It was on a muddy day in October that the first great battle for and against Federation¹ was fought in Bursley. Constance was suffering severely² from sciatica. She was also suffering from disgust with the modern world.

Unimaginable things had happened in the Square. For Constance, the reputation of the Square was eternally ruined. Charles Critchlow, by that strange good fortune which always put him in the right when fairly he ought to have been in the wrong, had let the Baines shop and his own shop and house to the Midland Clothiers Company, which was establishing branches throughout Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Leicestershire, and adjacent counties. He had sold his own chemist's stock and gone to live in a little house at the bottom of Kingstreet. It is doubtful whether he would have consented to retire had not Alderman Holl died earlier in the year, thus ending a long rivalry³ between the old men for the patriarchate of the Square. Charles Critchlow was as free from sentiment as any man, but no man is quite free from it, and the ancient was in a position to indulge sentiment had he chosen. His business was not a source of loss, and he could still trust his skinny hands and peering eyes to make up a prescription⁴. However, the offer of the Midland Clothiers Company tempted⁵ him, and as the undisputed 'father' of the Square he left the Square in triumph.

The Midland Clothiers Company had no sense of the proprieties⁶ of trade. Their sole idea was to sell goods. Having possessed⁷ themselves of one of the finest sites in a town which, after all was said and done, comprised nearly forty thousand inhabitants, they set about to make the best of that site. They threw the two shops into one, and they caused to be constructed a sign compared to which the spacious⁸ old 'Baines' sign was a postcard. They covered the entire frontage with posters of a

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1 federation
n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会
参考例句：
It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。 Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

2 severely
adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地
参考例句：
He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。 He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

3 rivalry
n.竞争，竞赛，对抗
参考例句：
The quarrel originated in rivalry between the two families.这次争吵是两家不和引起的。 He had a lot of rivalry with his brothers and sisters.他和兄弟姐妹间经常较劲。

4 prescription
n.处方，开药；指示，规定
参考例句：
The physician made a prescription against sea- sickness for him.医生给他开了个治晕船的药方。 The drug is available on prescription only.这种药只能凭处方购买。

5 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。

6 proprieties
n.礼仪，礼节；礼貌( propriety的名词复数 )；规矩；正当；合适
参考例句：
"Let us not forget the proprieties due. "咱们别忘了礼法。 来自英汉文学 - 败坏赫德莱堡 Be careful to observe the proprieties. 注意遵守礼仪。 来自辞典例句

7 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。

8 spacious
adj.广阔的，宽敞的
参考例句：
Our yard is spacious enough for a swimming pool.我们的院子很宽敞，足够建一座游泳池。 The room is bright and spacious.这房间很豁亮。

9 theatrical
adj.剧场的，演戏的；做戏似的，做作的
参考例句：
The final scene was dismayingly lacking in theatrical effect.最后一场缺乏戏剧效果，叫人失望。 She always makes some theatrical gesture.她老在做些夸张的手势。

10 artillery
n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队)
参考例句：
This is a heavy artillery piece.这是一门重炮。 The artillery has more firepower than the infantry.炮兵火力比步兵大。

11 impermeable
adj.不能透过的，不渗透的
参考例句：
The canoe is made from an impermeable wood.独木舟由防水木头制成。 The external layer of the skin is relatively impermeable to water.皮肤的外层不透水。

12 doorways
n.门口，门道( doorway的名词复数 )
参考例句：
The houses belched people; the doorways spewed out children. 从各家茅屋里涌出一堆一堆的人群，从门口蹦出一群一群小孩。 来自辞典例句 He rambled under the walls and doorways. 他就顺着墙根和门楼遛跶。 来自辞典例句

13 bustling
adj.喧闹的
参考例句：
The market was bustling with life. 市场上生机勃勃。 This district is getting more and more prosperous and bustling. 这一带越来越繁华了。

14 demure
adj.严肃的；端庄的
参考例句：
She's very demure and sweet.她非常娴静可爱。 The luscious Miss Wharton gave me a demure but knowing smile.性感迷人的沃顿小姐对我羞涩地会心一笑。

15 virgins
处女，童男( virgin的名词复数 )； 童贞玛利亚（耶稣之母）
参考例句：
They were both virgins when they met and married. 他们从相识到结婚前都未曾经历男女之事。 Men want virgins as concubines. 人家买姨太太的要整货。 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子

16 populous
adj.人口稠密的，人口众多的
参考例句：
London is the most populous area of Britain.伦敦是英国人口最稠密的地区。 China is the most populous developing country in the world.中国是世界上人口最多的发展中国家。

17 prodigious
adj.惊人的，奇妙的；异常的；巨大的；庞大的
参考例句：
This business generates cash in prodigious amounts.这种业务收益丰厚。 He impressed all who met him with his prodigious memory.他惊人的记忆力让所有见过他的人都印象深刻。

18 wrath
n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒
参考例句：
His silence marked his wrath. 他的沉默表明了他的愤怒。 The wrath of the people is now aroused. 人们被激怒了。

19 desecrate
v.供俗用，亵渎，污辱
参考例句：
The enemy desecrate the church by using it as a stable.敌人亵渎这所教堂,把它当做马厩。 It's a crime to desecrate the country's flag.玷污国旗是犯罪。

20 shrine
n.圣地，神龛，庙；v.将...置于神龛内，把...奉为神圣
参考例句：
The shrine was an object of pilgrimage.这处圣地是人们朝圣的目的地。 They bowed down before the shrine.他们在神龛前鞠躬示敬。

21 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。

22 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

23 monotonous
adj.单调的，一成不变的，使人厌倦的
参考例句：
She thought life in the small town was monotonous.她觉得小镇上的生活单调而乏味。 His articles are fixed in form and monotonous in content.他的文章千篇一律，一个调调儿。

24 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！

25 gullibility
n.易受骗，易上当，轻信
参考例句：
Gullibility: Measure of speed of paper adhesive bonding and its strength. 胶粘性能：胶粘剂对纸品的粘合速度和强度的能力。 来自互联网 Open-mindedness can often be treated as gullibility and therefore as a tool to manipulate people's beliefs. 思想开明容易像轻信一样被对待，因此会被用作一种操纵人们观念的工具。 来自互联网

26 ignoble
adj.不光彩的，卑鄙的；可耻的
参考例句：
There's something cowardly and ignoble about such an attitude.这种态度有点怯懦可鄙。 Some very great men have come from ignoble families.有些伟人出身低微。

27 outrage
n.暴行，侮辱，愤怒；vt.凌辱，激怒
参考例句：
When he heard the news he reacted with a sense of outrage.他得悉此事时义愤填膺。 We should never forget the outrage committed by the Japanese invaders.我们永远都不应该忘记日本侵略者犯下的暴行。

28 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。

29 recollect
v.回忆，想起，记起，忆起，记得
参考例句：
He tried to recollect things and drown himself in them.他极力回想过去的事情而沉浸于回忆之中。 She could not recollect being there.她回想不起曾经到过那儿。

30 affected
adj.不自然的，假装的
参考例句：
She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。 His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

31 resentment
n.怨愤，忿恨
参考例句：
All her feelings of resentment just came pouring out.她一股脑儿倾吐出所有的怨恨。 She cherished a deep resentment under the rose towards her employer.她暗中对她的雇主怀恨在心。

32 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》

33 favourable
adj.赞成的，称赞的，有利的，良好的，顺利的
参考例句：
The company will lend you money on very favourable terms.这家公司将以非常优惠的条件借钱给你。 We found that most people are favourable to the idea.我们发现大多数人同意这个意见。

34 prospect
n.前景，前途；景色，视野
参考例句：
This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。 The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。

35 opposition
n.反对，敌对
参考例句：
The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。 The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

36 renown
n.声誉，名望
参考例句：
His renown has spread throughout the country.他的名声已传遍全国。 She used to be a singer of some renown.她曾是位小有名气的歌手。

37 maligned
vt.污蔑，诽谤（malign的过去式与过去分词形式）
参考例句：
She feels she has been much maligned by the press. 她觉得她遭到了新闻界的恣意诽谤。 We maligned him dreadfully when you come to think of it. 回头想想，我们狠狠地中伤了他。 来自辞典例句

38 inquiry
n.打听，询问，调查，查问
参考例句：
Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。 The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。

39 purely
adv.纯粹地，完全地
参考例句：
I helped him purely and simply out of friendship.我帮他纯粹是出于友情。 This disproves the theory that children are purely imitative.这证明认为儿童只会单纯地模仿的理论是站不住脚的。

40 federationist
n.联邦主义者，联盟主义者
参考例句：

41 decency
n.体面，得体，合宜，正派，庄重
参考例句：
His sense of decency and fair play made him refuse the offer.他的正直感和公平竞争意识使他拒绝了这一提议。 Your behaviour is an affront to public decency.你的行为有伤风化。

42 contrived
adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的
参考例句：
There was nothing contrived or calculated about what he said.他说的话里没有任何蓄意捏造的成分。 The plot seems contrived.情节看起来不真实。

43 enrol
v.（使）注册入学，（使）入学，（使）入会
参考例句：
I like your institute but I do not want to enrol.我喜欢你们学院但我不想报名去你院。 They decided to enrol him as a member of the society.他们决定吸收他成为会社的成员。

44 eloquently
adv. 雄辩地(有口才地, 富于表情地)
参考例句：
I was toasted by him most eloquently at the dinner. 进餐时他口若悬河地向我祝酒。 The poet eloquently expresses the sense of lost innocence. 诗人动人地表达了失去天真的感觉。

45 serried
adj.拥挤的；密集的
参考例句：
The fields were mostly patches laid on the serried landscape.between crevices and small streams.农田大部分是地缝和小溪之间的条状小块。 On the shelf are serried rows of law books and law reports.书橱上是排得密密匝匝的几排法律书籍和判例汇编。

46 bureaucrats
n.官僚( bureaucrat的名词复数 )；官僚主义；官僚主义者；官僚语言
参考例句：
That is the fate of the bureaucrats, not the inspiration of statesmen. 那是官僚主义者的命运，而不是政治家的灵感。 来自辞典例句 Big business and dozens of anonymous bureaucrats have as much power as Japan's top elected leaders. 大企业和许多不知名的官僚同日本选举出来的最高层领导者们的权力一样大。 来自辞典例句

47 defiant
adj.无礼的，挑战的
参考例句：
With a last defiant gesture,they sang a revolutionary song as they were led away to prison.他们被带走投入监狱时，仍以最后的反抗姿态唱起了一支革命歌曲。 He assumed a defiant attitude toward his employer.他对雇主采取挑衅的态度。

48 immature
adj.未成熟的，发育未全的，未充分发展的
参考例句：
Tony seemed very shallow and immature.托尼看起来好像很肤浅，不夠成熟。 The birds were in immature plumage.这些鸟儿羽翅未全。

49 partisans
游击队员( partisan的名词复数 )； 党人； 党羽； 帮伙
参考例句：
Every movement has its partisans. 每一运动都有热情的支持者。 He was rescued by some Italian partisans. 他被几名意大利游击队员所救。

50 scruple
n./v.顾忌，迟疑
参考例句：
It'seemed to her now that she could marry him without the remnant of a scruple.她觉得现在她可以跟他成婚而不需要有任何顾忌。 He makes no scruple to tell a lie.他说起谎来无所顾忌。

51 crammed
adj.塞满的，挤满的；大口地吃；快速贪婪地吃v.把…塞满；填入；临时抱佛脚( cram的过去式)
参考例句：
He crammed eight people into his car. 他往他的车里硬塞进八个人。 All the shelves were crammed with books. 所有的架子上都堆满了书。

52 lyric
n.抒情诗，歌词；adj.抒情的
参考例句：
This is a good example of Shelley's lyric poetry.这首诗是雪莱抒情诗的范例。 His earlier work announced a lyric talent of the first order.他的早期作品显露了一流的抒情才华。

53 auld
adj.老的，旧的
参考例句：
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,and never brought to mind?怎能忘记旧日朋友，心中能不怀念？ The party ended up with the singing of Auld Lang Sync.宴会以《友谊地久天长》的歌声而告终。

54 syne
adv.自彼时至此时，曾经
参考例句：
The meeting ended up with the singing of Auld Lang Syne.大会以唱《友谊地久天长》结束。 We will take a cup of kindness yet for auld lang syne.让我们为了过去的好时光干一杯友谊的酒。

55 dirge
n.哀乐，挽歌，庄重悲哀的乐曲
参考例句：
She threw down her basket and intoned a peasant dirge.她撂下菜篮，唱起庄稼人的哀歌。 The stranger,after listening for a moment,joined in the mournful dirge.听了一会儿后这个陌生人也跟著唱起了悲哀的挽歌。

56 regained
复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地
参考例句：
The majority of the people in the world have regained their liberty. 世界上大多数人已重获自由。 She hesitated briefly but quickly regained her poise. 她犹豫片刻，但很快恢复了镇静。

57 filched
v.偷（尤指小的或不贵重的物品）( filch的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
Oliver filched a packet of cigarettes from a well-dressed passenger. 奥立佛从一名衣冠楚楚的乘客身上偷得一包香烟。 来自《简明英汉词典》 He filched a piece of chalk from the teacher's desk. 他从老师的书桌上偷取一支粉笔。 来自《简明英汉词典》

58 odds
n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别
参考例句：
The odds are 5 to 1 that she will win.她获胜的机会是五比一。 Do you know the odds of winning the lottery once?你知道赢得一次彩票的几率多大吗？

59 impudence
n.厚颜无耻；冒失；无礼
参考例句：
His impudence provoked her into slapping his face.他的粗暴让她气愤地给了他一耳光。 What knocks me is his impudence.他的厚颜无耻使我感到吃惊。

60 crimson
n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色
参考例句：
She went crimson with embarrassment.她羞得满脸通红。 Maple leaves have turned crimson.枫叶已经红了。