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THE HOUSEKEEPER SPEAKS
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On the next day Mrs. Goldstraw arrived, to enter on her domestic duties.
Having settled herself in her own room, without troubling the servants, and without wasting time, the new housekeeper1 announced herself as waiting to be favoured with any instructions which her master might wish to give her. The wine-merchant received Mrs. Goldstraw in the dining-room, in which he had seen her on the previous day; and, the usual preliminary civilities having passed on either side, the two sat down to take counsel together on the affairs of the house.
“About the meals, sir?” said Mrs. Goldstraw. “Have I a large, or a small, number to provide for?”
“If I can carry out a certain old-fashioned plan of mine,” replied Mr. Wilding, “you will have a large number to provide for. I am a lonely single man, Mrs. Goldstraw; and I hope to live with all the persons in my employment as if they were members of my family. Until that time comes, you will only have me, and the new partner whom I expect immediately, to provide for. What my partner’s habits may be, I cannot yet say. But I may describe myself as a man of regular hours, with an invariable appetite that you may depend upon to an ounce.”
“About breakfast, sir?” asked Mrs. Goldstraw. “Is there anything particular—?”
She hesitated, and left the sentence unfinished. Her eyes turned slowly away from her master, and looked towards the chimney-piece. If she had been a less excellent and experienced housekeeper, Mr. Wilding might have fancied that her attention was beginning to wander at the very outset of the interview.
“Eight o’clock is my breakfast-hour,” he resumed. “It is one of my virtues2 to be never tired of broiled3 bacon, and it is one of my vices4 to be habitually5 suspicious of the freshness of eggs.” Mrs. Goldstraw looked back at him, still a little divided between her master’s chimney-piece and her master. “I take tea,” Mr. Wilding went on; “and I am perhaps rather nervous and fidgety about drinking it, within a certain time after it is made. If my tea stands too long—”
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1
housekeeper
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n.管理家务的主妇,女管家 | |
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2
virtues
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美德( virtue的名词复数 ); 德行; 优点; 长处 | |
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3
broiled
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a.烤过的 | |
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4
vices
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缺陷( vice的名词复数 ); 恶习; 不道德行为; 台钳 | |
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5
habitually
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ad.习惯地,通常地 | |
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6
paramount
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a.最重要的,最高权力的 | |
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7
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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8
fixed
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adj.固定的,不变的,准备好的;(计算机)固定的 | |
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9
contraction
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n.缩略词,缩写式,害病 | |
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10
constrainedly
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不自然地,勉强地,强制地 | |
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11
gratitude
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adj.感激,感谢 | |
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12
momentary
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adj.片刻的,瞬息的;短暂的 | |
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13
concealing
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v.隐藏,隐瞒,遮住( conceal的现在分词 ) | |
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14
obstinately
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ad.固执地,顽固地 | |
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15
agitating
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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 | |
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16
vehemently
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adv. 热烈地 | |
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17
entreatingly
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哀求地,乞求地 | |
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18
determined
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adj.坚定的;有决心的 | |
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19
infancy
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n.婴儿期;幼年期;初期 | |
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20
distress
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n.苦恼,痛苦,不舒适;不幸;vt.使悲痛 | |
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21
concealed
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a.隐藏的,隐蔽的 | |
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22
situated
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adj.坐落在...的,处于某种境地的 | |
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23
blessing
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n.祈神赐福;祷告;祝福,祝愿 | |
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24
flickered
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(通常指灯光)闪烁,摇曳( flicker的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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25
persuasion
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n.劝说;说服;持有某种信仰的宗派 | |
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26
misery
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n.痛苦,苦恼,苦难;悲惨的境遇,贫苦 | |
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27
miserably
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adv.痛苦地;悲惨地;糟糕地;极度地 | |
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