Fifteen
“But I don’t want to go home just yet,” said Philip Durrant. He spoke¹ withplaintive irritability².
“But, Philip, really, there’s nothing to stay here for, any longer. I mean,we had to come to see Mr. Marshall to discuss the thing, and then wait forthe police interviews. But now there’s nothing to stop us going home rightaway.”
“I think your father’s quite happy for us to stop on for a bit,” said Philip,“he likes having someone to play chess with in the evenings. My word,he’s a wizard at chess. I thought I wasn’t bad, but I never get the better ofhim.”
“Father can find someone else to play chess with,” said Mary shortly.
“What—whistle someone up from the Women’s Institute?”
“And anyway, we ought to go home,” said Mary. “Tomorrow is Mrs.
Carden’s day for doing the brasses³.”
“Polly, the perfect housewife!” said Philip laughing. “Anyway, Mrs.
Whatsaname can do the brasses without you, can’t she? Or if she can’t,send her a telegram and tell her to let them moulder⁴ for another week.”
“You don’t understand, Philip, about household things, and how difficultthey are.”
“I don’t see that any of them are difficult unless you make them difficult.
Anyway, I want to stop on.”
“Oh, Philip,” Mary spoke with exasperation⁵, “I do so hate it here.”
“But why?”
“It’s so gloomy, so miserable⁶ and—and all that’s happened here. Themurder and everything.”
“Now, come, Polly, don’t tell me you’re a mass of nerves over things ofthat kind. I’m sure you could take murder without turning a hair. No, youwant to go home because you want to see to the brasses and dust the placeand make sure no moths7

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1 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。

2 irritability
n.易怒
参考例句：
It was the almost furtive restlessness and irritability that had possessed him. 那是一种一直纠缠着他的隐秘的不安和烦恼。 All organisms have irritability while alive. 所有生物体活着时都有应激性。

3 brasses
n.黄铜( brass的名词复数 )；铜管乐器；钱；黄铜饰品（尤指马挽具上的黄铜圆片）
参考例句：
The brasses need to be cleaned. 这些黄铜器要擦一擦。 来自辞典例句 There are the usual strings, woodwinds, brasses and percussions of western orchestra. 有西洋管弦乐队常见的弦乐器，木管和铜管乐器，还有打击乐器。 来自互联网

4 moulder
v.腐朽，崩碎
参考例句：
Great ideas may moulder without a way to develop them.如果无法开发，伟大的想法将无为而终。 How long can I let my mind moulder in this place?在这个地方，我能让我的头脑再分裂多久？

5 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。

6 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。

7 moths
n.蛾( moth的名词复数 )
参考例句：
The moths have eaten holes in my wool coat. 蛀虫将我的羊毛衫蛀蚀了几个小洞。 来自《简明英汉词典》 The moths tapped and blurred at the window screen. 飞蛾在窗帘上跳来跳去，弄上了许多污点。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

8 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。

9 jigsaw
n.缕花锯，竖锯，拼图游戏；vt.用竖锯锯，使互相交错搭接
参考例句：
A jigsaw puzzle can keep me absorbed for hours.一副拼图就能让我沉醉几个小时。 Tom likes to work on jigsaw puzzles,too.汤姆也喜欢玩拼图游戏。

10 harping
n.反复述说
参考例句：
Don't keep harping on like that. 别那样唠叨个没完。 You're always harping on the samestring. 你总是老调重弹。

11 desperately
adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地
参考例句：
He was desperately seeking a way to see her again.他正拼命想办法再见她一面。 He longed desperately to be back at home.他非常渴望回家。

12 grudge
n.不满，怨恨，妒嫉；vt.勉强给，不情愿做
参考例句：
I grudge paying so much for such inferior goods.我不愿花这么多钱买次品。 I do not grudge him his success.我不嫉妒他的成功。

13 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。

14 meddling
v.干涉，干预（他人事务）( meddle的现在分词 )
参考例句：
He denounced all "meddling" attempts to promote a negotiation. 他斥责了一切“干预”促成谈判的企图。 来自辞典例句 They liked this field because it was never visited by meddling strangers. 她们喜欢这块田野，因为好事的陌生人从来不到那里去。 来自辞典例句

15 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。

16 guilt
n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责
参考例句：
She tried to cover up her guilt by lying.她企图用谎言掩饰自己的罪行。 Don't lay a guilt trip on your child about schoolwork.别因为功课责备孩子而使他觉得很内疚。

17 vice
n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的
参考例句：
He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。 They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

18 blessing
n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿
参考例句：
The blessing was said in Hebrew.祷告用了希伯来语。 A double blessing has descended upon the house.双喜临门。

19 irritably
ad.易生气地
参考例句：
He lost his temper and snapped irritably at the children. 他发火了，暴躁地斥责孩子们。 On this account the silence was irritably broken by a reproof. 为了这件事，他妻子大声斥责，令人恼火地打破了宁静。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

20 motive
n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的
参考例句：
The police could not find a motive for the murder.警察不能找到谋杀的动机。 He had some motive in telling this fable.他讲这寓言故事是有用意的。

21 meditatively
adv.冥想地
参考例句：
The old man looked meditatively at the darts board. 老头儿沉思不语，看着那投镖板。 来自英汉文学 "Well,'said the foreman, scratching his ear meditatively, "we do need a stitcher. “这--"工头沉思地搔了搔耳朵。 "我们确实需要一个缝纫工。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

22 stump
n.残株，烟蒂，讲演台；v.砍断，蹒跚而走
参考例句：
He went on the stump in his home state.他到故乡所在的州去发表演说。 He used the stump as a table.他把树桩用作桌子。

23 axe
n.斧子；v.用斧头砍，削减
参考例句：
Be careful with that sharp axe.那把斧子很锋利，你要当心。 The edge of this axe has turned.这把斧子卷了刃了。

24 poker
n.扑克；vt.烙制
参考例句：
He was cleared out in the poker game.他打扑克牌，把钱都输光了。 I'm old enough to play poker and do something with it.我打扑克是老手了，可以玩些花样。

25 culmination
n.顶点；最高潮
参考例句：
The space race reached its culmination in the first moon walk.太空竞争以第一次在月球行走而达到顶峰。 It may truly be regarded as the culmination of classical Greek geometry.这确实可以看成是古典希腊几何的登峰造级之作。

26 pitfalls
（捕猎野兽用的）陷阱( pitfall的名词复数 )； 意想不到的困难，易犯的错误
参考例句：
the potential pitfalls of buying a house 购买房屋可能遇到的圈套 Several pitfalls remain in the way of an agreement. 在达成协议的进程中还有几个隐藏的困难。

27 devoted
adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的
参考例句：
He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。 We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。

28 compensated
补偿，报酬( compensate的过去式和过去分词 )； 给（某人）赔偿（或赔款）
参考例句：
The marvelous acting compensated for the play's weak script. 本剧的精彩表演弥补了剧本的不足。 I compensated his loss with money. 我赔偿他经济损失。

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