It had been settled for some time past that Miss Amedroz was to go to Perivale for a few days in November. Indeed it seemed to be a recognized fact in her life that she was to make the journey from Belton to Perivale and back very often, as there prevailed an idea that she owed a divided duty. This was in some degree hard upon her, as she had very little gratification in these visits to her aunt. Had there been any intention on the part of Mrs Winterfield to provide for her, the thing would have been intelligible¹ according to the usual arrangements which are made in the world on such matters; but Mrs Winterfield had scarcely a right to call upon her niece for dutiful attendance after having settled it with her own conscience that her property was all to go to her nephew. But Clara entertained no thought of rebelling, and had agreed to make the accustomed journey in November, travelling then, as she did on all such journeys, at her aunt’s expense.

Two things only occurred to disturb her tranquillity² before she went, and they were not of much violence. Mr Wright, the clergyman, called at Belton Castle, and in the course of conversation with Mr Amedroz renewed one of those ill-natured rumours³ which had before been spread about Mrs Askerton. Clara did not see him, but she heard an account of it all from her father.

‘Does it mean, papa,’ she said, speaking almost with anger, ‘that you want me to give up Mrs Askerton?’

‘How can you be so unkind as to ask me such a question?’ he replied. ‘You know how I hate to be bothered. I tell you what I hear, and then you can decide for yourself.’

‘But that isn’t quite fair either, papa. That man comes here’

‘That man, as you call him, is the rector of the parish, and I’ve known him for forty years.’

‘And have never liked him, papa.’

‘I don’t know much about liking⁴ anybody, my dear. Nobody likes me, and so why should I trouble myself?’

‘But, papa, it all amounts to this that somebody has said that the Askertons are not Askertons at all, but ought to be called something else. Now we know that he served as Captain and Major Askerton for seven years in India and in fact it all means nothing. If I know anything, I know that he is Colonel Askerton.’

‘But do you know that she is his wife? That is what Mr Wright asks. I don’t say anything. I think it’s very indelicate talking about such things.’

点击收听单词发音  

1 intelligible
adj.可理解的，明白易懂的，清楚的
参考例句：
This report would be intelligible only to an expert in computing.只有计算机运算专家才能看懂这份报告。 His argument was barely intelligible.他的论点不易理解。

2 tranquillity
n. 平静, 安静
参考例句：
The phenomenon was so striking and disturbing that his philosophical tranquillity vanished. 这个令人惶惑不安的现象，扰乱了他的旷达宁静的心境。 My value for domestic tranquillity should much exceed theirs. 我应该远比他们重视家庭的平静生活。

3 rumours
n.传闻( rumour的名词复数 )；风闻；谣言；谣传
参考例句：
The rumours were completely baseless. 那些谣传毫无根据。 Rumours of job losses were later confirmed. 裁员的传言后来得到了证实。

4 liking
n.爱好；嗜好；喜欢
参考例句：
The word palate also means taste or liking.Palate这个词也有“口味”或“嗜好”的意思。 I must admit I have no liking for exaggeration.我必须承认我不喜欢夸大其词。

5 feigned
a.假装的，不真诚的
参考例句：
He feigned indifference to criticism of his work. 他假装毫不在意别人批评他的作品。 He accepted the invitation with feigned enthusiasm. 他假装热情地接受了邀请。

6 tenants
n.房客( tenant的名词复数 )；佃户；占用者；占有者
参考例句：
A number of tenants have been evicted for not paying the rent. 许多房客因不付房租被赶了出来。 Tenants are jointly and severally liable for payment of the rent. 租金由承租人共同且分别承担。

7 determined
adj.坚定的；有决心的
参考例句：
I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。 He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

8 intimacy
n.熟悉，亲密，密切关系，亲昵的言行
参考例句：
His claims to an intimacy with the President are somewhat exaggerated.他声称自己与总统关系密切，这有点言过其实。 I wish there were a rule book for intimacy.我希望能有个关于亲密的规则。

9 ruffled
adj. 有褶饰边的, 起皱的 动词ruffle的过去式和过去分词
参考例句：
She ruffled his hair affectionately. 她情意绵绵地拨弄着他的头发。 All this talk of a strike has clearly ruffled the management's feathers. 所有这些关于罢工的闲言碎语显然让管理层很不高兴。

10 habitually
ad.习惯地，通常地
参考例句：
The pain of the disease caused him habitually to furrow his brow. 病痛使他习惯性地紧皱眉头。 Habitually obedient to John, I came up to his chair. 我已经习惯于服从约翰，我来到他的椅子跟前。

11 transit
n.经过，运输；vt.穿越，旋转；vi.越过
参考例句：
His luggage was lost in transit.他的行李在运送中丢失。 The canal can transit a total of 50 ships daily.这条运河每天能通过50条船。

12 plaintively
adv.悲哀地，哀怨地
参考例句：
The last note of the song rang out plaintively. 歌曲最后道出了离别的哀怨。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Birds cry plaintively before they die, men speak kindly in the presence of death. 鸟之将死，其鸣也哀；人之将死，其言也善。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

13 fussy
adj.为琐事担忧的，过分装饰的，爱挑剔的
参考例句：
He is fussy about the way his food's cooked.他过分计较食物的烹调。 The little girl dislikes her fussy parents.小女孩讨厌她那过分操心的父母。

14 dreary
adj.令人沮丧的，沉闷的，单调乏味的
参考例句：
They live such dreary lives.他们的生活如此乏味。 She was tired of hearing the same dreary tale of drunkenness and violence.她听够了那些关于酗酒和暴力的乏味故事。

15 gulf
n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂
参考例句：
The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。 There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

16 trotting
小跑，急走( trot的现在分词 )； 匆匆忙忙地走
参考例句：
The riders came trotting down the lane. 这骑手骑着马在小路上慢跑。 Alan took the reins and the small horse started trotting. 艾伦抓住缰绳，小马开始慢跑起来。

17 leisurely
adj.悠闲的；从容的，慢慢的
参考例句：
We walked in a leisurely manner,looking in all the windows.我们慢悠悠地走着，看遍所有的橱窗。 He had a leisurely breakfast and drove cheerfully to work.他从容的吃了早餐，高兴的开车去工作。

18 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。

19 reassured
adj.使消除疑虑的；使放心的v.再保证，恢复信心( reassure的过去式和过去分词)
参考例句：
The captain's confidence during the storm reassured the passengers. 在风暴中船长的信念使旅客们恢复了信心。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》 The doctor reassured the old lady. 医生叫那位老妇人放心。 来自《简明英汉词典》

20 apparently
adv.显然地；表面上，似乎
参考例句：
An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。 He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

21 utterly
adv.完全地，绝对地
参考例句：
Utterly devoted to the people,he gave his life in saving his patients.他忠于人民，把毕生精力用于挽救患者的生命。 I was utterly ravished by the way she smiled.她的微笑使我完全陶醉了。

22 loathsome
adj.讨厌的，令人厌恶的
参考例句：
The witch hid her loathsome face with her hands.巫婆用手掩住她那张令人恶心的脸。 Some people think that snakes are loathsome creatures.有些人觉得蛇是令人憎恶的动物。

23 villas
别墅，公馆( villa的名词复数 )； （城郊）住宅
参考例句：
Magnificent villas are found throughout Italy. 在意大利到处可看到豪华的别墅。 Rich men came down from wealthy Rome to build sea-side villas. 有钱人从富有的罗马来到这儿建造海滨别墅。

24 shrubs
灌木( shrub的名词复数 )
参考例句：
The gardener spent a complete morning in trimming those two shrubs. 园丁花了整个上午的时间修剪那两处灌木林。 These shrubs will need more light to produce flowering shoots. 这些灌木需要更多的光照才能抽出开花的新枝。

25 odious
adj.可憎的，讨厌的
参考例句：
The judge described the crime as odious.法官称这一罪行令人发指。 His character could best be described as odious.他的人格用可憎来形容最贴切。

26 hideous
adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的
参考例句：
The whole experience had been like some hideous nightmare.整个经历就像一场可怕的噩梦。 They're not like dogs,they're hideous brutes.它们不像狗，是丑陋的畜牲。

27 equanimity
n.沉着，镇定
参考例句：
She went again,and in so doing temporarily recovered her equanimity.她又去看了戏，而且这样一来又暂时恢复了她的平静。 The defeat was taken with equanimity by the leadership.领导层坦然地接受了失败。

28 penance
n.（赎罪的）惩罪
参考例句：
They had confessed their sins and done their penance.他们已经告罪并做了补赎。 She knelt at her mother's feet in penance.她忏悔地跪在母亲脚下。

29 futile
adj.无效的，无用的，无希望的
参考例句：
They were killed,to the last man,in a futile attack.因为进攻失败，他们全部被杀，无一幸免。 Their efforts to revive him were futile.他们对他抢救无效。

30 stewardship
n. n. 管理工作；管事人的职位及职责
参考例句：
The organization certainly prospered under his stewardship. 不可否认，这个组织在他的管理下兴旺了起来。 Last, but certainly not least, are the issues of stewardship and ethics. 最后，但当然不是微不足道的，是工作和道德规范的问题。

31 patriot
n.爱国者，爱国主义者
参考例句：
He avowed himself a patriot.他自称自己是爱国者。 He is a patriot who has won the admiration of the French already.他是一个已经赢得法国人敬仰的爱国者。

32 meddle
v.干预，干涉，插手
参考例句：
I hope he doesn't try to meddle in my affairs.我希望他不来干预我的事情。 Do not meddle in things that do not concern you.别参与和自己无关的事。

33 omnipotent
adj.全能的，万能的
参考例句：
When we are omnipotent we shall have no more need of science.我们达到万能以后就不需要科学了。 Money is not omnipotent,but we can't survive without money.金钱不是万能的，但是没有金钱我们却无法生存。

34 emulate
v.努力赶上或超越，与…竞争；效仿
参考例句：
You must work hard to emulate your sister.你必须努力工作，赶上你姐姐。 You must look at the film and try to emulate his behavior.你们必须观看这部电影，并尽力模仿他的动作。

35 worthy
adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的
参考例句：
I did not esteem him to be worthy of trust.我认为他不值得信赖。 There occurred nothing that was worthy to be mentioned.没有值得一提的事发生。

36 specially
adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地
参考例句：
They are specially packaged so that they stack easily.它们经过特别包装以便于堆放。 The machine was designed specially for demolishing old buildings.这种机器是专为拆毁旧楼房而设计的。

37 obedience
n.服从，顺从
参考例句：
Society has a right to expect obedience of the law.社会有权要求人人遵守法律。 Soldiers act in obedience to the orders of their superior officers.士兵们遵照上级军官的命令行动。

38 imperative
n.命令，需要；规则；祈使语气；adj.强制的；紧急的
参考例句：
He always speaks in an imperative tone of voice.他老是用命令的口吻讲话。 The events of the past few days make it imperative for her to act.过去这几天发生的事迫使她不得不立即行动。

39 unnaturally
adv.违反习俗地；不自然地；勉强地；不近人情地
参考例句：
Her voice sounded unnaturally loud. 她的嗓音很响亮，但是有点反常。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Her eyes were unnaturally bright. 她的眼睛亮得不自然。 来自《简明英汉词典》

40 lessen
vt.减少，减轻；缩小
参考例句：
Regular exercise can help to lessen the pain.经常运动有助于减轻痛感。 They've made great effort to lessen the noise of planes.他们尽力减小飞机的噪音。

41 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。

42 candid
adj.公正的，正直的；坦率的
参考例句：
I cannot but hope the candid reader will give some allowance for it.我只有希望公正的读者多少包涵一些。 He is quite candid with his friends.他对朋友相当坦诚。

43 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。

44 pretences
n.假装( pretence的名词复数 )；作假；自命；自称
参考例句：
You've brought your old friends out here under false pretences. 你用虚假的名义把你的那些狐朋狗党带到这里来。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹 There are no pretences about him. 他一点不虚伪。 来自辞典例句

45 lighter
n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级
参考例句：
The portrait was touched up so as to make it lighter.这张画经过润色，色调明朗了一些。 The lighter works off the car battery.引燃器利用汽车蓄电池打火。

46 grumble
vi.抱怨；咕哝；n.抱怨，牢骚；咕哝，隆隆声
参考例句：
I don't want to hear another grumble from you.我不愿再听到你的抱怨。 He could do nothing but grumble over the situation.他除了埋怨局势之外别无他法。

47 abutted
v.（与…）邻接( abut的过去式和过去分词 )；（与…）毗连；接触；倚靠
参考例句：
Their house abutted against the hill. 他们的房子紧靠着山。 来自辞典例句 The sidewalk abutted on the river. 人行道紧挨着河川。 来自辞典例句

48 mansion
n.大厦，大楼；宅第
参考例句：
The old mansion was built in 1850.这座古宅建于1850年。 The mansion has extensive grounds.这大厦四周的庭园广阔。

49 unlimited
adj.无限的，不受控制的，无条件的
参考例句：
They flew over the unlimited reaches of the Arctic.他们飞过了茫茫无边的北极上空。 There is no safety in unlimited technological hubris.在技术方面自以为是会很危险。

50 mortar
n.灰浆，灰泥；迫击炮；v.把…用灰浆涂接合
参考例句：
The mason flushed the joint with mortar.泥工用灰浆把接缝处嵌平。 The sound of mortar fire seemed to be closing in.迫击炮的吼声似乎正在逼近。

51 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。

52 unbearable
adj.不能容忍的；忍受不住的
参考例句：
It is unbearable to be always on thorns.老是处于焦虑不安的情况中是受不了的。 The more he thought of it the more unbearable it became.他越想越觉得无法忍受。

53 incipient
adj.起初的，发端的，初期的
参考例句：
The anxiety has been sharpened by the incipient mining boom.采矿业初期的蓬勃发展加剧了这种担忧。 What we see then is an incipient global inflation.因此，我们看到的是初期阶段的全球通胀.

54 margin
n.页边空白；差额；余地，余裕；边，边缘
参考例句：
We allowed a margin of 20 minutes in catching the train.我们有20分钟的余地赶火车。 The village is situated at the margin of a forest.村子位于森林的边缘。

55 melancholy
n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的
参考例句：
All at once he fell into a state of profound melancholy.他立即陷入无尽的忧思之中。 He felt melancholy after he failed the exam.这次考试没通过，他感到很郁闷。

56 throng
n.人群，群众；v.拥挤，群集
参考例句：
A patient throng was waiting in silence.一大群耐心的人在静静地等着。 The crowds thronged into the mall.人群涌进大厅。

57 wagons
n.四轮的运货马车( wagon的名词复数 )；铁路货车；小手推车
参考例句：
The wagons were hauled by horses. 那些货车是马拉的。 They drew their wagons into a laager and set up camp. 他们把马车围成一圈扎起营地。

58 alas
int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等)
参考例句：
Alas!The window is broken!哎呀！窗子破了！ Alas,the truth is less romantic.然而，真理很少带有浪漫色彩。

59 deserted
adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的
参考例句：
The deserted village was filled with a deathly silence.这个荒废的村庄死一般的寂静。 The enemy chieftain was opposed and deserted by his followers.敌人头目众叛亲离。

60 myriads
n.无数，极大数量( myriad的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Each galaxy contains myriads of stars. 每一星系都有无数的恒星。 来自《简明英汉词典》 The sky was set with myriads of stars. 无数星星点缀着夜空。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

61 prim
adj.拘泥形式的，一本正经的；n.循规蹈矩，整洁；adv.循规蹈矩地，整洁地
参考例句：
She's too prim to enjoy rude jokes!她太古板，不喜欢听粗野的笑话！ He is prim and precise in manner.他的态度一本正经而严谨

62 inquiries
n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听
参考例句：
He was released on bail pending further inquiries. 他获得保释，等候进一步调查。 I have failed to reach them by postal inquiries. 我未能通过邮政查询与他们取得联系。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

63 schooling
n.教育；正规学校教育
参考例句：
A child's access to schooling varies greatly from area to area.孩子获得学校教育的机会因地区不同而大相径庭。 Backward children need a special kind of schooling.天赋差的孩子需要特殊的教育。

64 plentiful
adj.富裕的，丰富的
参考例句：
Their family has a plentiful harvest this year.他们家今年又丰收了。 Rainfall is plentiful in the area.这个地区雨量充足。

65 profane
adj.亵神的，亵渎的；vt.亵渎，玷污
参考例句：
He doesn't dare to profane the name of God.他不敢亵渎上帝之名。 His profane language annoyed us.他亵渎的言语激怒了我们。

66 conscientious
adj.审慎正直的，认真的，本着良心的
参考例句：
He is a conscientious man and knows his job.他很认真负责，也很懂行。 He is very conscientious in the performance of his duties.他非常认真地履行职责。

67 fortitude
n.坚忍不拔；刚毅
参考例句：
His dauntless fortitude makes him absolutely fearless.他不屈不挠的坚韧让他绝无恐惧。 He bore the pain with great fortitude.他以极大的毅力忍受了痛苦。

68 attain
vt.达到，获得，完成
参考例句：
I used the scientific method to attain this end. 我用科学的方法来达到这一目的。 His painstaking to attain his goal in life is praiseworthy. 他为实现人生目标所下的苦功是值得称赞的。

69 martyr
n.烈士，殉难者；vt.杀害，折磨，牺牲
参考例句：
The martyr laid down his life for the cause of national independence.这位烈士是为了民族独立的事业而献身的。 The newspaper carried the martyr's photo framed in black.报上登载了框有黑边的烈士遗像。

70 eloquent
adj.雄辩的，口才流利的；明白显示出的
参考例句：
He was so eloquent that he cut down the finest orator.他能言善辩，胜过最好的演说家。 These ruins are an eloquent reminder of the horrors of war.这些废墟形象地提醒人们不要忘记战争的恐怖。

71 rheumatism
n.风湿病
参考例句：
The damp weather plays the very devil with my rheumatism.潮湿的天气加重了我的风湿病。 The hot weather gave the old man a truce from rheumatism.热天使这位老人暂时免受风湿病之苦。

72 prohibition
n.禁止；禁令，禁律
参考例句：
The prohibition against drunken driving will save many lives.禁止酒后开车将会减少许多死亡事故。 They voted in favour of the prohibition of smoking in public areas.他们投票赞成禁止在公共场所吸烟。

73 grievance
n.怨愤，气恼，委屈
参考例句：
He will not easily forget his grievance.他不会轻易忘掉他的委屈。 He had been nursing a grievance against his boss for months.几个月来他对老板一直心怀不满。

74 forerunner
n.前身，先驱（者），预兆，祖先
参考例句：
She is a forerunner of the modern women's movement.她是现代妇女运动的先驱。 Penicillin was the forerunner of modern antibiotics.青霉素是现代抗生素的先导。

75 judgment
n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见
参考例句：
The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。 He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

76 confided
v.吐露（秘密，心事等）( confide的过去式和过去分词 )；（向某人）吐露（隐私、秘密等）
参考例句：
She confided all her secrets to her best friend. 她向她最要好的朋友倾吐了自己所有的秘密。 He confided to me that he had spent five years in prison. 他私下向我透露，他蹲过五年监狱。 来自《简明英汉词典》

77 conveyance
n.(不动产等的)转让，让与；转让证书；传送；运送；表达；（正）运输工具
参考例句：
Bicycles have become the most popular conveyance for Chinese people.自行车已成为中国人最流行的代步工具。 Its another,older,usage is a synonym for conveyance.它的另一个更古老的习惯用法是作为财产转让的同义词使用。