, eh? Well then, you're to answer me as straight as you can."

But she stopped to change her position, for she was burning herself. "It's jolly hot, eh? My back's roasted. Wait a second. I'll cook my tummy a bit. That's what's good for the aches!"

And when she had turned round with her breast to the fire and her feet tucked under her:

"Let me see," she said; "you don't sleep with your wife any longer?"

"No, I swear to you I don't," said Muffat, dreading²¹² a scene.

"And you believe she's really a stick?"

He bowed his head in the affirmative.

"And that's why you love me? Answer me! I shan't be angry."

He repeated the same movement.

"Very well then," she concluded. "I suspected as much! Oh, the poor pet. Do you know my aunt Lerat? When she comes get her to tell you the story about the fruiterer who lives opposite her. Just fancy that man--Damn it, how hot this fire is! I must turn round. I'm going to roast my left side now." And as she presented her side to the blaze a droll²¹³ idea struck her, and like a good-tempered thing, she made fun of herself for she was dellghted to see that she was looking so plump and pink in the light of the coal fire.

"I look like a goose, eh? Yes, that's it! I'm a goose on the spit, and I'm turning, turning and cooking in my own juice, eh?"

And she was once more indulging in a merry fit of laughter when a sound of voices and slamming doors became audible. Muffat was surprised, and he questioned her with a look. She grew serious, and an anxious expression came over her face. It must be Zoe's cat, a cursed beast that broke everything. It was half-past twelve o'clock. How long was she going to bother herself in her cuckold's behalf? Now that the other man had come she ought to get him out of the way, and that quickly.

"What were you saying?" asked the count complaisantly, for he was charmed to see her so kind to him.

But in her desire to be rid of him she suddenly changed her mood, became brutal and did not take care what she was saying.

"Oh yes! The fruiterer and his wife. Well, my dear fellow, they never once touched one another! Not the least bit! She was very keen on it, you understand, but he, the ninny, didn't know it. He was so green that he thought her a stick, and so he went elsewhere and took up with streetwalkers, who treated him to all sorts of nastiness, while she, on her part, made up for it beautifully with fellows who were a lot slyer than her greenhorn of a husband. And things always turn out that way through people not understanding one another. I know it, I do!"

Muffat was growing pale. At last he was beginning to understand her allusions²¹⁴, and he wanted to make her keep silence. But she was in full swing.

"No, hold your tongue, will you? If you weren't brutes²¹⁵ you would be as nice with your wives as you are with us, and if your wives weren't geese they would take as much pains to keep you as we do to get you. That's the way to behave. Yes, my duck, you can put that in your pipe and smoke it."

"Do not talk of honest women," he said in a hard voice. "You do not know them."

At that Nana rose to her knees.

"I don't know them! Why, they aren't even clean, your honest women aren't! They aren't even clean! I defy you to find me one who would dare show herself as I am doing. Oh, you make me laugh with your honest women. Don't drive me to it; don't oblige me to tell you things I may regret afterward."

The count, by way of answer, mumbled²¹⁷ something insulting. Nana became quite pale in her turn. For some seconds she looked at him without speaking. Then in her decisive way:

"What would you do if your wife were deceiving you?"

He made a threatening gesture.

"Well, and if I were to?"

"Oh, you," he muttered with a shrug¹¹⁸ of his shoulders.

Nana was certainly not spiteful. Since the beginning of the conversation she had been strongly tempted²¹⁸ to throw his cuckold's reputation in his teeth, but she had resisted. She would have liked to confess him quietly on the subject, but he had begun to exasperate¹⁸³ her at last. The matter ought to stop now.

"Well, then, my dearie," she continued, "I don't know what you're getting at with me. For two hours past you've been worrying my life out. Now do just go and find your wife, for she's at it with Fauchery. Yes, it's quite correct; they're in the Rue⁸⁹ Taitbout, at the corner of the Rue de Provence. You see, I'm giving you the address."

Then triumphantly²¹⁹, as she saw Muffat stagger to his feet like an ox under the hammer:

"If honest women must meddle²²⁰ in our affairs and take our sweethearts from us--Oh, you bet they're a nice lot, those honest women!"

But she was unable to proceed. With a terrible push he had cast her full length on the floor and, lifting his heel, he seemed on the point of crushing in her head in order to silence her. For the twinkling of an eye she felt sickening dread. Blinded with rage, he had begun beating about the room like a maniac²²¹. Then his choking silence and the struggle with which he was shaken melted her to tears. She felt a mortal regret and, rolling herself up in front of the fire so as to roast her right side, she undertook the task of comforting him.

"I take my oath, darling, I thought you knew it all. Otherwise I shouldn't have spoken; you may be sure. But perhaps it isn't true. I don't say anything for certain. I've been told it, and people are talking about it, but what does that prove? Oh, get along! You're very silly to grow riled about it. If I were a man I shouldn't care a rush for the women! All the women are alike, you see, high or low; they're all rowdy and the rest of it."

In a fit of self-abnegation she was severe on womankind, for she wished thus to lessen²²² the cruelty of her blow. But he did not listen to her or hear what she said. With fumbling²²³ movements he had put on his boots and his overcoat. For a moment longer he raved⁷³ round, and then in a final outburst, finding himself near the door, he rushed from the room. Nana was very much annoyed.

"Well, well! A prosperous trip to you!" she continued aloud, though she was now alone. "He's polite, too, that fellow is, when he's spoken to! And I had to defend myself at that! Well, I was the first to get back my temper and I made plenty of excuses, I'm thinking! Besides, he had been getting on my nerves!"

Nevertheless, she was not happy and sat scratching her legs with both hands. Then she took high ground:

"Tut, tut, it isn't my fault if he is a cuckold!"

And toasted on every side and as hot as a roast bird, she went and buried herself under the bedclothes after ringing for Zoe to usher²²⁴ in the other man, who was waiting in the kitchen.

Once outside, Muffat began walking at a furious pace. A fresh shower had just fallen, and he kept slipping on the greasy²²⁵ pavement. When he looked mechanically up into the sky he saw ragged, soot-colored clouds scudding²²⁶ in front of the moon. At this hour of the night passers-by were becoming few and far between in the Boulevard Haussmann. He skirted the enclosures round the opera house in his search for darkness, and as he went along he kept mumbling²²⁷ inconsequent phrases. That girl had been lying. She had invented her story out of sheer stupidity and cruelty. He ought to have crushed her head when he had it under his heel. After all was said and done, the business was too shameful²²⁸. Never would he see her; never would he touch her again, or if he did he would be miserably²²⁹ weak. And with that he breathed hard, as though he were free once more. Oh, that naked, cruel monster, roasting away like any goose and slavering over everything that he had respected for forty years back. The moon had come out, and the empty street was bathed in white light. He felt afraid, and he burst into a great fit of sobbing²³⁰, for he had grown suddenly hopeless and maddened as though he had sunk into a fathomless²³¹ void.

"My God!" he stuttered out. "It's finished! There's nothing left now!"

Along the boulevards belated people were hurrying. He tried hard to be calm, and as the story told him by that courtesan kept recurring²³² to his burning consciousness, he wanted to reason the matter out. The countess was coming up from Mme de Chezelles's country house tomorrow morning. Yet nothing, in fact, could have prevented her from returning to Paris the night before and passing it with that man. He now began recalling to mind certain details of their stay at Les Fondettes. One evening, for instance, he had surprised Sabine in the shade of some trees, when she was so much agitated as to be unable to answer his questions. The man had been present; why should she not be with him now? The more he thought about it the more possible the whole story became, and he ended by thinking it natural and even inevitable²³³. While he was in his shirt sleeves in the house of a harlot his wife was undressing in her lover's room. Nothing could be simpler or more logical! Reasoning in this way, he forced himself to keep cool. He felt as if there were a great downward movement in the direction of fleshly madness, a movement which, as it grew, was overcoming the whole world round about him. Warm images pursued him in imagination. A naked Nana suddenly evoked²³⁴ a naked Sabine. At this vision, which seemed to bring them together in shameless relationship and under the influence of the same lusts²³⁵, he literally²³⁶ stumbled, and in the road a cab nearly ran over him. Some women who had come out of a cafe jostled him amid loud laughter. Then a fit of weeping once more overcame him, despite all his efforts to the contrary, and, not wishing to shed tears in the presence of others, he plunged²³⁷ into a dark and empty street. It was the Rue Rossini, and along its silent length he wept like a child.

"It's over with us," he said in hollow tones. "There's nothing left us now, nothing left us now!"

He wept so violently that he had to lean up against a door as he buried his face in his wet hands. A noise of footsteps drove him away. He felt a shame and a fear which made him fly before people's faces with the restless step of a bird of darkness. When passers-by met him on the pavement he did his best to look and walk in a leisurely²³⁸ way, for he fancied they were reading his secret in the very swing of his shoulders. He had followed the Rue de la Grange Bateliere as far as the Rue du Faubourg Montmartre, where the brilliant lamplight surprised him, and he retraced²³⁹ his steps. For nearly an hour he traversed the district thus, choosing always the darkest corners. Doubtless there was some goal whither his steps were patiently, instinctively²⁴⁰, leading him through a labyrinth²⁴¹ of endless turnings. At length he lifted his eyes up it a street corner. He had reached his destination, the point where the Rue Taitbout and the Rue de la Provence met. He had taken an hour amid his painful mental sufferings to arrive at a place he could have reached in five minutes. One morning a month ago he remembered going up to Fauchery's rooms to thank him for a notice of a ball at the Tuileries, in which the journalist had mentioned him. The flat was between the ground floor and the first story and had a row of small square windows which were half hidden by the colossal²⁴² signboard belonging to a shop. The last window on the left was bisected by a brilliant band of lamplight coming from between the half-closed curtains. And he remained absorbed and expectant, with his gaze fixed on this shining streak²⁴³.

The moon had disappeared in an inky sky, whence an icy drizzle²⁴⁴ was falling. Two o'clock struck at the Trinite. The Rue de Provence and the Rue Taitbout lay in shadow, bestarred at intervals²⁴⁵ by bright splashes of light from the gas lamps, which in the distance were merged¹¹⁴ in yellow mist. Muffat did not move from where he was standing. That was the room. He remembered it now: it had hangings of red "andrinople," and a Louis XIII bed stood at one end of it. The lamp must be standing on the chimney piece to the right. Without doubt they had gone to bed, for no shadows passed across the window, and the bright streak gleamed as motionless as the light of a night lamp. With his eyes still uplifted he began forming a plan; he would ring the bell, go upstairs despite the porter's remonstrances²⁴⁶, break the doors in with a push of his shoulder and fall upon them in the very bed without giving them time to unlace their arms. For one moment the thought that he had no weapon upon him gave him pause, but directly afterward he decided¹⁰⁰ to throttle²⁴⁷ them. He returned to the consideration of his project, and he perfected it while waiting for some sign, some indication, which should bring certainty with it.

Had a woman's shadow only shown itself at that moment he would have rung. But the thought that perhaps he was deceiving himself froze him. How could he be certain? Doubts began to return. His wife could not be with that man. It was monstrous²⁴⁸ and impossible. Nevertheless, he stayed where he was and was gradually overcome by a species of torpor²⁴⁹ which merged into sheer feebleness while he waited long, and the fixity of his gaze induced hallucinations.

A shower was falling. Two policemen were approaching, and he was forced to leave the doorway where he had taken shelter. When these were lost to view in the Rue de Provence he returned to his post, wet and shivering. The luminous streak still traversed the window, and this time he was going away for good when a shadow crossed it. It moved so quickly that he thought he had deceived himself. But first one and then another black thing followed quickly after it, and there was a regular commotion²⁵⁰ in the room. Riveted²⁵¹ anew to the pavement, he experienced an intolerable burning sensation in his inside as he waited to find out the meaning of it all. Outlines of arms and legs flitted after one another, and an enormous hand traveled about with the silhouette²⁵² of a water jug²⁵³. He distinguished²⁵⁴ nothing clearly, but he thought he recognized a woman's headdress. And he disputed the point with himself; it might well have been Sabine's hair, only the neck did not seem sufficiently²⁵⁵ slim. At that hour of the night he had lost the power of recognition and of action. In this terrible agony of uncertainty²⁵⁶ his inside caused him such acute suffering that he pressed against the door in order to calm himself, shivering like a man in rags, as he did so. Then seeing that despite everything he could not turn his eyes away from the window, his anger changed into a fit of moralizing. He fancied himself a deputy; he was haranguing²⁵⁷ an assembly, loudly denouncing debauchery, prophesying²⁵⁹ national ruin. And he reconstructed Fauchery's article on the poisoned fly, and he came before the house and declared that morals such as these, which could only be paralleled in the days of the later Roman Empire, rendered society an impossibility; that did him good. But the shadows had meanwhile disappeared. Doubtless they had gone to bed again, and, still watching, he continued waiting where he was.

Three o'clock struck, then four, but he could not take his departure. When showers fell he buried himself in a corner of the doorway, his legs splashed with wet. Nobody passed by now, and occasionally his eyes would close, as though scorched²⁶¹ by the streak of light, which he kept watching obstinately²⁶², fixedly, with idiotic²⁶³ persistence²⁶⁴. On two subsequent occasions the shadows flitted about, repeating the same gestures and agitating²⁶⁵ the silhouette of the same gigantic jug, and twice quiet was re-established, and the night lamp again glowed discreetly²⁶⁶ out. These shadows only increased his uncertainty. Then, too, a sudden idea soothed²⁶⁷ his brain while it postponed²⁶⁸ the decisive moment. After all, he had only to wait for the woman when she left the house. He could quite easily recognize Sabine. Nothing could be simpler, and there would be no scandal, and he would be sure of things one way or the other. It was only necessary to stay where he was. Among all the confused feelings which had been agitating him he now merely felt a dull need of certain knowledge. But sheer weariness and vacancy²⁶⁹ began lulling²⁷⁰ him to sleep under his doorway, and by way of distraction²⁷¹ he tried to reckon up how long he would have to wait. Sabine was to be at the station toward nine o'clock; that meant about four hours and a half more. He was very patient; he would even have been content not to move again, and he found a certain charm in fancying that his night vigil would last through eternity²⁷².

Suddenly the streak of light was gone. This extremely simple event was to him an unforeseen catastrophe²⁷³, at once troublesome and disagreeable. Evidently they had just put the lamp out and were going to sleep. lt was reasonable enough at that hour, but he was irritated thereat, for now the darkened window ceased to interest him. He watched it for a quarter of an hour longer and then grew tired and, leaving the doorway, took a turn upon the pavement. Until five o'clock he walked to and fro, looking upward from time to time. The window seemed a dead thing, and now and then he asked himself if he had not dreamed that shadows had been dancing up there behind the panes²⁷⁴. An intolerable sense of fatigue²⁷⁵ weighed him down, a dull, heavy feeling, under the influence of which he forgot what he was waiting for at that particular street corner. He kept stumbling on the pavement and starting into wakefulness with the icy shudder²⁷⁶ of a man who does not know where he is. Nothing seemed to justify²⁷⁷ the painful anxiety he was inflicting²⁷⁸ on himself. Since those people were asleep--well then, let them sleep! What good could it do mixing in their affairs? It was very dark; no one would ever know anything about this night's doings. And with that every sentiment within him, down to curiosity itself, took flight before the longing to have done with it all and to find relief somewhere. The cold was increasing, and the street was becoming insufferable. Twice he walked away and slowly returned, dragging one foot behind the other, only to walk farther away next time. It was all over; nothing was left him now, and so he went down the whole length of the boulevard and did not return.

His was a melancholy progress through the streets. He walked slowly, never changing his pace and simply keeping along the walls of the houses.

His boot heels re-echoed, and he saw nothing but his shadow moving at his side. As he neared each successive gaslight it grew taller and immediately afterward diminished. But this lulled²⁷⁹ him and occupied him mechanically. He never knew afterward where he had been; it seemed as if he had dragged himself round and round in a circle for hours. One reminiscence only was very distinctly retained by him. Without his being able to explain how it came about he found himself with his face pressed close against the gate at the end of the Passage des Panoramas and his two hands grasping the bars. He did not shake them but, his whole heart swelling²⁸⁰ with emotion, he simply tried to look into the passage. But he could make nothing out clearly, for shadows flooded the whole length of the deserted gallery, and the wind, blowing hard down the Rue Saint-Marc, puffed²⁸¹ in his face with the damp breath of a cellar. For a time he tried doggedly²⁸² to see into the place, and then, awakening from his dream, he was filled with astonishment²⁸³ and asked himself what he could possibly be seeking for at that hour and in that position, for he had pressed against the railings so fiercely that they had left their mark on his face. Then he went on tramp once more. He was hopeless, and his heart was full of infinite sorrow, for he felt, amid all those shadows, that he was evermore betrayed and alone.

Day broke at last. It was the murky²⁸⁴ dawn that follows winter nights and looks so melancholy from muddy Paris pavements. Muffat had returned into the wide streets, which were then in course of construction on either side of the new opera house. Soaked by the rain and cut up by cart wheels, the chalky soil had become a lake of liquid mire²⁸⁵. But he never looked to see where he was stepping and walked on and on, slipping and regaining²⁸⁶ his footing as he went. The awakening of Paris, with its gangs of sweepers and early workmen trooping to their destinations, added to his troubles as day brightened. People stared at him in surprise as he went by with scared look and soaked hat and muddy clothes. For a long while he sought refuge against palings and among scaffoldings, his desolate²⁸⁷ brain haunted by the single remaining thought that he was very miserable²⁸⁸.

Then he thought of God. The sudden idea of divine help, of superhuman consolation²⁸⁹, surprised him, as though it were something unforeseen and extraordinary. The image of M. Venot was evoked thereby²⁹⁰, and he saw his little plump face and ruined teeth. Assuredly M. Venot, whom for months he had been avoiding and thereby rendering²⁹¹ miserable, would be delighted were he to go and knock at his door and fall weeping into his arms. In the old days God had been always so merciful toward him. At the least sorrow, the slightest obstacle on the path of life, he had been wont to enter a church, where, kneeling down, he would humble²⁹² his littleness in the presence of Omnipotence²⁹³. And he had been used to go forth²⁹⁴ thence, fortified²⁹⁵ by prayer, fully¹⁹⁹ prepared to give up the good things of this world, possessed by the single yearning²⁹⁶ for eternal salvation²⁹⁷. But at present he only practiced by fits and starts, when the terror of hell came upon him. All kinds of weak inclinations²⁹⁸ had overcome him, and the thought of Nana disturbed his devotions. And now the thought of God astonished him. Why had he not thought of God before, in the hour of that terrible agony when his feeble humanity was breaking up in ruin?

Meanwhile with slow and painful steps he sought for a church. But he had lost his bearings; the early hour had changed the face of the streets. Soon, however, as he turned the corner of the Rue de la Chaussee-d'Antin, he noticed a tower looming²⁹⁹ vaguely in the fog at the end of the Trinite Church. The white statues overlooking the bare garden seemed like so many chilly³⁰⁰ Venuses among the yellow foliage³⁰¹ of a park. Under the porch he stood and panted a little, for the ascent³⁰² of the wide steps had tired him. Then he went in. The church was very cold, for its heating apparatus³⁰³ had been fireless since the previous evening, and its lofty, vaulted³⁰⁴ aisles³⁰⁵ were full of a fine damp vapor³⁰⁶ which had come filtering through the windows. The aisles were deep in shadow; not a soul was in the church, and the only sound audible amid the unlovely darkness was that made by the old shoes of some verger or other who was dragging himself about in sulky semiwakefulness. Muffat, however, after knocking forlornly against an untidy collection of chairs, sank on his knees with bursting heart and propped himself against the rails in front of a little chapel³⁰⁷ close by a font. He clasped his hands and began searching within himself for suitable prayers, while his whole being yearned³⁰⁸ toward a transport. But only his lips kept stammering³⁰⁹ empty words; his heart and brain were far away, and with them he returned to the outer world and began his long, unresting march through the streets, as though lashed²⁶⁰ forward by implacable necessity. And he kept repeating, "O my God, come to my assistance! O my God, abandon not Thy creature, who delivers himself up to Thy justice! O my God, I adore Thee: Thou wilt³¹⁰ not leave me to perish under the buffetings of mine enemies!" Nothing answered: the shadows and the cold weighed upon him, and the noise of the old shoes continued in the distance and prevented him praying. Nothing, indeed, save that tiresome³¹¹ noise was audible in the deserted church, where the matutinal sweeping was unknown before the early masses had somewhat warmed the air of the place. After that he rose to his feet with the help of a chair, his knees cracking under him as he did so. God was not yet there. And why should he weep in M. Venot's arms? The man could do nothing.

And then mechanically he returned to Nana's house. Outside he slipped, and he felt the tears welling to his eyes again, but he was not angry with his lot--he was only feeble and ill. Yes, he was too tired; the rain had wet him too much; he was nipped with cold, but the idea of going back to his great dark house in the Rue Miromesnil froze his heart. The house door at Nana's was not open as yet, and he had to wait till the porter made his appearance. He smiled as he went upstairs, for he already felt penetrated³¹² by the soft warmth of that cozy³¹³ retreat, where he would be able to stretch his limbs and go to sleep.

When Zoe opened the door to him she gave a start of most uneasy astonishment. Madame had been taken ill with an atrocious sick headache, and she hadn't closed her eyes all night. Still, she could quite go and see whether Madame had gone to sleep for good. And with that she slipped into the bedroom while he sank back into one of the armchairs in the drawing room. But almost at that very moment Nana appeared. She had jumped out of bed and had scarce had time to slip on a petticoat. Her feet were bare, her hair in wild disorder⁸, her nightgown all crumpled³¹⁴.

"What! You here again?" she cried with a red flush on her cheeks.

Up she rushed, stung by sudden indignation, in order herself to thrust him out of doors. But when she saw him in such sorry plight--nay³¹⁵, so utterly³¹⁶ done for--she felt infinite pity.

"Well, you are a pretty sight, my dear fellow!" she continued more gently. "But what's the matter? You've spotted³¹⁷ them, eh? And it's given you the hump?"

He did not answer; he looked like a broken-down animal. Nevertheless, she came to the conclusion that he still lacked proofs, and to hearten him up the said:

"You see now? I was on the wrong tack³¹⁸. Your wife's an honest woman, on my word of honor! And now, my little friend, you must go home to bed. You want it badly."

He did not stir.

"Now then, be off! I can't keep you here. But perhaps you won't presume to stay at such a time as this?"

"Yes, let's go to bed," he stammered.

She repressed a violent gesture, for her patience was deserting her. Was the man going crazy?

"Come, be off!" she repeated.

"No."

But she flared³¹⁹ up in exasperation³²⁰, in utter rebellion.

"It's sickening! Don't you understand I'm jolly tired of your company? Go and find your wife, who's making a cuckold of you. Yes, she's making a cuckold of you. I say so--yes, I do now. There, you've got the sack! Will you leave me or will you not?"

Muffat's eyes filled with tears. He clasped his hands together.

"Oh, let's go to bed!"

At this Nana suddenly lost all control over herself and was choked by nervous sobs³²¹. She was being taken advaatage of when all was said and done! What had these stories to do with her? She certainly had used all manner of delicate methods in order to teach him his lesson gently. And now he was for making her pay the damages! No, hank you! She was kindhearted, but not to that extent.

"The devil, but I've had enough of this!" she swore, bringing her fist down on the furniture. "Yes, yes, I wanted to be faithful--it was all I could do to be that! Yet if I spoke the word I could be rich tomorrow, my dear fellow!"

He looked up in surprise. Never once had he thought of the monetary³²² question. If she only expressed a desire he would realize it at once; his whole fortune was at her service.

"No, it's too late now," she replied furiously. "I like men who give without being asked. No, if you were to offer me a million for a single interview I should say no! It's over between us; I've got other fish to fry there! So be off or I shan't answer for the consequences. I shall do something dreadful!"

She advanced threateningly toward him, and while she was raving³²³, as became a good courtesan who, though driven to desperation, was yet firmly convinced of her rights and her superiority over tiresome, honest folks, the door opened suddenly and Steiner presented himself. That proved the finishing touch. She shrieked³²⁴ aloud:

"Well, I never. Here's the other one!"

Bewildered by her piercing outcry, Steiner stopped short. Muffat's unexpected presence annoyed him, for he feared an explanation and had been doing his best to avoid it these three months past. With blinking eyes he stood first on one leg, then on the other, looking embarrassed the while and avoiding the count's gaze. He was out of breath, and as became a man who had rushed across Paris with good news, only to find himself involved in unforeseen trouble, his face was flushed and distorted.

"Que veux-tu, toi?" asked Nana roughly, using the second person singular in open mockery of the count.

"What--what do I--" he stammered. "I've got it for you--you know what."

"Eh?"

He hesitated. The day before yesterday she had given him to understand that if he could not find her a thousand francs to pay a bill with she would not receive him any more. For two days he had been loafing about the town in quest of the money and had at last made the sum up that very morning.

"The thousand francs!" he ended by declaring as he drew an envelope from his pocket.

Nana had not remembered.

"The thousand francs!" she cried. "D'you think I'm begging alms?

Now look here, that's what I value your thousand francs at!"

And snatching the envelope, she threw it full in his face. As became a prudent³²⁵ Hebrew, he picked it up slowly and painfully and then looked at the young woman with a dull expression of face. Muffat and he exchanged a despairing glance, while she put her arms akimbo in order to shout more loudly than before.

"Come now, will you soon have done insulting me? I'm glad you've come, too, dear boy, because now you see the clearance'll be quite complete. Now then, gee²¹⁶ up! Out you go!"

Then as they did not hurry in the least, for they were paralyzed:

"D'you mean to say I'm acting³²⁶ like a fool, eh? It's likely enough! But you've bored me too much! And, hang it all, I've had enough of swelldom! If I die of what I'm doing--well, it's my fancy!"

They sought to calm her; they begged her to listen to reason.

"Now then, once, twice, thrice! Won't you go? Very well! Look there! I've got company."

And with a brisk movement she flung wide the bedroom door. Whereupon in the middle of the tumbled bed the two men caught sight of Fontan. He had not expected to be shown off in this situation; nevertheless, he took things very easily, for he was used to sudden surprises on the stage. Indeed, after the first shock he even hit upon a grimace³²⁷ calculated to tide him honorably over his difficulty; he "turned rabbit," as he phrased it, and stuck out his lips and wrinkled up his nose, so as completely to transform the lower half of his face. His base, satyrlike head seemed to exude³²⁸ incontinence. It was this man Fontan then whom Nana had been to fetch at the Varieties every day for a week past, for she was smitten³²⁹ with that fierce sort of passion which the grimacing³³⁰ ugliness of a low comedian³³¹ is wont to inspire in the genus courtesan.

"There!" she said, pointing him out with tragic³³² gesture.

Muffat, who hitherto had pocketed everything, rebelled at this affront³³³.

"Bitch!" he stammered.

But Nana, who was once more in the bedroom, came back in order to have the last word.

"How am I a bitch? What about your wife?"

And she was off and, slamming the door with a bang, she noisily pushed to the bolt. Left alone, the two men gazed at one another in silence. Zoe had just come into the room, but she did not drive them out. Nay, she spoke to them in the most sensible manner. As became a woman with a head on her shoulders, she decided that Madame's conduct was rather too much of a good thing. But she defended her, nonetheless: this union with the play actor couldn't last; the madness must be allowed to pass off! The two men retired³³⁴ without uttering a sound. On the pavement outside they shook hands silently, as though swayed by a mutual³³⁵ sense of fraternity. Then they turned their backs on one another and went crawling off in opposite directions.

When at last Muffat entered his town house in the Rue Miromesnil his wife was just arriving. The two met on the great staircase, whose walls exhaled³³⁶ an icy chill. They lifted up their eyes and beheld³³⁷ one another. The count still wore his muddy clothes, and his pale, bewildered face betrayed the prodigal³³⁸ returning from his debauch²⁵⁸. The countess looked as though she were utterly fagged out by a night in the train. She was dropping with sleep, but her hair had been brushed anyhow, and her eyes were deeply sunken.


三个月后，十二月的一天夜晚，缪法伯爵漫步在全景胡同里。那天晚上，气温宜人，刚刚下了一阵暴雨，行人都到胡同里来避雨。那儿人满为患，店铺之间，行人拥挤不堪，形成一条长蛇阵，人们只能艰难地缓缓而行。白色的球形灯罩、红色的灯笼、蓝色的透明画、一排排脚灯、用灯管做成的巨大手表和扇子的模型发出一道道耀眼夺目的光芒，把玻璃橱窗照得通明。橱窗里的商品五颜六色，珠宝店的黄金制品，糖果店的水晶玻璃器皿，时装店的鲜艳丝绸，在反射镜的强光照射下，映在明洁的镜子里。在五光十色、杂乱无章的招牌中，远处有一个招牌清晰可见，上面的图案是一只紫红色的手套，酷似一只砍下来的手，血淋淋的，被拴在一只黄色的袖口上。

缪法伯爵慢悠悠地走到大街上，他向马路上望了一眼，然后又沿着店铺，慢慢走回来。湿热的空气在狭窄的胡同里凝结成明亮的水气。石板地被从雨伞上滴下来的水淋得湿漉漉的，只听见上面响着行人的脚步声，街上听不见一个人讲话。每当他与行人擦肩而过，行人都要对他打量一番，他的脸总是板着，被煤气灯照得灰白。于是，为了避开行人的好奇目光，缪法伯爵伫立在一家文具店门前，出神地欣赏玻璃橱窗里的玻璃球镇纸，球里浮现着山水和花草。

其实他什么也没有看见，他在想娜娜。她为什么再次说谎呢？早上，她给他写了一封信，叫他晚上别来打扰她，借口说小路易病了，她要到姑妈家过夜，以便照料他。可是伯爵起了疑心，他跑到娜娜那里，从门房那里知道娜娜到剧院去了。他对这件事感到诧异，因为她在新上演的戏中没有扮演角色。她为什么要说谎呢？今晚她在游艺剧院里干什么呢？

伯爵被一个行人挤了一下，但他并没有在意。他离开了镇纸橱窗，站到一个小摆设橱窗前面，全神贯注着里面陈列的笔记本和雪茄烟盒，这些东西的一个角上都印着一只蓝燕子的图案。毫无疑问，娜娜变了。她从乡下回来后的最初几天里，她几乎把他搞疯了，她吻遍他的脸，吻他的胡子，像母猫一样的温柔。她还向他发誓，说他是她最爱的小狗，她唯一钟爱的男人。他再也不担心乔治来了，因为乔治被他妈妈留在丰岱特庄园了。现在只剩下胖子斯泰内，伯爵想取他而代之，但他又不敢对他公开说出来。他知道，斯泰内在经济上重新陷入极度困境之中，在交易所里几乎破了产，现在便拼命抓住朗德盐场的股东们，竭力从他们身上榨取最后一笔钱。他每次在娜娜家碰见斯泰内时，娜娜总是用合乎情理的口气对他说，斯泰内为她花了那么多钱，她还不想把他像条狗一样赶出去。另外，三个月来，他生活在昏昏欲醉的性生活中，除了占有娜娜，他不再有别的什么明显需要。因为他的肉欲迟迟才觉醒，他像贪吃的儿童一样，心目中根本不存在虚荣和嫉妒。现在唯一的明显感觉令他震惊：娜娜不那么热情了，她不再吻他的胡子了。这使他忐忑不安。他思量着，他是一个不大了解女人的人，他究竟有什么地方不能满她的意。不过，他认为自己已经满足了她的所有欲望。他又想到早上那封信，想到她编造谎言把事情搞得复杂了，其实，她的目的很简单，只不过到剧院去过一夜。人群中又拥挤起来，他被挤到胡同对面，站在一家餐馆的门厅前面，苦苦思索着，眼睛瞅着一个橱窗里煺了毛的云雀和一条横放着的大鲑鱼。

最后他仿佛不再注意橱窗里的那些东西了。他振作起来，抬头一看，发觉快到九点钟了。娜娜马上就出来，他将要求她把真实想法说出来。接着他又踱起步来，他一边走，一边回忆起以往晚上到这里来接娜娜的情景。这里的每个店铺他都熟悉，在充满煤气味的空气中，他能辨别出每个店铺的气味，如俄罗斯皮革的浓重的气味，从巧克力店的地下室里飘上来的香草味，从化妆品店的敞开的大门里散发出来的麝香味。柜台里脸色苍白的女店员似乎都认识他，时常静静地盯着他看，所以他不敢在她们面前停留。有一阵子，他似乎在研究商店上面的一排小圆窗户，好像在杂乱无章的招牌中，第一次看见那一排小圆窗户。随后，他又一次走到大街上，在那儿站了一会儿。雨已变成了毛毛细雨，落在他的手上，他感到凉冰冰的，这时他才镇静下来。现在，他想到了他的妻子，她住在马孔附近的一座古堡里，她的女友德·谢泽勒夫人也住在古堡里，从秋天起，她病得很厉害；马路上的马车，像在泥泞般的河道中间行驶，这样的鬼天气，在乡下就糟糕了。这时，他突然不安起来，他再次回到闷热的胡同里，他在人群中大步流星地走着，因为他忽然想到，如果娜娜戒备他，她可能会从蒙马特长廊那边溜走。

从那时候起，伯爵就跑到剧院门口窥伺着。他不愿在胡同口等候，生怕有人认出他来。这里是游艺剧院的走廊和圣马克走廊的交汇处，光线暗淡，店铺里黑洞洞的，有一家无顾客光顾的鞋店，几家家具上积满灰尘的家具店，还有一间烟雾腾腾的令人昏昏欲睡的阅览室，晚上，罩在灯罩里的灯发出绿色的光亮；那里是演员、醉酒的置景工人和衣衫褴褛的群众演员的进口处，只有衣著齐整、耐心十足的先生们在那里游荡。在剧院前面，只有一盏灯罩粗糙的煤气灯照亮着大门。有一阵子，缪法想去问一下布龙太太，接着又担心起来，怕娜娜听到风声，从马路那边溜走。他又踱着步子，决心一直等到关栅栏门时，人家把他赶走为止，这样的事他已经历过两次了。一想到回去孤寂一人上床睡觉，不禁心中凄凄然。每当有不戴帽子的姑娘和衣衫肮脏的男人走出来，上下打量着他时，他便回到阅览室前面，伫立在那儿，从贴在玻璃窗上的两张广告中间向里面张望，映入他眼帘的还是同样景象：一个小老头子独自一人僵直地坐在一张硕大无朋的桌子边，在绿色的灯光下，用绿色的双手捧着一张绿色的报纸阅读着。但是，在十点还缺几分钟的时候，来了另一位先生，他高高的个儿，相貌标致，一头金发，戴着一副不大不小的手套，他也在剧院门口徘徊着。他们两人每次相遇时，都用怀疑的神色斜着眼看对方一下。伯爵一直走到两条走廊的交汇处，那儿有一面高大的镜子；他对着镜子，发觉自己表情严肃，举止得体，顿时产生羞愧、恐惧之感。

十点钟敲响了。缪法忽然想到，要知道娜娜在不在她的化妆室里，是件很容易的事。他越过三级台阶，穿越粉刷成黄色的小前厅，而后从一道只上了插销的门那儿潜入院子里。这时候，狭窄的院子很潮湿，乍看上去像一口井的井底，周围是臭气熏人的厕所，水龙头，厨房的炉灶，还有女门房胡乱堆放在那里的草木。这一切统统笼罩在黑色烟雾之中；然而，开在两堵墙上的各扇窗户里面却灯火辉煌。楼下是存放道具的仓库和消防处，左边是办公室；右边和楼上是演员化妆室。那一扇扇窗户酷似井壁上的朝向黑暗中的一张张张开的炉口。伯爵马上看见了二楼上娜娜的化妆室里亮着灯火；于是，他如释重负，喜出望外，两眼仰望天空，这座巴黎的百年老屋后面的污泥，飘散着臭味的空气，他都忘记了。大滴大滴的水珠从水管的裂缝中滴下来。一道煤气灯的灯光从布龙太太的窗子里射进来，把一段长了苔藓的路面、一段被厨房的排水沟的污水侵蚀了的墙根及整个堆满了垃圾的角落映成了黄色，垃圾中有旧水桶和破坛碎罐，一口破锅内竟然长出了一棵瘦小的卫矛。

伯爵听见开插销的声音，连忙退了出来。

娜娜肯定就要下楼了。他又回到阅览室前面；在一盏夜明灯的昏暗灯光下，老头子一动也没有动，他的侧影的一部分映在报纸上。接着，他又踱步了。现在，他往远处走走，他越过大走廊，沿着游艺剧院的走廊一直走到费多走廊，这条走廊上很冷，阒无一人，隐没在凄凄黑暗之中；然后他往回走，经过剧院门口，绕过圣马克走廊，壮着胆量一直走到蒙马特走廊那里，那儿有一家杂货店，里面的切糖机把他吸引住了。但是，他转到第三个来回时，他突然担心娜娜从他的背后溜走，这使他抛弃了一切人类尊严。他便和那位金发先生木立在剧院门口，两个人交换了一下友好、忍辱的目光，目光里还流露出一点不信任的神色，因为他们都怀疑对方可能是自己的情敌。幕间休息时，一些置景工出来抽烟斗，把他俩撞了一下，谁也不敢吱声，三个披头散发、身着脏裙子的高个子姑娘来到门口，啃着苹果，把果核随地乱吐；他们耷拉着脑袋，忍受着她们放肆无礼的目光和粗俗不堪的话语的侮辱，他们被这些臭娘儿们溅污、弄脏了衣服，她们故意挤到他们身上，推推搡搡，还觉得这样做挺有趣呢。

正在这时，娜娜下了三级台阶。她瞥见缪法时，顿时脸色变得煞白。

“啊！原来是你。”她期期艾艾地说道。

正在冷笑的几个女群众演员认出是娜娜，顿时害怕起来，便站成一行，表情呆板而严肃，像一群正在做坏事的女仆被女主人撞见似的。那个高个子金发先生站到一旁，这时他才放了心，但心里仍怀几分忧虑。

“好吧，挽住我的胳膊吧。”娜娜不耐烦地说道。

他们慢悠悠地走了。伯爵本来想好一些问题要问娜娜的，这时候却一句话也说不出来。倒是娜娜滔滔不绝地编造了一段话：八点钟时，她还在她姑妈家里，后来她看小路易的病好多了，于是，她就想到剧院里来看看。

“你到剧院有什么重要事情？”他问道。

“有重要事情，剧院要演一出新戏，”她迟疑了一会儿，回答道，“大家想听听我的意见。”

他心里明白她在撒谎。但是她的胳膊紧紧地挽住他的胳膊，一种温暖的感觉使他浑身酥软了。他长时间等候她，心里积了一股怒火和怨气，这时都消失了，现在他已把她抓在手里，他心里唯一的想法是把她留在自己身边。第二天，他将尽力去了解一下她为什么到化妆室来。娜娜一直在迟疑不决，明显看出她的内心很痛苦，她在进行剧烈的思想斗争，她竭力使自己平静下来，并打定主意，她在游艺剧院走廊的拐弯处停下来，站在一家扇子店的橱窗前。

“瞧！这把扇子镶着珍珠贝，又饰有羽毛，真漂亮。”

接着，她又用冷漠的口气说道：

“那么，你陪我回家喽？”

“当然罗，”他惊奇地说道，“因为你孩子的病好多了。”

她现在后悔不该撒谎。也许小路易的病又发作了；她说她要回巴蒂尼奥勒看看。但是，因为他自愿同她一道去，她就不再坚持去了。有一阵子，她的脸都气白了，因为她觉得自己被他缠住了，还要表现出一副温顺的样子。忍到最后，决心争取时间尽快摆脱他，只要在午夜之前摆脱伯爵，一切就会按照她的意愿安排。

“真的，今晚你要当单身汉了，”她低声说道，“你的老婆明天早上才回来，是吗？”

“对。”缪法回答，他听见娜娜随便谈到伯爵夫人，心里有点不自在。

但是娜娜又追问下去，问火车几点钟到达，她还想知道他是否到车站去接她。她又放慢了脚步，好像被这里的店铺吸引住了。

“你瞧！”她又停在一家珠宝店前面，说道：“这手镯真好玩！”

她很喜欢全景胡同。这种感情是从她少年时代起就有的，她喜欢巴黎的假货，假珠宝，镀金的锌制品，用硬纸板做成的假皮革。现在，每当她经过一个店铺前面时，她总舍不得离开店铺的橱窗。就像过去一样，那时她是一个小女孩，拖着旧拖鞋，站在巧克力店的糖果柜台前，出神地看着，或听隔壁一家店里弹风琴的声音，特别吸引她的是那些价格便宜的小玩艺儿，如核桃壳针线盒，放牙签的小篓子，圆柱形或方碑形寒暑表。但是，那天晚上，她心绪不宁，看什么都心不在焉。她不能自由行动，这使她苦不堪言；在她内心的隐约反感中，燃起一阵怒火，她真想干出一件傻事来。与举止大度的男人相好就不愁没钱花！她以孩子般的任性已经把王子和斯泰内的钱财花得精光，她却不知道钱花到何处去了。她在奥斯曼大街上的那套住宅里的家具还不全；只有客厅的家具全都罩上了红缎子，由于装饰得太过分，家具摆得太满，厅内显得很不协调。然而现在她没有钱的时候，债主向她逼债比过去任何时候都紧；这一直使她觉得奇怪，因为她一向自诩为节约的典范。一个月以来，她常常威胁斯泰内这个牟取暴利的投机家，说如果他拿不出一千法郎给她，她就要把他赶出门，斯泰内总算花了九牛二虎之力，才搞来一千法郎。至于缪法，他是个傻瓜，他根本不知道该拿什么东西出来，因此她也不能责怪他小气。啊！如果她不是每天把循规蹈矩的格言念上许多遍的话，她就会把这些人统统赶走！佐爱每天早上都说，做人要通情达理，她自己头脑中也经常出现一个具有宗教色彩的回忆，也就是夏蒙那样富丽堂皇的景象，由于她的不断回忆，这种景象变得壮观了。所以，她尽管气得发抖，却仍然抑制住怒火，挽着伯爵的胳膊，在越来越少的行人中间，一个橱窗挨着一个橱窗看过去。外边的路面已经干了，沿着走廊吹来的一股凉风，驱散了玻璃天棚下的热气，把五颜六色的灯笼，一排排煤气灯和像烟火一样光辉夺目的巨型扇子吹得摇摇晃晃。在餐馆门口，一个侍者正在关灯，而在已无顾客、灯光如昼的店铺里，女售货员仍然一动不动，似乎睁着眼睛睡着了。

“啊！这真可爱！”娜娜走到最后一家店铺，又回头走了几步，对着一只素瓷猎兔狗赞叹道，猎兔狗抬着一条腿，准备扑向前面的隐没在玫瑰丛中的野兔窝。

他们终于离开了胡同，娜娜不想坐马车。她说天气很好，而且也没有什么急事，这样步行回家倒挺惬意的。随后，他们到达英格兰咖啡馆前，她想吃点东西，她说她想吃牡蛎，说因为小路易生病，她从早上到现在没有吃一点东西，缪法不敢违抗她的意愿。到目前为止，他还没有在公开场所与她在一起，于是他要了一个单间，匆匆忙忙沿着走廊向里面走去。娜娜跟在他后面，看样子对这家咖啡馆很熟悉。单间的侍者拉着门，他们正要进去时，隔壁客厅里响起一阵震耳欲聋的笑声和叫喊声，一个男人突然走出来，他是达盖内。

“瞧！原来是娜娜！”他嚷道。

伯爵一溜烟地进了单间，门半开着。当他的圆圆的背部进去时，达盖内眨眨眼睛，用开玩笑的口吻说道：

“真见鬼！你的日子过得不错嘛，现在你到杜伊勒里宫去找男人了！”

娜娜嫣然一笑，把一个手指放在嘴唇上，示意他住嘴。她觉得他话太多，不过，在那里碰见他，她还是挺高兴的。尽管他行径卑劣，与一些正派女人在一起时，装着不认识她，但在她的心目中，对他仍然怀有一点柔情。

“你现在怎样？”她亲切地问道。

“我想结束我的单身汉生活。说实话，我很想结婚。”

她用同情的神态耸耸肩膀。但是他用开玩笑的口气继续说，他在交易所赚的钱，只够给女人买点鲜花，这样保持一个正派单身汉的名声，这简直不是一种生活。他的三十万法郎只维持了十八个月。他想还是要实际一点，像他父亲一样，娶一个带来一大笔嫁妆的妻子，最后当省长结束一生。娜娜总是笑咪咪的，一点不相信他的话，她用头指指他的房间，问道：

“你和谁在那里面？”

“哦！和一大帮人在那里，”他说道，一阵醉意上来，他把他的计划忘得一干二净，“你想象得到吧，莱娅正在讲她在埃及的旅行见闻呢，真有趣，她还讲了一个洗澡的故事……”

于是，他把这个故事转述了一遍。娜娜呆在那儿，听得很高兴。最后他们倚在长廊上，面对面地交谈了。煤气灯在低矮的天花板下燃着，墙饰的皱褶里滞留着隐隐约约的菜肴气味。餐室里的嘈杂声不时变大，他们不得不把脸凑近一些，以便彼此听得清楚一些。每隔二十秒钟，就有一个侍者端着盘子走过，看见走廊堵住了，就请他们让一下。但是，他们并未因此而中断谈话，只是朝安静的墙边贴紧一点，他们不顾吃夜宵者的吵吵嚷嚷和侍者的挤挤撞撞，像在家里一样谈话。

“你瞧！”达盖内喃喃说道，一边用手指一下缪法进去的那间小房间的门。

两个人看了那扇门一眼。门在微微颤抖着，似乎被一股风吹动着。最后，门慢慢地关上了，没有发出一点声音。两个人不出声地相互笑了笑。伯爵一个人呆在里面，那副样子大概是挺好看的。

“好了，”她问道，“你读过福什利写的关于我的那篇文章没有？”

“读过了，题目叫《金色苍蝇》，”达盖内回答说，“我没有跟你谈这篇文章，怕你难过。”

“难过，为什么？他的文章很长。”

她很得意，写她的那篇文章，竟然登在《费加罗报》上。她的理发师弗朗西斯给她带来了一份《费加罗报》，若不是他给她作解释，她还不知道那篇文章写的就是她呢。达盖内一边偷偷地瞅着她，一边用揶揄的神态嘲笑她。总之，她本人对这篇文章很满意，所以别人也该满意了。

“对不起！”一个侍者手里端着一盘冰淇淋，一边说着，一边把他们分开。

娜娜朝那间小房间走了一步，缪法在那儿等她。

“好了，再见了，”达盖内说道，“去找你的那个王八吧。”

娜娜又停下脚步。

“你为什么叫他王八呢？”

“他是个王八，这还用问！”

她又回来倚靠在墙上，对这个叫法颇感兴趣。

“啊！”她只简单地应了一声。

“怎么，这个你还不知道！他的老婆同福什利睡觉，我亲爱的……大概在乡下时就开始了……刚才我一到这里，福什利就走了，我估计今天晚上他们一准在他家里约会。他们说她外出旅行，我想是撒谎。”

娜娜听后，激动得说不出话来。

“我早料到了！”她终于开口了，一边拍着大腿，“有一次，我在路上遇见她，一看她那副样子，我就猜到了。竟然有这样的事情，一个正经女人欺骗丈夫，同福什利这样的色鬼睡觉！

这回他肯定要把自己的经验教给她。”

“啊！”达盖内不怀好意地低声说道，“这对她来说，已经不是第一次尝试了，说不定她知道的不比他少。”

娜娜听了，气愤得叫起来。

“真是这样……这是什么样的世界啊！真是太肮脏了！”

“对不起！”一个手里拿着瓶子的侍者嚷道，一边叫他们让路。

达盖内把她拉到自己身边，把她的手拉住一会儿。接着，他用清脆的嗓音对他讲话，那嗓音犹如口琴吹奏的声音，他把女人搞到手全靠这样的嗓音：

“再见了，亲爱的……你知道，我永远爱你。”

她把手抽回来，脸上挂着微笑，从餐室里发出来的雷鸣般的叫喊声和欢呼声把她的讲话声淹没了，简直连房间都震动起来。

“你真傻，我们的关系已经结束了……但是这没关系，最近几天你来吧，咱们聊一聊。”

随后，她又变得严肃起来，用良家女那种愤怒的口气说道：

“啊！他是王八……那么，亲爱的，这就讨厌了，我呀，我一直讨厌王八。”

她终于走进单间，看见缪法坐在一张狭窄的沙发上，一副听天由命的样子，脸色苍白，两手颤抖。他丝毫没有责备她。娜娜心里很激动，她觉得他既可怜又可恶，这个可怜的男人，竟受到一个下流老婆如此卑鄙的欺骗！她真想扑上去搂住他的脖子安慰他。但是，这对他来说，仍然是公平的，因为他在女人面前总是傻乎乎的；这件事也该给他一个教训吧。然而，在她心目中，对他的怜悯还是主要的。吃过牡蛎后，她并未像她原来计划的那样放他走，而是把他留下来。他们在英格兰咖啡馆逗留了一刻钟，而后两人一起回到了奥斯曼大街。这时已是十一点钟了，在午夜前，她可以想出一个婉转的方法把他打发走。

为了谨慎起见，她在候见厅里吩咐佐爱道：

“你要注意一点，如果他来时发现另一个男人和我在一起，叫他别作声。”

“可是我让他呆在哪儿呢，太太？”

“让他呆在厨房里，那里比较安全。”

缪法进卧室后就脱掉了礼服。壁炉里燃着旺火。这间卧室还是原来的样子，家具全是红木的，壁毯和椅套都是灰底大蓝花的织绵。娜娜曾经两次想把房间重新布置一下，第一次想把它们都换成黑丝绒，第二次想换成带粉红色结子的白缎子。每当斯泰内答应后，她就按照所需费用向他要钱，但是钱一到手，她就把钱花光。她只有一次心血来潮时，买了一张虎皮铺在壁炉前，又买了一盏水晶吊灯挂在天花板上。

“我还不困，我不想睡觉。”他们把门关上后，娜娜说道。

伯爵像个乖顺的男人依了她，他再也不怕被人看见了。他现在唯一的想法是不要惹她生气。

“睡不睡随你的便。”他悄声说道。

然而，他在火炉前坐下来之前，替她脱掉了她的高帮皮鞋。娜娜有一种乐趣，就是对着衣橱上的镜子脱衣服，然后站在镜子前自我欣赏一番。她连衬衫也脱掉，然后，全身一丝不挂，久久地看着自己，忘记了一切。她很迷恋自己的肉体，对她软缎般的肌肤和线条柔软的腰身自我陶醉，这使她庄重严肃，全神贯注，沉浸在一种自爱之中。她经常这样被理发师撞见，但是她连头也不掉。缪法见到这种情况就生气，而她对他生气感到奇怪，缪法怎么啦？她这个样子不是让别人看的，而是让自己看的。

那天晚上，她为了尽情自我欣赏一番，把枝形烛台上的六枝蜡烛都点燃了。但是，她刚要脱下衬衫时，却停了下来，若有所思一会儿，有一个问题已经到了嘴边。

“你没有读《费加罗报》上的那篇文章吗？……报纸在桌子上。”

她回忆起达盖内的冷笑，一个疑团缠绕着她。如果这个福什利诽谤她，她要对他进行报复。

“有人认为文章里写的是我，”她说道，装成若无其事的样子，“嗯？亲爱的，你是怎么想的？”

她松开手，让衬衫落下来，等待缪法读完文章。她现在赤身裸体地站在那里。缪法读得很慢。福什利的那篇文章题目是《金色苍蝇》，写的是一个年轻姑娘，出生在一个四五代都是酒鬼的家庭，贫困和酗酒经过世代长期遗传，败坏了她的血液，在她身上演变成女性的神经失调。她出生在郊区，在巴黎街头长大，她个儿高大，花容月貌，肌肤细嫩，犹如一棵生长在粪土上的植物。她出自乞丐和被抛弃的人的阶层，她要为他们报仇。她把在平民百姓中发酵的腐烂物带到上层社会，腐蚀着贵族阶层。她变成了自然界中的一种力量，一种起破坏作用的酵素，这种作用虽然不是出自她自己的愿望，却使巴黎在她的两条白皙的大腿中间堕落、解体。她使巴黎翻转，犹如家庭主妇每个月搅拌牛奶一样。到了文章的结尾，作者才把她比作苍蝇，一只从垃圾堆里飞出来的金色的苍蝇，一只叮在被扔在路旁的尸体上的苍蝇，它嗡嗡叫着，飞舞着，像宝石一样闪闪发光，它从窗户飞进一座座宫殿，只要落在男人身上，就能把男人毒死。

缪法抬起头来，目不转睛地瞅着炉火。

“怎么样？”娜娜问道。

然而他没有回答。他似乎想再读一遍那篇文章。一种寒冷的感觉从他的头部一直传到肩膀，这篇文章写得很草率，句子之间的意思不连贯，措辞极度夸张，所用比喻稀奇古怪。不过，文章还是使他震惊，他读了这篇文章，几个月来他一点不想思考的事情，突然又出现在他的脑海中。

这时候，他抬起眼睛。娜娜陶醉在自我欣赏之中。她转动着脖子，对着镜子端详着右腰上部的一颗棕色小痣；然后她用指头摸了它一下，她把身子往后再仰一些，那颗痣便突出来，她大概觉得这颗痣长在这个部位既古怪又漂亮。然后，她又研究自己身体的其它部位，她觉得很有趣，那种孩提时代的邪恶的好奇心又在她身上复活了。她看见自己的身体，总是产生一种惊异之感；她像一个姑娘发现自己发育那样既惊奇而又着迷。她慢慢地伸开两只臂膀，展现她那丰腴的爱神的上身，她弯下腰，打量自己的背面和前面，目光停在乳房的侧影上，注视着由粗到细的大腿，最后竟古怪地扭动起来，双膝分开，左右摇摆，腰肢上部扭动着，像埃及舞女跳肚皮舞那样不停地颤动着。

缪法全神贯注地看着她。她令他恐惧。报纸从他的手中落下来，这时他恍然大悟了，于是他蔑视自己了，确实是这样，在三个月时间里，娜娜腐蚀了他的生活，他感到自己被脏东西腐蚀到了骨髓，而这些东西他简直不曾怀疑过。现在，他身上的一切都快要腐烂。他顿时意识到这种邪恶所产生的危害，他看到了这种酵素所引起的解体作用，它毒害了他，他的家庭被破坏了，社会的一个角落发出哗啦一声响，接着崩塌下来。他无法把视线从娜娜身上移开，他一直盯着她看，竭力想让自己对她的裸体痛恨起来。

娜娜现在不再扭动了。她用一只胳膊撑住后颈，一只手钩住另一只手，仰着头，两肘分开。缪法瞅了一眼她那半闭的眼睛、她那半张的嘴巴和堆满柔情微笑的面孔，脑后的金色发髻散开了，像母狮的鬃毛披在背上。她挺着胸脯，胁部绷得紧紧的，显示了她那女战士般的结实腰肢和硬挺挺的乳房，在软缎般的皮肤下面，这两处肌肉健美而发达。一条柔美的线条从一个胳膊肘一直延伸到脚上，只有肩膀和臀部稍有波峰。缪法注视着这个如此动人的侧面像，注视着她的金黄色的肉体淹没在金色光线中，注视着烛光下像丝绸一样闪闪发光的丰满的乳房。他想到自己过去对女人怀有的恐惧，想到了《圣经》中所描写的怪兽，这只怪兽淫荡而又臊臭。娜娜浑身毛茸茸的，橙黄色的汗毛使她的整个躯体变成了丝绒。而在她那良种母马般的臀部和大腿上，在她富有肉感、有深深褶缝的隆起的肌肉上，蒙罩着一种令人动心的女性的阴影，兽性就隐藏在那里。她是一头金色的怪兽，她没有意识到自己的力量，仅仅身上的气味就足以使世界腐烂。缪法一直瞅着她，像着了迷、被魔鬼附身似的，他合上眼皮，不想再看时，那个怪兽又出现在黑暗的深处，而且变得更大，更可怕，姿态更加迷人。现在，这只怪兽将永远出现在他的眼前，永远留在他的肉体中。

娜娜蜷缩起身子。因为动情，四肢似乎战栗了一下。两眼湿润了，她把身子蜷得很小，这样似乎可以更好地闻闻自己。接着，她把钩紧的双手松开，手顺着自己的身体往下移动，一直移动到乳房上，随后拼命地捏紧乳房。她挺起胸脯，抚摸全身，这时她浑身酥软了，她温存地轻轻地摩擦着面颊，她用面颊时而轻轻摩擦右肩，时而轻轻摩擦左肩。她的淫荡的嘴巴向自己身上吹着欲火。她伸长嘴唇，在腋窝旁吻了好久，对着镜子中的娜娜笑着，另一个娜娜也在镜子里吻着自己。

这时候，缪法懒洋洋地长长叹了一口气。他对娜娜的自我行乐非常恼怒。突然间，他内心的种种想法消失了，像被一阵狂风刮得无影无踪似的。他猛冲上去，一把搂住娜娜，把她摔倒在地毯上。

“放开我，”她大声叫道，“你把我弄得好疼啊！”

他觉得自己失败了，尽管知道娜娜是个愚蠢、淫荡、说谎的女人，但是他仍然想占有她，即使她满身沾有毒素。

“啊！你真蠢！”他放她站起来时，她怒气冲冲地说道。

然而，她平静下来了。现在，缪法该走了。她穿上一件镶花边的睡衣，在火炉前的地板上坐下来，这是她喜欢坐的地方。当她再一次问起福什利的那篇文章时，缪法很想避免一场风波，所以只含糊其词地回答她。她声称她也抓住了福什利的一个把柄。随后，她沉默了良久，她在考虑用什么方法把伯爵打发走。她想用友善的方法，因为她是一个善良女子，她觉得给别人制造痛苦，也给自己带来烦恼；何况他还是个戴绿帽子的人，想到这里，她的心软下来了。

“那么，”她终于开口了，“明天早上你等你的老婆回来？”

缪法深深地躺在扶手椅上，神色疲惫，四肢无力。他只点头作答。娜娜一边严肃地瞅着他，一边心里暗暗地思量着。她盘起一条大腿坐着，大腿把睡衣的花边压得微微起皱，她用两只手抓着一只光脚，无意识地转来转去。

“你结婚很久了吧？”她问道。

“十九年了。”伯爵回答道。

“啊！……你的老婆，她很可爱吧？你们很和睦吧？”

他沉默一会后，神态尴尬地说道：

“你是知道的，我已恳求过你永远不要谈这些事情。”

“哟！这是为什么？”她气乎乎地嚷道，“你的老婆嘛，只是随便说说而已，我绝不会吃掉她的……亲爱的，女人嘛，都是半斤八两……”

她说着停了下来，生怕言多必失。她只是摆出一副傲慢的样子，因为她觉得自己心地非常善良。这个可怜的男人，对他应当迁就些。她心里产生了一个愉快的念头，她笑嘻嘻地打量着他。她又说道：

“喂，我还没有告诉你福什利散布的有关你的谣言……他真是一条毒蛇！我不恨他，因为他的文章写得还是可以的；不过，他仍然是条毒蛇。”

她笑得更欢了，放下脚，拖着身子，走到伯爵身旁，把胸脯贴在他的膝盖上。

“你想想吧，他咬定你娶老婆后，还是个童男……嗯？你还是童男吗？……嗯？是真的？”

她用目光盯住他，等他回答。她把两只手伸到他的肩上，摇晃他，想从他嘴里掏出实话来。

“也许是吧。”他终于用严肃的口气说道。

娜娜听了，又一屁股坐在自己的脚上。她哈哈大笑起来，嘴里嘟嘟囔囔，拍了他几个巴掌。

“这不可能，这真滑稽可笑，只有你是这样子，你真是个怪人……可是，亲爱的小狗，你那时一定是个笨蛋！一个男人不知道这种事，真是大笑话！哎哟，我如果看到你那时的情景该多好呀！……当时情况好吧？说点给我听听，哦！我请你说一说。”

她又向他提了一大堆问题，什么都问，而且要求他讲出细枝末节。她突然哈哈大笑起来，她笑得真欢，笑得前仰后合，笑得上衣滑下，又被她撩起，皮肤被熊熊火光映成金黄色。结果伯爵便把他的新婚之夜的情况一点一点讲出来。他丝毫不觉得尴尬，最后自己也产生了兴致，便用得体的词语“他是怎样失去童贞的”来解释。他还有点害羞，所以说话时都是字斟句酌的。娜娜听得起劲了，又追问他伯爵夫人的情况。她有闭月羞花之貌，不过，用他的话来说，她是一个冷若冰霜的人。

“哦，得啦，”他怯懦地嘟哝道，“你不必吃醋了。”

娜娜不笑了。她又回到原来的位置，背朝着火炉，两手抱着双膝，下巴搁在膝盖上。接着，她一本正经地说道：“亲爱的，新婚之夜，在老婆面前傻头傻脑的，这样可不适当。”

“为什么？”伯爵惊讶地问道。

“这是因为……”她显出一本正经的样子，慢吞吞地说道。

她不停地点点头或摇摇头表示自己的看法。不过，她最后作了明确的解释。

“你知道，我呀，我知道这是怎么回事……嗯，我的小宝贝，女人可不喜欢男人傻头傻脑的。她们嘴上什么也不说，因为她们害羞，你知道……可以肯定，她们想得很多，迟早有一天，在人们不知不觉的时候，她们会到其他地方去想办法的……这就是我要说的，我的宝贝。”

他仿佛没有听懂她的话。于是，她把话又说得更明白一些。她像慈母一样，以朋友的身份，善意地给他上了这一课。自从她知道他戴绿帽子以来，这件事一直使她不安，她渴望与他谈一谈。

“我的上帝！我谈的事情其实与我本人无关……我说这些话的目的，是因为希望人人都幸福……我们是在聊天，是吗？

那么，你应当坦率地回答我的问题。”

说到这里，她停下来，想换个位置，因为她身上烤热了。

“嗯？太热了。我的背上烤焦了……等一下，我把肚子烤一烤……这样烤火可以治病！”

她转过身来，胸口对着炉火，两只脚压在大腿下面。

“喂，你不再和你老婆睡觉了吗？”

“对，这个我可以向你保证。”他怕娜娜找他麻烦，连忙说道。

“你以为她真的是一块木头吗？”

他点点头，作为肯定的回答。

“那么，是这个原因你才喜欢我的吗？……回答呀！我不会生气的。”

他又点点头。

“很好！”娜娜最后说道，“我已料到了。啊！你这个可怜的宝贝！……你认识我的姑妈勒拉太太吗？等她来了，你请她讲讲她家对面的那个水果商的故事吧……你想想这个水果商……他妈的！这火真热。我得转一下身子，我现在要烤烤左边。”

她把左侧朝向炉火时，在火光的照射下，她看见自己身上胖胖的，皮肤发红，非常高兴，觉得挺有趣的，便自己跟自己开起玩笑来。

“嗯？我像一只鹅……哦！是的，像一只烤叉上的鹅……

我转动着，我转动着。的确我是用原汁在烤我自己。”

她又哈哈笑起来，这时听见说话声和开门的响声。缪法吃了一惊，用询问的目光打量她一下。她又严肃起来，神色惴惴不安。她推托说那一定是佐爱的那只猫，这头该死的畜生什么都被它打碎。已经到了午夜十二点半了。这时候，她哪里还有心思来满足缪法这个王八的欲望？现在又来了一个男人，她必须赶快把缪法打发走。

“你刚才说什么？”伯爵殷勤地问道，他见她那副和蔼的样子，高兴极了。

由于娜娜急于把他打发走，她突然改变了态度，变得粗暴起来，说话也就不那么注意了。

“啊！对的，说到水果商和他的老婆……是啊！亲爱的，他们从来互相都不碰一下，根本不干这种事！……其实，她在这方面的欲望很强烈，你知道吗。而他呢，呆头呆脑的，一点也不知道，他还以为她的老婆是根木头，便到别处去寻花问柳，同一些婊子在一起鬼混，她们让他享受了种种下流的快乐，而他的老婆也去寻求同样的下流快乐，对象是比他的笨蛋丈夫机灵的小伙子……夫妻间互相不融洽，就会落到这样的结局。这方面我是很了解的。”

缪法脸色变得煞白。终于明白了她那一番转弯抹角的话的含义，他想叫她闭口不说。但是她的话匣子打开就收不住了。

“不，别打扰我说话！……如果你们不是没有教养的人，就会在你们老婆身边和在我们身边一样可爱；如果你们的老婆不是一些蠢货，就会费尽心机把你们拴住，就像我们费尽心机把你们勾引到手一样……这一切都是教养问题……我说的就是这些，我的小宝贝，好好记住我的话吧。”

“别谈那些正经女人了吧，”他语气生硬地说道，“你不了解她们。”

这时，娜娜一下子跳起来。

“我不了解她们！……你那些正经女人甚至连干净都谈不上！不，她们根本不干净！你未必找得出一个女人，敢像我这样子，身子脱得光光的让人看……说实话，你的那些所谓正经女人，只能叫我好笑！你不要把我逼得太厉害，不要逼得我说出我事后要后悔的话来。”

伯爵只低声骂了一声，没有回答她的话。娜娜脸色也一下子变白了。她一声不吭，瞧了他一会儿。然后，用清脆的声音说道：

“如果你的老婆让你当王八，你打算怎么办呢？”

他做出一个威胁的动作。

“那么，如果是我欺骗了你呢？”

“哦！你呀。”他耸耸肩膀，悄声说道。

确实，娜娜本来并没有恶意。开始谈话时，她就尽量克制住自己，不当面说他是王八。她本来只希望他把真实情况说出来。但是，到了后来，他把她惹怒了，她就只好把话直说了。

“那么，我的小宝贝，”她又说道，“我不知道你到我这里来是干什么的……你把我缠了两个钟头……还是回去找你的老婆吧，她正在和福什利干那种事呢。是的，一点也不错，他们在泰布街，就在普鲁旺斯街的拐角上，你看，我连地址都告诉你了。”

接着，她看见缪法像头部被猛击一槌的牛，摇摇晃晃地站起来，她得意洋洋地说道：

“如果正经女人插进来，抢走我们的情人！……说真话，那些正经女人，她们就够规矩的了！”

但是，还没等她把话说完，伯爵猛然一下把她直挺挺地摔倒在地上；接着抬起脚跟，想踩烂她的脑袋叫她闭嘴。好一会儿，她吓得魂不附体。他气得头晕目眩，像个疯子，在房间里胡乱走动。她见他气得一句话也说不出来，浑身发抖，不禁流下了眼泪。她后悔得要命。随后，她在火炉前蜷缩着身子，一边让火烤身子右边，一边安慰他。

“亲爱的，我向你发誓，我以为你是知道的，要不然，我是决不会说的……另外，这也许不是事实。我嘛，我并未去核实。这是人家告诉我的，外边有人在谈论；但是，这能算证据吗？啊！算了吧，你犯不着自寻烦恼了。我要是男人，我才瞧不起女人呢！你也知道，女人嘛！从上层到下层，全是一路货色：都是穷奢极欲的婊子。”

她大骂女人，竟然忘记自己也是女人，想以此减轻他所受的精神打击的痛苦。但是他根本不想听她的话，也没有听清她的话。他气得直跺脚，随后穿上高帮皮鞋和礼服。他又在房间里来回走了一会儿，然后，仿佛气到最后才找到了门，走了出去。娜娜非常恼火。

“好吧！一路顺风！”房间里虽然只剩她一个人，她仍然大声说道，“这个家伙还算是有礼貌，我同他讲话时，他一句话也不说！……我还一个劲儿去安慰他呢！是我先改变了态度，我还一再表示道歉，我觉得我是够客气了！……所以，是他在这里惹得我恼火。”

不过她的心里还是不高兴，她用两只手在腿上搔痒。但是，她拿定了主意……

“呸！去他的！他戴了绿帽子，这可不是我的过错！”

她把浑身都烤到了，觉得暖和和的，便一下子钻进被窝里，一边按铃，叫佐爱让等在厨房里的那个男人进来。

到了外面，缪法怒气冲冲地走着。刚刚下了一场暴雨，他走在泥泞的路上，一走一滑。他不由自主地抬起头来，凝望天空，只见团团乌云在急速掠过月亮，此时此刻，奥斯曼大街上的行人寥寥无几。他沿着歌剧院的工地，专选黑暗的地方走，嘴里嘟嘟哝哝说了一些前言不搭后语的话。这个婊子愚蠢而又狠毒，编造出这些谎言来骗他。刚才他的脚跟对准她的脑袋时，应该把它踩得粉碎。总之，他蒙受了奇耻大辱，他永远不来看她了，永远不来碰她一下子；否则，他就是孬种。这时他如释重负，大口大口地呼吸着。啊！这个赤身裸体的妖精，愚蠢得像只在烤着的鹅，竟然诽谤他四十年来所崇敬的一切！这时，遮住月亮的乌云散开了，大片银色的月光洒在阒无一人的街道上。他顿时感到恐惧，不禁呜咽起来。他很失望、惊慌，仿佛坠入无边无际的空虚之中。

“我的上帝！”他结巴道，“完了，一切都完了。”

他走过一条条林荫大道，晚归的行人大步流星地走着。他竭力让自己平静下来。那个婊子胡诌的事又开始浮现在他的热乎乎的头脑中，他真想逐一分析一下事情真实性的程度。要到明天早上伯爵夫人才从德·谢泽勒夫人的古堡里回来。事实上，她完全可能在昨天晚上就回到巴黎，在那个男人家过夜。他现在回顾起在丰岱特庄园居住时的某些细节。比如说那一天晚上，他在树下突然撞见萨比娜，她慌乱得连话都说不出来。那个男人当时也在那里。那么，难道现在她就不能在他家里吗？他越想越觉得娜娜说的事是很可能的。最后，他觉得这事是自然的，而且是必然会发生的。当他自己在一个婊子家里脱掉外衣时，他的老婆在一个情人的卧室里脱衣解带，这是最简单的、最合乎逻辑的事。他这样一边推理，一边竭力让自己冷静下来。他感觉到陷入疯狂的肉欲之中，这种感觉在他身上不断扩大，并蔓延到他周围，征服了他周围的人。这一幕幕情景接二连三地出现在他发热的头脑中。他脑海里浮现出赤身裸体的娜娜，突然间他又联想到赤身裸体的萨比娜。在这幻想之中，他把这两个女人相提并论，他们同样寡廉鲜耻，同样受淫欲的驱使，想着想着，他不禁打了一个踉跄，差点被行车道上驶来的一辆出租马车撞倒。从一家咖啡馆里出来的一些女人，嘻嘻哈哈用胳膊肘对他推推搡搡。这时，他忍不住内心的悲痛，流下了眼泪。他不愿在人面前呜呜咽咽，便钻进黑魆魆的阒无一人的罗西尼街中，沿着寂静的房子，一边走一边哭得像个孩子。

“完了，”他用低沉的声音说道，“一切都完了，一切都完了。”

他哭得非常伤心，不得不倚到一扇门上，他用手捂住面孔，泪水浸湿了他的手。这时他听见一阵脚步声，慌忙离开那里。他感到羞耻、恐惧，像夜游者一样，迈着慌张步伐，见人就溜，倘若人行道上有人遇见他，他就竭力装出一副轻松愉快的样子，担心别人看见他的肩膀抽动，猜出他干的丑事。他沿着格朗日棸屠锾乩镅墙肿撸恢弊叩礁２级麠蒙马特街。这条街上灯光如昼，他吓了一跳，连忙回过头来往回走。就这样，他在这一带走街穿巷，专挑光线最暗淡的地方走，他走了差不多一个钟头。看样子他是朝着一个目的地走去，因为他经过的路拐弯很多，非常难走，他走得从容不迫，每到拐弯处，他的脚步都自动转弯。他终于走到一条街的拐弯处，他抬起头来一看，发觉自己到了目的地。这里是泰布街和普鲁旺斯街的交接处。他本来只要用五分钟就可以到达，但由于他头昏脑胀，却走了一个小时。他记得上个月的一天早上，他曾来过福什利家，感谢他写了一篇文章，报道在杜伊勒里宫举行的一次舞会情况，文章中提到了他的名字。福什利住在底层与二楼之间的夹层里，几扇方形小窗户，被一家店铺的大招牌遮挡了一半，左边最后一扇窗户的窗帘没有拉严，一道强烈的灯光从中间射出来，把窗户分成两部分。他木立在那里，双目注视着这道光亮，全神贯注地等待着。

月亮消失了，天空墨黑，下起冰冷的蒙蒙细雨，圣三教堂的钟敲了两点。普鲁旺斯街和泰布街隐没在星星点点的煤气灯的强烈灯光中，到了远处，这灯光淹没在远处的黄色的雾气中。缪法一动不动。那是一间卧室，他记得它的墙壁上挂着土耳其红棉布帷幔，房间的后面有一张路易十三款式的床。灯大概是在右边，搁在壁炉上。他们可能睡觉了，因为没有一个人影在走动，那道亮光纹丝不动，就像夜明灯的光亮。他的目光一直盯着上面，心里筹谋着：他去按门铃，不管门房如何叫喊，冲到楼上，用肩膀撞开门，扑到他们身上，在他俩搂在一起还没有来得及松开膀子时，就在床上把他们当场抓住。但他想到自己没有武器，又犹豫了一会儿。随后，他决定把他们掐死。他把计划重新考虑了一遍，他想得很周到，决定再等一等，等到有什么迹象，证据确凿时再动手。如果有一个女人的影子出现，他就去按门铃。但是，当他想到自己可能弄错时，他的心又凉了。他如果冲进去，会说出什么理由呢？他又怀疑起来了，他原来的想法是荒诞的，这是不可能的，他的老婆不可能在这个男人家里。然而，他还是呆在那里，因为等久了，眼睛盯住不动，视线模糊起来，身体渐渐麻木了，变得软绵绵的。

刚才又下了一阵骤雨。两个警察走过来，他不得不离开他避雨的门口。等到两个警察消失在普鲁旺斯街后，他又走回来，身上淋得湿漉漉的，浑身直打哆嗦。那条亮光一直出现在窗户上。这次他正要走时，窗口有一个人影走过。那个人影一闪而过，他以为自己看错了。但是，接二连三的影子晃来晃去，看来刚才有人在房间里活动。他又一次伫立在人行道上，他感到胃里火辣辣的，难以忍受，但他仍然等待着，想把事情弄清楚。只见胳膊和大腿的影子在窗口上飞逝而过；一只巨大的手捧着一只水壶在那里动来动去。他什么东西也没有看清楚；但他仿佛辨认出一个女人的发髻。但他对这一点还不能肯定；从头发上看像是萨比娜，只是后颈似乎太胖了。此时此刻，他不知道该怎么办，也不能采取任何行动。他拿不定主意，陷入极度焦虑不安之中，胃里又疼得不堪忍受，他便把身子紧紧贴在门上，以便减轻一点痛苦，他浑身上下像穷鬼似的颤抖着。尽管这样，他的目光仍然不离开窗户，他的满腔怒火熄灭了，转化为道德家的幻想：他幻想自己是议员，面对全体议员发表演说，大声申斥荒淫无耻的生活，宣告社会已经大难临头；他把福什利的那篇关于毒蝇的文章重新构思了一遍，并以现身说法，宣称如果让后期罗马帝国的这些伤风败俗的社会风气继续下去，社会就不可能存在了。他这样一想，情绪就好了一些。可是人影已经不见了。他们肯定又上床睡觉了。他一直注视着窗子，依然等待下去。

时钟敲了三点，后来又敲了四点，他还不离开那里。大雨滂沱时，他就躲到门檐下面，腿上溅满污泥浊水。这时，路上没有一个行人，他傻头傻脑地把目光盯在那道灯光上，不时眯缝起眼睛，好像被灯光照痛了似的。又有两次，他看见人影在晃动，人影做着同样的动作，端着一把硕大无朋的水壶，但他两次又很快平静下来，窗口依然发出夜明灯般的微弱光亮。他想这些影子也许会更加频繁出现的。这时，他的头脑里突然产生了一个想法，他又平静下来，于是，推迟了行动的时间：他只要在门口等那个女人出来就行了。萨比娜他总是会辨认清楚的。这个办法最简单，不会闹出什么笑话来，而且证据确凿可靠。他只要一直呆在那儿就行了。他刚才思绪万千，心神不定，现在隐约感到只要弄清事实真相就好办了。但是，无聊地呆在这扇门边着实使他昏昏欲睡，为了分散一下注意力，他试着计算他要等待多长时间。萨比娜大概在将近九点钟时到达火车站。这就意味着他还要等待将近四个半钟头。他想到自己要长时间等下去，觉得倒也蛮有趣的，于是，他就充满耐心，一动不动地等下去。

倏然间，那条亮光消失了。这件很简单的事在他看来是出乎意料的大灾难，是一件令人讨厌和不安的事情。显而易见，他们刚才关了灯，马上就睡觉了。在这样的时刻，这是合乎情理的事。但是他很恼火，因为那扇窗户现在黑洞洞的，他对它再也不感兴趣了。他对着窗户又看了一刻钟，接着，他觉得厌腻了，便离开了那扇门，到人行道上走走。直到五点钟时，他还在那里徘徊着，还不时抬起头来瞧瞧那扇窗户。那扇窗户里死一般地寂静，他心想自己是不是在做梦，因为那扇窗户的玻璃上不时有人影在晃动。他疲惫不堪，头脑处于迟钝状态，竟然忘记自己在街角上等什么，他的脚不时绊在街上的石头上，这时猛然一惊，清醒过来，身上打一个寒噤，像一个人不知道自己在哪里似的。自寻烦恼，真不值得。既然这些人睡觉了，就让他们睡吧。管他们的闲事有什么好处呢？天很黑，谁也不知道这些事情。这样一想，他的种种想法，连同他的好奇心，都一下子消失了，心想这事就算了，找个地方轻松一下吧。天越来越冷了，再呆在街上他忍受不住了；两次他走开了，又拖着脚步走回来，然后又走得更远一些。没有什么，这事就算完了，他一直走到大街上，再也没有回头。

他怏怏不乐地走过一条又一条街道。他沿着墙壁，迈着同样的步伐，慢悠悠地走着。鞋跟踏在地上咚咚作响，只看见自己的影子在打转，在每一盏煤气灯的照耀下，先是影子渐渐变大，然后渐渐变小，就像躺在摇篮里被摇晃着，他的注意力完全集中在这种机械的动作里。后来，他根本不知道自己走过什么地方；他仿佛觉得在跑马场里，拖着脚步兜圆圈子转了几个小时。只有一件事他还记得很清楚，他把脸贴在全景胡同的栅栏门上，双手抓住铁栏杆，怎么会走到这里，他自己也无法解释。他并未摇动铁栏杆，只是竭力向胡同里张望，他的情绪很激动。他什么也没有看清楚，因为黑影淹没了这条阒无一人的过道。从圣—马克街刮来的风，带着地窖般的湿气，迎面扑到他的脸上。他执意呆在那里。然后，他像从梦中惊醒过来，他很诧异，心里思忖着，在这样的时刻，自己跑到这里来寻找什么？竟然怀着这样的激情，紧紧贴在铁栅栏上，铁栅栏都嵌进他脸里去了。想到这里，他又继续走路，他很失望，内心极度哀伤，像被什么人出卖了似的，从此就要一个人孤零零地呆在这黑暗之中了。

天终于亮了。这是冬夜的灰暗的黎明，这样的天色映在巴黎泥泞的马路上，显得格外凄凉。缪法回到了正在修建的几条宽阔的街道上，这几条街道位于新歌剧院的建筑工地旁边。铺灰泥的街道被大雨一浇，又被马车一碾，简直成了烂泥塘，他根本不看脚踩在哪里，一股劲儿往前走，脚下踩滑了，就站稳一下。天越来越亮，巴黎醒来了，一队队清洁工和一群群上早班的工人给他带来了新的惶恐。人们惊奇地打量着他，他的帽子湿透了，浑身泥浆，他神色慌张。于是，他躲到脚手架下，靠在栅栏边，在那里待了好一会儿。这时他头脑里什么念头也没有了，唯一的想法是觉得自己怪可怜的。

这时，他想到了上帝。这种突然求助上天的想法，祈求上天安慰的念头使他感到惊讶，好像这是一件意想不到、希奇古怪的事情；这个想法使他联想到韦诺先生的那副面容，他仿佛看见了他那张肥胖的小脸和满嘴的坏牙。几个月来，他对韦诺先生敬而远之，使韦诺先生很伤心，如果现在他去敲他的门，扑到他怀里痛哭一场，韦诺先生一定很高兴。过去，天主一贯对他大施仁慈。他只要在生活中有一点点烦恼，碰到一点点障碍，他便走进教堂，跪在地上，让渺小的自己跪拜在万能的天主的面前；祈祷后，他走出教堂，总是变得坚强起来，他准备抛弃他的人世间的一切财富，以求实现他的灵魂永生得救的唯一愿望。然而现在呢，只有在下地狱的恐怖降临到他头上时，他才去祈祷求助；各种淫乐侵袭了他的灵魂，与娜娜的关系也影响了他尽教徒的本分。现在他一想到上帝，便感到震惊。在这场可怖的精神危机之中，在他的脆弱的人性濒于动摇和崩溃的危机之中，他为什么没有立刻想到天主呢？

想到这里，他迈着艰难的步伐，去寻找教堂。他回忆不起来哪儿有教堂，因为清晨街道都不像原来的样子了。随后，当他在当丹河堤街拐角处转弯时，隐约瞥见圣三教堂的尽头那隐没在晨雾之中的钟楼。一尊尊白色雕像俯视着公园，公园中的树木都落了叶，这些雕像仿佛是公园的黄叶丛中那些怕冷的维纳斯雕像。他上了宽大的石阶，他跑累了，在门廊下喘口气。随后，他走进教堂。教堂里很冷，昨天晚上暖气关了，高高的拱顶上布满了从玻璃窗上渗进来的水蒸汽。黑暗笼罩着两边的侧道，那里还没有一个人，只听见在朦胧的黑暗深处，发出一阵脚步声，那是某个刚刚醒来的教堂执事怏怏不乐地拖着旧鞋走动的声音。缪法呢，晕头转向，一下撞在横七竖八的椅子上，他心情沉重，真想哭出来。他一下子跪在圣水缸旁边的一个小神龛的栏杆前面。他双手合十，脑中思索着祈祷词，渴望着在热情的驱使下，把整个身心都奉献出来。不过，只有他的嘴唇在念念有词，他的心却不在教堂里，飞到了外边，沿着一条条街道走着，一会儿也不休息，好像被一种无法改变的需要鞭挞着。他连声祈祷着：“啊，我主，来拯救我吧！啊，我主，不要抛弃您的造物吧！他是来听候您的审判的。啊，我主，我崇拜您，难道您让我死在您的敌人的手下吗？”他没有得到任何回答，只有黑暗和寒冷压在他的肩上。远处，继续传来旧鞋拖在地上的声响，这声音妨碍他祈祷。在阒无一人的教堂里，早晨清扫还未开始，空气还未稍微暖和一点，因为第一批做弥撒的人还未来到，他总是只听见这样令人恼怒的声音。于是，他抓着一把椅子，站起身来，膝盖咯吱响了一声。上帝还没有来到教堂里。他为什么要扑在韦诺先生的怀里痛哭呢？这个人不能带他解脱危机。

然后，他不由自主地回到了娜娜家里。他在门外滑了一跤，他感到泪水涌入了眼眶，他并不埋怨自己的命运不好，只觉得自己身体虚弱和不适。最后他疲乏不堪，因为被雨淋得太厉害了，冷得不堪忍受。一想到要回到米罗梅斯尼尔街的光线暗淡的公馆里，心都凉了。娜娜家的大门还未开，他只好等待门房来开门。上楼时，他笑眯眯的，感到身上流着这个小窝的一股暖流，他在这里马上可以伸伸懒腰，痛痛快快睡上一觉了。

佐爱来给他开门时，做了一个惊讶和不安的手势。太太偏头痛发作得很厉害，一夜没有合眼。不过她仍然可以去看看太太是否睡着了。当他坐到客厅的沙发上时，佐爱溜进了娜娜的卧室。可是，娜娜马上就出来了。她跳下床，匆忙穿上裙子，光着脚，头发蓬乱，那件睡衣经过一夜胡乱作爱后，皱巴巴的，有的地方破了。

“怎么！又是你！”她嚷道，脸都涨红了。

盛怒之下，她跑过来想亲自把他赶出门，但看见他那一副可怜、沮丧的样子，对他又产生了最后一丝怜悯之情。

“哎哟！你真干净，我可怜的小狗！”她用比较温柔的口气说道，“发生什么事啦……嗯？你去捉奸，结果反把自己搞得这样狼狈。”

他一声不吭，样子像只丧家犬。不过，她明白他还没有搞到证据；为了让他平静下来，她说道：

“你看，是我弄错了。你老婆是个正经女人，我敢担保！……现在，我的小乖乖，你该回家了，回去睡觉吧。你需要睡眠。”

他一动也不动。

“走吧，走吧。我不能留你在这里……在这样的时刻，你大概也不想留在这里吧？”

“不，我想留下来，我们一起睡觉吧。”他嘟囔道。

她消除了硬赶他走的想法。不过，她已失去了耐心。难道缪法变成了白痴？

“喂，你走吧。”她又说了一遍。

“我不走。”

于是，娜娜又气又反感，勃然大怒。

“你真讨厌……你明白了吧，你让我厌透了，回去找你老婆吧，是她叫你戴绿帽子的……是的，是她叫你戴绿帽子的；现在，我对你这么说……喂，我的话你听明白了吗？你还不放开我吗？”

缪法的眼里噙着泪水，合拢双手央求道：

“我们一起睡吧。”

娜娜一下子不知所措，神经质般地抽抽噎噎，哭得透不过气来。归根结蒂，是人家奸污了她！这些事与她有何相干？确实，她尽可能用委婉的方式来启发他。而现在人家却想叫她承担责任！不，这可不行！她心地好，但不能好到这种程度。

“他妈的！我受够了！”她骂道，一边用手敲着桌子，“嘿！我竭力忍住，我想忠实于你……可是，亲爱的，只要我开口说一句话，明天我就会变成富翁。”

他吃惊地抬起头来。他从来没有想到钱的问题。如果她表示有这样愿望，他马上就把它付诸实现。他的全部财产都是属于她的。

“不行，现在给钱太迟了，”她怒气冲冲地说道，“我喜欢那些不用我开口就给钱的男人……不行，你知道，你现在一次给我一百万，我也不要。我就说到这里，我还有别的事呢……你走吧，否则，我对后果不负任何责任。我可要闹出事来的。”

她脸上露出威胁的神态，向他走去。这个善良的烟花女被逼得大动肝火，她仍然深信她对那些缠住她的正经男人享有权利，并深信自己比他们更正经。这时，门倏然开了，斯泰内来了。这真是火上加油。她惊叫了一声：

“瞧！又来了一个！”

听到她的叫声，斯泰内愣了一下，他停止了脚步。缪法在场出乎他的意料，他真反感，因为他害怕缪法作解释，所以三个月来，他一直回避这件事。他眨着眼睛，神色尴尬地摇摆着身子，看也不看伯爵一眼。他气喘吁吁，满脸通红，脸色变了样，好像一个人跑遍了巴黎，来报一则喜讯，却碰上一件倒霉的事。

“你要干什么，你？”娜娜生硬地问道，她用亲昵的人称来称呼斯泰内，以此来奚落伯爵。

“我……我……”斯泰内结结巴巴地说，“我有东西要交给你，你知道是什么东西。”

“什么东西？”

他犹豫了一下。前天晚上，她曾对他说，如果他不给她搞到一千法郎来给她还债，她就不再接待他了。两天来，他到处奔波，终于在今天上午才凑足了这笔钱。

“你需要的一千法郎。”他终于开口了，一边从口袋里抽出一只信封。

这件事娜娜已经忘记了。

“一千法郎！”她嚷道，“我是乞求施舍的吗？……瞧！你看我是看中你这一千法郎！”

说完，她拿起信封，朝他的脸上扔去。斯泰内是个谨慎的犹太人，他吃力地把信封捡起来，用呆滞的目光看着娜娜。缪法同他交换了一下失望的眼色，而娜娜两手叉腰，嚷得更响了：

“喂！你们侮辱我算完了吧！……你呀，亲爱的斯泰内，你也来了，我很高兴，你明白了吧，这样我就可以彻底打扫了……走吧，好了，滚吧。”

他们一点也不着急，一动也不动。她又说道：

“嗯！你们会说我在干一件蠢事吧？这很可能！但是你们把我烦死了！……呸！我干漂亮事已经干够了！如果我因干蠢事而死，我也死得其乐！”

他们想叫她平静下来，他们恳求她。

“一，二，你们还赖着不走？……好吧，你们瞧，我还有人呢。”

她用力一推，把卧室的门开得很大。于是两个男人瞥见丰唐躺在乱糟糟的床中间。丰唐没有料到会这样让他亮相。他翘着两条腿，睡衣敞开，像只公山羊躺在起皱的花边中间，露出一身黑皮。他并没有惊慌失措，因为他在舞台上什么惊险的场面都经历过。他开始吃了一惊，接着做了一个鬼脸来摆脱困境，他伸着嘴唇，翘着鼻子，脸部肌肉动个不停，用他的话来说，这叫扮兔子。他那副下流的色鬼嘴脸，充分暴露出他的淫荡的恶习。一个星期以来，娜娜每天到游艺剧院找丰唐，因为她也像某些娼妓一样，疯狂地爱上丑角演员的鬼脸了。

“瞧吧！”她用演戏的动作指着丰唐说道。

缪法什么气都忍受过了，但是对这样的侮辱却忍受不了。

“婊子！”他嘟哝道。

娜娜已经进了卧室，又走回来，最后说道：

“你说什么，婊子！那么，你的老婆呢？”

接着，她走回卧室，使劲关上门，然后哐当一声插上门栓。门外剩下两个男人，一声不吭，面面相觑。佐爱进来了，原来她并没有赶他们走，而是理解他们，和他们谈话。她是一个聪明人，她认为太太的蠢事做得有点过分。不过，她还是为她辩护，说她与那个丑角演员的关系长不了，应该让她这股狂热劲儿过了再说。两个男人走了。他们一句话也没说就走了。到了人行道上，他们很激动，彼此倒产生了友情，默默地握握手，然后转过脸，迈着沉重的步伐，分道扬镳了。

缪法回到米罗梅斯尼尔街的公馆时，他的老婆也刚刚到家。两个人在宽阔楼梯上相遇了，看见楼梯旁的阴森森的墙壁，两人不禁打了一个寒战。他们抬起头来，彼此看见了。伯爵的衣服上还留下泥巴的痕迹，他脸色苍白，神态慌张，像在外面干了丑事。伯爵夫人像坐了一夜火车，疲惫不堪，站着打盹，头发蓬乱，眼皮发黑。

1 afterward   

adv.后来；以后

参考例句：

• Let's go to the theatre first and eat afterward. 让我们先去看戏，然后吃饭。
• Afterward,the boy became a very famous artist.后来，这男孩成为一个很有名的艺术家。

2 panoramas   

全景画( panorama的名词复数 )； 全景照片； 一连串景象或事

参考例句：

• Meeting room that free your imagination by opening to grand panoramas. 面对城市全景的会客厅任你的想象驰聘。
• The grand panoramas of NORWAY prove irresistible to adventurers. 挪威的壮丽景色有着让人无法抵制的魅力。

3 thronged   

v.成群，挤满( throng的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Mourners thronged to the funeral. 吊唁者蜂拥着前来参加葬礼。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The department store was thronged with people. 百货商店挤满了人。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

4 laboriously   

adv.艰苦地；费力地；辛勤地；（文体等）佶屈聱牙地

参考例句：

• She is tracing laboriously now. 她正在费力地写。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She is laboriously copying out an old manuscript. 她正在费劲地抄出一份旧的手稿。 来自辞典例句

5 illuminated   

adj.被照明的；受启迪的

参考例句：

• Floodlights illuminated the stadium. 泛光灯照亮了体育场。
• the illuminated city at night 夜幕中万家灯火的城市

6 emanated   

v.从…处传出，传出( emanate的过去式和过去分词 )；产生，表现，显示

参考例句：

• Do you know where these rumours emanated from? 你知道谣言出自何处吗？ 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The rumor emanated from Chicago. 谣言来自芝加哥。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

7 ornaments   

n.装饰( ornament的名词复数 )；点缀；装饰品；首饰v.装饰，点缀，美化( ornament的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The shelves were chock-a-block with ornaments. 架子上堆满了装饰品。
• Playing the piano sets up resonance in those glass ornaments. 一弹钢琴那些玻璃饰物就会产生共振。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 disorder   

n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调

参考例句：

• When returning back,he discovered the room to be in disorder.回家后，他发现屋子里乱七八糟。
• It contained a vast number of letters in great disorder.里面七零八落地装着许多信件。

9 loomed   

v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的过去式和过去分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近

参考例句：

• A dark shape loomed up ahead of us. 一个黑糊糊的影子隐隐出现在我们的前面。
• The prospect of war loomed large in everyone's mind. 战事将起的庞大阴影占据每个人的心。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 din   

n.喧闹声，嘈杂声

参考例句：

• The bustle and din gradually faded to silence as night advanced.随着夜越来越深，喧闹声逐渐沉寂。
• They tried to make themselves heard over the din of the crowd.他们力图让自己的声音盖过人群的喧闹声。

11 severed   

v.切断，断绝( sever的过去式和过去分词 )；断，裂

参考例句：

• The doctor said I'd severed a vessel in my leg. 医生说我割断了腿上的一根血管。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We have severed diplomatic relations with that country. 我们与那个国家断绝了外交关系。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 cuff   

n.袖口；手铐；护腕；vt.用手铐铐；上袖口

参考例句：

• She hoped they wouldn't cuff her hands behind her back.她希望他们不要把她反铐起来。
• Would you please draw together the snag in my cuff?请你把我袖口上的裂口缝上好吗？

13 luminous   

adj.发光的，发亮的；光明的；明白易懂的；有启发的

参考例句：

• There are luminous knobs on all the doors in my house.我家所有门上都安有夜光把手。
• Most clocks and watches in this shop are in luminous paint.这家商店出售的大多数钟表都涂了发光漆。

14 manifestations   

n.表示，显示（manifestation的复数形式）

参考例句：

• These were manifestations of the darker side of his character. 这些是他性格阴暗面的表现。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• To be wordly-wise and play safe is one of the manifestations of liberalism. 明哲保身是自由主义的表现之一。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

15 contemplated   

adj. 预期的 动词contemplate的过去分词形式

参考例句：

• The doctor contemplated the difficult operation he had to perform. 医生仔细地考虑他所要做的棘手的手术。
• The government has contemplated reforming the entire tax system. 政府打算改革整个税收体制。

16 hustled   

催促（hustle的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He grabbed her arm and hustled her out of the room. 他抓住她的胳膊把她推出房间。
• The secret service agents hustled the speaker out of the amphitheater. 特务机关的代理人把演讲者驱逐出竞技场。

17 caress   

vt./n.爱抚，抚摸

参考例句：

• She gave the child a loving caress.她疼爱地抚摸着孩子。
• She feasted on the caress of the hot spring.她尽情享受着温泉的抚爱。

18 caresses   

爱抚，抚摸( caress的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• A breeze caresses the cheeks. 微风拂面。
• Hetty was not sufficiently familiar with caresses or outward demonstrations of fondness. 海蒂不习惯于拥抱之类过于外露地表现自己的感情。

19 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。

20 ousting   

驱逐( oust的现在分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺

参考例句：

• The resulting financial chaos led to the ousting of Bristol-Myers' s boss. 随后引发的财政混乱导致了百时美施贵宝的总裁下台。
• The ousting of the president has drawn widespread criticism across Latin America and the wider world. 洪都拉斯总统被驱逐时间引起拉丁美洲甚至全世界的广泛批评。

21 verge   

n.边，边缘；v.接近，濒临

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• She was on the verge of bursting into tears.她快要哭出来了。

22 shareholders   

n.股东( shareholder的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The meeting was attended by 90% of shareholders. 90%的股东出席了会议。
• the company's fiduciary duty to its shareholders 公司对股东负有的受托责任

23 subscription   

n.预订，预订费，亲笔签名，调配法，下标（处方）

参考例句：

• We paid a subscription of 5 pounds yearly.我们按年度缴纳5英镑的订阅费。
• Subscription selling bloomed splendidly.订阅销售量激增。

24 tardy   

adj.缓慢的，迟缓的

参考例句：

• It's impolite to make a tardy appearance.晚到是不礼貌的。
• The boss is unsatisfied with the tardy tempo.老板不满于这种缓慢的进度。

25 awakening   

n.觉醒，醒悟 adj.觉醒中的；唤醒的

参考例句：

• the awakening of interest in the environment 对环境产生的兴趣
• People are gradually awakening to their rights. 人们正逐渐意识到自己的权利。

26 enjoyment   

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。

27 jealousy   

n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌

参考例句：

• Some women have a disposition to jealousy.有些女人生性爱妒忌。
• I can't support your jealousy any longer.我再也无法忍受你的嫉妒了。

28 offense   

n.犯规，违法行为；冒犯，得罪

参考例句：

• I hope you will not take any offense at my words. 对我讲的话请别见怪。
• His words gave great offense to everybody present.他的发言冲犯了在场的所有人。

29 vent   

n.通风口，排放口；开衩；vt.表达，发泄

参考例句：

• He gave vent to his anger by swearing loudly.他高声咒骂以发泄他的愤怒。
• When the vent became plugged,the engine would stop.当通风口被堵塞时，发动机就会停转。

30 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

31 larks   

n.百灵科鸟（尤指云雀）( lark的名词复数 )；一大早就起床；鸡鸣即起；（因太费力而不想干时说）算了v.百灵科鸟（尤指云雀）( lark的第三人称单数 )；一大早就起床；鸡鸣即起；（因太费力而不想干时说）算了

参考例句：

• Maybe if she heard the larks sing she'd write. 玛丽听到云雀的歌声也许会写信的。 来自名作英译部分
• But sure there are no larks in big cities. 可大城市里哪有云雀呢。” 来自名作英译部分

32 salmon   

n.鲑，大马哈鱼，橙红色的

参考例句：

• We saw a salmon jumping in the waterfall there.我们看见一条大马哈鱼在那边瀑布中跳跃。
• Do you have any fresh salmon in at the moment?现在有新鲜大马哈鱼卖吗？

33 laden   

adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的

参考例句：

• He is laden with heavy responsibility.他肩负重任。
• Dragging the fully laden boat across the sand dunes was no mean feat.将满载货物的船拖过沙丘是一件了不起的事。

34 scents   

n.香水( scent的名词复数 )；气味；（动物的）臭迹；（尤指狗的）嗅觉

参考例句：

• The air was fragrant with scents from the sea and the hills. 空气中荡漾着山和海的芬芳气息。
• The winds came down with scents of the grass and wild flowers. 微风送来阵阵青草和野花的香气。 来自《简明英汉词典》

35 savor   

vt.品尝，欣赏；n.味道，风味；情趣，趣味

参考例句：

• The soup has a savor of onion.这汤有洋葱味。
• His humorous remarks added a savor to our conversation.他幽默的话语给谈话增添了风趣。

36 vanilla   

n.香子兰，香草

参考例句：

• He used to love milk flavoured with vanilla.他过去常爱喝带香草味的牛奶。
• I added a dollop of vanilla ice-cream to the pie.我在馅饼里加了一块香草冰激凌。

37 emanating   

v.从…处传出，传出( emanate的现在分词 )；产生，表现，显示

参考例句：

• Even so, there is a slight odour of potpourri emanating from Longfellow. 纵然如此，也还是可以闻到来自朗费罗的一种轻微的杂烩的味道。 来自辞典例句
• Many surface waters, particularly those emanating from swampy areas, are often colored to the extent. 许多地表水，特别是由沼泽地区流出的地表水常常染上一定程度的颜色。 来自辞典例句

38 musk   

n.麝香, 能发出麝香的各种各样的植物，香猫

参考例句：

• Musk is used for perfume and stimulant.麝香可以用作香料和兴奋剂。
• She scented her clothes with musk.她用麝香使衣服充满了香味。

39 placidly   

adv.平稳地，平静地

参考例句：

• Hurstwood stood placidly by, while the car rolled back into the yard. 当车子开回场地时，赫斯渥沉着地站在一边。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• The water chestnut floated placidly there, where it would grow. 那棵菱角就又安安稳稳浮在水面上生长去了。 来自汉英文学 - 中国现代小说

40 medley   

n.混合

参考例句：

• Today's sports meeting doesn't seem to include medley relay swimming.现在的运动会好象还没有混合接力泳这个比赛项目。
• China won the Men's 200 metres Individual Medley.中国赢得了男子200米个人混合泳比赛。

41 ailing   

v.生病

参考例句：

• They discussed the problems ailing the steel industry. 他们讨论了困扰钢铁工业的问题。
• She looked after her ailing father. 她照顾有病的父亲。

42 vile   

adj.卑鄙的，可耻的，邪恶的；坏透的

参考例句：

• Who could have carried out such a vile attack?会是谁发起这么卑鄙的攻击呢？
• Her talk was full of vile curses.她的话里充满着恶毒的咒骂。

43 lookout   

n.注意，前途，瞭望台

参考例句：

• You can see everything around from the lookout.从了望台上你可以看清周围的一切。
• It's a bad lookout for the company if interest rates don't come down.如果利率降不下来，公司的前景可就不妙了。

44 slumberous   

a.昏昏欲睡的

参考例句：

• Lord Henry turned and looked at the duchess with his slumberous eyes. 亨利勋爵转过头来，用倦怠的眼睛望着公爵夫人。

45 wreckage   

n.（失事飞机等的）残骸，破坏，毁坏

参考例句：

• They hauled him clear of the wreckage.他们把他从形骸中拖出来。
• New states were born out of the wreckage of old colonial empires.新生国家从老殖民帝国的废墟中诞生。

46 peculiar   

adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的

参考例句：

• He walks in a peculiar fashion.他走路的样子很奇特。
• He looked at me with a very peculiar expression.他用一种很奇怪的表情看着我。

47 ragged   

adj.衣衫褴褛的，粗糙的，刺耳的

参考例句：

• A ragged shout went up from the small crowd.这一小群人发出了刺耳的喊叫。
• Ragged clothing infers poverty.破衣烂衫意味着贫穷。

48 congregate   

v.(使)集合，聚集

参考例句：

• Now they can offer a digital place for their readers to congregate and talk.现在他们可以为读者提供一个数字化空间，让读者可以聚集和交谈。
• This is a place where swans congregate.这是个天鹅聚集地。

49 doorway   

n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径

参考例句：

• They huddled in the shop doorway to shelter from the rain.他们挤在商店门口躲雨。
• Mary suddenly appeared in the doorway.玛丽突然出现在门口。

50 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

51 solitary   

adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士

参考例句：

• I am rather fond of a solitary stroll in the country.我颇喜欢在乡间独自徜徉。
• The castle rises in solitary splendour on the fringe of the desert.这座城堡巍然耸立在沙漠的边际，显得十分壮美。

52 wrung   

绞( wring的过去式和过去分词 )； 握紧（尤指别人的手）； 把（湿衣服）拧干； 绞掉（水）

参考例句：

• He has wrung the words from their true meaning. 他曲解这些字的真正意义。
• He wrung my hand warmly. 他热情地紧握我的手。

53 anguish   

n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼

参考例句：

• She cried out for anguish at parting.分手时，她由于痛苦而失声大哭。
• The unspeakable anguish wrung his heart.难言的痛苦折磨着他的心。

54 linen   

n.亚麻布，亚麻线，亚麻制品；adj.亚麻布制的，亚麻的

参考例句：

• The worker is starching the linen.这名工人正在给亚麻布上浆。
• Fine linen and cotton fabrics were known as well as wool.精细的亚麻织品和棉织品像羊毛一样闻名遐迩。

55 adorned   

[计]被修饰的

参考例句：

• The walls were adorned with paintings. 墙上装饰了绘画。
• And his coat was adorned with a flamboyant bunch of flowers. 他的外套上面装饰着一束艳丽刺目的鲜花。

56 dressing   

n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料

参考例句：

• Don't spend such a lot of time in dressing yourself.别花那么多时间来打扮自己。
• The children enjoy dressing up in mother's old clothes.孩子们喜欢穿上妈妈旧时的衣服玩。

57 latch   

n.门闩，窗闩；弹簧锁

参考例句：

• She laid her hand on the latch of the door.她把手放在门闩上。
• The repairman installed an iron latch on the door.修理工在门上安了铁门闩。

58 drenched   

adj.湿透的；充满的v.使湿透( drench的过去式和过去分词 )；在某人（某物）上大量使用（某液体）

参考例句：

• We were caught in the storm and got drenched to the skin. 我们遇上了暴雨，淋得浑身透湿。
• The rain drenched us. 雨把我们淋得湿透。 来自《简明英汉词典》

59 situated   

adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的

参考例句：

• The village is situated at the margin of a forest.村子位于森林的边缘。
• She is awkwardly situated.她的处境困难。

60 foul   

adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规

参考例句：

• Take off those foul clothes and let me wash them.脱下那些脏衣服让我洗一洗。
• What a foul day it is!多么恶劣的天气！

61 premises   

n.建筑物，房屋

参考例句：

• According to the rules,no alcohol can be consumed on the premises.按照规定，场内不准饮酒。
• All repairs are done on the premises and not put out.全部修缮都在家里进行，不用送到外面去做。

62 antiquated   

adj.陈旧的，过时的

参考例句：

• Many factories are so antiquated they are not worth saving.很多工厂过于陈旧落后，已不值得挽救。
• A train of antiquated coaches was waiting for us at the siding.一列陈旧的火车在侧线上等着我们。

63 filth   

n.肮脏，污物，污秽；淫猥

参考例句：

• I don't know how you can read such filth.我不明白你怎么会去读这种淫秽下流的东西。
• The dialogue was all filth and innuendo.这段对话全是下流的言辞和影射。

64 mildewed   

adj.发了霉的，陈腐的，长了霉花的v.（使）发霉，（使）长霉( mildew的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Things easily get mildewed in the rainy season. 梅雨季节东西容易发霉。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The colonel was gorgeous, he had a cavernous mouth, cavernous cheeks, cavernous, sad, mildewed eyes. 这位上校样子挺神气，他的嘴巴、双颊和两眼都深深地凹进去，目光黯淡，象发了霉似的。 来自辞典例句

65 slumbering   

微睡，睡眠（slumber的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• It was quiet. All the other inhabitants of the slums were slumbering. 贫民窟里的人已经睡眠静了。
• Then soft music filled the air and soothed the slumbering heroes. 接着，空中响起了柔和的乐声，抚慰着安睡的英雄。

66 glimmer   

v.发出闪烁的微光；n.微光，微弱的闪光

参考例句：

• I looked at her and felt a glimmer of hope.我注视她，感到了一线希望。
• A glimmer of amusement showed in her eyes.她的眼中露出一丝笑意。

67 deserted   

adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的

参考例句：

• The deserted village was filled with a deathly silence.这个荒废的村庄死一般的寂静。
• The enemy chieftain was opposed and deserted by his followers.敌人头目众叛亲离。

68 melancholy   

n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的

参考例句：

• All at once he fell into a state of profound melancholy.他立即陷入无尽的忧思之中。
• He felt melancholy after he failed the exam.这次考试没通过，他感到很郁闷。

69 dread   

vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧

参考例句：

• We all dread to think what will happen if the company closes.我们都不敢去想一旦公司关门我们该怎么办。
• Her heart was relieved of its blankest dread.她极度恐惧的心理消除了。

70 humility   

n.谦逊，谦恭

参考例句：

• Humility often gains more than pride.谦逊往往比骄傲收益更多。
• His voice was still soft and filled with specious humility.他的声音还是那么温和，甚至有点谦卑。

71 mingled   

混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系]

参考例句：

• The sounds of laughter and singing mingled in the evening air. 笑声和歌声交织在夜空中。
• The man and the woman mingled as everyone started to relax. 当大家开始放松的时候，这一男一女就开始交往了。

72 munching   

v.用力咀嚼（某物），大嚼( munch的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He was munching an apple. 他在津津有味地嚼着苹果。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Munching the apple as he was, he had an eye for all her movements. 他虽然啃着苹果，但却很留神地监视着她的每一个动作。 来自辞典例句

73 raved   

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

参考例句：

• Andrew raved all night in his fever. 安德鲁发烧时整夜地说胡话。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They raved about her beauty. 他们过分称赞她的美。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

74 impudent   

adj.鲁莽的，卑鄙的，厚颜无耻的

参考例句：

• She's tolerant toward those impudent colleagues.她对那些无礼的同事采取容忍的态度。
• The teacher threatened to kick the impudent pupil out of the room.老师威胁着要把这无礼的小学生撵出教室。

75 descended   

a.为...后裔的，出身于...的

参考例句：

• A mood of melancholy descended on us. 一种悲伤的情绪袭上我们的心头。
• The path descended the hill in a series of zigzags. 小路呈连续的之字形顺着山坡蜿蜒而下。

76 stammered   

v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He stammered most when he was nervous. 他一紧张往往口吃。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Barsad leaned back in his chair, and stammered, \"What do you mean?\" 巴萨往椅背上一靠，结结巴巴地说，“你是什么意思？” 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

77 mere   

adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过

参考例句：

• That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
• It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

78 reassured   

adj.使消除疑虑的；使放心的v.再保证，恢复信心( reassure的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• The captain's confidence during the storm reassured the passengers. 在风暴中船长的信念使旅客们恢复了信心。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• The doctor reassured the old lady. 医生叫那位老妇人放心。 来自《简明英汉词典》

79 queried   

v.质疑，对…表示疑问( query的过去式和过去分词 )；询问

参考例句：

• She queried what he said. 她对他说的话表示怀疑。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• \"What does he have to do?\" queried Chin dubiously. “他有什么心事？”琴向觉民问道，她的脸上现出疑惑不解的神情。 来自汉英文学 - 家（1-26） - 家（1-26）

80 hesitation   

n.犹豫，踌躇

参考例句：

• After a long hesitation, he told the truth at last.踌躇了半天，他终于直说了。
• There was a certain hesitation in her manner.她的态度有些犹豫不决。

81 rancor   

n.深仇，积怨

参考例句：

• I have no rancor against him.我对他无怨无仇。
• Their rancor dated from a political dogfight between them.他们的积怨来自于他们之间在政治上的狗咬狗。

82 prey   

n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨

参考例句：

• Stronger animals prey on weaker ones.弱肉强食。
• The lion was hunting for its prey.狮子在寻找猎物。

83 besets   

v.困扰( beset的第三人称单数 )；不断围攻；镶；嵌

参考例句：

84 regain   

vt.重新获得，收复，恢复

参考例句：

• He is making a bid to regain his World No.1 ranking.他正为重登世界排名第一位而努力。
• The government is desperate to regain credibility with the public.政府急于重新获取公众的信任。

85 initiate   

vt.开始，创始，发动；启蒙，使入门；引入

参考例句：

• A language teacher should initiate pupils into the elements of grammar.语言老师应该把基本语法教给学生。
• They wanted to initiate a discussion on economics.他们想启动一次经济学讨论。

86 possessed   

adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的

参考例句：

• He flew out of the room like a man possessed.他像着了魔似地猛然冲出房门。
• He behaved like someone possessed.他行为举止像是魔怔了。

87 entrapped   

v.使陷入圈套，使入陷阱( entrap的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was entrapped into undertaking the work. 他受骗而担任那工作。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He felt he had been entrapped into marrying her. 他觉得和她结婚是上了当。 来自辞典例句

88 prettily   

adv.优美地；可爱地

参考例句：

• It was prettily engraved with flowers on the back.此件雕刻精美，背面有花饰图案。
• She pouted prettily at him.她冲他撅着嘴，样子很可爱。

89 rue   

n.懊悔，芸香，后悔；v.后悔，悲伤，懊悔

参考例句：

• You'll rue having failed in the examination.你会悔恨考试失败。
• You're going to rue this the longest day that you live.你要终身悔恨不尽呢。

90 bracelet   

n.手镯，臂镯

参考例句：

• The jeweler charges lots of money to set diamonds in a bracelet.珠宝匠要很多钱才肯把钻石镶在手镯上。
• She left her gold bracelet as a pledge.她留下她的金手镯作抵押品。

91 jewelry   

n.（jewllery）（总称）珠宝

参考例句：

• The burglars walked off with all my jewelry.夜盗偷走了我的全部珠宝。
• Jewelry and lace are mostly feminine belongings.珠宝和花边多数是女性用品。

92 gilded   

a.镀金的，富有的

参考例句：

• The golden light gilded the sea. 金色的阳光使大海如金子般闪闪发光。
• "Friends, they are only gilded disks of lead!" "朋友们，这只不过是些镀金的铅饼！ 来自英汉文学 - 败坏赫德莱堡

93 zinc   

n.锌；vt.在...上镀锌

参考例句：

• Brass is formed by the fusion of copper and zinc.黄铜是通过铜和锌的熔合而成的。
• Zinc is used to protect other metals from corrosion.锌被用来保护其他金属不受腐蚀。

94 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

95 ecstasies   

狂喜( ecstasy的名词复数 )； 出神； 入迷； 迷幻药

参考例句：

• In such ecstasies that he even controlled his tongue and was silent. 但他闭着嘴，一言不发。
• We were in ecstasies at the thought of going home. 一想到回家，我们高兴极了。

96 obelisks   

n.方尖石塔，短剑号，疑问记号( obelisk的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• One passes under pyramids and obelisks, all on a heroic scale. 试译：一个人经过规模宏大的金字塔和方尖石塔。 来自互联网
• He told me to seek them through secret obelisks. 它告诉我可以通过隐匿的方尖塔找到它们。 来自互联网

97 agitated   

adj.被鼓动的，不安的

参考例句：

• His answers were all mixed up,so agitated was he.他是那样心神不定，回答全乱了。
• She was agitated because her train was an hour late.她乘坐的火车晚点一个小时，她十分焦虑。

98 devouring   

吞没( devour的现在分词 )； 耗尽； 津津有味地看； 狼吞虎咽地吃光

参考例句：

• The hungry boy was devouring his dinner. 那饥饿的孩子狼吞虎咽地吃饭。
• He is devouring novel after novel. 他一味贪看小说。

99 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

100 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

101 creditors   

n.债权人，债主( creditor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They agreed to repay their creditors over a period of three years. 他们同意3年内向债主还清欠款。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Creditors could obtain a writ for the arrest of their debtors. 债权人可以获得逮捕债务人的令状。 来自《简明英汉词典》

102 tormenting   

使痛苦的，使苦恼的

参考例句：

• He took too much pleasure in tormenting an ugly monster called Caliban. 他喜欢一味捉弄一个名叫凯列班的丑妖怪。
• The children were scolded for tormenting animals. 孩子们因折磨动物而受到责骂。

103 wont   

adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯

参考例句：

• He was wont to say that children are lazy.他常常说小孩子们懒惰。
• It is his wont to get up early.早起是他的习惯。

104 maxims   

n.格言，座右铭( maxim的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Courts also draw freely on traditional maxims of construction. 法院也自由吸收传统的解释准则。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法
• There are variant formulations of some of the maxims. 有些准则有多种表达方式。 来自辞典例句

105 dint   

n.由于，靠；凹坑

参考例句：

• He succeeded by dint of hard work.他靠苦干获得成功。
• He reached the top by dint of great effort.他费了很大的劲终于爬到了顶。

106 grandiose   

adj.宏伟的，宏大的，堂皇的，铺张的

参考例句：

• His grandiose manner impressed those who met him for the first time.他那种夸大的举止给第一次遇见他的人留下了深刻的印象。
• As the fog vanished,a grandiose landscape unfolded before the tourists.雾气散去之后，一幅壮丽的景观展现在游客面前。

107 imprisoned   

下狱，监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was imprisoned for two concurrent terms of 30 months and 18 months. 他被判处30个月和18个月的监禁，合并执行。
• They were imprisoned for possession of drugs. 他们因拥有毒品而被监禁。

108 flaring   

a.火焰摇曳的，过份艳丽的

参考例句：

• A vulgar flaring paper adorned the walls. 墙壁上装饰着廉价的花纸。
• Goebbels was flaring up at me. 戈塔尔当时已对我面呈愠色。

109 retracing   

v.折回( retrace的现在分词 )；回忆；回顾；追溯

参考例句：

• We're retracing the route of a deep explorer mission. 我们将折回一个深入的探险路线中去。 来自电影对白
• Retracing my steps was certainly not an option. 回顾我的脚步并不是个办法。 来自互联网

110 porcelain   

n.瓷；adj.瓷的，瓷制的

参考例句：

• These porcelain plates have rather original designs on them.这些瓷盘的花纹很别致。
• The porcelain vase is enveloped in cotton.瓷花瓶用棉花裹着。

111 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

112 longing   

n.（for）渴望

参考例句：

• Hearing the tune again sent waves of longing through her.再次听到那首曲子使她胸中充满了渴望。
• His heart burned with longing for revenge.他心中燃烧着急欲复仇的怒火。

113 oysters   

牡蛎( oyster的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• We don't have oysters tonight, but the crayfish are very good. 我们今晚没有牡蛎供应。但小龙虾是非常好。
• She carried a piping hot grill of oysters and bacon. 她端出一盘滚烫的烤牡蛎和咸肉。

114 merged   

（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。

115 winked   

v.使眼色( wink的过去式和过去分词 )；递眼色（表示友好或高兴等）；（指光）闪烁；闪亮

参考例句：

• He winked at her and she knew he was thinking the same thing that she was. 他冲她眨了眨眼，她便知道他的想法和她一样。
• He winked his eyes at her and left the classroom. 他向她眨巴一下眼睛走出了教室。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

116 exalted   

adj.(地位等)高的，崇高的；尊贵的，高尚的

参考例句：

• Their loveliness and holiness in accordance with their exalted station.他们的美丽和圣洁也与他们的崇高地位相称。
• He received respect because he was a person of exalted rank.他因为是个地位崇高的人而受到尊敬。

117 amicably   

adv.友善地

参考例句：

• Steering according to the wind, he also framed his words more amicably. 他真会看风使舵，口吻也马上变得温和了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The couple parted amicably. 这对夫妻客气地分手了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

118 shrug   

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。

119 shrugged   

vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• Sam shrugged and said nothing. 萨姆耸耸肩膀，什么也没说。
• She shrugged, feigning nonchalance. 她耸耸肩，装出一副无所谓的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

120 bouquets   

n.花束( bouquet的名词复数 )；（酒的）芳香

参考例句：

• The welcoming crowd waved their bouquets. 欢迎的群众摇动着花束。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• As the hero stepped off the platform, he was surrounded by several children with bouquets. 当英雄走下讲台时，已被几名手持花束的儿童围住了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

121 intoxication   

n.wild excitement;drunkenness；poisoning

参考例句：

• He began to drink, drank himself to intoxication, till he slept obliterated. 他一直喝，喝到他快要迷糊地睡着了。
• Predator: Intoxication-Damage over time effect will now stack with other allies. Predator:Intoxication,持续性伤害的效果将会与队友相加。

122 uproar   

n.骚动，喧嚣，鼎沸

参考例句：

• She could hear the uproar in the room.她能听见房间里的吵闹声。
• His remarks threw the audience into an uproar.他的讲话使听众沸腾起来。

123 chuckle   

vi.／n.轻声笑，咯咯笑

参考例句：

• He shook his head with a soft chuckle.他轻轻地笑着摇了摇头。
• I couldn't suppress a soft chuckle at the thought of it.想到这个，我忍不住轻轻地笑起来。

124 scrutinized   

v.仔细检查，详审( scrutinize的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The jeweler scrutinized the diamond for flaws. 宝石商人仔细察看钻石有无瑕庇 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Together we scrutinized the twelve lemon cakes from the delicatessen shop. 我们一起把甜食店里买来的十二块柠檬蛋糕细细打量了一番。 来自英汉文学 - 盖茨比

125 sneering   

嘲笑的，轻蔑的

参考例句：

• "What are you sneering at?" “你冷笑什么？” 来自子夜部分
• The old sorceress slunk in with a sneering smile. 老女巫鬼鬼崇崇地走进来，冷冷一笑。

126 exclamation   

n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词

参考例句：

• He could not restrain an exclamation of approval.他禁不住喝一声采。
• The author used three exclamation marks at the end of the last sentence to wake up the readers.作者在文章的最后一句连用了三个惊叹号，以引起读者的注意。

127 outraged   

a.震惊的，义愤填膺的

参考例句：

• Members of Parliament were outraged by the news of the assassination. 议会议员们被这暗杀的消息激怒了。
• He was outraged by their behavior. 他们的行为使他感到愤慨。

128 divan   

n.长沙发；（波斯或其他东方诗人的）诗集

参考例句：

• Lord Henry stretched himself out on the divan and laughed.亨利勋爵伸手摊脚地躺在沙发椅上，笑着。
• She noticed that Muffat was sitting resignedly on a narrow divan-bed.她看见莫法正垂头丧气地坐在一张不宽的坐床上。

129 twitching   

n.颤搐

参考例句：

• The child in a spasm kept twitching his arms and legs. 那个害痉挛的孩子四肢不断地抽搐。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• My eyelids keep twitching all the time. 我眼皮老是跳。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

130 kindly   

adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地

参考例句：

• Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。
• A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。

131 hearth   

n.壁炉炉床，壁炉地面

参考例句：

• She came and sat in a chair before the hearth.她走过来，在炉子前面的椅子上坐下。
• She comes to the hearth,and switches on the electric light there.她走到壁炉那里，打开电灯。

132 velvet   

n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的

参考例句：

• This material feels like velvet.这料子摸起来像丝绒。
• The new settlers wore the finest silk and velvet clothing.新来的移民穿着最华丽的丝绸和天鹅绒衣服。

133 pillaging   

v.抢劫，掠夺( pillage的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The rebels went looting and pillaging. 叛乱者趁火打劫，掠夺财物。
• Soldiers went on a rampage, pillaging stores and shooting. 士兵们横冲直撞，洗劫商店并且开枪射击。 来自辞典例句

134 vexing   

adj.使人烦恼的，使人恼火的v.使烦恼( vex的现在分词 )；使苦恼；使生气；详细讨论

参考例句：

• It is vexing to have to wait a long time for him. 长时间地等他真使人厌烦。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Lately a vexing problem had grown infuriatingly worse. 最近发生了一个讨厌的问题，而且严重到令人发指的地步。 来自辞典例句

135 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

136 ecstasy   

n.狂喜，心醉神怡，入迷

参考例句：

• He listened to the music with ecstasy.他听音乐听得入了神。
• Speechless with ecstasy,the little boys gazed at the toys.小孩注视着那些玩具，高兴得说不出话来。

137 supple   

adj.柔软的，易弯的，逢迎的，顺从的，灵活的；vt.使柔软，使柔顺，使顺从；vi.变柔软，变柔顺

参考例句：

• She gets along well with people because of her supple nature.她与大家相处很好，因为她的天性柔和。
• He admired the graceful and supple movements of the dancers.他赞扬了舞蹈演员优雅灵巧的舞姿。

138 attentive   

adj.注意的，专心的；关心(别人)的，殷勤的

参考例句：

• She was very attentive to her guests.她对客人招待得十分周到。
• The speaker likes to have an attentive audience.演讲者喜欢注意力集中的听众。

139 preoccupied   

adj.全神贯注的，入神的；被抢先占有的；心事重重的v.占据（某人）思想，使对…全神贯注，使专心于( preoccupy的过去式)

参考例句：

• He was too preoccupied with his own thoughts to notice anything wrong. 他只顾想着心事，没注意到有什么不对。
• The question of going to the Mount Tai preoccupied his mind. 去游泰山的问题盘踞在他心头。 来自《简明英汉词典》

140 recurred   

再发生，复发( recur的过去式和过去分词 )； 治愈

参考例句：

• Old memories constantly recurred to him. 往事经常浮现在他的脑海里。
• She always winced when he recurred to the subject of his poems. 每逢他一提到他的诗作的时候，她总是有点畏缩。

141 harassed   

adj. 疲倦的，厌烦的 动词harass的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He has complained of being harassed by the police. 他投诉受到警方侵扰。
• harassed mothers with their children 带着孩子的疲惫不堪的母亲们

142 slandered   

造谣中伤( slander的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She slandered him behind his back. 她在背地里对他造谣中伤。
• He was basely slandered by his enemies. 他受到仇敌卑鄙的诋毁。

143 indifference   

n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎

参考例句：

• I was disappointed by his indifference more than somewhat.他的漠不关心使我很失望。
• He feigned indifference to criticism of his work.他假装毫不在意别人批评他的作品。

144 tainted   

adj.腐坏的；污染的；沾污的；感染的v.使变质( taint的过去式和过去分词 )；使污染；败坏；被污染，腐坏，败坏

参考例句：

• The administration was tainted with scandal. 丑闻使得政府声名狼藉。
• He was considered tainted by association with the corrupt regime. 他因与腐败政府有牵连而名誉受损。 来自《简明英汉词典》

145 cumulative   

adj.累积的，渐增的

参考例句：

• This drug has a cumulative effect.这种药有渐增的效力。
• The benefits from eating fish are cumulative.吃鱼的好处要长期才能显现。

146 misery   

n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦

参考例句：

• Business depression usually causes misery among the working class.商业不景气常使工薪阶层受苦。
• He has rescued me from the mire of misery.他把我从苦海里救了出来。

147 avenges   

v.为…复仇，报…之仇( avenge的第三人称单数 )；为…报复

参考例句：

• Horus avenges his father Osiris by launching the First Pyramid War. 8970年，荷露斯第一次发动金字塔战争，为他的父亲欧西里斯报仇。 来自互联网
• He is the God who avenges me, who subdues nations under me. 这位神、就是那为我伸冤、使众民服在我以下的。 来自互联网

148 ferment   

vt.使发酵；n./vt.（使）激动，（使）动乱

参考例句：

• Fruit juices ferment if they are kept a long time.果汁若是放置很久，就会发酵。
• The sixties were a time of theological ferment.六十年代是神学上骚动的时代。

149 leaven   

v.使发酵；n.酵母；影响

参考例句：

• These men have been the leaven in the lump of the race.如果说这个种族是块面团，这些人便是发酵剂。
• The leaven of reform was working.改革的影响力在起作用。

150 corrupts   

（使）败坏( corrupt的第三人称单数 )； （使）腐化； 引起（计算机文件等的）错误； 破坏

参考例句：

• The unrighteous penny corrupts the righteous pound. 不正当得来的便士使正当得来的英镑也受到玷污。
• Blue cinema corrupts the souls of people. 黄色电影腐蚀人们的灵魂。

151 thighs   

n.股，大腿( thigh的名词复数 )；食用的鸡（等的）腿

参考例句：

• He's gone to London for skin grafts on his thighs. 他去伦敦做大腿植皮手术了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The water came up to the fisherman's thighs. 水没到了渔夫的大腿。 来自《简明英汉词典》

152 thigh   

n.大腿；股骨

参考例句：

• He is suffering from a strained thigh muscle.他的大腿肌肉拉伤了，疼得很。
• The thigh bone is connected to the hip bone.股骨连着髋骨。

153 hue   

n.色度；色调；样子

参考例句：

• The diamond shone with every hue under the sun.金刚石在阳光下放出五颜六色的光芒。
• The same hue will look different in different light.同一颜色在不同的光线下看起来会有所不同。

154 carrion   

n.腐肉

参考例句：

• A crow of bloodthirsty ants is attracted by the carrion.一群嗜血的蚂蚁被腐肉所吸引。
• Vultures usually feed on carrion or roadkill.兀鹫通常以腐肉和公路上的死伤动物为食。

155 fixedly   

adv.固定地；不屈地，坚定不移地

参考例句：

• He stared fixedly at the woman in white. 他一直凝视着那穿白衣裳的女人。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The great majority were silent and still, looking fixedly at the ground. 绝大部分的人都不闹不动，呆呆地望着地面。 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

156 extravagant   

adj.奢侈的；过分的；(言行等)放肆的

参考例句：

• They tried to please him with fulsome compliments and extravagant gifts.他们想用溢美之词和奢华的礼品来取悦他。
• He is extravagant in behaviour.他行为放肆。

157 quaint   

adj.古雅的，离奇有趣的，奇怪的

参考例句：

• There were many small lanes in the quaint village.在这古香古色的村庄里，有很多小巷。
• They still keep some quaint old customs.他们仍然保留着一些稀奇古怪的旧风俗。

158 awakened   

v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到

参考例句：

• She awakened to the sound of birds singing. 她醒来听到鸟的叫声。
• The public has been awakened to the full horror of the situation. 公众完全意识到了这一状况的可怕程度。 来自《简明英汉词典》

159 attentively   

adv.聚精会神地；周到地；谛；凝神

参考例句：

• She listened attentively while I poured out my problems. 我倾吐心中的烦恼时，她一直在注意听。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She listened attentively and set down every word he said. 她专心听着，把他说的话一字不漏地记下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

160 touching   

adj.动人的，使人感伤的

参考例句：

• It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
• His letter was touching.他的信很感人。

161 bent   

n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的

参考例句：

• He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
• We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。

162 bosom   

n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的

参考例句：

• She drew a little book from her bosom.她从怀里取出一本小册子。
• A dark jealousy stirred in his bosom.他内心生出一阵恶毒的嫉妒。

163 sweeping   

adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的

参考例句：

• The citizens voted for sweeping reforms.公民投票支持全面的改革。
• Can you hear the wind sweeping through the branches?你能听到风掠过树枝的声音吗？

164 corrupted   

（使）败坏( corrupt的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）腐化； 引起（计算机文件等的）错误； 破坏

参考例句：

• The body corrupted quite quickly. 尸体很快腐烂了。
• The text was corrupted by careless copyists. 原文因抄写员粗心而有讹误。

165 marrow   

n.骨髓；精华；活力

参考例句：

• It was so cold that he felt frozen to the marrow. 天气太冷了，他感到寒冷刺骨。
• He was tired to the marrow of his bones.他真是累得筋疲力尽了。

166 impurities   

不纯( impurity的名词复数 )； 不洁； 淫秽； 杂质

参考例句：

• A filter will remove most impurities found in water. 过滤器会滤掉水中的大部分杂质。
• Oil is refined to remove naturally occurring impurities. 油经过提炼去除天然存在的杂质。

167 destined   

adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的

参考例句：

• It was destined that they would marry.他们结婚是缘分。
• The shipment is destined for America.这批货物将运往美国。

168 entailed   

使…成为必要( entail的过去式和过去分词 )； 需要； 限定继承； 使必需

参考例句：

• The castle and the land are entailed on the eldest son. 城堡和土地限定由长子继承。
• The house and estate are entailed on the eldest daughter. 这所房子和地产限定由长女继承。

169 fabric   

n.织物，织品，布；构造，结构，组织

参考例句：

• The fabric will spot easily.这种织品很容易玷污。
• I don't like the pattern on the fabric.我不喜欢那块布料上的图案。

170 crumbling   

adj.摇摇欲坠的

参考例句：

• an old house with crumbling plaster and a leaking roof 一所灰泥剥落、屋顶漏水的老房子
• The boat was tied up alongside a crumbling limestone jetty. 这条船停泊在一个摇摇欲坠的石灰岩码头边。

171 loathing   

n.厌恶，憎恨v.憎恨，厌恶( loathe的现在分词)；极不喜欢

参考例句：

• She looked at her attacker with fear and loathing . 她盯着襲擊她的歹徒，既害怕又憎恨。
• They looked upon the creature with a loathing undisguised. 他们流露出明显的厌恶看那动物。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

172 amorous   

adj.多情的；有关爱情的

参考例句：

• They exchanged amorous glances and clearly made known their passions.二人眉来眼去，以目传情。
• She gave him an amorous look.她脉脉含情的看他一眼。

173 texture   

n.(织物)质地；(材料)构造；结构；肌理

参考例句：

• We could feel the smooth texture of silk.我们能感觉出丝绸的光滑质地。
• Her skin has a fine texture.她的皮肤细腻。

174 scriptures   

经文，圣典( scripture的名词复数 )； 经典

参考例句：

• Here the apostle Peter affirms his belief that the Scriptures are 'inspired'. 使徒彼得在此表达了他相信《圣经》是通过默感写成的。
• You won't find this moral precept in the scriptures. 你在《圣经》中找不到这种道德规范。

175 lewd   

adj.淫荡的

参考例句：

• Drew spends all day eyeing up the women and making lewd comments.德鲁整天就盯着女人看，说些下流话。
• I'm not that mean,despicable,cowardly,lewd creature that horrible little man sees. 我可不是那个令人恶心的小人所见到的下流、可耻、懦弱、淫秽的家伙。

176 velvety   

adj. 像天鹅绒的, 轻软光滑的, 柔软的

参考例句：

• a velvety red wine 醇厚的红葡萄酒
• Her skin was admired for its velvety softness. 她的皮肤如天鹅绒般柔软，令人赞叹。

177 lurking   

潜在

参考例句：

• Why are you lurking around outside my house? 你在我房子外面鬼鬼祟祟的，想干什么？
• There is a suspicious man lurking in the shadows. 有一可疑的人躲在阴暗中。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

178 brute   

n.野兽，兽性

参考例句：

• The aggressor troops are not many degrees removed from the brute.侵略军简直象一群野兽。
• That dog is a dangerous brute.It bites people.那条狗是危险的畜牲，它咬人。

179 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

180 coaxingly   

adv. 以巧言诱哄，以甘言哄骗

参考例句：

181 lustful   

a.贪婪的；渴望的

参考例句：

• Adelmo agreed and duly submitted to Berengar's lustful advances. 阿德尔摩同意了并适时地顺从了贝仁格情欲的增长。
• The lustful scenes of the movie were abhorrent to the old lady. 电影里淫荡的画面让这老妇人厌恶。

182 exasperated   

adj.恼怒的

参考例句：

• We were exasperated at his ill behaviour. 我们对他的恶劣行为感到非常恼怒。
• Constant interruption of his work exasperated him. 对他工作不断的干扰使他恼怒。

183 exasperate   

v.激怒，使（疾病）加剧，使恶化

参考例句：

• He shouted in an exasperate voice.他以愤怒的声音嚷着。
• The sheer futility of it all exasperates her.它毫无用处，这让她很生气。

184 mighty   

adj.强有力的；巨大的

参考例句：

• A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。
• The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。

185 brutal   

adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的

参考例句：

• She has to face the brutal reality.她不得不去面对冷酷的现实。
• They're brutal people behind their civilised veneer.他们表面上温文有礼，骨子里却是野蛮残忍。

186 undoing   

n.毁灭的原因，祸根；破坏，毁灭

参考例句：

• That one mistake was his undoing. 他一失足即成千古恨。
• This hard attitude may have led to his undoing. 可能就是这种强硬的态度导致了他的垮台。

187 vileness   

n.讨厌，卑劣

参考例句：

• Separating out the vileness is impossible. 分离其中不良的部分是不可能的。 来自互联网
• The vileness of his language surprised us. 他言语的粗俗令我们吃惊。 来自互联网

188 savagely   

adv. 野蛮地，残酷地

参考例句：

• The roses had been pruned back savagely. 玫瑰被狠狠地修剪了一番。
• He snarled savagely at her. 他向她狂吼起来。

189 vaguely   

adv.含糊地，暖昧地

参考例句：

• He had talked vaguely of going to work abroad.他含糊其词地说了到国外工作的事。
• He looked vaguely before him with unseeing eyes.他迷迷糊糊的望着前面，对一切都视而不见。

190 drowsy   

adj.昏昏欲睡的，令人发困的

参考例句：

• Exhaust fumes made him drowsy and brought on a headache.废气把他熏得昏昏沉沉，还引起了头疼。
• I feel drowsy after lunch every day.每天午饭后我就想睡觉。

191 assent   

v.批准，认可；n.批准，认可

参考例句：

• I cannot assent to what you ask.我不能应允你的要求。
• The new bill passed by Parliament has received Royal Assent.议会所通过的新方案已获国王批准。

192 tumult   

n.喧哗；激动，混乱；吵闹

参考例句：

• The tumult in the streets awakened everyone in the house.街上的喧哗吵醒了屋子里的每一个人。
• His voice disappeared under growing tumult.他的声音消失在越来越响的喧哗声中。

193 propped   

支撑，支持，维持( prop的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He sat propped up in the bed by pillows. 他靠着枕头坐在床上。
• This fence should be propped up. 这栅栏该用东西支一支。

194 rumpled   

v.弄皱，使凌乱( rumple的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She rumpled his hair playfully. 她顽皮地弄乱他的头发。
• The bed was rumpled and strewn with phonograph records. 那张床上凌乱不堪，散放着一些唱片。 来自辞典例句

195 amiable   

adj.和蔼可亲的，友善的，亲切的

参考例句：

• She was a very kind and amiable old woman.她是个善良和气的老太太。
• We have a very amiable companionship.我们之间存在一种友好的关系。

196 embarrassment   

n.尴尬；使人为难的人(事物)；障碍；窘迫

参考例句：

• She could have died away with embarrassment.她窘迫得要死。
• Coughing at a concert can be a real embarrassment.在音乐会上咳嗽真会使人难堪。

197 vexed   

adj.争论不休的；（指问题等）棘手的；争论不休的问题；烦恼的v.使烦恼( vex的过去式和过去分词 )；使苦恼；使生气；详细讨论

参考例句：

• The conference spent days discussing the vexed question of border controls. 会议花了几天的时间讨论边境关卡这个难题。
• He was vexed at his failure. 他因失败而懊恼。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

198 contented   

adj.满意的，安心的，知足的

参考例句：

• He won't be contented until he's upset everyone in the office.不把办公室里的每个人弄得心烦意乱他就不会满足。
• The people are making a good living and are contented,each in his station.人民安居乐业。

199 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

200 viper   

n.毒蛇；危险的人

参考例句：

• Envy lucks at the bottom of the human heart a viper in its hole.嫉妒潜伏在人心底，如同毒蛇潜伏在穴中。
• Be careful of that viper;he is dangerous.小心那个阴险的人，他很危险。

201 gaily   

adv.欢乐地，高兴地

参考例句：

• The children sing gaily.孩子们欢唱着。
• She waved goodbye very gaily.她欢快地挥手告别。

202 confession   

n.自白，供认，承认

参考例句：

• Her confession was simply tantamount to a casual explanation.她的自白简直等于一篇即席说明。
• The police used torture to extort a confession from him.警察对他用刑逼供。

203 marvel   

vi.(at)惊叹vt.感到惊异；n.令人惊异的事

参考例句：

• The robot is a marvel of modern engineering.机器人是现代工程技术的奇迹。
• The operation was a marvel of medical skill.这次手术是医术上的一个奇迹。

204 peals   

n.（声音大而持续或重复的）洪亮的响声( peal的名词复数 )；隆隆声；洪亮的钟声；钟乐v.（使）（钟等）鸣响，（雷等）发出隆隆声( peal的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• She burst into peals of laughter. 她忽然哈哈大笑起来。
• She went into fits/peals of laughter. 她发出阵阵笑声。 来自辞典例句

205 spoke   

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。

206 modesty   

n.谦逊，虚心，端庄，稳重，羞怯，朴素

参考例句：

• Industry and modesty are the chief factors of his success.勤奋和谦虚是他成功的主要因素。
• As conceit makes one lag behind,so modesty helps one make progress.骄傲使人落后，谦虚使人进步。

207 thoroughly   

adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地

参考例句：

• The soil must be thoroughly turned over before planting.一定要先把土地深翻一遍再下种。
• The soldiers have been thoroughly instructed in the care of their weapons.士兵们都系统地接受过保护武器的训练。

208 iceberg   

n.冰山，流冰，冷冰冰的人

参考例句：

• The ship hit an iceberg and went under.船撞上一座冰山而沉没了。
• The glacier calved a large iceberg.冰河崩解而形成一个大冰山。

209 condescended   

屈尊，俯就( condescend的过去式和过去分词 )； 故意表示和蔼可亲

参考例句：

• We had to wait almost an hour before he condescended to see us. 我们等了几乎一小时他才屈尊大驾来见我们。
• The king condescended to take advice from his servants. 国王屈驾向仆人征求意见。

210 lucidly   

adv.清透地，透明地

参考例句：

• This is a lucidly written book. 这是本通俗易懂的书。
• Men of great learning are frequently unable to state lucidly what they know. 大学问家往往不能清楚地表达他们所掌握的知识。

211 maternal   

adj.母亲的，母亲般的，母系的，母方的

参考例句：

• He is my maternal uncle.他是我舅舅。
• The sight of the hopeless little boy aroused her maternal instincts.那个绝望的小男孩的模样唤起了她的母性。

212 dreading   

v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• She was dreading having to broach the subject of money to her father. 她正在为不得不向父亲提出钱的事犯愁。
• This was the moment he had been dreading. 这是他一直最担心的时刻。

213 droll   

adj.古怪的，好笑的

参考例句：

• The band have a droll sense of humour.这个乐队有一种滑稽古怪的幽默感。
• He looked at her with a droll sort of awakening.他用一种古怪的如梦方醒的神情看着她.

214 allusions   

暗指，间接提到( allusion的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• We should not use proverbs and allusions indiscriminately. 不要滥用成语典故。
• The background lent itself to allusions to European scenes. 眼前的情景容易使人联想到欧洲风光。

215 brutes   

兽( brute的名词复数 )； 畜生； 残酷无情的人； 兽性

参考例句：

• They're not like dogs; they're hideous brutes. 它们不像狗，是丑陋的畜牲。
• Suddenly the foul musty odour of the brutes struck his nostrils. 突然，他的鼻尖闻到了老鼠的霉臭味。 来自英汉文学

216 gee   

n.马；int.向右！前进！，惊讶时所发声音；v.向右转

参考例句：

• Their success last week will gee the team up.上星期的胜利将激励这支队伍继续前进。
• Gee,We're going to make a lot of money.哇！我们会赚好多钱啦！

217 mumbled   

含糊地说某事，叽咕，咕哝( mumble的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He mumbled something to me which I did not quite catch. 他对我叽咕了几句话，可我没太听清楚。
• George mumbled incoherently to himself. 乔治语无伦次地喃喃自语。

218 tempted   

v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词）

参考例句：

• I was sorely tempted to complain, but I didn't. 我极想发牢骚，但还是没开口。
• I was tempted by the dessert menu. 甜食菜单馋得我垂涎欲滴。

219 triumphantly   

ad.得意洋洋地；得胜地；成功地

参考例句：

• The lion was roaring triumphantly. 狮子正在发出胜利的吼叫。
• Robert was looking at me triumphantly. 罗伯特正得意扬扬地看着我。

220 meddle   

v.干预，干涉，插手

参考例句：

• I hope he doesn't try to meddle in my affairs.我希望他不来干预我的事情。
• Do not meddle in things that do not concern you.别参与和自己无关的事。

221 maniac   

n.精神癫狂的人；疯子

参考例句：

• Be careful!That man is driving like a maniac!注意！那个人开车像个疯子一样！
• You were acting like a maniac,and you threatened her with a bomb!你像一个疯子，你用炸弹恐吓她！

222 lessen   

vt.减少，减轻；缩小

参考例句：

• Regular exercise can help to lessen the pain.经常运动有助于减轻痛感。
• They've made great effort to lessen the noise of planes.他们尽力减小飞机的噪音。

223 fumbling   

n. 摸索,漏接 v. 摸索,摸弄,笨拙的处理

参考例句：

• If he actually managed to the ball instead of fumbling it with an off-balance shot. 如果他实际上设法拿好球而不是fumbling它。50-balance射击笨拙地和迅速地会开始他的岗位移动，经常这样结束。
• If he actually managed to secure the ball instead of fumbling it awkwardly an off-balance shot. 如果他实际上设法拿好球而不是fumbling它。50-50提议有时。他从off-balance射击笨拙地和迅速地会开始他的岗位移动，经常这样结束。

224 usher   

n.带位员，招待员；vt.引导，护送；vi.做招待，担任引座员

参考例句：

• The usher seated us in the front row.引座员让我们在前排就座。
• They were quickly ushered away.他们被迅速领开。

225 greasy   

adj. 多脂的，油脂的

参考例句：

• He bought a heavy-duty cleanser to clean his greasy oven.昨天他买了强力清洁剂来清洗油污的炉子。
• You loathe the smell of greasy food when you are seasick.当你晕船时，你会厌恶油腻的气味。

226 scudding   

n.刮面v.（尤指船、舰或云彩）笔直、高速而平稳地移动( scud的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Clouds were scudding across the sky. 云飞越天空。 来自辞典例句
• China Advertising Photo Market-Like a Rising Wind and Scudding Clouds. 中国广告图片市场：风起云涌。 来自互联网

227 mumbling   

含糊地说某事，叽咕，咕哝( mumble的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• I could hear him mumbling to himself. 我听到他在喃喃自语。
• He was still mumbling something about hospitals at the end of the party when he slipped on a piece of ice and broke his left leg. 宴会结束时，他仍在咕哝着医院里的事。说着说着，他在一块冰上滑倒，跌断了左腿。

228 shameful   

adj.可耻的，不道德的

参考例句：

• It is very shameful of him to show off.他向人炫耀自己，真不害臊。
• We must expose this shameful activity to the newspapers.我们一定要向报社揭露这一无耻行径。

229 miserably   

adv.痛苦地；悲惨地；糟糕地；极度地

参考例句：

• The little girl was wailing miserably. 那小女孩难过得号啕大哭。
• It was drizzling, and miserably cold and damp. 外面下着毛毛细雨，天气又冷又湿，令人难受。 来自《简明英汉词典》

230 sobbing   

<主方>Ⅰ adj.湿透的

参考例句：

• I heard a child sobbing loudly. 我听见有个孩子在呜呜地哭。
• Her eyes were red with recent sobbing. 她的眼睛因刚哭过而发红。

231 fathomless   

a.深不可测的

参考例句：

• "The sand-sea deepens with fathomless ice, And darkness masses its endless clouds;" 瀚海阑干百丈冰，愁云黪淡万里凝。 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 文学
• Day are coloured bubbles that float upon the surface of fathomless night. 日是五彩缤纷的气泡，漂浮在无尽的夜的表面。

232 recurring   

adj.往复的，再次发生的

参考例句：

• This kind of problem is recurring often. 这类问题经常发生。
• For our own country, it has been a time for recurring trial. 就我们国家而言，它经过了一个反复考验的时期。

233 inevitable   

adj.不可避免的，必然发生的

参考例句：

• Mary was wearing her inevitable large hat.玛丽戴着她总是戴的那顶大帽子。
• The defeat had inevitable consequences for British policy.战败对英国政策不可避免地产生了影响。

234 evoked   

[医]诱发的

参考例句：

• The music evoked memories of her youth. 这乐曲勾起了她对青年时代的回忆。
• Her face, though sad, still evoked a feeling of serenity. 她的脸色虽然悲伤，但仍使人感觉安详。

235 lusts   

贪求（lust的第三人称单数形式）

参考例句：

• A miser lusts for gold. 守财奴贪财。
• Palmer Kirby had wakened late blooming lusts in her. 巴穆·柯比在她心中煽动起一片迟暮的情欲。

236 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

237 plunged   

v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降

参考例句：

• The train derailed and plunged into the river. 火车脱轨栽进了河里。
• She lost her balance and plunged 100 feet to her death. 她没有站稳，从100英尺的高处跌下摔死了。

238 leisurely   

adj.悠闲的；从容的，慢慢的

参考例句：

• We walked in a leisurely manner,looking in all the windows.我们慢悠悠地走着，看遍所有的橱窗。
• He had a leisurely breakfast and drove cheerfully to work.他从容的吃了早餐，高兴的开车去工作。

239 retraced   

v.折回( retrace的过去式和过去分词 )；回忆；回顾；追溯

参考例句：

• We retraced our steps to where we started. 我们折回我们出发的地方。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• We retraced our route in an attempt to get back on the right path. 我们折返，想回到正确的路上。 来自《简明英汉词典》

240 instinctively   

adv.本能地

参考例句：

• As he leaned towards her she instinctively recoiled. 他向她靠近，她本能地往后缩。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He knew instinctively where he would find her. 他本能地知道在哪儿能找到她。 来自《简明英汉词典》

241 labyrinth   

n.迷宫；难解的事物；迷路

参考例句：

• He wandered through the labyrinth of the alleyways.他在迷宫似的小巷中闲逛。
• The human mind is a labyrinth.人的心灵是一座迷宫。

242 colossal   

adj.异常的，庞大的

参考例句：

• There has been a colossal waste of public money.一直存在巨大的公款浪费。
• Some of the tall buildings in that city are colossal.那座城市里的一些高层建筑很庞大。

243 streak   

n.条理，斑纹，倾向，少许，痕迹；v.加条纹，变成条纹，奔驰，快速移动

参考例句：

• The Indians used to streak their faces with paint.印第安人过去常用颜料在脸上涂条纹。
• Why did you streak the tree?你为什么在树上刻条纹？

244 drizzle   

v.下毛毛雨；n.毛毛雨，蒙蒙细雨

参考例句：

• The shower tailed off into a drizzle.阵雨越来越小，最后变成了毛毛雨。
• Yesterday the radio forecast drizzle,and today it is indeed raining.昨天预报有小雨，今天果然下起来了。

245 intervals   

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

参考例句：

• The forecast said there would be sunny intervals and showers. 预报间晴，有阵雨。
• Meetings take place at fortnightly intervals. 每两周开一次会。

246 remonstrances   

n.抱怨，抗议( remonstrance的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There were remonstrances, but he persisted notwithstanding. 虽遭抗议，他仍然坚持下去。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Mr. Archibald did not give himself the trouble of making many remonstrances. 阿奇博尔德先生似乎不想自找麻烦多方规劝。 来自辞典例句

247 throttle   

n.节流阀，节气阀，喉咙；v.扼喉咙，使窒息，压

参考例句：

• These government restrictions are going to throttle our trade.这些政府的限制将要扼杀我们的贸易。
• High tariffs throttle trade between countries.高的关税抑制了国与国之间的贸易。

248 monstrous   

adj.巨大的；恐怖的；可耻的，丢脸的

参考例句：

• The smoke began to whirl and grew into a monstrous column.浓烟开始盘旋上升，形成了一个巨大的烟柱。
• Your behaviour in class is monstrous!你在课堂上的行为真是丢人！

249 torpor   

n.迟钝；麻木；（动物的）冬眠

参考例句：

• The sick person gradually falls into a torpor.病人逐渐变得迟钝。
• He fell into a deep torpor.他一下子进入了深度麻痹状态。

250 commotion   

n.骚动，动乱

参考例句：

• They made a commotion by yelling at each other in the theatre.他们在剧院里相互争吵，引起了一阵骚乱。
• Suddenly the whole street was in commotion.突然间，整条街道变得一片混乱。

251 riveted   

铆接( rivet的过去式和过去分词 )； 把…固定住； 吸引； 引起某人的注意

参考例句：

• I was absolutely riveted by her story. 我完全被她的故事吸引住了。
• My attention was riveted by a slight movement in the bushes. 我的注意力被灌木丛中的轻微晃动吸引住了。

252 silhouette   

n.黑色半身侧面影，影子，轮廓；v.描绘成侧面影，照出影子来，仅仅显出轮廓

参考例句：

• I could see its black silhouette against the evening sky.我能看到夜幕下它黑色的轮廓。
• I could see the silhouette of the woman in the pickup.我可以见到小卡车的女人黑色半身侧面影。

253 jug   

n.(有柄，小口，可盛水等的)大壶，罐，盂

参考例句：

• He walked along with a jug poised on his head.他头上顶着一个水罐，保持着平衡往前走。
• She filled the jug with fresh water.她将水壶注满了清水。

254 distinguished   

adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的

参考例句：

• Elephants are distinguished from other animals by their long noses.大象以其长长的鼻子显示出与其他动物的不同。
• A banquet was given in honor of the distinguished guests.宴会是为了向贵宾们致敬而举行的。

255 sufficiently   

adv.足够地，充分地

参考例句：

• It turned out he had not insured the house sufficiently.原来他没有给房屋投足保险。
• The new policy was sufficiently elastic to accommodate both views.新政策充分灵活地适用两种观点。

256 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。

257 haranguing   

v.高谈阔论( harangue的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He continued in his customary, haranguing style. 他继续以他一贯的夸夸其谈的手法讲下去。 来自辞典例句
• That lady was still haranguing the girl. 那位女士仍然对那女孩喋喋不休地训斥。 来自互联网

258 debauch   

v.使堕落，放纵

参考例句：

• He debauched many innocent girls.他诱使许多清白的女子堕落了。
• A scoffer，a debauched person,and,in brief，a man of Belial.一个玩世不恭的人，一个生活放荡的家伙，总而言之，是个恶棍。

259 prophesying   

v.预告，预言( prophesy的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head. 凡男人祷告或是讲道（道或作说预言下同）若蒙着头，就是羞辱自己的头。 来自互联网
• Prophesying was the only human art that couldn't be improved by practice. 预言是唯一的一项无法经由练习而改善的人类技术。 来自互联网

260 lashed   

adj.具睫毛的v.鞭打( lash的过去式和过去分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥

参考例句：

• The rain lashed at the windows. 雨点猛烈地打在窗户上。
• The cleverly designed speech lashed the audience into a frenzy. 这篇精心设计的演说煽动听众使他们发狂。 来自《简明英汉词典》

261 scorched   

烧焦，烤焦( scorch的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（植物）枯萎，把…晒枯； 高速行驶； 枯焦

参考例句：

• I scorched my dress when I was ironing it. 我把自己的连衣裙熨焦了。
• The hot iron scorched the tablecloth. 热熨斗把桌布烫焦了。

262 obstinately   

ad.固执地，顽固地

参考例句：

• He obstinately asserted that he had done the right thing. 他硬说他做得对。
• Unemployment figures are remaining obstinately high. 失业数字仍然顽固地居高不下。

263 idiotic   

adj.白痴的

参考例句：

• It is idiotic to go shopping with no money.去买东西而不带钱是很蠢的。
• The child's idiotic deeds caused his family much trouble.那小孩愚蠢的行为给家庭带来许多麻烦。

264 persistence   

n.坚持，持续，存留

参考例句：

• The persistence of a cough in his daughter puzzled him.他女儿持续的咳嗽把他难住了。
• He achieved success through dogged persistence.他靠着坚持不懈取得了成功。

265 agitating   

搅动( agitate的现在分词 )； 激怒； 使焦虑不安； （尤指为法律、社会状况的改变而）激烈争论

参考例句：

• political groups agitating for social change 鼓吹社会变革的政治团体
• They are agitating to assert autonomy. 他们正在鼓吹实行自治。

266 discreetly   

ad.(言行)审慎地，慎重地

参考例句：

• He had only known the perennial widow, the discreetly expensive Frenchwoman. 他只知道她是个永远那么年轻的寡妇，一个很会讲排场的法国女人。
• Sensing that Lilian wanted to be alone with Celia, Andrew discreetly disappeared. 安德鲁觉得莉莲想同西莉亚单独谈些什么，有意避开了。

267 soothed   

v.安慰( soothe的过去式和过去分词 )；抚慰；使舒服；减轻痛苦

参考例句：

• The music soothed her for a while. 音乐让她稍微安静了一会儿。
• The soft modulation of her voice soothed the infant. 她柔和的声调使婴儿安静了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

268 postponed   

vt.& vi.延期，缓办，（使）延迟vt.把…放在次要地位；[语]把…放在后面（或句尾）vi.（疟疾等）延缓发作（或复发）

参考例句：

• The trial was postponed indefinitely. 审讯无限期延迟。
• The game has already been postponed three times. 这场比赛已经三度延期了。

269 vacancy   

n.（旅馆的）空位，空房，（职务的）空缺

参考例句：

• Her going on maternity leave will create a temporary vacancy.她休产假时将会有一个临时空缺。
• The vacancy of her expression made me doubt if she was listening.她茫然的神情让我怀疑她是否在听。

270 lulling   

vt.使镇静，使安静（lull的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• Ellen closed her eyes and began praying, her voice rising and falling, lulling and soothing. 爱伦闭上眼睛开始祷告，声音时高时低，像催眠又像抚慰。 来自飘（部分）

271 distraction   

n.精神涣散，精神不集中，消遣，娱乐

参考例句：

• Total concentration is required with no distractions.要全神贯注，不能有丝毫分神。
• Their national distraction is going to the disco.他们的全民消遣就是去蹦迪。

272 eternity   

n.不朽，来世；永恒，无穷

参考例句：

• The dull play seemed to last an eternity.这场乏味的剧似乎演个没完没了。
• Finally,Ying Tai and Shan Bo could be together for all of eternity.英台和山伯终能双宿双飞，永世相随。

273 catastrophe   

n.大灾难，大祸

参考例句：

• I owe it to you that I survived the catastrophe.亏得你我才大难不死。
• This is a catastrophe beyond human control.这是一场人类无法控制的灾难。

274 panes   

窗玻璃( pane的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sun caught the panes and flashed back at him. 阳光照到窗玻璃上，又反射到他身上。
• The window-panes are dim with steam. 玻璃窗上蒙上了一层蒸汽。

275 fatigue   

n.疲劳，劳累

参考例句：

• The old lady can't bear the fatigue of a long journey.这位老妇人不能忍受长途旅行的疲劳。
• I have got over my weakness and fatigue.我已从虚弱和疲劳中恢复过来了。

276 shudder   

v.战粟，震动，剧烈地摇晃；n.战粟，抖动

参考例句：

• The sight of the coffin sent a shudder through him.看到那副棺材，他浑身一阵战栗。
• We all shudder at the thought of the dreadful dirty place.我们一想到那可怕的肮脏地方就浑身战惊。

277 justify   

vt.证明…正当(或有理)，为…辩护

参考例句：

• He tried to justify his absence with lame excuses.他想用站不住脚的借口为自己的缺席辩解。
• Can you justify your rude behavior to me?你能向我证明你的粗野行为是有道理的吗？

278 inflicting   

把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He was charged with maliciously inflicting grievous bodily harm. 他被控蓄意严重伤害他人身体。
• It's impossible to do research without inflicting some pain on animals. 搞研究不让动物遭点罪是不可能的。

279 lulled   

vt.使镇静，使安静（lull的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• They lulled her into a false sense of security. 他们哄骗她，使她产生一种虚假的安全感。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The movement of the train lulled me to sleep. 火车轻微的震动催我进入梦乡。 来自《简明英汉词典》

280 swelling   

n.肿胀

参考例句：

• Use ice to reduce the swelling. 用冰敷消肿。
• There is a marked swelling of the lymph nodes. 淋巴结处有明显的肿块。

281 puffed   

adj.疏松的v.使喷出( puff的过去式和过去分词 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧

参考例句：

• He lit a cigarette and puffed at it furiously. 他点燃了一支香烟，狂吸了几口。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He felt grown-up, puffed up with self-importance. 他觉得长大了，便自以为了不起。 来自《简明英汉词典》

282 doggedly   

adv.顽强地，固执地

参考例句：

• He was still doggedly pursuing his studies.他仍然顽强地进行着自己的研究。
• He trudged doggedly on until he reached the flat.他顽强地、步履艰难地走着，一直走回了公寓。

283 astonishment   

n.惊奇，惊异

参考例句：

• They heard him give a loud shout of astonishment.他们听见他惊奇地大叫一声。
• I was filled with astonishment at her strange action.我对她的奇怪举动不胜惊异。

284 murky   

adj.黑暗的，朦胧的；adv.阴暗地，混浊地；n.阴暗；昏暗

参考例句：

• She threw it into the river's murky depths.她把它扔进了混浊的河水深处。
• She had a decidedly murky past.她的历史背景令人捉摸不透。

285 mire   

n.泥沼，泥泞；v.使...陷于泥泞，使...陷入困境

参考例句：

• I don't want my son's good name dragged through the mire.我不想使我儿子的名誉扫地。
• He has rescued me from the mire of misery.他把我从苦海里救了出来。

286 regaining   

复得( regain的现在分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地

参考例句：

• She was regaining consciousness now, but the fear was coming with her. 现在她正在恢发她的知觉，但是恐怖也就伴随着来了。
• She said briefly, regaining her will with a click. 她干脆地答道，又马上重新振作起精神来。

287 desolate   

adj.荒凉的，荒芜的；孤独的，凄凉的；v.使荒芜，使孤寂

参考例句：

• The city was burned into a desolate waste.那座城市被烧成一片废墟。
• We all felt absolutely desolate when she left.她走后，我们都觉得万分孤寂。

288 miserable   

adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的

参考例句：

• It was miserable of you to make fun of him.你取笑他，这是可耻的。
• Her past life was miserable.她过去的生活很苦。

289 consolation   

n.安慰，慰问

参考例句：

• The children were a great consolation to me at that time.那时孩子们成了我的莫大安慰。
• This news was of little consolation to us.这个消息对我们来说没有什么安慰。

290 thereby   

adv.因此，从而

参考例句：

• I have never been to that city,,ereby I don't know much about it.我从未去过那座城市，因此对它不怎么熟悉。
• He became a British citizen,thereby gaining the right to vote.他成了英国公民，因而得到了投票权。

291 rendering   

n.表现，描写

参考例句：

• She gave a splendid rendering of Beethoven's piano sonata.她精彩地演奏了贝多芬的钢琴奏鸣曲。
• His narrative is a super rendering of dialect speech and idiom.他的叙述是方言和土语最成功的运用。

292 humble   

adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低

参考例句：

• In my humble opinion,he will win the election.依我拙见，他将在选举中获胜。
• Defeat and failure make people humble.挫折与失败会使人谦卑。

293 omnipotence   

n.全能，万能，无限威力

参考例句：

• Central bankers have never had any illusions of their own omnipotence. 中行的银行家们已经不再对于他们自己的无所不能存有幻想了。 来自互联网
• Introduce an omnipotence press automatism dividing device, explained it operation principle. 介绍了冲压万能自动分度装置，说明了其工作原理。 来自互联网

294 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

295 fortified   

adj. 加强的

参考例句：

• He fortified himself against the cold with a hot drink. 他喝了一杯热饮御寒。
• The enemy drew back into a few fortified points. 敌人收缩到几个据点里。

296 yearning   

a.渴望的；向往的；怀念的

参考例句：

• a yearning for a quiet life 对宁静生活的向往
• He felt a great yearning after his old job. 他对过去的工作有一种强烈的渴想。

297 salvation   

n.（尤指基督）救世，超度，拯救，解困

参考例句：

• Salvation lay in political reform.解救办法在于政治改革。
• Christians hope and pray for salvation.基督教徒希望并祈祷灵魂得救。

298 inclinations   

倾向( inclination的名词复数 )； 倾斜； 爱好； 斜坡

参考例句：

• She has artistic inclinations. 她有艺术爱好。
• I've no inclinations towards life as a doctor. 我的志趣不是行医。

299 looming   

n.上现蜃景（光通过低层大气发生异常折射形成的一种海市蜃楼）v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的现在分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近

参考例句：

• The foothills were looming ahead through the haze. 丘陵地带透过薄雾朦胧地出现在眼前。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Then they looked up. Looming above them was Mount Proteome. 接着他们往上看，在其上隐约看到的是蛋白质组山。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 回顾与展望

300 chilly   

adj.凉快的，寒冷的

参考例句：

• I feel chilly without a coat.我由于没有穿大衣而感到凉飕飕的。
• I grew chilly when the fire went out.炉火熄灭后，寒气逼人。

301 foliage   

n.叶子，树叶，簇叶

参考例句：

• The path was completely covered by the dense foliage.小路被树叶厚厚地盖了一层。
• Dark foliage clothes the hills.浓密的树叶覆盖着群山。

302 ascent   

n.(声望或地位)提高；上升，升高；登高

参考例句：

• His rapid ascent in the social scale was surprising.他的社会地位提高之迅速令人吃惊。
• Burke pushed the button and the elevator began its slow ascent.伯克按动电钮，电梯开始缓慢上升。

303 apparatus   

n.装置，器械；器具，设备

参考例句：

• The school's audio apparatus includes films and records.学校的视听设备包括放映机和录音机。
• They had a very refined apparatus.他们有一套非常精良的设备。

304 vaulted   

adj.拱状的

参考例句：

• She vaulted over the gate and ran up the path. 她用手一撑跃过栅栏门沿着小路跑去。
• The formal living room has a fireplace and vaulted ceilings. 正式的客厅有一个壁炉和拱形天花板。

305 aisles   

n. (席位间的)通道, 侧廊

参考例句：

• Aisles were added to the original Saxon building in the Norman period. 在诺曼时期，原来的萨克森风格的建筑物都增添了走廊。
• They walked about the Abbey aisles, and presently sat down. 他们走到大教堂的走廊附近，并且很快就坐了下来。

306 vapor   

n.蒸汽，雾气

参考例句：

• The cold wind condenses vapor into rain.冷风使水蒸气凝结成雨。
• This new machine sometimes transpires a lot of hot vapor.这部机器有时排出大量的热气。

307 chapel   

n.小教堂，殡仪馆

参考例句：

• The nimble hero,skipped into a chapel that stood near.敏捷的英雄跳进近旁的一座小教堂里。
• She was on the peak that Sunday afternoon when she played in chapel.那个星期天的下午，她在小教堂的演出，可以说是登峰造极。

308 yearned   

渴望，切盼，向往( yearn的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The people yearned for peace. 人民渴望和平。
• She yearned to go back to the south. 她渴望回到南方去。

309 stammering   

v.结巴地说出( stammer的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He betrayed nervousness by stammering. 他说话结结巴巴说明他胆子小。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• \"Why,\" he said, actually stammering, \"how do you do?\" “哎呀，\"他说，真的有些结结巴巴，\"你好啊？” 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

310 wilt   

v.(使)植物凋谢或枯萎；(指人)疲倦，衰弱

参考例句：

• Golden roses do not wilt and will never need to be watered.金色的玫瑰不枯萎绝也不需要浇水。
• Several sleepless nights made him wilt.数个不眠之夜使他憔悴。

311 tiresome   

adj.令人疲劳的，令人厌倦的

参考例句：

• His doubts and hesitations were tiresome.他的疑惑和犹豫令人厌烦。
• He was tiresome in contending for the value of his own labors.他老为他自己劳动的价值而争强斗胜，令人生厌。

312 penetrated   

adj. 击穿的，鞭辟入里的 动词penetrate的过去式和过去分词形式

参考例句：

• The knife had penetrated his chest. 刀子刺入了他的胸膛。
• They penetrated into territory where no man had ever gone before. 他们已进入先前没人去过的地区。

313 cozy   

adj.亲如手足的，密切的，暖和舒服的

参考例句：

• I like blankets because they are cozy.我喜欢毛毯，因为他们是舒适的。
• We spent a cozy evening chatting by the fire.我们在炉火旁聊天度过了一个舒适的晚上。

314 crumpled   

adj. 弯扭的, 变皱的 动词crumple的过去式和过去分词形式

参考例句：

• She crumpled the letter up into a ball and threw it on the fire. 她把那封信揉成一团扔进了火里。
• She flattened out the crumpled letter on the desk. 她在写字台上把皱巴巴的信展平。

315 nay   

adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者

参考例句：

• He was grateful for and proud of his son's remarkable,nay,unique performance.他为儿子出色的，不，应该是独一无二的表演心怀感激和骄傲。
• Long essays,nay,whole books have been written on this.许多长篇大论的文章，不，应该说是整部整部的书都是关于这件事的。

316 utterly   

adv.完全地，绝对地

参考例句：

• Utterly devoted to the people,he gave his life in saving his patients.他忠于人民，把毕生精力用于挽救患者的生命。
• I was utterly ravished by the way she smiled.她的微笑使我完全陶醉了。

317 spotted   

adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的

参考例句：

• The milkman selected the spotted cows,from among a herd of two hundred.牛奶商从一群200头牛中选出有斑点的牛。
• Sam's shop stocks short spotted socks.山姆的商店屯积了有斑点的短袜。

318 tack   

n.大头钉；假缝，粗缝

参考例句：

• He is hammering a tack into the wall to hang a picture.他正往墙上钉一枚平头钉用来挂画。
• We are going to tack the map on the wall.我们打算把这张地图钉在墙上。

319 Flared   

adj. 端部张开的, 爆发的, 加宽的, 漏斗式的 动词flare的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• The match flared and went out. 火柴闪亮了一下就熄了。
• The fire flared up when we thought it was out. 我们以为火已经熄灭，但它突然又燃烧起来。

320 exasperation   

n.愤慨

参考例句：

• He snorted with exasperation.他愤怒地哼了一声。
• She rolled her eyes in sheer exasperation.她气急败坏地转动着眼珠。

321 sobs   

啜泣（声），呜咽（声）( sob的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• She was struggling to suppress her sobs. 她拼命不让自己哭出来。
• She burst into a convulsive sobs. 她突然抽泣起来。

322 monetary   

adj.货币的，钱的；通货的；金融的；财政的

参考例句：

• The monetary system of some countries used to be based on gold.过去有些国家的货币制度是金本位制的。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。

323 raving   

adj.说胡话的；疯狂的，怒吼的；非常漂亮的；令人醉心[痴心]的v.胡言乱语(rave的现在分词)n.胡话；疯话adv.胡言乱语地；疯狂地

参考例句：

• The man's a raving lunatic. 那个男子是个语无伦次的疯子。
• When I told her I'd crashed her car, she went stark raving bonkers. 我告诉她我把她的车撞坏了时，她暴跳如雷。

324 shrieked   

v.尖叫( shriek的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She shrieked in fright. 她吓得尖叫起来。
• Li Mei-t'ing gave a shout, and Lu Tzu-hsiao shrieked, "Tell what? 李梅亭大声叫，陆子潇尖声叫：“告诉什么？ 来自汉英文学 - 围城

325 prudent   

adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的

参考例句：

• A prudent traveller never disparages his own country.聪明的旅行者从不贬低自己的国家。
• You must school yourself to be modest and prudent.你要学会谦虚谨慎。

326 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

327 grimace   

v.做鬼脸，面部歪扭

参考例句：

• The boy stole a look at his father with grimace.那男孩扮着鬼脸偷看了他父亲一眼。
• Thomas made a grimace after he had tasted the wine.托马斯尝了那葡萄酒后做了个鬼脸。

328 exude   

v.(使)流出，(使)渗出

参考例句：

• Some successful men exude self-confidence.有些成功的人流露出自信。
• The sun made him exude sweat.烈日晒得他汗流浃背。

329 smitten   

猛打，重击，打击( smite的过去分词 )

参考例句：

• From the moment they met, he was completely smitten by her. 从一见面的那一刻起，他就完全被她迷住了。
• It was easy to see why she was smitten with him. 她很容易看出为何她为他倾倒。

330 grimacing   

v.扮鬼相，做鬼脸( grimace的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• But then Boozer drove past Gasol for a rattling, grimacing slam dunk. 可布泽尔单吃家嫂，以一记强有力的扣篮将比分超出。 来自互联网
• The martyrdom of Archbishop Cranmer, said the don at last, grimacing with embarrassment. 最后那位老师尴尬地做个鬼脸，说，这是大主教克莱默的殉道士。 来自互联网

331 comedian   

n.喜剧演员；滑稽演员

参考例句：

• The comedian tickled the crowd with his jokes.喜剧演员的笑话把人们逗乐了。
• The comedian enjoyed great popularity during the 30's.那位喜剧演员在三十年代非常走红。

332 tragic   

adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的

参考例句：

• The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
• Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。

333 affront   

n./v.侮辱，触怒

参考例句：

• Your behaviour is an affront to public decency.你的行为有伤风化。
• This remark caused affront to many people.这句话得罪了不少人。

334 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

335 mutual   

adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的

参考例句：

• We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
• Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。

336 exhaled   

v.呼出，发散出( exhale的过去式和过去分词 )；吐出（肺中的空气、烟等），呼气

参考例句：

• He sat back and exhaled deeply. 他仰坐着深深地呼气。
• He stamped his feet and exhaled a long, white breath. 跺了跺脚，他吐了口长气，很长很白。 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子

337 beheld   

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

参考例句：

• His eyes had never beheld such opulence. 他从未见过这样的财富。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The soul beheld its features in the mirror of the passing moment. 灵魂在逝去的瞬间的镜子中看到了自己的模样。 来自英汉文学 - 红字

338 prodigal   

adj.浪费的，挥霍的，放荡的

参考例句：

• He has been prodigal of the money left by his parents.他已挥霍掉他父母留下的钱。
• The country has been prodigal of its forests.这个国家的森林正受过度的采伐。