Those short December days after Bertram's return from New York were busy ones for everybody. Miss Winthrop was not in town to give sittings for her portrait, it is true; but her absence only afforded Bertram time and opportunity to attend to other work that had been more or less delayed and neglected. He was often at Hillside, however, and the lovers managed to snatch many an hour of quiet happiness from the rush and confusion of the Christmas preparations.
Bertram was assuring himself now that his jealous fears of Arkwright were groundless. Billy seldom mentioned the man, and, as the days passed, she
spoke1 only once of his being at the house. The song, too, she said little of; and Bertram—though he was ashamed to own it to himself—breathed more freely.
The real facts of the case were that Billy had told Arkwright that she should have no time to give attention to the song until after Christmas; and her manner had so plainly shown him that she considered himself synonymous with the song, that he had reluctantly taken the hint and kept away.
“I'll make her care for me sometime—for something besides a song,” he told himself with fierce consolation—but Billy did not know this.
Aside from Bertram, Christmas filled all of Billy's thoughts these days. There were such a lot of things she wished to do.
“But, after all, they're only sugarplums, you know, that I'm giving, dear,” she declared to Bertram one day, when he had
remonstrated2 with with her for so taxing her time and strength. “I can't really do much.”
“But it isn't much, honestly—compared to what there is to do,” argued Billy. “You see, dear, it's just this,” she went on, her bright face sobering a little. “There are such a lot of people in the world who aren't really poor. That is, they have bread, and probably meat, to eat, and enough clothes to keep them warm. But when you've said that, you've said it all. Books, music, fun, and frosting on their cake they know nothing about—except to long for them.”
“But there are the churches and the charities, and all those long-named Societies—I thought that was what they were for,” declared Bertram, still a little aggrievedly, his worried eyes on Billy's tired face.
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收听单词发音
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1
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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2
remonstrated
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| v.抗议( remonstrate的过去式和过去分词 )；告诫 |
参考例句： |
- They remonstrated with the official about the decision. 他们就这一决定向这位官员提出了抗议。
- We remonstrated against the ill-treatment of prisoners of war. 我们对虐待战俘之事提出抗议。 来自辞典例句
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3
scoffed
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| 嘲笑，嘲弄( scoff的过去式和过去分词 ) |
参考例句： |
- He scoffed at our amateurish attempts. 他对我们不在行的尝试嗤之以鼻。
- A hundred years ago people scoffed at the idea. 一百年前人们曾嘲笑过这种想法。
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4
flannel
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| n.法兰绒；法兰绒衣服 |
参考例句： |
- She always wears a grey flannel trousers.她总是穿一条灰色法兰绒长裤。
- She was looking luscious in a flannel shirt.她穿着法兰绒裙子，看上去楚楚动人。
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5
defiant
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| adj.无礼的，挑战的 |
参考例句： |
- With a last defiant gesture,they sang a revolutionary song as they were led away to prison.他们被带走投入监狱时，仍以最后的反抗姿态唱起了一支革命歌曲。
- He assumed a defiant attitude toward his employer.他对雇主采取挑衅的态度。
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6
avowed
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| adj.公开声明的，承认的v.公开声明，承认( avow的过去式和过去分词) |
参考例句： |
- An aide avowed that the President had known nothing of the deals. 一位助理声明，总统对这些交易一无所知。
- The party's avowed aim was to struggle against capitalist exploitation. 该党公开宣称的宗旨是与资本主义剥削斗争。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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7
horrid
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| adj.可怕的；令人惊恐的；恐怖的；极讨厌的 |
参考例句： |
- I'm not going to the horrid dinner party.我不打算去参加这次讨厌的宴会。
- The medicine is horrid and she couldn't get it down.这种药很难吃，她咽不下去。
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8
crutches
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| n.拐杖, 支柱
v.支撑 |
参考例句： |
- After the accident I spent six months on crutches . 事故后我用了六个月的腋杖。
- When he broke his leg he had to walk on crutches. 他腿摔断了以后，不得不靠拐杖走路。
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9
chuckled
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| 轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 ) |
参考例句： |
- She chuckled at the memory. 想起这件事她就暗自发笑。
- She chuckled softly to herself as she remembered his astonished look. 想起他那惊讶的表情，她就轻轻地暗自发笑。
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10
unwilling
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| adj.不情愿的 |
参考例句： |
- The natives were unwilling to be bent by colonial power.土著居民不愿受殖民势力的摆布。
- His tightfisted employer was unwilling to give him a raise.他那吝啬的雇主不肯给他加薪。
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11
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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12
embarrassment
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| n.尴尬；使人为难的人(事物)；障碍；窘迫 |
参考例句： |
- She could have died away with embarrassment.她窘迫得要死。
- Coughing at a concert can be a real embarrassment.在音乐会上咳嗽真会使人难堪。
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13
perturbed
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| adj.烦燥不安的v.使（某人）烦恼，不安( perturb的过去式和过去分词 ) |
参考例句： |
- I am deeply perturbed by the alarming way the situation developing. 我对形势令人忧虑的发展深感不安。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- Mother was much perturbed by my illness. 母亲为我的病甚感烦恼不安。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
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14
stammered
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| v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 ) |
参考例句： |
- He stammered most when he was nervous. 他一紧张往往口吃。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
- Barsad leaned back in his chair, and stammered, \"What do you mean?\" 巴萨往椅背上一靠，结结巴巴地说，“你是什么意思？” 来自英汉文学 - 双城记
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15
determined
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| 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。
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16
tinged
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| v.（使）发丁丁声( ting的过去式和过去分词 ) |
参考例句： |
- memories tinged with sadness 略带悲伤的往事
- white petals tinged with blue 略带蓝色的白花瓣
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17
carnations
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| n.麝香石竹，康乃馨( carnation的名词复数 ) |
参考例句： |
- You should also include some carnations to emphasize your underlying meaning.\" 另外要配上石竹花来加重这涵意的力量。” 来自汉英文学 - 围城
- Five men per ha. were required for rose production, 6 or 7 men for carnations. 种植玫瑰每公顷需5个男劳力，香石竹需6、7个男劳力。 来自辞典例句
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18
wilt
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| v.(使)植物凋谢或枯萎；(指人)疲倦，衰弱 |
参考例句： |
- Golden roses do not wilt and will never need to be watered.金色的玫瑰不枯萎绝也不需要浇水。
- Several sleepless nights made him wilt.数个不眠之夜使他憔悴。
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florist
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| n.花商；种花者 |
参考例句： |
- The florist bunched the flowers up.花匠把花捆成花束。
- Could you stop at that florist shop over there?劳驾在那边花店停一下好不好？
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