May 5th.

　　May 5th.
　　"Mrs. Strange, m'lady."
　　Audrey Strange came into the big bedroom, crossed the room to the big bed, stooped down and kissed the old lady and sat down in the chair placed ready for her.
　　"Nice to see you, my dear," said Lady Tressilian. "And nice to see you," said Audrey.
　　There was a quality of intangibility about Audrey Strange. She was of medium height with very small hands and feet. Her hair was ash blonde and there was very little colour in her face. Her eyes were set wide apart and were a clear pale grey. Her features were small and regular, a straight little nose set in a small, oval, pale face. With such colouring, with a face that was pretty but not beautiful, she had nevertheless a quality about her that could not be denied nor ignored and that drew your eyes to her again and again. She was a little like a ghost, but you felt at the same time that a ghost might be possessed¹ of more reality than a live human being ...
　　She had a singularly lovely voice; soft and clear like a small silver bell.
　　For some minutes she and the old lady talked of mutual² friends and current events. Then Lady Tressilian said: "Besides the pleasure of seeing you, my dear, I asked you to come because I've had rather a curious letter from Nevile."Audrey looked up. Her eyes were wide, tranquil³ sad calm. She said: "Oh, yes?""He suggests - a preposterous⁴ suggestion, I call it - that he and - and Kay should come here in September. He says he wants you and Kay to be friends and that you yourself think it a good idea?"She waited. Presently Audrey said in her gentle, placid⁵ voice: "Is it - so preposterous?""My dear - do you really want this to happen?"Audrey was silent again for a minute or two, then she said gently: "I think, you know, it might be rather a good thing.""You really want to meet this - you want to meet Kay?""I do think, Camilla, that it might - simplify things.""Simplify things!" Lady Tressilian repeated the words helplessly.
　　Audrey spoke⁶ very softly: "Dear Camilla. You have been so good. If Nevile wants this -""A fig⁷ for what Nevile wants!" said Lady Tressilian robustly⁸. "Do you want it, that's the question?"A little colour came in Audrey's cheeks. It was the soft, delicate glow of a sea-shell.
　　"Yes," she said. "I do want it."
　　"Well," said Lady Tressilian, "well -"
　　She stopped.
　　"But, of course," said Audrey. "It is entirely⁹ your choice. It is your house and -"Lady Tressilian shut her eyes.
　　"I'm an old woman," she said. "Nothing makes sense any more.""But, of course - I'll come some other time. Any time will suit me.""You'll come in September, as you always do," snapped Lady Tressilian. "And Nevile and Kay shall come, too. I may be old, but I can adapt myself, I suppose, as well as anyone else, to the changing phases of modern life. Not another word; that's settled."She closed her eyes again. After a minute or two she said, peering through half-shut lids at the young woman beside her: "Well, got what you want?"Audrey started. "Oh, yes, yes. Thank you.""My dear," said Lady Tressilian, and her voice was deep and concerned, "are you sure this isn't going to hurt you? You were very fond of Nevile, you know. This may reopen old wounds."Audrey was looking down at her small gloved hands. One of them. Lady Tressilian noticed, was clenched¹⁰ on the side of the bed.
　　Audrey lifted her head. Her eyes were calm and untroubled. She said: "All that is quite over now. Quite over."Lady Tressilian leaned more heavily back on her pillows. "Well - you should know. I'm tired - you must leave me now, dear. Mary is waiting for you downstairs. Tell them to send Barrett to me."Barrett was Lady Tressilian's elderly and devoted¹¹ maid. She came in to find her mistress lying back with closed eyes.
　　"The sooner I'm out of this world the better, Barrett," said Lady Tressilian. "I don't understand anything or anyone in it.""Ah! don't say that, my lady; you're tired."Yes, I'm tired. Take that eiderdown off my feet and give me a dose of my tonic¹².""It's Mrs. Strange coming that's upset you. A nice lady, but she could do with a tonic, I'd say. Not healthy. Always looks as though she's seeing things other people don't see. But she's got a lot of character. She makes herself felt, as you might say.""That's very true, Barrett," said Lady Tressilian. "Yes, that's very true.""And she's not the kind you easily forget, either. I've often wondered if Mr. Nevile thinks of her sometimes. The new Mrs. Strange is very handsome - very handsome indeed - but Miss Audrey is the kind you remember when she isn't there."Lady Tressilian said with a sudden chuckle¹³: "Nevile's a fool to want to bring those two women together. He's the one who'll be sorry for it!"

1 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。

2 mutual   

adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的

参考例句：

• We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
• Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。

3 tranquil   

adj. 安静的, 宁静的, 稳定的, 不变的

参考例句：

• The boy disturbed the tranquil surface of the pond with a stick. 那男孩用棍子打破了平静的池面。
• The tranquil beauty of the village scenery is unique. 这乡村景色的宁静是绝无仅有的。

4 preposterous   

adj.荒谬的，可笑的

参考例句：

• The whole idea was preposterous.整个想法都荒唐透顶。
• It would be preposterous to shovel coal with a teaspoon.用茶匙铲煤是荒谬的。

5 placid   

adj.安静的，平和的

参考例句：

• He had been leading a placid life for the past eight years.八年来他一直过着平静的生活。
• You should be in a placid mood and have a heart-to- heart talk with her.你应该心平气和的好好和她谈谈心。

6 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。

7 fig   

n.无花果(树)

参考例句：

• The doctor finished the fig he had been eating and selected another.这位医生吃完了嘴里的无花果，又挑了一个。
• You can't find a person who doesn't know fig in the United States.你找不到任何一个在美国的人不知道无花果的。

8 robustly   

adv.要用体力地，粗鲁地

参考例句：

• These three hormones also robustly stimulated thymidine incorporation and inhibited drug-induced apoptosis. 并且这三种激素有利于胸（腺嘧啶脱氧核）苷掺入和抑制药物诱导的细胞凋亡。 来自互联网
• The economy is still growing robustly, but inflation, It'seems, is back. 经济依然强劲增长，但是通胀似乎有所抬头。 来自互联网

9 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

10 clenched   

v.紧握，抓紧，咬紧( clench的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He clenched his fists in anger. 他愤怒地攥紧了拳头。
• She clenched her hands in her lap to hide their trembling. 她攥紧双手放在腿上，以掩饰其颤抖。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 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。

12 tonic   

n./adj.滋补品，补药，强身的，健体的

参考例句：

• It will be marketed as a tonic for the elderly.这将作为老年人滋补品在市场上销售。
• Sea air is Nature's best tonic for mind and body.海上的空气是大自然赋予的对人们身心的最佳补品。

13 chuckle   

vi.／n.轻声笑，咯咯笑

参考例句：

• He shook his head with a soft chuckle.他轻轻地笑着摇了摇头。
• I couldn't suppress a soft chuckle at the thought of it.想到这个，我忍不住轻轻地笑起来。