THE MASTER OF MORLEY COURT AND THE LITTLE GENTLEMAN IN BOTTLE-GREEN—THE BARONET'S DAUGHTER—AND THE TWO CONSPIRATORS1.
Encounters such as those described in the last chapter were, it is needless to say, much more common a hundred and thirty years ago than they are now. In fact, it was unsafe alike in town and country to stir abroad after dark in any district affording wealth and aristocracy sufficient to tempt2 the enterprise of professional gentlemen. If London and its environs, with all their protective advantages, were, nevertheless, so infested3 with desperadoes as to render its very streets and most frequented ways perilous4 to pass through during the hours of night, it is hardly to be wondered at that Dublin, the capital of a rebellious5 and semi-barbarous country—haunted by hungry adventurers, who had lost everything in the revolutionary wars—with a most notoriously ineffective police, and a rash and dissolute aristocracy, with a great deal more money and a great deal less caution than usually fall to the lot of our gentry7 of the present day—should have been pre-eminently8 the scene of midnight violence and adventure. The continued frequency of such occurrences had habituated men to think very lightly of them; and the feeble condition of the civil executive almost uniformly secured the impunity10 of the criminal. We shall not, therefore, weary the reader by inviting11 his attention to the formal investigation12 which was forthwith instituted; it is enough for all purposes to record that, like most other investigations14 of the kind at that period, it ended in—just nothing.
Instead, then, of attending inquests and reading depositions15, we must here request the gentle reader to accompany us for a brief space into the dressing-room of Sir Richard Ashwoode, where, upon the morning following the events which in our last we have detailed16, the aristocratic invalid17 lay extended upon a well-cushioned sofa, arrayed in a flowered silk dressing-gown, lined with crimson18, and with a velvet19 cap upon his head. He was apparently20 considerably21 beyond sixty—a slightly and rather an elegantly made man, with thin, anxious features, and a sallow complexion22: his head rested upon his hand, and his eyes wandered with an air of discontented abstraction over the fair landscape which his window commanded. Before him was placed a small table, with all the appliances of an elegant breakfast; and two or three books and pamphlets were laid within reach of his hand. A little way from him sate23 his beautiful child, Mary Ashwoode, paler than usual, though not less lovely—for the past night had been to her one of fevered excitement, griefs, and fears. There she sate, with her work before her, and while her small hands plied24 their appointed task, her soft, dark eyes wandered often with sweet looks of affection toward the reclining form of that old haughty25 and selfish man, her father.
The silence had continued long, for the old man's temper might not, perhaps, have brooked26 an interruption of his ruminations, although, if the sour and spited expression of his face might be trusted, his thoughts were not the most pleasant in the world. The train of reflection, whatever it might have been, was interrupted by the entrance of a servant, bearing in his hand a note, with which he approached Sir Richard, but with that air of nervous caution with which one might be supposed to present a sandwich to a tiger.
"Why the devil, sirrah, do you pound the floor so!" cried Sir Richard, turning shortly upon the man as he advanced, and speaking in sharp and bitter accents. "What's that you've got?—a note?—take it back, you blockhead—I'll not touch it—it's some rascally27 scrap28 of dunning paper—get out of my sight, sirrah."
"An it please you, sir," replied the man, deferentially29, "it comes from Lord Aspenly."
"Eh! oh! ah!" exclaimed Sir Richard, raising himself upon the sofa, and extending his hand with alacrity30. "Here, give it to me; so you may go, sir—but stay, does a messenger wait?—ask particularly from me how his lordship does, do you mind? and let the man have refreshment31; go, sirrah, go—begone!"
Sir Richard then took the note, broke the seal, and read the contents through, evidently with considerable satisfaction. Having completed the perusal32 of the note twice over, with a smile of unusual gratification, tinctured, perhaps, with the faintest possible admixture of ridicule33, Sir Richard turned toward his daughter with more real cheerfulness than she had seen him exhibit for years before.
"Mary, my good child," said he, "this note announces the arrival here, on to-morrow, of my old, or rather, my most particular friend, Lord Aspenly; he will pass some days with us—days which we must all endeavour to make as agreeable to him as possible. You look—you do look extremely well and pretty to-day; come here and kiss me, child."
Overjoyed at this unwonted manifestation34 of affection, the girl cast her work away, and with a beating heart and light step, she ran to her father's side, threw her arms about his neck, and kissed him again and again, in happy unconsciousness of all that was passing in the mind of him she so fondly caressed35.
The door again opened, and the same servant once more presented himself.
"What do you come to plague me about now?" inquired the master, sharply; recovering, in an instant, his usual peevish36 manner—"What's this you've got?—what is it?"
"A card, sir," replied the man, at the same time advancing the salver on which it lay within reach of the languid hand of his master.
"Mr. Audley—Mr. Audley," repeated Sir Richard, as he read the card; "I never heard of the man before, in the course of my life; I know nothing about him—nothing—and care as little. Pray what is he pestering37 about?—what does he want here?"
"He requests permission to see you, sir," replied the man.
"Tell him, with my compliments, to go to hell!" rejoined the invalid;—"Or, stay," he added, after a moment's pause—"what does he look like?—is he well or ill-dressed?—old or young?"
"A middle-aged38 man, sir; rather well-dressed," answered the servant.
"He did not mention his business?" asked Sir Richard.
"No, sir," replied the man; "but he said that it was very important, and that you would be glad to see him."
"Show him up, then," said Sir Richard, decisively.
The servant accordingly bowed and departed.
"A stranger!—a gentleman!—and come to me upon important and pleasant business," muttered the baronet, musingly—"important and pleasant!—Can my old, cross-grained brother-in-law have made a favourable39 disposition40 of his property, and—and—died!—that were, indeed, news worth hearing; too much luck to happen me, though—no, no, it can't be—it can't be."
Nevertheless, he thought it might be; and thus believing, he awaited the entrance of his visitor with extreme impatience41. This suspense42, however, was not of long duration; the door opened, and the servant announced Mr. Audley—a dapper little gentleman, in grave habiliments of bottle-green cloth; in person somewhat short and stout43; and in countenance44 rather snub-featured and rubicund45, but bearing an expression in which good-humour was largely blended with self-importance. This little person strutted46 briskly into the room.
"Hem9!—Sir Richard Ashwoode, I presume?" exclaimed the visitor, with a profound bow, which threatened to roll his little person up like an armadillo.
"You will excuse my not rising to receive you, Mr. Audley," said the baronet, "when I inform you that I am tied here by the gout; pray, sir, take a chair. Mary, remove your work to the room underneath48, and lay the ebony wand within my reach; I will tap upon the floor when I want you."
"We are now alone, sir," continued Sir Richard, after a short pause. "I fear, sir—I know not why—that your business has relation to my brother; is he—is he ill?"
"Faith, sir," replied the little man bluntly, "I never heard of the gentleman before in my life."
"I breathe again, sir; you have relieved me extremely," said the baronet, swallowing his disappointment with a ghastly smile; "and now, sir, that you have thus considerately and expeditiously50 dispelled51 what were, thank heaven! my groundless alarms, may I ask you to what accident I am indebted for the singular good fortune of making your acquaintance—in short, sir, I would fain learn the object of your visit."
"That you shall, sir—that you shall, in a trice," replied the little gentleman in green. "I'm a plain man, my dear Sir Richard, and love to come to the point at once—ahem! The story, to be sure, is a long one, but don't be afraid, I'll abridge52 it—I'll abridge it." He drew his watch from his fob, and laying it upon the table before him, he continued—"It now wants, my dear sir, precisely53 seven minutes of eleven, by London time; I shall limit myself to half-an-hour."
"I fear, Mr. Audley, you should find me a very unsatisfactory listener to a narrative54 of half-an-hour's length," observed Sir Richard, drily; "in fact, I am not in a condition to make any such exertion55; if you will obligingly condense what you have to say into a few minutes, you will confer a favour upon me, and lighten your own task considerably." Sir Richard then indignantly took a pinch of snuff, and muttered, almost audibly—"A vulgar, audacious, old boor56."
"Well, then, we must try—we must try, my dear sir," replied the little gentleman, wiping his face with his handkerchief, by way of preparation—"I'll just sum up the leading points, and leave particulars for a more favourable opportunity; in fact, I'll hold over all details to our next merry meeting—our next tête-à-tête—when I hope we shall meet upon a pleasanter footing—your gouty toes, you know—d'ye take me? Ha! ha! excuse the joke—ha! ha! ha!"
Sir Richard elevated his eyebrows57, and looked upon the little gentleman with a gaze of stern and petrifying58 severity during this burst of merriment.
"Well, my dear sir," continued Mr. Audley, again wiping his face, "to proceed to business. You have learned my name from my card, but beyond my name you know nothing about me."
"Nothing whatever, sir," replied Sir Richard, with profound emphasis.
"Just so; well, then, you shall," rejoined the little gentleman. "I have been a long time settled in France—I brought over every penny I had in the world there—in short, sir, something more than twelve thousand pounds. Well, sir, what did I do with it? There's the question. Your gay young fellows would have thrown it away at the gaming table, or squandered59 it on gold lace and velvets—or again, your prudent60, plodding61 fellow would have lived quietly on the interest and left the principal to vegetate62; but what did I do? Why, sir, not caring for idleness or show, I threw some of it into the wine trade, and with the rest I kept hammering at the funds, winning twice for every once I lost. In fact, sir, I prospered—the money rolled in, sir, and in due course I became rich, sir—rich—warm, as the phrase goes."
"Very warm, indeed, sir," replied Sir Richard, observing that his visitor again wiped his face—"but allow me to ask, beyond the general interest which I may be presumed to feel in the prosperity of the whole human race, how on earth does all this concern me?"
"Ay, ay, there's the question," replied the stranger, looking unutterably knowing—"that's the puzzle. But all in good time; you shall hear it in a twinkling. Now, being well to do in the world, you may ask me, why do not I look out for a wife? I answer you simply, that having escaped matrimony hitherto, I have no wish to be taken in the noose63 at these years; and now, before I go further, what do you take my age to be—how old do I look?"
The little man squared himself, cocked his head on one side, and looked inquisitively64 at Sir Richard from the corner of his eye. The patience of the baronet was nigh giving way outright65.
"Sir," replied he, in no very gracious tones, "you may be the 'Wandering Jew,' for anything I either know or see to the contrary."
"Ha! good," rejoined the little man, with imperturbable66 good humour, "I see, Sir Richard, you are a wag—the Wandering Jew—ha, ha! no—not that quite. The fact is, sir, I am in my sixty-seventh year—you would not have thought that—eh?"
Sir Richard made no reply whatever.
"You'll acknowledge, sir, that that is not exactly the age at which to talk of hearts and darts67, and gay gold rings," continued the communicative gentleman in the bottle-green. "I know very well that no young woman, of her own free choice, could take a liking68 to me."
"Quite impossible," with desperate emphasis, rejoined Sir Richard, upon whose ear the sentence grated unpleasantly; for Lord Aspenly's letter (in which "hearts and darts" were profusely69 noticed) lay before him on the table; "but once more, sir, may I implore70 of you to tell me the drift of all this?"
"The drift of it—to be sure I will—in due time," replied Mr. Audley. "You see, then, sir, that having no family of my own, and not having any intention of taking a wife, I have resolved to leave my money to a fine young fellow, the son of an old friend; his name is O'Connor—Edmond O'Connor—a fine, handsome, young dog, and worthy71 to fill any place in all the world—a high-spirited, good-hearted, dashing young rascal—you know something of him, Sir Richard?"
"Well, Sir Richard," continued the visitor, "I have wormed out of him—for I have a knack75 of my own of getting at people's secrets, no matter how close they keep them, d'ye see—that he is over head and ears in love with your daughter—I believe the young lady who just left the room on my arrival; and indeed, if such is the case, I commend the young scoundrel's taste; the lady is truly worthy of all admiration—and—mdash;"
"Pray, sir, proceed as briefly76 as may be to the object of your conversation with me," interrupted Sir Richard, drily.
"Well, then, to return—I understand, sir," continued Audley, "that you, suspecting something of the kind, and believing the young fellow to be penniless, very naturally, and, indeed, I may say, very prudently77, and very sensibly, opposed yourself to the thing from the commencement, and obliged the sly young dog to discontinue his visits;—well, sir, matters stood so, until I—cunning little I—step in, and change the whole posture78 of affairs—and how? Marry, thus, I come hither and ask your daughter's hand for him, upon these terms following—that I undertake to convey to him, at once, lands to the value of one thousand pounds a year, and that at my death I will leave him, with the exception of a few small legacies79, sole heir to all I have; and on his wedding-day give him and his lady their choice of either of two chateaux, the worst of them a worthy residence for a nobleman."
"Are these chateaux in Spain?" inquired Sir Richard, sneeringly80.
"No, no, sir," replied the little man, with perfect guilelessness; "both in Flanders."
"Well, sir," said Sir Richard Ashwoode, raising himself almost to a sitting posture, and preluding his observations with two unusually large pinches of snuff, "I have heard you very patiently throughout a statement, all of which was fatiguing81, and much of which was positively82 disagreeable to me: and I trust that what I have now to say will render it wholly unnecessary for you and me ever again to converse83 upon the same topic. Of Mr. O'Connor, whom, in spite of this strange repetition of an already rejected application, I believe to be a spirited young man, I shall say nothing more than that, from the bottom of my heart I wish him every success of every kind, so long as he confines his aspirations84 to what is suitable to his own position in society; and, consequently, conducive85 to his own comfort and respectability. With respect to his very flattering vicarious proposal, I must assure you that I do not suspect Miss Ashwoode of any inclination86 to descend87 from the station to which her birth and fortune entitle her; and if I did suspect it, I should feel it to be my imperative88 duty to resist, by every means in my power, the indulgence of any such wayward caprice; but lest, after what I have said, any doubt should rest upon your mind as to the value of these obstacles, it may not be amiss to add that my daughter, Miss Ashwoode, is actually promised in marriage to a gentleman of exalted89 rank and great fortune, and who is, in all respects, an unexceptionable connection. I have the honour, sir, to wish you good-morning."
"The devil!" exclaimed the little gentleman, as soon as his utter amazement90 allowed him to take breath. A long pause ensued, during which he twice inflated91 his cheeks to their utmost tension, and puffed92 the air forth13 with a prolonged whistle of desolate93 wonder. Recollecting94 himself, however, he hastily arose, wished Sir Richard good-day, and walked down stairs, and out of the house, all the way muttering, "God bless my body and soul—a thousand pounds a year—the devil—can it be?—body o' me—refuse a thousand a year—what the deuce is he looking for?"—and such other ejaculations; stamping all the while emphatically upon every stair as he descended95, to give vent6 to his indignation, as well as impressiveness to his remarks.
Something like a smile for a moment lit up the withered96 features of the old baronet; he leaned back luxuriously97 upon his sofa, and while he listened with delighted attention to the stormy descent of his visitor, he administered to its proper receptacle, with prolonged relish98, two several pinches of rappee.
"So, so," murmured he, complacently99, "I suspect I have seen the last of honest Mr. Audley—a little surprised and a little angry he does appear to be—dear me!—he stamps fearfully—what a very strange creature it is."
Having made this reflection, Sir Richard continued to listen pleasantly until the sounds were lost in the distance; he then rang a small hand-bell which lay upon the table, and a servant entered.
"Tell Mistress Mary," said the baronet, "that I shall not want her just now, and desire Mr. Henry to come hither instantly—begone, sirrah."
The servant disappeared, and in a few moments young Ashwoode, looking unusually pale and haggard, and dressed in a morning suit, entered the chamber101. Having saluted102 his father with the formality which the usages of the time prescribed, and having surveyed himself for a moment at the large mirror which stood in the room, and having adjusted thereat the tie of his lace cravat103, he inquired,—
"Pray, sir, who was that piece of 'too, too solid flesh' that passed me scarce a minute since upon the stairs, pounding all the way with the emphasis of a battering104 ram105? As far as I could judge, the thing had just been discharged from your room."
"You have happened, for once in your life, to talk with relation to the subject to which I would call your attention," said Sir Richard. "The person whom you describe with your wonted facetiousness106, has just been talking with me; his name is Audley; I never saw him till this morning, and he came coolly to make proposals, in young O'Connor's name, for your sister's hand, promising107 to settle some scurvy108 chateaux, heaven knows where, upon the happy pair."
"Well, sir, and what followed?" asked the young man.
"Why simply, sir," replied his father, "that I gave him the answer which sent him stamping down stairs, as you saw him. I laughed in his face, and desired him to go about his business."
"Very good, indeed, sir," observed young Ashwoode.
"There is no occasion for commentary, sir," continued Sir Richard. "Attend to what I have to say: a nobleman of large fortune has requested my permission to make his suit to your sister—that I have, of course, granted; he will arrive here to-morrow, to make a stay of some days. I am resolved the thing shall be concluded. I ought to mention that the nobleman in question is Lord Aspenly."
The young man looked for a moment or two the very impersonation of astonishment109, and then, burst into an uncontrollable fit of laughter.
"Either be silent, sir, or this moment quit the room," said Sir Richard, in a tone which few would have liked to disobey—"how dare you—you—you insolent110, dependent coxcomb—how dare you, sir, treat me with this audacious disrespect?"
The young man hastened to avert111 the storm, whose violence he had more than once bitterly felt, by a timely submission112.
"I assure you, sir, nothing was further from my intention than to offend you," said he—"I am fully100 alive—as a man of the world, I could not be otherwise—to the immense advantages of the connection; but Lord Aspenly I have known so long, and always looked upon as a confirmed old bachelor, that on hearing his name thus suddenly, something of incongruity113, and—and—and I don't exactly know what—struck me so very forcibly, that I involuntarily and very thoughtlessly began to laugh. I assure you, sir, I regret it very much, if it has offended you."
"You are a weak fool, sir, I am afraid," replied his father, shortly: "but that conviction has not come upon me by surprise; you can, however, be of some use in this matter, and I am determined114 you shall be. Now, sir, mark me: I suspect that this young fellow—this O'Connor, is not so indifferent to Mary as he should be to a daughter of mine, and it is more than possible that he may endeavour to maintain his interest in her affections, imaginary or real, by writing letters, sending messages, and such manœuvring. Now, you must call upon the young man, wherever he is to be found, and either procure115 from him a distinct pledge to the effect that he will think no more of her (the young fellow has a sense of honour, and I would rely upon his promise), or else you must have him out—in short, make him fight you—you attend, sir—if you get hurt, we can easily make the country too hot to hold him; and if, on the other hand, you poke116 him through the body, there's an end of the whole difficulty. This step, sir, you must take—you understand me—I am very much in earnest."
This was delivered with a cold deliberateness, which young Ashwoode well understood, when his father used it to imply a fixity of purpose, such as brooked no question, and halted at no obstacle.
"Sir," replied Henry Ashwoode, after an embarrassed pause of a few minutes, "you are not aware of one particular connected with last night's affray—you have heard that poor Darby, who rode with me, was actually brained, and that I escaped a like fate by the interposition of one who, at his own personal risk, saved my life—that one was the very Edmond O'Connor of whom we speak."
"What you allude117 to," observed Sir Richard, with very edifying118 coolness, "is, no doubt, very shocking and very horrible. I regret the destruction of the man, although I neither saw nor knew much about him; and for your eminently providential escape, I trust I am fully as thankful as I ought to be; and now, granting all you have said to be perfectly119 accurate—which I take it to be—what conclusion do you wish me to draw from it?"
"Why, sir, without pretending to any very extraordinary proclivity120 to gratitude," replied the young man—"for O'Connor told me plainly that he did not expect any—I must consider what the world will say, if I return what it will be pleased to regard as an obligation, by challenging the person who conferred it."
"Good, sir—good," said the baronet, calmly: and gazing upon the ceiling with elevated eyebrows and a bitter smile, he added, reflectively, "he's afraid—afraid—afraid—ay, afraid—afraid."
"You wrong me very much, sir," rejoined young Ashwoode, "if you imagine that fear has anything to do with my reluctance121 to act as you would have me; and no less do you wrong me, if you think I would allow any school-boy sentimentalism to stand in the way of my family's interests. My real objection to the thing is this—first, that I cannot see any satisfactory answer to the question, What will the world say of my conduct, in case I force a duel122 upon him the day after he has saved my life?—and again, I think it inevitably123 damages any young woman in the matrimonial market, to have low duels124 fought about her."
Sir Richard screwed his eyebrows reflectively, and remained silent.
"But at the same time, sir," continued his son, "I see as clearly as you could wish me to do, the importance, under present circumstances—or rather the absolute necessity—of putting a stop to O'Connor's suit; and, in short, to all communication between him and my sister, and I will undertake to do this effectually."
"And how, sir, pray?" inquired the baronet.
"I shall, as a matter of course, wait upon the young man," replied Henry Ashwoode—"his services of last night demand that I should do so. I will explain to him, in a friendly way, the hopelessness of his suit. I should not hesitate either to throw a little colouring of my own over the matter. If I can induce O'Connor once to regard me as his friend—and after all, it is but the part of a friend to put a stop to this foolish affair—I will stake my existence that the matter shall be broken off for ever and a day. If, however, the young fellow turn out foolish and pig-headed, I can easily pick a quarrel with him upon some other subject, and get him out of the way as you propose; but without mixing up my sister's name in the dispute, or giving occasion for gossip. However, I half suspect that it will require neither crafty125 stratagem126 nor shrewd blows to bring this absurd business to an end. I daresay the parties are beginning to tire heartily127 of waiting, and perhaps a little even of one another; and, for my part, I really do not know that the girl ever cared for him, or gave him the smallest encouragement."
"But I know that she did," replied Sir Richard. "Carey has shown me letters from her to him, and from him to her, not six months since. Carey is a very useful woman, and may do us important service. I did not choose to mention that I had seen these letters; but I sounded Mary somewhat sternly, and left her with a caution which I think must have produced a salutary effect—in short, I told her plainly, that if I had reason to suspect any correspondence or understanding between her and O'Connor, I should not scruple128 to resort to the sternest and most rigorous interposition of parental129 authority, to put an end to it peremptorily130. I confess, however, that I have misgivings131 about this. I regard it as a very serious obstacle—one, however, which, so sure as I live, I will entirely132 annihilate133."
There was a pause for a little while, and Sir Richard continued,—
"There is a good deal of sense in what you have suggested. We will talk it over and arrange operations systematically134 this evening. I presume you intend calling upon the fellow to-day; it might not be amiss if you had him to dine with you once or twice in town: you must get up a kind of confidential135 acquaintance with him, a thing which you can easily terminate, as soon as its object is answered. He is, I believe, what they call a frank, honest sort of fellow, and is, of course, very easily led; and—and, in short—made a fool of: as for the girl, I think I know something of the sex, and very few of them are so romantic as not to understand the value of a title and ten thousand a year! Depend upon it, in spite of all her sighs, and vapours, and romance, the girl will be dazzled so effectually before three weeks, as to be blind to every other object in the world; but if not, and should she dare to oppose my wishes, I'll make her cross-grained folly136 more terrible to her than she dreams of—but she knows me too well—she dares not."
Both parties remained silent and abstracted for a time, and then Sir Richard, turning sharply to his son, exclaimed, with his usual tart137 manner,—
"And now, sir, I must admit that I am a good deal tired of your very agreeable company. Go about your business, if you please, and be in this room this evening at half-past six o'clock. You had better not forget to be punctual; and, for the present, get out of my sight."
With this very affectionate leave-taking, Sir Richard put an end to the family consultation138, and the young man, relieved of the presence of the only person on earth whom he really feared, gladly closed the door behind him.
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conspirators
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| n.共谋者，阴谋家( conspirator的名词复数 ) | |
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tempt
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| vt.引诱，勾引，吸引，引起…的兴趣 | |
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infested
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| adj.为患的，大批滋生的（常与with搭配）v.害虫、野兽大批出没于( infest的过去式和过去分词 )；遍布于 | |
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perilous
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rebellious
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| adj.造反的，反抗的，难控制的 | |
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vent
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| n.通风口，排放口；开衩；vt.表达，发泄 | |
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gentry
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| n.绅士阶级，上层阶级 | |
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eminently
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| adv.突出地；显著地；不寻常地 | |
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hem
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impunity
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| n.(惩罚、损失、伤害等的)免除 | |
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inviting
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| adj.诱人的，引人注目的 | |
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investigation
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| n.调查，调查研究 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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investigations
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| （正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究 | |
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depositions
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| 沉积（物）( deposition的名词复数 )； （在法庭上的）宣誓作证； 处置； 罢免 | |
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detailed
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invalid
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| n.病人，伤残人；adj.有病的，伤残的；无效的 | |
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crimson
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| n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色 | |
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velvet
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| n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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complexion
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| n.肤色；情况，局面；气质，性格 | |
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23
sate
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| v.使充分满足 | |
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24
plied
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| v.使用（工具）( ply的过去式和过去分词 )；经常供应（食物、饮料）；固定往来；经营生意 | |
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25
haughty
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| adj.傲慢的，高傲的 | |
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26
brooked
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| 容忍，忍受（brook的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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27
rascally
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| adj. 无赖的，恶棍的 adv. 无赖地，卑鄙地 | |
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28
scrap
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| n.碎片；废料；v.废弃，报废 | |
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29
deferentially
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| adv.表示敬意地，谦恭地 | |
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30
alacrity
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| n.敏捷，轻快，乐意 | |
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31
refreshment
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| n.恢复，精神爽快，提神之事物；（复数）refreshments:点心，茶点 | |
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32
perusal
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| n.细读，熟读；目测 | |
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33
ridicule
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| v.讥讽，挖苦；n.嘲弄 | |
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34
manifestation
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| n.表现形式；表明；现象 | |
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35
caressed
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| 爱抚或抚摸…( caress的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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36
peevish
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| adj.易怒的，坏脾气的 | |
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37
pestering
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| 使烦恼，纠缠( pester的现在分词 ) | |
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38
middle-aged
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| adj.中年的 | |
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39
favourable
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| adj.赞成的，称赞的，有利的，良好的，顺利的 | |
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40
disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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41
impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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42
suspense
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| n.（对可能发生的事）紧张感，担心，挂虑 | |
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44
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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45
rubicund
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| adj.(脸色)红润的 | |
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46
strutted
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| 趾高气扬地走，高视阔步( strut的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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47
salute
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| vi.行礼，致意，问候，放礼炮；vt.向…致意，迎接，赞扬；n.招呼，敬礼，礼炮 | |
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48
underneath
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| adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面 | |
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49
glided
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| v.滑动( glide的过去式和过去分词 )；掠过；（鸟或飞机 ） 滑翔 | |
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50
expeditiously
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| adv.迅速地，敏捷地 | |
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51
dispelled
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| v.驱散，赶跑( dispel的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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52
abridge
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| v.删减，删节，节略，缩短 | |
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53
precisely
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| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
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54
narrative
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| n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的 | |
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55
exertion
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| n.尽力，努力 | |
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56
boor
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| n.举止粗野的人；乡下佬 | |
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57
eyebrows
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| 眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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58
petrifying
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| v.吓呆，使麻木( petrify的现在分词 )；使吓呆，使惊呆；僵化 | |
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59
squandered
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| v.（指钱，财产等）浪费，乱花( squander的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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60
prudent
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| adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的 | |
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61
plodding
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| a.proceeding in a slow or dull way | |
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62
vegetate
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| v.无所事事地过活 | |
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63
noose
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| n.绳套，绞索（刑）；v.用套索捉；使落入圈套；处以绞刑 | |
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64
inquisitively
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| 过分好奇地； 好问地 | |
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65
outright
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| adv.坦率地；彻底地；立即；adj.无疑的；彻底的 | |
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66
imperturbable
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| adj.镇静的 | |
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67
darts
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| n.掷飞镖游戏；飞镖( dart的名词复数 )；急驰，飞奔v.投掷，投射( dart的第三人称单数 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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68
liking
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| n.爱好；嗜好；喜欢 | |
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69
profusely
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| ad.abundantly | |
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70
implore
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| vt.乞求，恳求，哀求 | |
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71
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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72
supercilious
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| adj.目中无人的，高傲的；adv.高傲地；n.高傲 | |
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73
assent
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| v.批准，认可；n.批准，认可 | |
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74
enlisted
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| adj.应募入伍的v.（使）入伍， （使）参军( enlist的过去式和过去分词 )；获得（帮助或支持） | |
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75
knack
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| n.诀窍，做事情的灵巧的，便利的方法 | |
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76
briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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77
prudently
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| adv. 谨慎地，慎重地 | |
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78
posture
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| n.姿势，姿态，心态，态度；v.作出某种姿势 | |
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79
legacies
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| n.遗产( legacy的名词复数 )；遗留之物；遗留问题；后遗症 | |
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80
sneeringly
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| 嘲笑地，轻蔑地 | |
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81
fatiguing
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| a.使人劳累的 | |
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82
positively
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| adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实 | |
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83
converse
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| vi.谈话，谈天，闲聊；adv.相反的，相反 | |
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84
aspirations
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| 强烈的愿望( aspiration的名词复数 )； 志向； 发送气音； 发 h 音 | |
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85
conducive
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| adj.有益的，有助的 | |
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86
inclination
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| n.倾斜；点头；弯腰；斜坡；倾度；倾向；爱好 | |
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87
descend
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| vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降 | |
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88
imperative
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| n.命令，需要；规则；祈使语气；adj.强制的；紧急的 | |
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89
exalted
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| adj.(地位等)高的，崇高的；尊贵的，高尚的 | |
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90
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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91
inflated
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| adj.（价格）飞涨的；（通货）膨胀的；言过其实的；充了气的v.使充气（于轮胎、气球等）( inflate的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）膨胀；（使）通货膨胀；物价上涨 | |
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92
puffed
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| adj.疏松的v.使喷出( puff的过去式和过去分词 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧 | |
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93
desolate
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| adj.荒凉的，荒芜的；孤独的，凄凉的；v.使荒芜，使孤寂 | |
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94
recollecting
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| v.记起，想起( recollect的现在分词 ) | |
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95
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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96
withered
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| adj. 枯萎的，干瘪的，（人身体的部分器官）因病萎缩的或未发育良好的 动词wither的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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97
luxuriously
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| adv.奢侈地，豪华地 | |
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98
relish
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| n.滋味，享受，爱好，调味品；vt.加调味料，享受，品味；vi.有滋味 | |
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99
complacently
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| adv. 满足地, 自满地, 沾沾自喜地 | |
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100
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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101
chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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102
saluted
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| v.欢迎，致敬( salute的过去式和过去分词 )；赞扬，赞颂 | |
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103
cravat
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| n.领巾，领结；v.使穿有领结的服装，使结领结 | |
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104
battering
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| n.用坏，损坏v.连续猛击( batter的现在分词 ) | |
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105
ram
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| (random access memory)随机存取存储器 | |
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106
facetiousness
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| n.滑稽 | |
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107
promising
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| adj.有希望的，有前途的 | |
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108
scurvy
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| adj.下流的，卑鄙的，无礼的；n.坏血病 | |
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109
astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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110
insolent
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| adj.傲慢的，无理的 | |
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111
avert
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| v.防止，避免；转移(目光、注意力等) | |
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112
submission
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| n.服从，投降；温顺，谦虚；提出 | |
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113
incongruity
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| n.不协调，不一致 | |
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114
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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115
procure
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| vt.获得，取得，促成；vi.拉皮条 | |
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116
poke
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| n.刺，戳，袋；vt.拨开，刺，戳；vi.戳，刺，捅，搜索，伸出，行动散慢 | |
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117
allude
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| v.提及，暗指 | |
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118
edifying
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| adj.有教训意味的，教训性的，有益的v.开导，启发( edify的现在分词 ) | |
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119
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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120
proclivity
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| n.倾向，癖性 | |
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121
reluctance
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| n.厌恶，讨厌，勉强，不情愿 | |
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122
duel
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| n./v.决斗；(双方的)斗争 | |
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123
inevitably
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| adv.不可避免地；必然发生地 | |
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124
duels
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| n.两男子的决斗( duel的名词复数 )；竞争，斗争 | |
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125
crafty
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| adj.狡猾的，诡诈的 | |
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126
stratagem
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| n.诡计，计谋 | |
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127
heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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128
scruple
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| n./v.顾忌，迟疑 | |
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129
parental
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| adj.父母的；父的；母的 | |
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130
peremptorily
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| adv.紧急地，不容分说地，专横地 | |
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131
misgivings
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| n.疑虑，担忧，害怕；疑虑，担心，恐惧( misgiving的名词复数 )；疑惧 | |
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132
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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133
annihilate
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| v.使无效；毁灭；取消 | |
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134
systematically
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| adv.有系统地 | |
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135
confidential
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| adj.秘（机）密的，表示信任的，担任机密工作的 | |
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136
folly
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| n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话 | |
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137
tart
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| adj.酸的；尖酸的，刻薄的；n.果馅饼；淫妇 | |
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138
consultation
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| n.咨询；商量；商议；会议 | |
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