Midsummer Day dawned. About the same moment that it did, Howl crashed in through the door with such noise that Sophie shot up in her cubbyhole, convinced that the Witch was hot on his heels.
“They think so much about me that they always play without me!” Howl bellowed1. Sophie realized that he was only trying to sing Calcifer’s saucepan song and lay down again, whereupon Howl fell over the chair and caught his foot in the stool so that it shot across the room. After that, he tried to go upstairs through the broom cupboard, and then the yard. This seemed to puzzle him a little. But finally he discovered the stairs, all except the bottom one, and fell up them on his face. The whole castle shook.
“What’s the matter?” Sophie asked, sticking her head through the banister.
“Rugby Club Reunion,” Howl replied with thick dignity. “Didn’t know I used to fly up the wing for my university, did you, Mrs. Nose?”
“If you were trying to fly, you must have forgotten how,” Sophie said.
“I was born to strange sights,” said Howl, “things invisible to see, and I was just on my way to bed when you interrupted me. I know where all the past years are, and who cleft2 the Devil’s foot.”
“Go to bed, you fool,” Calcifer said sleepily. “You’re drunk.”
“Who, me?” said Howl. “I assure you, my friends, that I am cone3 sold stober.” He got up and stalked upstairs, feeling for the wall as if he thought it might escape him unless he kept in touch with it. His bedroom door did escape him. “What a lie that was!” Howl remarked as he walked into the wall. “My shining dishonesty will be the salvation4 of me.” He walked into the wall several times more, in several different places, before he discovered his bedroom door and crashed his way through it. Sophie could hear him falling about, saying that his bed was dodging5.
“He is quite impossible!” Sophie said, and she decided6 to leave at once.
Unfortunately, the noise Howl made woke Michael up, and Percival, who was sleeping on the floor in Michael’s room. Michael came downstairs, saying that they were so thoroughly7 awake that they might as well go out and gather the flowers for the Midsummer garlands while the day was still cool. Sophie was not sorry to go out into the place of flowers for one last time. There was a warm, milky8 haze9 out there, filled with the scent10 and half-hidden colors. Sophie thumped11 along, testing the squashy ground with her stick and listening to the whirrings and twitters of the thousands of birds, feeling truly regretful. She stroked a moist satin lily and fingered one of the ragged12 purple flowers with long, powdery stamens. She looked back at the tall black castle breathing the mist behind them. She sighed.
“He made it much better,” Percival remarked as he put an armful of hibiscus into Michael’s floating bath.
“Who did?” said Michael.
“Howl,” said Percival. “There were only bushes at first, and they were quite small and dry.”
“You remember being here before?” Michael asked excitedly. He had by no means given up his idea that Percival might be Prince Justin.
“I think I was here with the Witch,” Percival said doubtfully.
They fetched two bathloads of flowers. Sophie noticed that when they came in the second time, Michael spun13 the knob over the door several times. That must have something to do with keeping the Witch out. Then of course there were the Midsummer garlands to make. That took a longtime. Sophie had meant to leave Michael and Percival to do that, but Michael was too busy asking Percival cunning questions and Percival was very slow at the work. Sophie knew what made Michael excited. There was a sort of air about Percival, as if he expected something to happen soon. It made Sophie wonder just how much in the power of the Witch he still was. She had to make most of the garlands. Any thoughts she might have had about staying and helping14 Howl against the Witch vanished. Howl, who could have made all the garlands just by waving his hand, was now snoring so loudly she could hear him right through the shop.
They were so long making the garlands that it was time to open the shop before they had finished. Michael fetched them bread and honey, and they ate while they dealt with the tremendous first rush of customers. Although Midsummer Day, in the way of holidays, had turned out to be a gray and chilly16 day in Market Chipping, half the town came, dressed in fine holiday clothes, to buy flowers and garlands for the festival. There was the usual jostling crowd out in the street. So many people came into the shop that it was getting on midday before Sophie finally stole away up the stairs and through the broom cupboard. They had taken so much money, Sophie thought as she stole about, packing up some food and her old clothes in a bundle, that Michael’s hoard17 under the hearthstone would be ten times the size.
“Have you come to talk to me?” asked Calcifer.
“In a moment,” Sophie said, crossing room with her bundle behind her back. She did not want Calcifer raising an outcry about that contract.
She stretched out her hand to unhook her stick from the chair, and somebody knocked at the door. Sophie stuck, with her hand stretched out, looked inquiringly at Calcifer.
“It’s the mansion18 door,” said Calcifer. “Flesh and blood and harmless.”
The knocking came again. This always happens when I try to leave! Sophie thought. She turned the knob orange-down and opened the door.
There was a carriage in the drive beyond the statues, pulled by a goodish pair of horses. Sophie could see it round the edges of the very large footman who had been doing the knocking.
“Mrs. Sacheverell Smith to call upon the new occupants,” said the footman.
How very awkward! Sophie thought. It was the result of Howl’s new paint and curtains. “We’re not at h-” she began. But Mrs. Sacheverell Smith swept the footman aside and came in.
“Wait with the carriage, Theobald,” she said to the footman a she sailed past Sophie, folding her parasol.
It was Fanny-Fanny looking wonderfully prosperous in cream silk. She was wearing the cream silk hat trimmed with roses, which Sophie remembered only too well. She remembered what she had said to that hat as she trimmed it: “You are going to have to marry money.” And it was quite clear from the look of her that Fanny had.
“Oh, dear!” said Fanny, looking round. “There must be some mistake. This is the servants quarters!”
“Well-er-we’re not quite moved in yet, Madam,” Sophie said, and wondered how Fanny would feel if she knew that the old hat shop was only just beyond the broom cupboard.
Fanny turned round and gaped19 at Sophie. “Sophie!” she exclaimed. “Oh, good gracious, child, what’s happened to you? You look about ninety! Have you been very ill?” And, to Sophie’s surprise, fanny threw aside her hat and her parasol and all of her grand manner and flung her arms round Sophie and wept. “Oh, I didn’t now what had happened to you!” she sobbed20. “I went to Martha and I sent to Lettie, and neither of them knew. They changed places, silly girls, did you know? But nobody knew a thing about you! I’ve reward out still. And here you are, working as a servant, when you could be living in luxury up the hill with me and Mr. Smith!”
Sophie found she was crying as well. She hurriedly dropped her bundle and led Fanny to the chair. She pulled the stool up and sat beside Fanny, holding her hand. By this time they were both laughing as well as crying. They were most powerfully glad to see one another again.
“It’s a long story,” Sophie said after Fanny had asked her six times what happened to her. “When I looked in the mirror and saw myself like this, it was such a shock that I sort of wandered away-”
“Overwork,” Fanny said wretchedly. “How I’ve blamed myself!”
“Not really,” said Sophie. “And you mustn’t worry, because Wizard Howl took me in-”
“Wizard Howl!” exclaimed Fanny. “That wicked, wicked man! Has he done this to you? Where is he? Let me at him!”
She seized her parasol and became so very warlike that Sophie had to hold her down. Sophie did not care to think how Howl might react if Fanny woke him by stabbing him with her parasol. “No, no!” she said. “Howl has been very kind to me.” And this was true, Sophie realized. Howl showed his kindness rather strangely, but, considering all Sophie had done to annoy him, he had been very good to her indeed.
“But they say he eats women alive!” Fanny said, still struggling to get up.
Sophie held down her waving parasol. “He doesn’t really,” she said. “Do listen. He’s not wicked at all!” There was a bit of a fizz from the grate at this, where Calcifer was watching with some interest. “He isn’t!” Sophie said, to Calcifer as much as to Fanny. “In all the time I’ve been here, I’ve not seen him work a single evil spell!” Which again was true, she knew.
“Then I have to believe you,” Fanny said, relaxing, “though I’m sure it must be your doing if he’s reformed. You always did have a way with you, Sophie. You could stop Martha’s tantrums when I couldn’t do a thing with her. And I always said it was thanks to you that Lettie only got her way half of the time instead of all the time! But you should have told me where you were, love!”
Sophie knew she should have. She had taken Martha’s view of Fanny, whole and entire, when she should have known Fanny better. She was ashamed.
Fanny could not wait to tell Sophie about Mr. Sacheverell Smith. She launched into a long and excited account of how she had met Mr. Smith the very week Sophie had left, and married him before the week was out. Sophie watched her as she talked. Being old gave her an entirely21 new view of Fanny. She was a lady who was still young and pretty, and she had found the hat shop as boring as Sophie did. But she had stuck with it and done her best, both with the shop and the three girls-until Mr. Hatter died. Then she had suddenly been afraid she was just like Sophie: old, with no reason, and nothing to show for it.
“And then, with you not being there to pass it on to, there seemed no reason not to sell the sop,” Fanny was saying, when there was a clatter22 of feet in the broom cupboard.
Michael came through, saying, “We’ve shut the shop. And look who’s here!” He was holding Martha’s hand.
Martha was thinner and fairer and almost looked like herself again. She let go of Michael and rushed at Sophie, shouting, “Sophie, you should have told me!” while she flung her arms round her. Then she flung her arms round Fanny, just as if she had never said all those things about her.
But this was not all. Lettie and Mrs. Fairfax came through the cupboard after Martha, carrying a hamper23 between them, and after them came Percival, who looked livelier than Sophie had ever seen him. “We came over by carrier at first light,” Mrs. Fairfax said, “and we brought-Bless me! It’s Fanny!” she dropped her end of the hamper and ran to hug fanny. Lettie dropped her end and ran to hug Sophie.
In fact, there was such general hugging and exclaiming and shouting that Sophie thought it was a marvel24 Howl did not wake up. But she could hear him snoring even through the shouting. I shall have to leave this evening, she thought. She was too glad to see everyone to consider leaving before that.
Lettie was very fond of Percival. While Michael carried the hamper to the bench and unpacked25 cold chickens and wines and honey puddings from it, Lettie hung on to Percival’s arm in an ownerlike way that Sophie could not quite approve of, and made him tell her all he remembered. Percival did not seem to mind. Lettie looked so lovely that Sophie did not blame him.
“He just arrived and kept turning into a man and then into different dogs and insisting that he knew me,” Lettie said to Sophie. “I knew I’d never seen him before, but it didn’t matter.” She patted Percival’s shoulder as if he were still a dog.
“But you had met Prince Justin?” Sophie said.
“Oh, yes,” Lettie said offhandedly26. “Mind you, he was in disguise in a green uniform, but it was obviously him. He was so smooth and courtly, even when he was annoyed about the finding spells. I had to make him up two lots because they would keep showing that Wizard Suliman was somewhere between us and Market Chipping, and he swore that couldn’t be true. And all the time I was doing them, he kept interrupting me, calling me ‘sweet lady’ in a sarcastic27 sort of way, and asking me who I was and where my family lived and how old I was. I thought it was cheek! I’d rather have Wizard Howl, and that’s saying something!”
By this time everyone was milling about, eating chicken and sipping28 wine. Calcifer seemed to be shy. He had gone down to green flickers29 and nobody seemed to notice him. Sophie wanted him to meet Lettie. She tried to coax30 him out.
“Is that really the demon31 who has charge of Howl’s life?” Lettie said, looking down at the green flickers rather disbelievingly.
Sophie looked up to assure Lettie that Calcifer was real and saw Miss Angorian standing32 by the door, looking shy and uncertain. “Oh, do excuse me. I’ve come at a bad time, haven’t I?” Miss Angorian said. “I just wanted to talk to Howell.”
Sophie stood up, not quite sure what to do. She was ashamed of the way she had driven Miss Angorian out before. It was only because she knew Howl was courting Miss Angorian. On the other hand, that did not mean she had to like her.
Michael took things out of Sophie’s hands by greeting Miss Angorian with a beaming smile and a shout of welcome. “Howl’s asleep at the moment,” he said. “Come and have a glass of wine while you wait.”
“How kind,” said Miss Angorian.
But it was plain that Miss Angorian was not happy. She refused wine and wandered nervously33 about, nibbling34 at a leg of chicken. The room was full of people who all knew one another very well and she was the outsider. Fanny did not help by turning form nonstop talk with Mrs. Fairfax and saying, “What peculiar35 clothes!” Martha did not help either. She had seen how admiringly Michael had greeted Miss Angorian. She went and made sure that Michael did not talk to anyone but herself and Sophie. And Lettie ignored Miss Angorian and went to sit on the stairs with Percival.
Miss Angorian seemed rather quickly to decide that she had had enough. Sophie saw her at the door, trying to open it. She hurried over, feeling very guilty. After all, Miss Angorian must have felt strongly about Howl to have come here at all. “Please don’t go yet,” Sophie said. “I’ll go and wake Howl up.”
“Oh, no, you mustn’t do that,” Miss Angorian said, smiling nervously. “I’ve got a day off, and I’m quite happy to wait. I thought I’d go and explore outside. It’s rather stuffy36 in here with that funny green fire burning.”
This seemed to Sophie the perfect way to get rid of Miss Angorian without really getting rid of her. She politely opened the door for her. Somehow-maybe it had to do with the defenses Howl had asked Michael to keep up-the knob had got turned round to purple-down. Outside was a misty37 blaze of sun and the drifting banks of red and purple flowers.
“What gorgeous rhododendrons!” Miss Angorian exclaimed in her huskiest and most throbbing38 voice. “I must look!” She sprang eagerly down into the marshy39 grass.
“Don’t go toward the southeast,” Sophie called after her.
The castle was drifting off sideways. Miss Angorian buried her beautiful face in a cluster of white flowers. “I won’t go far at all,” she said.
“Good gracious!” Fanny said, coming up behind Sophie. “Whatever has happened to my carriage?”
Sophie explained, as far as she could. But Fanny was so worried that Sophie had to turn the door orange-down and open it to show the mansion drive in a much grayer day, where the footman and Fanny’s coachman were sitting on the roof of the carriage eating cold sausage and playing cards. Only then would Fanny believe that her carriage had not been mysteriously spirited away. Sophie was trying to explain, without really knowing herself, how one door could open on several different places, when Calcifer surged up from his logs, roaring.
“Howl!” he roared, filling the chimney with blue flame. “Howl! Howell Jenkins, the Witch has found your sister’s family!”
There were two violent thumps40 overhead. Howl’s bedroom door crashed and Howl came tearing downstairs. Lettie and Percival were hurled41 out of his way. Fanny screamed faintly at the sight of him. Howl’s hair was like a haystack and there were red rims42 round his eyes. “Got me on my weak flank, blast her!” he shouted as he shot across the room with his black sleeves flying. “I was afraid she would! Thanks, Calcifer!” He shoved Fanny aside and hauled open the door.
Sophie heard the door bang behind Howl as she hobbled upstairs. She knew it was nosy43, but she had to see what happened. As she hobbled through Howl’s bedroom, she heard everyone else following her.
“What a filthy44 room!” Fanny exclaimed.
Sophie looked out the window. It was drizzling45 in the neat garden. The swing was hung with drops. The Witch’s waving mane of red hair was all dewed with it. She stood leaning against the swing, tall and commanding in her red robes, beckoning46 and beckoning again. Howl’s niece, Mari, was shuffling47 over the wet grass toward the Witch. She did not look as if she wanted to go, but she seemed to have no choice. Behind her, Howl’s nephew, Neil, was shuffling toward the Witch even more slowly, glowering48 in his most ferocious49 way. And Howl’s sister, Megan, was behind the two children. Sophie could se Megan’s arms gesturing and Megan’s mouth opening and shutting. She was clearly giving the Witch a piece of her mind, but she was being drawn50 toward the Witch too.
Howl burst out onto the lawn. He had not bothered to alter his clothes. He did not bother to do any magic. He just charged straight at the Witch. The Witch made a grab for Mari, but Mari was still too far away. Howl got to Mari first, slung51 her behind him, and charged on. And the Witch ran. She ran. Like a cat with a dog after it, across the lawn and over the neat fence, in a flurry of flame-colored robes, with Howl, like the chasing dog, a foot or so behind and closing. The Witch vanished over the fence in a red blur52. Howl went after her in a black blur with trailing sleeves. Then the fence hid both of them from sight.
“I hope he catches her,” said Martha. “The little girl’s crying.”
Down below, Megan put her arm round Mari and took both children indoors. There was no knowing what had happened to Howl and the Witch. Lettie and Percival and Martha and Michael went back downstairs. Fanny and Mrs. Fairfax were transfixed with disgust at the state of Howl’s bedroom.
“Look at those spiders!” Mrs. Fairfax said.
“And the dust on these curtains!” said Fanny. “Annabel, I saw some brooms in that passage you came through.”
“Let’s get them,” said Mrs. Fairfax. “I’ll pin that dress up for you, Fanny, and we’ll get to work. I can’t bear a room to be in this state!”
Oh, poor Howl! Sophie thought. He does love those spiders! She hovered53 on the stairs, wondering how to stop Mrs. Fairfax and Fanny.
From downstairs, Michael called, “Sophie! We’re going to look round the mansion. Want to come?”
That seemed the ideal thing to stop the two ladies from cleaning. Sophie called to Fanny and hobbled hurriedly downstairs. Lettie and Percival were already opening the door. Lettie had not listened when Sophie explained it to Fanny. And it was clear that Percival did not understand either. Sophie saw they were opening it purple-down by mistake. They got it open as Sophie hobbled across the room to put them right.
The scarecrow loomed54 up in the doorway55 against the flowers.
“Shut it!” Sophie screamed. She saw what had happened. She had actually helped the scarecrow last night by telling it to go ten times as fast. It had simply sped to the castle entrance and tried to get in there. But Miss Angorian was out there. Sophie wondered if she was lying in the bushes in a dead faint. “No, don’t,” she said weakly.
No one was attending to her anyway. Lettie’s face was the color of Fanny’s dress, and she was clutching Martha. Percival was standing and staring, and Michael was trying to catch the skull56, which was yattering its teeth so hard that it was threatening to fall off the bench and take a wine bottle with it. And the skull seemed to have a strange effect on the guitar too. It was giving out long, humming twangs: Noumm harrumm! Noumm Harrumm!
Calcifer flamed up the chimney again. “The thing is speaking,” he said to Sophie. “It is saying it means no harm. I think it is speaking the truth. It is waiting for your permission to come in.”
Certainly the scarecrow was just standing there. It was not trying to barge57 inside as it had before. And Calcifer must have trusted it. He had stopped the castle moving. Sophie looked at the turnip58 face and the fluttering rags. It was not so frightening after all. She had once had fellow feeling for it. She rather suspected that she had made it into a convenient excuse for not leaving the castle because she had really wanted to stay. Now there was no point. Sophie had to leave anyway Howl preferred Miss Angorian.
“Please come in,” she said, a little croakily.
“Ahmmng!” said the guitar. The scarecrow surged into the room with one powerful sideways hop15. It stood swinging about on its one leg as if it was looking for something. The smell of flowers it had brought in with it did not hide its own smell of dust and rotting turnip.
The skull yattered under Michael’s fingers again. The scarecrow spun round, gladly, and fell sideways toward it. Michael made one attempt to rescue the skull and then got hastily out of the way. For as the scarecrow fell across the bench, there came a fizzing jolt59 of strong magic and the skull melted into the scarecrow’s turnip head. It seemed to get inside the turnip and fill it out. There was now a strong suggestion of a rather craggy face on the turnip. The trouble was, it was on the back side of the scarecrow. The scarecrow gave a wooden scramble60, hopped61 upright uncertainly, and then swiftly spun its body round so that the front of it was under the craggy turnip face. Slowly it eased its outstretched arms down to its sides.
“Now I can speak,” it said in a somewhat mushy voice.
“I may faint,” Fanny announced, on the stairs.
“Nonsense,” Mrs. Fairfax said, behind Fanny. “The thing’s only a magician’s golem. It has to do what it was sent to do. They’re quite harmless.”
Lettie, all the same, looked ready to faint. But the only one who did faint was Percival. He flopped62 to the floor, quite quietly, and lay curled up as if he were asleep. Lettie, in spite of her terror, ran toward him, only to back away as the scarecrow gave another hop and stood itself in front of Percival.
“This is one of the parts I was sent to find,” it said in its mushy voice. It swung on its stick until it was facing Sophie. “I must thank you,” it said. “My skull was far away and I ran out of strength before I reached it. I would have lain in that hedge forever if you had not come and talked life into me.” It swiveled to Mrs. Fairfax and then to Lettie. “I thank you both too,” it said.
“Who sent you? What are you supposed to do?” Sophie said.
The scarecrow swung about uncertainly. “More than this,” it said. “There are still part missing.” Everyone waited, most of them too shaken to speak, while the scarecrow rotated this way and that, seemingly thinking.
“What is Percival a part of?” Sophie said.
“Let it collect itself,” said Calcifer. “No one’s asked it to explain itself bef-” He suddenly stopped speaking and shrank until barely a green flame showed. Michael and Sophie exchanged alarmed glances.
Then a new voice spoke63, out of nowhere. It was enlarged and muffled64, as it if it were speaking in a box, but it was unmistakably the voice of the Witch. “Michael Fisher,” it said, “tell your master, Howl, that he fell for my decoy. I now have woman called Lily Angorian in my fortress65 in the Waste. Tell him I will only let her go if he himself comes to fetch her. Is that clear, Michael Fisher?”
The scarecrow whirled round and hopped for the open door.
“Oh, no!” Michael cried out. “Stop it! The Witch must have sent it so that she could get it in here!”
第20章危机浮现
仲夏日的黎明降临了，曙光初露的同时，豪尔乒乒乓乓地由门口冲进来，苏菲一下从她的小洞穴里惊跳起来，以为女巫紧追在他身后。
“他们根本不把我放在眼里！每次我还没到他们就直接开赛！”豪尔大声咆哮。接下来，当豪尔绊到椅子摔跤，又一脚绊到凳子，将它踢过房间时，苏菲的理解是，他不过是想唱卡西法的炖锅歌，然后躺下来睡觉。在那之后，他试着经过储物柜上楼，走不通时，换走后院。这似乎令他有些困惑，他终于找到楼梯，但显然错过最低下的阶梯，跌了个狗吃屎，震动了整个城堡。
“到底怎么了？”苏菲将头探出栏杆问道。
“橄榄球俱乐部的同学会，”豪尔很自豪地回答：“你不知道我以前替我的大学球队打球时，常飞身到侧翼截球吧！长鼻子太太！”
“如果你刚才是试着要飞的话，你一定是忘记怎么飞了。”苏菲说。
“我天生视力就跟别人不同，”豪尔说：“可以看到人家看不到的东西。我刚才是要上床，是你阻挠了我。我知道过去的岁月都去了哪里，也知道是谁劈裂了魔鬼的脚。”
“去睡觉啦，笨蛋！”卡西法爱困地说：“你醉了。”
“谁？我吗？”豪尔说：“朋友，我可以跟你保证，我清醒地要命。”他站起来往楼上走，一路摸着墙，好像担心若不这样做的话，墙就会逃走，不过他卧室的门倒是真的逃走了。“我刚说的是彻头彻尾的谎言，”豪尔边说边撞到墙上：“我那令人眩目的不诚实将会是我的救命法宝。”他又撞了好几次墙，每次撞的地方都不相同。终于他找到卧室的门，碰碰撞撞地穿过门进了房间。苏菲可以听到他四处跌跤，抱怨说他的床在躲他。
“真是无可理喻！”苏菲说着，决定马上离开。
不幸的是，豪尔那一番吵闹把麦可也吵醒了，还有波西瓦，他睡在麦可房间的地上。麦可下楼来，说既然都醒了，不如趁着清晨天气尚凉，到外头去采仲夏日花环要用的花，苏菲不排斥到那花的世界去做最后一次巡礼。外头有温暖、乳白色的薄雾，充满香气及半隐藏的颜色。苏菲以拐杖探测柔软的土地，砰砰使劲走着，沿路聆听成千上百的林鸟吱吱喳喳唱个不停，她觉得好遗憾！她抚摸一朵潮湿的缎百合，并以手指抚弄一朵破损的、满是花粉的长花蕊紫色花朵。她回首看那挺立在雾中高高的黑色城堡，忍不住叹了口气。
“他把这地方改善了很多，”波西瓦将一大把木槿花放进麦可的飘浮水桶时说。
“谁？”麦可问。
“豪尔，”波西瓦说：“刚开始时只有树丛，而且都又干又小。”
“你记得你来过这里？”麦可兴奋地问。他一直没放弃波西瓦可能就是贾斯丁王子的想法。
“我想我是和女巫一起来的。”波西瓦不确定地说。
他们共摘了足以装满两大浴缸的话。苏菲注意到，当他们第二次进屋时，麦可将门把转了好几次，这一定是跟将女巫挡在门外有关吧！接着当然就是制造仲夏节花环了，那花了好久的时间。苏菲本来是想让麦可和波西瓦两人去负责的，但是麦可尽忙着问波西瓦一些精明、巧妙的问题，而波西瓦行动非常迟缓，苏菲知道为何麦可会那么兴奋，波西瓦身上带有一股特别的气氛，好像他期待着很快将会发生某事一样。这令苏菲想到，他到底还受女巫掌控多少？结果她必须独立完成大部分的花环。所有她曾有过、关于留下来帮助豪尔抵抗女巫的想法，全都烟消云散了。因为那个只消一挥手，就能制造所有这些花环的人正鼾声雷动，她在店里都听得一清二楚。
他们花许多时间作花环，结果花环还没做完就已经到开店时间了。麦可携来面包和蜂蜜，他们一边应付第一批涌入的人潮一边吃早餐。虽然像许多节庆日一样，今年马克奇平仲夏日的天气既灰暗又阴冷，但镇上一半的人都来了，穿着美丽的节庆日衣裳，买节庆要用的花及花环。街上人潮如一般节日时一样热闹拥挤，客人川流不息。苏菲一直到近中午时，才终于能够偷偷走上阶梯，通过储物柜。她蹑手蹑脚地打包——拿了一些食物，连同她的旧衣服一起包起来，心里边想着，他们已偷存了好多钱，现在麦可存在壁炉石下的储蓄，怕不有十倍之多了。
“你来找我说话吗？”卡西法问她。
“等一会儿。”苏菲说，将包裹藏在身后走过房间。她不想引起卡西法对那个契约的事强烈抗议。她伸手去接那挂在椅子上的拐杖，突然有人敲门。苏菲愣住了，手仍伸着，她转头询问地看着卡西法。
“是大房子的门，”卡西法说“血肉之躯，而且无害。”
敲门声再度响起，苏菲想道，每次我试着要离开时就会这样！她把门把转到桔色向下，打开。敲门的是一位非常高大的仆役。绕过他庞大的身躯，苏菲可以瞥见一辆有两匹骏马拉着的马车，正停在雕像后面的车道上。
“萨琪维拉.史密斯太太来拜访新屋主。”仆役说。
真别扭！苏菲想着，都是豪尔的新油漆和窗帘造成的。“我们还没……呃……”她开口说，但是萨琪维拉.史密斯太太已经将仆役推开，走了进来。
她吩咐仆役:“去车子那边等我，席尔泊。”然后由苏菲身旁走过，并收起手上的阳伞。
这是芬妮！穿着乳白色丝绸，看起来非常有钱的芬妮。她头上戴着一顶乳白色、饰有玫瑰花的丝制帽子。苏菲记得再清楚不过了，她跟那帽子说：你将会嫁给有钱人。而从芬妮的外表看来，她显然是的。
“噢，天哪！”芬妮四处张望了一下，说：“一定是搞错了。这边是仆人的宿舍！”
“呃、呃……夫人，我们还没完全搬进来。”苏菲说。心里同时想着，芬妮若知道旧帽店就在储物柜后面，不知会怎么想。
芬妮转过身来，张口结舌。“苏菲！”她大叫道：“噢，我的天！孩子，你出了什么事？你看起来象九十岁。你生病了吗？”令苏菲惊讶的是，她把帽子、阳伞和有钱人的不可一世全抛开，伸出双手拥抱苏菲，流着泪哭道：“我不知道你出了什么事。我去找玛莎，也写信给乐蒂，但是她们都不知道。你知道吗？那两个傻孩子居然互换了工作地点，但是没有人有你的一点消息，我到现在都还有悬赏在外，结果你居然在这里当仆人！你应该是跟我和史密斯先生一道住在山上享受富裕的生活呀！”
苏菲发现自己也跟着哭，她很快地将包裹丢下，带芬妮去椅子上坐下。她把凳子拉出来，坐在芬妮旁边，握着她的手。两个人都又哭又笑，实在是太高兴看到对方了。
“说来话长，”在芬妮第六次问她到底发生什么事后，苏菲告诉她：“当我看到镜子里自己变成这样子时，实在太震惊了，就这样迷迷糊糊地走掉……”
“工作过度，”芬妮悲惨地说：“我是多么自责啊！”
“不是那样的，”苏菲安慰她：“你不用担心，因为豪尔巫师收留我……”
“豪尔巫师！”芬妮大叫：“那个非常邪恶又邪恶的人！是他把你弄成这样的吗？他人在哪里？看我怎么对付他！”
她抓起阳伞，一副要打架的样子，苏菲必须将她按住。苏菲不敢想象，如果芬妮拿着阳伞将他由睡梦中戳醒，豪尔会有什么反应，“不，不是的！”苏菲说：“豪尔对我很好。”边说着苏菲便意识到事实确实如此。虽然豪尔对人好的方式表现得有些奇怪，但是若考虑到苏菲曾作了那么多令他生气的事，他实在是对她够好了！
“可是他们说他会吃活生生的女人！”芬妮仍挣扎着要站起来。
苏菲把她挥舞着的阳伞按下。“他真的没有，”她说：“你一定要听我说，他一点都不邪恶！”这句话引来壁炉那边一些嘶嘶声，卡西法略带兴趣地听着她们的对话。“他真的没有！”苏菲说，这话既是对卡西法，也是对芬妮说的。“我在这儿的时间里，一次也没见到他制造邪恶的咒语。”她知道这也是事实。
“那么，我必须相信你了。”芬妮说完，轻松下来。“不过我相信，那一定是出于你的影响。你一直有一种特别的能力，你能让玛莎停止闹别扭，我对她却是完全无能为力。我也总是说，多亏了你，才能让乐蒂只有一半、而不是所有的时候，凡事都能顺她的意，任性妄为。但是，亲爱的，你实在应该告诉我你到哪里去了！”
苏菲知道她应该那么做，但是她完全听信玛莎对芬妮的评语，她应该更加去了解芬妮的，她觉得很惭愧。
芬妮迫不及待要告诉苏菲关于萨琪维拉.史密斯先生的事，她很兴奋地说了很久。苏菲离开的那个星期，她就遇见史密斯先生，那个星期尚未结束他们就结婚了。她说话时，苏菲一直看着她，年老让她可以由完全崭新的角度来看芬妮。她是一个仍然年轻貌美的女人，她跟苏菲一样，觉得帽店很无趣。她已经被那间店绑很久，而且努力尽过心力了——不仅对那间店，还包括三个女孩，一直到海特先生去世为止。然后，她突然觉得害怕，就跟苏菲所感觉的一样：变老，没有目的，没有成就。
“然后，既然你不在，店没有人继承，我好像没有理由不把店铺卖掉。”芬妮说到这里，储物柜那里传来一阵脚步声。
麦克走过来，说：“我们把店关了。你看，是谁来了！”他正握着玛莎的手。玛莎瘦了些，发色变淡了些，看来几乎回复她原来的样子了。她放开麦可，奔向苏菲，抱着她叫道：“苏菲！你应该告诉我的！”接着她已两手紧抱芬妮，好象她从未那样说过芬妮似的。
但事情还不止如此。继玛莎之后，乐蒂和菲菲克丝太太也相继穿过储物柜，两人合提着一个食物篮。波西瓦根在后面，看起来比苏菲见到他的人和时候都有生气。“我们天一亮就搭车出门，”菲菲克丝太太说：“我们带来……我的天！是芬妮！”她丢下她提着的半边食物篮，跑过来拥抱芬妮。乐蒂也放下她那半边，跑过去抱苏菲。
事实上，整间屋里都是拥抱、惊叹和尖叫声，苏菲觉得豪尔没被吵醒实在是奇迹。但是，即使透过这些叫喊声，她还是能够听到他的鼾声。她思索着，今晚必须离开，但因为很高兴看到大家所以不想太早离开。
乐蒂很喜欢波西瓦。当麦可将食物篮提到工作台，拿出冷鸡肉、葡萄酒和蜂蜜布丁时，乐蒂一直以一种苏菲不太能赞同的、拥有者的姿态，握住波西瓦的手臂，要他告诉她所有他能记得的事，波西瓦似乎一点也不介意。乐蒂看起来是那么可爱，所以苏菲没有责怪她。
“他就这样跑来，一直变成人，在变成不同的狗，还坚持说他认得我。”乐蒂跟苏菲说：“我知道我从未见过他，但那没关系。”她拍着波西瓦的肩膀，仿佛他还是一条狗似的。
“但是，你见过贾斯丁王子？”苏菲问。
“噢，是的，”乐蒂随口回答：“他当时变装，穿着一身绿色制服，但显然是他没错。他非常殷勤有礼，即使他在为那个寻人咒生气时也不例外。我必须弄两次，因为咒语一直显示苏利曼巫师人就在我们跟马克奇平间的某处，但是他发誓说那绝对不可能，我在弄咒语的期间，他一直打断我的工作，以一种略带讽刺的语气称呼我为‘甜蜜女士’，还问我是谁？家住哪里、几岁等等。我觉得他脸皮好厚！我宁可要豪尔巫师。可见我对她的评价有多差！”
每个人都走来走去的，吃东西、喝酒。卡西法似乎有些害羞，缩成绿色的闪光，似乎也没有人注意到它。苏菲向介绍乐蒂给它认识，她试着诱它出来。
“这真的是掌有豪尔生命的邪魔吗？”乐蒂低头看着绿色的闪光，露出不可思议的神情。
苏菲抬起头来跟她保证确实如此，却看到安歌丽雅小姐站在门口，神情羞怯不安。“噢，对不起，我来的时候不对，是不是？”安歌丽雅小姐说：“我只是想跟豪尔说话。”
苏菲站起来，不太确定该怎么做。她对自己上次把安歌丽雅小姐赶出去的事感到羞愧，那时因为她知道豪尔在追安歌丽雅小姐。但话又说回来，那并不表示她必须喜欢她。
麦可替苏菲解了围，他对着安歌丽雅小姐灿然一笑，大声地说欢迎。“豪尔现在在睡觉，”他说：“你等着的时候进来喝杯酒吧！”
“谢谢。”安歌丽雅小姐说。
但安歌丽雅小姐显然很不快乐，她婉拒了葡萄酒，焦急地走来走去，小口地吃一根鸡腿。房里满是彼此非常熟悉的人，而她是完全的局外人。芬妮从和菲菲克丝太太不间断的谈话中转过来，说：“好特别的衣服。”但这只徒增她的不自在。
玛莎也是，只有把事情弄得更糟。他看到麦可和安歌丽雅小姐打招呼时那充满赞美的神情，便走了过去，决心让麦可除了她自己和苏菲之外，不能跟任何人说话。乐蒂则完全不理她，跟波西瓦坐在楼梯说话。安歌丽雅小姐似乎很快就决定她受够了，苏菲看到她站在门边，试着开门。她快步走过去，觉得很有罪恶感。毕竟，安歌丽雅小姐一定是很喜欢豪尔，才会这样专程跑来。“请先别走，”苏菲说：“我去把豪尔挖起来。”
“不，不用了。”安歌丽雅小姐说，微笑中带点紧张。“我今天不用上课，我可以慢慢等，我只是想去外面看一看，况且那个怪怪的绿火烧的屋里有点气闷。”
对苏菲而言，在没有比这更完美的了——不用采取任何手段即能摆脱安歌丽雅小姐。她礼貌地为她开门，但是，或许是跟豪尔要麦可记得张起的防卫网有关吧。门把被转到紫色向下，外面是罩雾的阳光，还有成片的红色、紫色的花在眼前飘浮。
“好棒的杜鹃花！”安歌丽雅小姐用她最沙哑、最令人心跳的声音说：“我非看看不可！”她热切地跳到柔软的草地上。
“别往东南走！”苏菲在他身后喊道。
“我的天！”芬妮走到苏菲身后，惊叫一声：“我的马车怎么不见了？”
苏菲尽其所能地解释了一下，但是芬妮还是很担心，所以苏菲只好把门转到桔色向下，打开来，让她看看另一个灰暗许多的天空，在大宅的车道上，芬妮的仆人和车夫一同坐在马车的车顶上，边吃冷香肠边玩牌，芬妮这才相信她的马车没有被神秘低头走。当苏菲试着解释（其实她自己也不甚明了）为何一个门可以开往那么多不同的地方时，卡西法突然由木头里高高窜起，吼道：“豪尔！”整个烟囱充满了蓝色的烈焰，他继续吼叫：“豪尔！豪尔.建肯！女巫找到你姐姐家了！”
楼上传来两声巨响，豪尔冲出房门，以及豪尔冲下楼的声音。乐蒂和波西瓦都被他推开，芬妮见到他时微微发出一声尖叫。他头发像稻草，外带两个红眼圈。“被她找到我的弱点了，该死！”边大叫边冲过房间，黑色袖子飞扬着。“我就怕她会这样！谢了，卡西法！”他推开芬妮，用力开门。
苏菲蹒跚地上楼时，听到豪尔砰一声关门的声音。她知道这样有点窥人隐私，但是她非得亲眼看看发生了什么！她走进豪尔的房间时，听到后面有一票人跟着她。
“好脏的房间啊！”芬妮惊呼。
苏菲由窗子看出去，那个整洁的花园里正下着毛毛雨，秋千上挂着雨珠，女巫的红色卷发上满是水珠。她靠着秋千站着，穿一身红袍，个子高挑，威风凛凛。她一直在招手，豪尔的外甥女玛莉，拖曳着脚步，穿越潮湿的草地朝着她走过去。看起来她似乎不想过去，但身不由己。在她后面是豪尔的外甥尼尔，他脚步拖得更慢，以最凶狠的目光瞪着女巫。跟在两个小孩身后的是豪尔的姐姐梅根，苏菲可以看到她两手比着手势，嘴巴开开合合的，很明显地是在骂人，但是她也一直被女巫吸过去。
豪尔冲到草地上，他没时间改变他的衣服，也没时间管什么魔不魔法。只是直接朝女巫冲过去。女巫试着抓住玛莉，但是玛莉仍离她有段距离。豪尔先抓住玛莉，将她往身后一扔，继续朝女巫冲过去。女巫撒腿就跑，向被狗追赶的猫，跑过草地，越过整齐的围墙，火焰般的红袍飞扬着。豪尔像追猫的狗，在她身后一尺处紧追不舍，并且逐渐拉近。女巫红色的身影在围墙另一头消失，豪尔黑色有垂袖的身影如影随形地跟过去。围墙将他们两人的身影都挡住了。
“我希望他能抓住她。”马莎说：“那小女孩在哭呢！”
梅根将手环住玛莉，带两个小孩到屋里去。由这里无法看出豪尔跟女巫战斗的结果，乐蒂、波西瓦、玛莎和麦可都回到楼下，芬妮和菲菲克丝太太则是被豪尔房间的脏乱吓呆了。
“看看那些蜘蛛！”菲菲克丝太太惊叹道。
“还有窗帘上的灰尘！”芬妮说：“安娜贝儿，我看到你走过来的那个通道里有一些扫把。”
“我们去拿，”菲菲克丝太太说：“我可以帮你把衣服别起来，然后我们一起动手。我无法忍受房间脏成这个样子！”
噢，可怜的豪尔！苏菲想着，他真的很爱那些蜘蛛的！她在楼梯徘徊，不知该如何阻止芬妮和菲菲克丝太太。
麦克的声音在楼下喊道：“苏菲，我们要去大房子那边看看，你来不来？”
再没有比这更理想的，得以阻止这两位女士清扫豪尔房间的理由了。苏菲叫唤芬妮，然后迅速往楼下走，乐蒂和波西瓦已经将门打开，苏菲跟芬妮解释们的开法时，乐蒂并没有听，而波西瓦显然也不明白。苏菲看到门把转错了，紫色朝下，赶过去要阻止，但已经太迟了。
稻草人就站在门口，背后是一片繁花。
“关门！”苏菲尖叫，她知道出了什么事了。事实上，她昨夜叫稻草人跳十倍快反而帮了它。它很快就跑到城堡的入口，试图进来，但安歌丽雅小姐在外头呢！苏菲担心她是不是吓昏在哪个树丛里。于是改口，微弱地说：“不、不要关。”
不过，反正也没人在听她说话。乐蒂的脸色跟芬妮的衣服一样白，紧紧抓着玛莎，波西瓦站在那里只是瞪着看。麦可则试着要抓住骷髅头，因为它两排牙齿嘎嘎作响到快连着旁边的酒瓶一起滚下工作台了。这骷髅头好像也对吉它产生了奇怪的影响，吉他一直发出长长的铛铛声——努—哈伦！努—哈伦！
卡西法再度冲上烟囱。“它在说话，”它跟苏菲说：“说它毫无恶意。它无意像上次那样冲进来。”卡西法显然很信任它，因为城堡整个停下来了。苏菲看着那个萝卜脸和飞扬的破布，它其实一点也不可怕，事实上，她曾一度对它充满同情。她怀疑自己是不是利用它作为不离开城堡的借口？因为她其实想要留下来，但是现在再留下来已经毫无意义了，因为豪尔喜欢的是安歌丽雅小姐。
“请进，”她说，声音有些沙哑。
“啊哈！”吉他唱着。稻草人强有力地往侧面一跳，就进了屋里。它单脚站着，身体摇摆着，好像在寻找某种东西，随它飘进来的花香并未能掩盖住它身上烂萝卜及灰尘的味道。
骷髅头再度在麦可手上嘎嘎叫起来。稻草人转过身，很高兴地对着它侧身倒下。麦可试着要救骷髅，但马上缩手。因为稻草人才倒向工作台，就传来强力魔法嘶嘶的冲击声，骷髅头随即融入稻草人的萝卜头里。进入后把萝卜撑开来，变成一张该算是相当阳刚粗犷的脸。问题是，脸面向着稻草人的后面。稻草人的木棍一阵搅动，不太确定地跳起身来，然后轻快地转动身体，把头的位置换来前面。慢慢地，它把两只伸直的手放到身侧。
“现在我能说话了，”它的声音有些模糊。
“我快昏倒了。”芬妮站在楼梯口说。
“胡说，”菲菲克丝太太站在芬妮后面。“那不过是魔法师的傀儡罢了，魔法师送它们出去执行任务，它们是无害的。”
但是乐蒂还是一副要昏倒的样子。不过呢，真正昏过去的只有波西瓦，他啪嗒一声倒下，安安静静地蜷曲着身体躺着，仿佛在睡觉一般。乐蒂尽管怕的不得了，仍然对他跑过去，但是很快又退回来，因为稻草人一跳跳到波西瓦面前。
“这是我必须寻找的一部分。”它用模糊的声音说道，它转身面对着苏菲。“我的头颅离得太远，我还没追上就已经力气用尽。如果不是你来，藉由说话把生命给了我，我就永远躺在那树篱里了。”说完，它转向菲菲克丝太太，然后转向乐蒂。“也谢谢你们两位。”它说。
“谁遣你出来的？你的任务是什么？”苏菲问它。
稻草人不确定地四处转动。“还有，”它说：“还有一些不见了。”每个人都等着，大多数根本是吓得说不出话来。稻草人则一会儿转这边一会儿转那边，似乎在努力思考。
“波西瓦是什么的一部分？”苏菲问它。
“让它平心静气地想一想，”卡西法说：“以前没人问过它任何……”它突然停止说话，
往下沉到只有一点点绿焰，麦克和苏菲交换了一下惊慌的眼神。
然后不知从哪儿传来一个新的声音，声音经过放大，显得有些闷闷的，仿佛是在箱子里说的，但那毫无疑问是女巫的声音。“麦可.费雪，”她说：“告诉你的主人豪尔，他被我的替身骗了。我现在手头有个叫作莉莉.安歌丽雅的女人，关在我荒地的碉堡里。告诉他，只有他亲自来要人，我才会放她走。听清楚了没？麦可.费雪。”
稻草人转过身，往开着的门跳去。
“噢，不成！”麦可叫道：“阻止它！一定是女巫差它来的，这样她才能进来！”
收听单词发音 |
1
bellowed
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| v.发出吼叫声，咆哮（尤指因痛苦）( bellow的过去式和过去分词 )；（愤怒地）说出（某事），大叫 | |
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cleft
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| n.裂缝；adj.裂开的 | |
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cone
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| n.圆锥体，圆锥形东西，球果 | |
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salvation
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| n.（尤指基督）救世，超度，拯救，解困 | |
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dodging
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| n.避开，闪过，音调改变v.闪躲( dodge的现在分词 )；回避 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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milky
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| adj.牛奶的，多奶的；乳白色的 | |
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haze
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| n.霾，烟雾；懵懂，迷糊；vi.(over)变模糊 | |
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scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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thumped
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| v.重击， （指心脏）急速跳动( thump的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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ragged
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| adj.衣衫褴褛的，粗糙的，刺耳的 | |
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spun
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| v.纺，杜撰，急转身 | |
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helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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hop
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| n.单脚跳，跳跃；vi.单脚跳，跳跃；着手做某事；vt.跳跃，跃过 | |
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chilly
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| adj.凉快的，寒冷的 | |
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hoard
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| n./v.窖藏，贮存，囤积 | |
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mansion
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| n.大厦，大楼；宅第 | |
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gaped
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| v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的过去式和过去分词 )；张开，张大 | |
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sobbed
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| 哭泣，啜泣( sob的过去式和过去分词 )； 哭诉，呜咽地说 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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clatter
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| v./n.(使)发出连续而清脆的撞击声 | |
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hamper
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| vt.妨碍，束缚，限制；n.(有盖的)大篮子 | |
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24
marvel
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| vi.(at)惊叹vt.感到惊异；n.令人惊异的事 | |
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25
unpacked
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| v.从（包裹等）中取出（所装的东西），打开行李取出( unpack的过去式和过去分词 )；拆包；解除…的负担；吐露（心事等） | |
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26
offhandedly
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| adv.立即地；即席地；未经准备地；不客气地 | |
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sarcastic
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| adj.讥讽的，讽刺的，嘲弄的 | |
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sipping
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| v.小口喝，呷，抿( sip的现在分词 ) | |
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29
flickers
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| 电影制片业； （通常指灯光）闪烁，摇曳( flicker的名词复数 ) | |
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30
coax
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| v.哄诱，劝诱，用诱哄得到，诱取 | |
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demon
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| n.魔鬼，恶魔 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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nervously
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| adv.神情激动地，不安地 | |
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nibbling
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| v.啃，一点一点地咬（吃）( nibble的现在分词 )；啃出（洞），一点一点咬出（洞）；慢慢减少；小口咬 | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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stuffy
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| adj.不透气的，闷热的 | |
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misty
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| adj.雾蒙蒙的，有雾的 | |
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throbbing
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| a. 跳动的,悸动的 | |
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marshy
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| adj.沼泽的 | |
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40
thumps
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| n.猪肺病；砰的重击声( thump的名词复数 )v.重击， （指心脏）急速跳动( thump的第三人称单数 ) | |
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41
hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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42
rims
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| n.（圆形物体的）边( rim的名词复数 )；缘；轮辋；轮圈 | |
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43
nosy
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| adj.鼻子大的，好管闲事的，爱追问的；n.大鼻者 | |
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44
filthy
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| adj.卑劣的；恶劣的，肮脏的 | |
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45
drizzling
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| 下蒙蒙细雨，下毛毛雨( drizzle的现在分词 ) | |
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46
beckoning
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| adj.引诱人的，令人心动的v.（用头或手的动作）示意，召唤( beckon的现在分词 ) | |
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47
shuffling
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| adj. 慢慢移动的, 滑移的 动词shuffle的现在分词形式 | |
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48
glowering
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| v.怒视( glower的现在分词 ) | |
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49
ferocious
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| adj.凶猛的，残暴的，极度的，十分强烈的 | |
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50
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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51
slung
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| 抛( sling的过去式和过去分词 )； 吊挂； 遣送； 押往 | |
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52
blur
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| n.模糊不清的事物；vt.使模糊，使看不清楚 | |
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53
hovered
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| 鸟( hover的过去式和过去分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫 | |
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54
loomed
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| 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 | |
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55
doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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56
skull
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| n.头骨；颅骨 | |
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57
barge
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| n.平底载货船，驳船 | |
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58
turnip
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| n.萝卜，芜菁 | |
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59
jolt
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| v.（使）摇动，（使）震动，（使）颠簸 | |
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60
scramble
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| v.爬行，攀爬，杂乱蔓延，碎片，片段，废料 | |
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61
hopped
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| 跳上[下]( hop的过去式和过去分词 )； 单足蹦跳； 齐足（或双足）跳行； 摘葎草花 | |
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62
flopped
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| v.（指书、戏剧等）彻底失败( flop的过去式和过去分词 )；（因疲惫而）猛然坐下；（笨拙地、不由自主地或松弛地）移动或落下；砸锅 | |
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63
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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64
muffled
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| adj.（声音）被隔的；听不太清的；（衣服）裹严的；蒙住的v.压抑，捂住( muffle的过去式和过去分词 )；用厚厚的衣帽包着（自己） | |
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fortress
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| n.堡垒，防御工事 | |
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