It was midsummer, and Miss Berengaria's garden was a sight. Such splendid colors, such magnificent blossoms, such triumphs of the floricultural art, had never been seen outside the walls of a flower show. The weather was exceedingly warm, and on this particular day there was not a cloud in the sky. Miss Plantagenet pottered about her garden, clipping and arranging as usual, and seemed to be in the very best of spirits. And well she might be, for this was a red-letter day with her.
Under the shade of a large elm-tree sat Durham, in the most unprofessional tweed suit, and beside him, Alice, radiant in a white dress. She looked particularly pretty, and her face was a most becoming color. Every now and then she would glance at the watch on her wrist, and Durham laughed as he saw how frequently she referred to it.
"The train won't be here for another hour," he said, smiling. "You will see Bernard soon enough, Miss Malleson."
"Oh, dear me," sighed Alice, "can I ever see him soon enough? It seems like eleven years instead of eleven months since he went away. I wish he hadn't gone."
"Well," said Durham, following with his eyes the spare little figure of Miss Berengaria flitting about amongst the flowers, "I didn't approve of it at the time, and I told Conniston so. But now I think it was just as well Bernard did keep to his original intention and go to the Front. It is advisable there should be an
interval1 between the new life and the old."
"The new life?" asked Alice, flushing.
"He is coming home to be married to you," said Durham.
"And with a bullet in his arm," sighed Alice. "I shall have to nurse him back to health before we can marry."
"Miss Randolph will be occupied in the same pleasing task with Conniston," replied Durham, lazily, "and I envy both my friends."
"You needn't," laughed Miss Malleson, opening her sunshade which cast a delicate pink
hue2 on her cheeks. "Poor Bernard has been wounded and Lord Conniston has been down with enteric fever."
"I am glad they have got off so easily. Bernard might have been shot, you know."
Alice
shuddered3 and grew pale. "Don't, Mr. Durham!"
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收听单词发音
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1
interval
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| n.间隔，间距；幕间休息，中场休息 |
参考例句： |
- The interval between the two trees measures 40 feet.这两棵树的间隔是40英尺。
- There was a long interval before he anwsered the telephone.隔了好久他才回了电话。
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2
hue
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| n.色度；色调；样子 |
参考例句： |
- The diamond shone with every hue under the sun.金刚石在阳光下放出五颜六色的光芒。
- The same hue will look different in different light.同一颜色在不同的光线下看起来会有所不同。
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3
shuddered
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| v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 |
参考例句： |
- He slammed on the brakes and the car shuddered to a halt. 他猛踩刹车，车颤抖着停住了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- I shuddered at the sight of the dead body. 我一看见那尸体就战栗。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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4
gore
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| n.凝血，血污；v.（动物）用角撞伤，用牙刺破；缝以补裆；顶 |
参考例句： |
- The fox lay dying in a pool of gore.狐狸倒在血泊中奄奄一息。
- Carruthers had been gored by a rhinoceros.卡拉瑟斯被犀牛顶伤了。
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5
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 |
参考例句： |
- The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
- They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。
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6
crooked
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| adj.弯曲的；不诚实的，狡猾的，不正当的 |
参考例句： |
- He crooked a finger to tell us to go over to him.他弯了弯手指，示意我们到他那儿去。
- You have to drive slowly on these crooked country roads.在这些弯弯曲曲的乡间小路上你得慢慢开车。
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7
tainted
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| adj.腐坏的；污染的；沾污的；感染的v.使变质( taint的过去式和过去分词 )；使污染；败坏；被污染，腐坏，败坏 |
参考例句： |
- The administration was tainted with scandal. 丑闻使得政府声名狼藉。
- He was considered tainted by association with the corrupt regime. 他因与腐败政府有牵连而名誉受损。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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8
acquitted
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| 宣判…无罪( acquit的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（自己）作出某种表现 |
参考例句： |
- The jury acquitted him of murder. 陪审团裁决他谋杀罪不成立。
- Five months ago she was acquitted on a shoplifting charge. 五个月前她被宣判未犯入店行窃罪。
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assented
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| 同意，赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 ) |
参考例句： |
- The judge assented to allow the prisoner to speak. 法官同意允许犯人申辩。
- "No," assented Tom, "they don't kill the women -- they're too noble. “对，”汤姆表示赞同地说，“他们不杀女人——真伟大！
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10
pensively
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| adv.沉思地，焦虑地 |
参考例句： |
- Garton pensively stirred the hotchpotch of his hair. 加顿沉思着搅动自己的乱发。 来自辞典例句
- "Oh, me,'said Carrie, pensively. "I wish I could live in such a place." “唉，真的，"嘉莉幽幽地说，"我真想住在那种房子里。” 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
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11
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 |
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。
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12
innocence
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| 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。
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13
shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） |
参考例句： |
- Sam shrugged and said nothing. 萨姆耸耸肩膀，什么也没说。
- She shrugged, feigning nonchalance. 她耸耸肩，装出一副无所谓的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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14
shrug
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| v.耸肩(表示怀疑、冷漠、不知等) |
参考例句： |
- With a shrug,he went out of the room.他耸一下肩，走出了房间。
- I admire the way she is able to shrug off unfair criticism.我很佩服她能对错误的批评意见不予理会。
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promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 |
参考例句： |
- He paid the money back promptly.他立即还了钱。
- She promptly seized the opportunity his absence gave her.她立即抓住了因他不在场给她创造的机会。
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inspector
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| n.检查员，监察员，视察员 |
参考例句： |
- The inspector was interested in everything pertaining to the school.视察员对有关学校的一切都感兴趣。
- The inspector was shining a flashlight onto the tickets.查票员打着手电筒查看车票。
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groom
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| vt.给（马、狗等）梳毛，照料，使...整洁 |
参考例句： |
- His father was a groom.他父亲曾是个马夫。
- George was already being groomed for the top job.为承担这份高级工作，乔治已在接受专门的培训。
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18
confession
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| n.自白，供认，承认 |
参考例句： |
- Her confession was simply tantamount to a casual explanation.她的自白简直等于一篇即席说明。
- The police used torture to extort a confession from him.警察对他用刑逼供。
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incurable
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| adj.不能医治的，不能矫正的，无救的；n.不治的病人，无救的人 |
参考例句： |
- All three babies were born with an incurable heart condition.三个婴儿都有不可治瘉的先天性心脏病。
- He has an incurable and widespread nepotism.他们有不可救药的，到处蔓延的裙带主义。
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gallows
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| n.绞刑架，绞台 |
参考例句： |
- The murderer was sent to the gallows for his crimes.谋杀犯由于罪大恶极被处以绞刑。
- Now I was to expiate all my offences at the gallows.现在我将在绞刑架上赎我一切的罪过。
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21
cleansed
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| 弄干净，清洗( cleanse的过去式和过去分词 ) |
参考例句： |
- The nurse cleansed the wound before stitching it. 护士先把伤口弄干净后才把它缝合。
- The notorious Hell Row was burned down in a fire, and much dirt was cleansed away. 臭名远场的阎王路已在一场大火中化为乌有，许多焦土灰烬被清除一空。
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22
hiss
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| v.发出嘶嘶声；发嘘声表示不满 |
参考例句： |
- We can hear the hiss of air escaping from a tire.我们能听到一只轮胎的嘶嘶漏气声。
- Don't hiss at the speaker.不要嘘演讲人。
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23
wretch
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| n.可怜的人，不幸的人；卑鄙的人 |
参考例句： |
- You are really an ungrateful wretch to complain instead of thanking him.你不但不谢他，还埋怨他，真不知好歹。
- The dead husband is not the dishonoured wretch they fancied him.死去的丈夫不是他们所想象的不光彩的坏蛋。
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conspiracy
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| n.阴谋，密谋，共谋 |
参考例句： |
- The men were found guilty of conspiracy to murder.这些人被裁决犯有阴谋杀人罪。
- He claimed that it was all a conspiracy against him.他声称这一切都是一场针对他的阴谋。
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brat
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| n.孩子；顽童 |
参考例句： |
- He's a spoilt brat.他是一个被宠坏了的调皮孩子。
- The brat sicked his dog on the passer-by.那个顽童纵狗去咬过路人。
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ragged
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| adj.衣衫褴褛的，粗糙的，刺耳的 |
参考例句： |
- A ragged shout went up from the small crowd.这一小群人发出了刺耳的喊叫。
- Ragged clothing infers poverty.破衣烂衫意味着贫穷。
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bower
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| n.凉亭，树荫下凉快之处；闺房；v.荫蔽 |
参考例句： |
- They sat under the leafy bower at the end of the garden and watched the sun set.他们坐在花园尽头由叶子搭成的凉棚下观看落日。
- Mrs. Quilp was pining in her bower.奎尔普太太正在她的闺房里度着愁苦的岁月。
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sling
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| vt.扔；悬挂；n.挂带；吊索，吊兜；弹弓 |
参考例句： |
- The boy discharged a stone from a sling.这个男孩用弹弓射石头。
- By using a hoist the movers were able to sling the piano to the third floor.搬运工人用吊车才把钢琴吊到3楼。
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twilight
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| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 |
参考例句： |
- Twilight merged into darkness.夕阳的光辉融于黑暗中。
- Twilight was sweet with the smell of lilac and freshly turned earth.薄暮充满紫丁香和新翻耕的泥土的香味。
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30
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 |
参考例句： |
- He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
- She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。
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prosaic
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| adj.单调的，无趣的 |
参考例句： |
- The truth is more prosaic.真相更加乏味。
- It was a prosaic description of the scene.这是对场景没有想象力的一个描述。
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