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CHAPTER IV. A SISTER'S SECRET.

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 “Tell me, Miss Walker! You know how things should be. What would you say was a good profession for a young man of twenty-six who has had no education worth speaking about, and who is not very quick by nature?” The speaker was Charles Westmacott, and the time this same summer evening in the tennis ground, though the shadows had fallen now and the game been abandoned.
 
The girl glanced up at him, amused and surprised.
 
“Do you mean yourself?”
 
“Precisely.”
 
“But how could I tell?”
 
“I have no one to advise me. I believe that you could do it better than any one. I feel confidence in your opinion.”
 
“It is very flattering.” She glanced up again at his earnest, questioning face, with its Saxon eyes and drooping2 flaxen mustache, in some doubt as to whether he might be joking. On the contrary, all his attention seemed to be concentrated upon her answer.
 
“It depends so much upon what you can do, you know. I do not know you sufficiently3 to be able to say what natural gifts you have.” They were walking slowly across the lawn in the direction of the house.
 
“I have none. That is to say none worth mentioning. I have no memory and I am very slow.”
 
“But you are very strong.”
 
“Oh, if that goes for anything. I can put up a hundred-pound bar till further orders; but what sort of a calling is that?”
 
Some little joke about being called to the bar flickered4 up in Miss Walker's mind, but her companion was in such obvious earnest that she stifled5 down her inclination6 to laugh.
 
“I can do a mile on the cinder-track in 4:50 and across-country in 5:20, but how is that to help me? I might be a cricket professional, but it is not a very dignified7 position. Not that I care a straw about dignity, you know, but I should not like to hurt the old lady's feelings.”

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1 confide WYbyd     
v.向某人吐露秘密
参考例句：
  • I would never readily confide in anybody.我从不轻易向人吐露秘密。
  • He is going to confide the secrets of his heart to us.他将向我们吐露他心里的秘密。
2 drooping drooping     
adj. 下垂的，无力的 动词droop的现在分词
参考例句：
  • The drooping willows are waving gently in the morning breeze. 晨风中垂柳袅袅。
  • The branches of the drooping willows were swaying lightly. 垂柳轻飘飘地摆动。
3 sufficiently 0htzMB     
adv.足够地，充分地
参考例句：
  • It turned out he had not insured the house sufficiently.原来他没有给房屋投足保险。
  • The new policy was sufficiently elastic to accommodate both views.新政策充分灵活地适用两种观点。
4 flickered 93ec527d68268e88777d6ca26683cc82     
（通常指灯光）闪烁，摇曳( flicker的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
  • The lights flickered and went out. 灯光闪了闪就熄了。
  • These lights flickered continuously like traffic lights which have gone mad. 这些灯象发狂的交通灯一样不停地闪动着。
5 stifled 20d6c5b702a525920b7425fe94ea26a5     
（使）窒息， （使）窒闷( stifle的过去式和过去分词 )； 镇压，遏制； 堵
参考例句：
  • The gas stifled them. 煤气使他们窒息。
  • The rebellion was stifled. 叛乱被镇压了。
6 inclination Gkwyj     
n.倾斜；点头；弯腰；斜坡；倾度；倾向；爱好
参考例句：
  • She greeted us with a slight inclination of the head.她微微点头向我们致意。
  • I did not feel the slightest inclination to hurry.我没有丝毫着急的意思。
7 dignified NuZzfb     
a.可敬的，高贵的
参考例句：
  • Throughout his trial he maintained a dignified silence. 在整个审讯过程中，他始终沉默以保持尊严。
  • He always strikes such a dignified pose before his girlfriend. 他总是在女友面前摆出这种庄严的姿态。
8 flannel S7dyQ     
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。
9 rippled 70d8043cc816594c4563aec11217f70d     
使泛起涟漪（ripple的过去式与过去分词形式）
参考例句：
  • The lake rippled gently. 湖面轻轻地泛起涟漪。
  • The wind rippled the surface of the cornfield. 微风吹过麦田，泛起一片麦浪。
10 peal Hm0zVO     
n.钟声；v.鸣响
参考例句：
  • The bells of the cathedral rang out their loud peal.大教堂响起了响亮的钟声。
  • A sudden peal of thunder leaves no time to cover the ears.迅雷不及掩耳。
11 stumped bf2a34ab92a06b6878a74288580b8031     
僵直地行走，跺步行走( stump的过去式和过去分词 )； 把（某人）难住； 使为难； （选举前）在某一地区作政治性巡回演说
参考例句：
  • Jack huffed himself up and stumped out of the room. 杰克气喘吁吁地干完活，然后很艰难地走出房间。
  • He was stumped by the questions and remained tongue-tied for a good while. 他被问得张口结舌，半天说不出话来。
12 middle-aged UopzSS     
adj.中年的
参考例句：
  • I noticed two middle-aged passengers.我注意到两个中年乘客。
  • The new skin balm was welcome by middle-aged women.这种新护肤香膏受到了中年妇女的欢迎。
13 eligible Cq6xL     
adj.有条件被选中的；(尤指婚姻等)合适(意)的
参考例句：
  • He is an eligible young man.他是一个合格的年轻人。
  • Helen married an eligible bachelor.海伦嫁给了一个中意的单身汉。
14 gasped e6af294d8a7477229d6749fa9e8f5b80     
v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要
参考例句：
  • She gasped at the wonderful view. 如此美景使她惊讶得屏住了呼吸。
  • People gasped with admiration at the superb skill of the gymnasts. 体操运动员的高超技艺令人赞叹。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
15 gathering ChmxZ     
n.集会，聚会，聚集
参考例句：
  • He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
  • He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。
16 murmur EjtyD     
n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言
参考例句：
  • They paid the extra taxes without a murmur.他们毫无怨言地交了附加税。
  • There was a low murmur of conversation in the hall.大厅里有窃窃私语声。
17 mischievous mischievous     
adj.调皮的，恶作剧的，有害的，伤人的
参考例句：
  • He is a mischievous but lovable boy.他是一个淘气但可爱的小孩。
  • A mischievous cur must be tied short.恶狗必须拴得短。
18 pout YP8xg     
v.撅嘴；绷脸；n.撅嘴；生气，不高兴
参考例句：
  • She looked at her lover with a pretentious pout.她看着恋人，故作不悦地撅着嘴。
  • He whined and pouted when he did not get what he wanted.他要是没得到想要的东西就会发牢骚、撅嘴。
19 shrug Ry3w5     
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。
20 dowdy ZsdxQ     
adj.不整洁的；过旧的
参考例句：
  • She was in a dowdy blue frock.她穿了件不大洁净的蓝上衣。
  • She looked very plain and dowdy.她长得非常普通，衣也过时。
21 manly fBexr     
adj.有男子气概的；adv.男子般地，果断地
参考例句：
  • The boy walked with a confident manly stride.这男孩以自信的男人步伐行走。
  • He set himself manly tasks and expected others to follow his example.他给自己定下了男子汉的任务，并希望别人效之。
22 confession 8Ygye     
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。
23 inquisitive s64xi     
adj.求知欲强的，好奇的，好寻根究底的
参考例句：
  • Children are usually inquisitive.小孩通常很好问。
  • A pat answer is not going to satisfy an inquisitive audience.陈腔烂调的答案不能满足好奇的听众。
24 maiden yRpz7     
n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的
参考例句：
  • The prince fell in love with a fair young maiden.王子爱上了一位年轻美丽的少女。
  • The aircraft makes its maiden flight tomorrow.这架飞机明天首航。
25 drawn MuXzIi     
v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的
参考例句：
  • All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
  • Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。
26 aspirations a60ebedc36cdd304870aeab399069f9e     
强烈的愿望( aspiration的名词复数 )； 志向； 发送气音； 发 h 音
参考例句：
  • I didn't realize you had political aspirations. 我没有意识到你有政治上的抱负。
  • The new treaty embodies the aspirations of most nonaligned countries. 新条约体现了大多数不结盟国家的愿望。
27 secrecy NZbxH     
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。

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