Prologue¹: November 19th

The group round the fireplace was nearly all composed of lawyers or those who had an interest in the law. There was Martindale the solicitor², Rufus Lord, K.C., young Daniels who had made a name for himself in the Carstairs case, a sprinkling of other barristers, Mr. Justice Cleaver³, Lewis of Lewis and Trench⁴ and old Mr. Treves. Mr. Treves was dose on eighty, a very ripe and experienced eighty. He was a member of a famous firm of solicitors⁵, and the most famous member of that firm. He had settled innumerable delicate cases out of court, he was said to know more of backstairs history than any man in England and he was a specialist on criminology.

Unthinking people said Mr. Treves ought to write his memoirs⁶. Mr. Treves knew better. He knew that he knew too much.

Though he had long retired⁷ from active practice, there was no man in England whose opinion was so respected by the members of his own fraternity. Whenever his thin precise little voice was raised there was always a respectful silence.

The conversation now was on the subject of a much talked-of case which had finished that day at the Old Bailey. It was a murder case and the prisoner had been acquitted⁸. The present company was busy trying the case over again and making technical criticisms.

The prosecution⁹ had made a mistake in relying on one of its witnesses - old Depleach ought to have realised what an opening he was giving to the defence. Young Arthur had made the most of that servant girl's evidence. Bentmore, in his summing-up, had very rightly put the matter in its correct perspective, but the mischief

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1 prologue
n.开场白，序言；开端，序幕
参考例句：
A poor wedding is a prologue to misery.不幸的婚姻是痛苦的开始。 The prologue to the novel is written in the form of a newspaper account.这本小说的序言是以报纸报道的形式写的。

2 solicitor
n.初级律师，事务律师
参考例句：
The solicitor's advice gave me food for thought.律师的指点值得我深思。 The solicitor moved for an adjournment of the case.律师请求将这个案件的诉讼延期。

3 cleaver
n.切肉刀
参考例句：
In fact,a cleaver is a class of ax.实际上，切肉刀也是斧子的一种。 The cleaver is ground to a very sharp edge.刀磨得飞快。

4 trench
n./v.(挖)沟，(挖)战壕
参考例句：
The soldiers recaptured their trench.兵士夺回了战壕。 The troops received orders to trench the outpost.部队接到命令在前哨周围筑壕加强防卫。

5 solicitors
初级律师( solicitor的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Most solicitors in England and Wales are in private practice . 英格兰和威尔士的大多数律师都是私人执业者。 The family has instructed solicitors to sue Thomson for compensation. 那家人已经指示律师起诉汤姆森，要求赔偿。

6 memoirs
n.回忆录；回忆录传( mem,自oir的名词复数)
参考例句：
Her memoirs were ghostwritten. 她的回忆录是由别人代写的。 I watched a trailer for the screenplay of his memoirs. 我看过以他的回忆录改编成电影的预告片。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 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。

8 acquitted
宣判…无罪( acquit的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（自己）作出某种表现
参考例句：
The jury acquitted him of murder. 陪审团裁决他谋杀罪不成立。 Five months ago she was acquitted on a shoplifting charge. 五个月前她被宣判未犯入店行窃罪。

9 prosecution
n.起诉，告发，检举，执行，经营
参考例句：
The Smiths brought a prosecution against the organizers.史密斯家对组织者们提出起诉。 He attempts to rebut the assertion made by the prosecution witness.他试图反驳原告方证人所作的断言。

10 mischief
n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹
参考例句：
Nobody took notice of the mischief of the matter. 没有人注意到这件事情所带来的危害。 He seems to intend mischief.看来他想捣蛋。

11 jargon
n.术语，行话
参考例句：
They will not hear critics with their horrible jargon.他们不愿意听到评论家们那些可怕的行话。 It is important not to be overawed by the mathematical jargon.要紧的是不要被数学的术语所吓倒.

12 hemmed
缝…的褶边( hem的过去式和过去分词 )； 包围
参考例句：
He hemmed and hawed but wouldn't say anything definite. 他总是哼儿哈儿的，就是不说句痛快话。 The soldiers were hemmed in on all sides. 士兵们被四面包围了。

13 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。

14 hush
int.嘘，别出声；n.沉默，静寂；v.使安静
参考例句：
A hush fell over the onlookers.旁观者们突然静了下来。 Do hush up the scandal!不要把这丑事声张出去！

15 speculation
n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机
参考例句：
Her mind is occupied with speculation.她的头脑忙于思考。 There is widespread speculation that he is going to resign.人们普遍推测他要辞职。

16 proprietor
n.所有人；业主；经营者
参考例句：
The proprietor was an old acquaintance of his.业主是他的一位旧相识。 The proprietor of the corner grocery was a strange thing in my life.拐角杂货店店主是我生活中的一个怪物。

17 tattoo
n.纹身，(皮肤上的)刺花纹；vt.刺花纹于
参考例句：
I've decided to get my tattoo removed.我已经决定去掉我身上的纹身。 He had a tattoo on the back of his hand.他手背上刺有花纹。

18 constable
n.(英国)警察，警官
参考例句：
The constable conducted the suspect to the police station.警官把嫌疑犯带到派出所。 The constable kept his temper,and would not be provoked.那警察压制着自己的怒气，不肯冒起火来。

19 converging
adj.收敛[缩]的，会聚的，趋同的v.（线条、运动的物体等）会于一点( converge的现在分词 )；（趋于）相似或相同；人或车辆汇集；聚集
参考例句：
Plants had gradually evolved along diverging and converging pathways. 植物是沿着趋异和趋同两种途径逐渐演化的。 来自辞典例句 This very slowly converging series was known to Leibniz in 1674. 这个收敛很慢的级数是莱布尼茨在1674年得到的。 来自辞典例句

20 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。

21 precisely
adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地
参考例句：
It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。 The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。

22 dubious
adj.怀疑的，无把握的；有问题的，靠不住的
参考例句：
What he said yesterday was dubious.他昨天说的话很含糊。 He uses some dubious shifts to get money.他用一些可疑的手段去赚钱。

23 groggy
adj.体弱的；不稳的
参考例句：
The attack of flu left her feeling very groggy.她患流感后非常虚弱。 She was groggy from surgery.她手术后的的情况依然很不稳定。

24 solicitous
adj.热切的，挂念的
参考例句：
He was so solicitous of his guests.他对他的客人们非常关切。 I am solicitous of his help.我渴得到他的帮助。

25 dwelling
n.住宅，住所，寓所
参考例句：
Those two men are dwelling with us.那两个人跟我们住在一起。 He occupies a three-story dwelling place on the Park Street.他在派克街上有一幢3层楼的寓所。

26 slit
n.狭长的切口；裂缝；vt.切开，撕裂
参考例句：
The coat has been slit in two places.这件外衣有两处裂开了。 He began to slit open each envelope.他开始裁开每个信封。

27 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