Judge Ostrander was a man of keen perception, quick to grasp an idea, quick to form an opinion. But his mind acted slowly to~night. Deborah Scoville wondered at the blankness of his gaze and the slow way in which he seemed to take in this astounding¹ fact.

At last he found voice and with it gave some evidence of his usual acumen².

“Madam, a shadow is an uncertain foundation on which to build such an edifice³ as you plan. How do you know that the fact you mention was coincident with the crime? Mr. Etheridge’s body was not found till after dark. A dozen men might have come down that path with or without sticks before he reached the bridge and fell a victim to the assault which laid him low.”

“I thought the time was pretty clearly settled by the hour he left your house. The sun had not set when he turned your corner on his way home. So several people said who saw him. Besides —”

“Yes; there is a BESIDES. I’m sure of it.”

“I saw the tall figure of a man, whom I afterwards made sure was Mr. Etheridge, coming down Factory Road on his way to the bridge when I turned about to get Reuther.”

“All of which you suppressed at the trial.”

“I was not questioned on this point, sir.”

“Madam,”— he was standing⁴ very near to her now, hemming⁵ her as it were into that decaying corner —“I should have a very much higher opinion of your candour if you told me the whole story.”

“I have, sir.”

His hands rose, one to the right hand wall, the other to the left, and remained there with their palms resting heavily against the rotting plaster. She was more than ever hemmed⁶ in; but, though she felt a trifle frightened at his aspect which certainly was not usual, she faced him without shrinking and in very evident surprise.

“You went immediately home with the child after that glimpse you got of Mr. Etheridge?”

“Yes; I had no reason in the world to suppose that anything was going to happen in the ravine below us. Of course, I went straight on; there were things to be done at home, and — you don’t believe me, sir.”

点击收听单词发音  

1 astounding
adj.使人震惊的vt.使震惊，使大吃一惊astound的现在分词)
参考例句：
There was an astounding 20% increase in sales. 销售量惊人地增加了20%。 The Chairman's remarks were so astounding that the audience listened to him with bated breath. 主席说的话令人吃惊，所以听众都屏息听他说。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 acumen
n.敏锐，聪明
参考例句：
She has considerable business acumen.她的经营能力绝非一般。 His business acumen has made his very successful.他的商业头脑使他很成功。

3 edifice
n.宏伟的建筑物(如宫殿，教室)
参考例句：
The American consulate was a magnificent edifice in the centre of Bordeaux.美国领事馆是位于波尔多市中心的一座宏伟的大厦。 There is a huge Victorian edifice in the area.该地区有一幢维多利亚式的庞大建筑物。

4 standing
n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的
参考例句：
After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。 They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

5 hemming
卷边
参考例句：
"Now stop hemming and hawing, and tell me about it, Edward. "别再这个那个的啦，跟我说说吧，爱德华。 来自英汉文学 - 败坏赫德莱堡 All ideas of stopping holes and hemming in the German intruders are vicious. 一切想要堵塞缺口和围困德国侵略军的办法都是错误的。

6 hemmed
缝…的褶边( hem的过去式和过去分词 )； 包围
参考例句：
He hemmed and hawed but wouldn't say anything definite. 他总是哼儿哈儿的，就是不说句痛快话。 The soldiers were hemmed in on all sides. 士兵们被四面包围了。

7 ironic
adj.讽刺的，有讽刺意味的，出乎意料的
参考例句：
That is a summary and ironic end.那是一个具有概括性和讽刺意味的结局。 People used to call me Mr Popularity at high school,but they were being ironic.人们中学时常把我称作“万人迷先生”，但他们是在挖苦我。

8 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。

9 dubious
adj.怀疑的，无把握的；有问题的，靠不住的
参考例句：
What he said yesterday was dubious.他昨天说的话很含糊。 He uses some dubious shifts to get money.他用一些可疑的手段去赚钱。

10 postures
姿势( posture的名词复数 )； 看法； 态度； 立场
参考例句：
Modern consciousness has this great need to explode its own postures. 现代意识很有这种摧毁本身姿态的需要。 They instinctively gathered themselves into more tidy postures. 她们本能地恢复了端庄的姿态。

11 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。

12 vindicated
v.澄清（某人/某事物）受到的责难或嫌疑( vindicate的过去式和过去分词 )；表明或证明（所争辩的事物）属实、正当、有效等；维护
参考例句：
I have every confidence that this decision will be fully vindicated. 我完全相信这一决定的正确性将得到充分证明。 Subsequent events vindicated the policy. 后来的事实证明那政策是对的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 housekeeper
n.管理家务的主妇，女管家
参考例句：
A spotless stove told us that his mother is a diligent housekeeper.炉子清洁无瑕就表明他母亲是个勤劳的主妇。 She is an economical housekeeper and feeds her family cheaply.她节约持家，一家人吃得很省。

14 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。

15 inmate
n.被收容者；(房屋等的)居住人；住院人
参考例句：
I am an inmate of that hospital.我住在那家医院。 The prisoner is his inmate.那个囚犯和他同住一起。

16 countenance
n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同
参考例句：
At the sight of this photograph he changed his countenance.他一看见这张照片脸色就变了。 I made a fierce countenance as if I would eat him alive.我脸色恶狠狠地，仿佛要把他活生生地吞下去。

17 recluse
n.隐居者
参考例句：
The old recluse secluded himself from the outside world.这位老隐士与外面的世界隔绝了。 His widow became a virtual recluse for the remainder of her life.他的寡妻孤寂地度过了余生。

18 innocence
n.无罪；天真；无害
参考例句：
There was a touching air of innocence about the boy.这个男孩有一种令人感动的天真神情。 The accused man proved his innocence of the crime.被告人经证实无罪。

19 banish
vt.放逐，驱逐；消除，排除
参考例句：
The doctor advised her to banish fear and anxiety.医生劝她消除恐惧和忧虑。 He tried to banish gloom from his thought.他试图驱除心中的忧愁。

20 solitary
adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士
参考例句：
I am rather fond of a solitary stroll in the country.我颇喜欢在乡间独自徜徉。 The castle rises in solitary splendour on the fringe of the desert.这座城堡巍然耸立在沙漠的边际，显得十分壮美。

21 seclusion
n.隐遁，隔离
参考例句：
She liked to sunbathe in the seclusion of her own garden.她喜欢在自己僻静的花园里晒日光浴。 I live very much in seclusion these days.这些天我过着几乎与世隔绝的生活。

22 secrecy
n.秘密，保密，隐蔽
参考例句：
All the researchers on the project are sworn to secrecy.该项目的所有研究人员都按要求起誓保守秘密。 Complete secrecy surrounded the meeting.会议在绝对机密的环境中进行。