The Little Minister
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Chapter Twenty. END OF THE STATE OF INDECISION.

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 Long before I had any thought of writing this story, I had told it so often to my little maid that she now knows some of it better than I. If you saw me looking up from my paper to ask her, “What was it that Birse said to Jean about the minister’s flowers?” or, “Where was Hendry Munn hidden on the night of the riots?” and heard her confident answers, you would conclude that she had been in the thick of these events, instead of born many years after them. I mention this now because I have reached a point where her memory contradicts mine. She maintains that Rob Dow was told of the meeting in the wood by the two boys whom it disturbed, while my own impression is that he was a witness of it. If she is right, Rob must have succeeded in frightening the boys into telling no other person, for certainly the scandal did not spread in Thrums. After all, however, it is only important to know that Rob did learn of the meeting. Its first effect was to send him sullenly2 to the drink.
 
Many a time since these events have I pictured what might have been their upshot had Dow confided3 their discovery to me. Had I suspected why Rob was grown so dour4 again, Gavin’s future might have been very different. I was meeting Rob now and again in the glen, asking, with an affected5 carelessness he did not bottom, for news of the little minister, but what he told me was only the gossip of the town; and what I should have known, that Thrums might never know it, he kept 178 to himself. I suppose he feared to speak to Gavin, who made several efforts to reclaim6 him, but without avail.
 
Yet Rob’s heart opened for a moment to one man, or rather was forced open by that man. A few days after the meeting at the well, Rob was bringing the smell of whisky with him down Banker’s Close when he ran against a famous staff, with which the doctor pinned him to the wall.
 
“Ay,” said the outspoken7 doctor, looking contemptuously into Rob’s bleary eyes, “so this is what your

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1 imp Qy3yY     
n.顽童
参考例句：
  • What a little imp you are!你这个淘气包！
  • There's a little imp always running with him.他总有一个小鬼跟着。
2 sullenly f65ccb557a7ca62164b31df638a88a71     
不高兴地，绷着脸，忧郁地
参考例句：
  • 'so what?" Tom said sullenly. “那又怎么样呢？”汤姆绷着脸说。
  • Emptiness after the paper, I sIt'sullenly in front of the stove. 报看完，想不出能找点什么事做，只好一人坐在火炉旁生气。
3 confided 724f3f12e93e38bec4dda1e47c06c3b1     
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》
4 dour pkAzf     
adj.冷酷的，严厉的；（岩石）嶙峋的；顽强不屈
参考例句：
  • They were exposed to dour resistance.他们遭受到顽强的抵抗。
  • She always pretends to be dour,in fact,she's not.她总表现的不爱讲话，事实却相反。
5 affected TzUzg0     
adj.不自然的，假装的
参考例句：
  • She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
  • His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。
6 reclaim NUWxp     
v.要求归还，收回；开垦
参考例句：
  • I have tried to reclaim my money without success.我没能把钱取回来。
  • You must present this ticket when you reclaim your luggage.当你要取回行李时，必须出示这张票子。
7 outspoken 3mIz7v     
adj.直言无讳的，坦率的，坦白无隐的
参考例句：
  • He was outspoken in his criticism.他在批评中直言不讳。
  • She is an outspoken critic of the school system in this city.她是这座城市里学校制度的坦率的批评者。
8 ken k3WxV     
n.视野，知识领域
参考例句：
  • Such things are beyond my ken.我可不懂这些事。
  • Abstract words are beyond the ken of children.抽象的言辞超出小孩所理解的范围.
9 conversion UZPyI     
n.转化，转换，转变
参考例句：
  • He underwent quite a conversion.他彻底变了。
  • Waste conversion is a part of the production process.废物处理是生产过程的一个组成部分。
10 growled 65a0c9cac661e85023a63631d6dab8a3     
v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说
参考例句：
  • \"They ought to be birched, \" growled the old man. 老人咆哮道：“他们应受到鞭打。” 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He growled out an answer. 他低声威胁着回答。 来自《简明英汉词典》
11 loyalty gA9xu     
n.忠诚，忠心
参考例句：
  • She told him the truth from a sense of loyalty.她告诉他真相是出于忠诚。
  • His loyalty to his friends was never in doubt.他对朋友的一片忠心从来没受到怀疑。
12 forth Hzdz2     
adv.向前；向外，往外
参考例句：
  • The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
  • He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。
13 recluses f9b88303528dc980dc01ab90df3f46a3     
n.隐居者，遁世者，隐士( recluse的名词复数 )
参考例句：
  • Except for hermits and recluses, who shun company, most people are gregarious. 除规避人群的隐士及遁世者外，大部分人都是喜好群居的。 来自互联网
14 palatable 7KNx1     
adj.可口的，美味的；惬意的
参考例句：
  • The truth is not always very palatable.事实真相并非尽如人意。
  • This wine is palatable and not very expensive.这种酒味道不错，价钱也不算贵。
15 auld Fuxzt     
adj.老的，旧的
参考例句：
  • Should auld acquaintance be forgot,and never brought to mind?怎能忘记旧日朋友，心中能不怀念？
  • The party ended up with the singing of Auld Lang Sync.宴会以《友谊地久天长》的歌声而告终。
16 chaff HUGy5     
v.取笑，嘲笑；n.谷壳
参考例句：
  • I didn't mind their chaff.我不在乎他们的玩笑。
  • Old birds are not caught with chaff.谷糠难诱老雀。
17 inviting CqIzNp     
adj.诱人的，引人注目的
参考例句：
  • An inviting smell of coffee wafted into the room.一股诱人的咖啡香味飘进了房间。
  • The kitchen smelled warm and inviting and blessedly familiar.这间厨房的味道温暖诱人，使人感到亲切温馨。
18 cosiest 9fa1145dc20376799d920b3dc1bfb436     
adj.温暖舒适的( cosy的最高级 )；亲切友好的
参考例句：
19 deliberately Gulzvq     
adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地
参考例句：
  • The girl gave the show away deliberately.女孩故意泄露秘密。
  • They deliberately shifted off the argument.他们故意回避这个论点。
20 prescriptions f0b231c0bb45f8e500f32e91ec1ae602     
药( prescription的名词复数 )； 处方； 开处方； 计划
参考例句：
  • The hospital of traditional Chinese medicine installed a computer to fill prescriptions. 中医医院装上了电子计算机来抓药。
  • Her main job was filling the doctor's prescriptions. 她的主要工作就是给大夫开的药方配药。
21 unaware Pl6w0     
a.不知道的，未意识到的
参考例句：
  • They were unaware that war was near. 他们不知道战争即将爆发。
  • I was unaware of the man's presence. 我没有察觉到那人在场。
22 ecstasies 79e8aad1272f899ef497b3a037130d17     
狂喜( ecstasy的名词复数 )； 出神； 入迷； 迷幻药
参考例句：
  • In such ecstasies that he even controlled his tongue and was silent. 但他闭着嘴，一言不发。
  • We were in ecstasies at the thought of going home. 一想到回家，我们高兴极了。
23 fixed JsKzzj     
adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的
参考例句：
  • Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
  • Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。
24 wriggling d9a36b6d679a4708e0599fd231eb9e20     
v.扭动，蠕动，蜿蜒行进( wriggle的现在分词 )；（使身体某一部位）扭动；耍滑不做，逃避（应做的事等）；蠕蠕
参考例句：
  • The baby was wriggling around on my lap. 婴儿在我大腿上扭来扭去。
  • Something that looks like a gray snake is wriggling out. 有一种看来象是灰蛇的东西蠕动着出来了。 来自辞典例句
25 ferment lgQzt     
vt.使发酵；n./vt.（使）激动，（使）动乱
参考例句：
  • Fruit juices ferment if they are kept a long time.果汁若是放置很久，就会发酵。
  • The sixties were a time of theological ferment.六十年代是神学上骚动的时代。
26 thump sq2yM     
v.重击，砰然地响；n.重击，重击声
参考例句：
  • The thief hit him a thump on the head.贼在他的头上重击一下。
  • The excitement made her heart thump.她兴奋得心怦怦地跳。
27 holly hrdzTt     
n.[植]冬青属灌木
参考例句：
  • I recently acquired some wood from a holly tree.最近我从一棵冬青树上弄了些木料。
  • People often decorate their houses with holly at Christmas.人们总是在圣诞节时用冬青来装饰房屋。
28 winced 7be9a27cb0995f7f6019956af354c6e4     
赶紧避开，畏缩( wince的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
  • He winced as the dog nipped his ankle. 狗咬了他的脚腕子，疼得他龇牙咧嘴。
  • He winced as a sharp pain shot through his left leg. 他左腿一阵剧痛疼得他直龇牙咧嘴。
29 relentless VBjzv     
adj.残酷的，不留情的，无怜悯心的
参考例句：
  • The traffic noise is relentless.交通车辆的噪音一刻也不停止。
  • Their training has to be relentless.他们的训练必须是无情的。
30 justification x32xQ     
n.正当的理由；辩解的理由
参考例句：
  • There's no justification for dividing the company into smaller units. 没有理由把公司划分成小单位。
  • In the young there is a justification for this feeling. 在年轻人中有这种感觉是有理由的。
31 guffaw XyUyr     
n.哄笑；突然的大笑
参考例句：
  • All the boys burst out into a guffaw at the joke.听到这个笑话，男孩子们发出一阵哄笑。
  • As they guffawed loudly,the ticket collector arrived.他们正哈哈大笑的时候，检票员到了。
32 gaol Qh8xK     
n.(jail)监狱；(不加冠词)监禁；vt.使…坐牢
参考例句：
  • He was released from the gaol.他被释放出狱。
  • The man spent several years in gaol for robbery.这男人因犯抢劫罪而坐了几年牢。
33 concealed 0v3zxG     
a.隐藏的，隐蔽的
参考例句：
  • The paintings were concealed beneath a thick layer of plaster. 那些画被隐藏在厚厚的灰泥层下面。
  • I think he had a gun concealed about his person. 我认为他当时身上藏有一支枪。
34 mischief jDgxH     
n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹
参考例句：
  • Nobody took notice of the mischief of the matter. 没有人注意到这件事情所带来的危害。
  • He seems to intend mischief.看来他想捣蛋。
35 wrangle Fogyt     
vi.争吵
参考例句：
  • I don't want to get into a wrangle with the committee.我不想同委员会发生争执。
  • The two countries fell out in a bitter wrangle over imports.这两个国家在有关进口问题的激烈争吵中闹翻了。
36 determinedly f36257cec58d5bd4b23fb76b1dd9d64f     
adv.决意地；坚决地，坚定地
参考例句：
  • "Don't shove me,'said one of the strikers, determinedly. "I'm not doing anything." “别推我，"其中的一个罢工工人坚决地说，"我可没干什么。” 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
  • Dorothy's chin set determinedly as she looked calmly at him. 多萝西平静地看着他，下巴绷得紧紧的，看来是打定主意了。 来自名作英译部分
37 vacancy EHpy7     
n.（旅馆的）空位，空房，（职务的）空缺
参考例句：
  • Her going on maternity leave will create a temporary vacancy.她休产假时将会有一个临时空缺。
  • The vacancy of her expression made me doubt if she was listening.她茫然的神情让我怀疑她是否在听。
38 decided lvqzZd     
adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的
参考例句：
  • This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
  • There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
39 noted 5n4zXc     
adj.著名的，知名的
参考例句：
  • The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
  • Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。
40 cravat 7zTxF     
n.领巾，领结；v.使穿有领结的服装，使结领结
参考例句：
  • You're never fully dressed without a cravat.不打领结，就不算正装。
  • Mr. Kenge adjusting his cravat,then looked at us.肯吉先生整了整领带，然后又望着我们。
41 instinctively 2qezD2     
adv.本能地
参考例句：
  • As he leaned towards her she instinctively recoiled. 他向她靠近，她本能地往后缩。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He knew instinctively where he would find her. 他本能地知道在哪儿能找到她。 来自《简明英汉词典》
42 promptly LRMxm     
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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