Mrs. Greystock, in making her proposition respecting Lady Linlithgow, wrote to Lady Fawn¹, and by the same post Frank wrote to Lucy. But before those letters reached Fawn Court there had come that other dreadful letter from Mrs. Hittaway. The consternation² caused at Fawn Court in respect to Mr. Greystock’s treachery almost robbed of its importance the suggestion made as to Lord Fawn. Could it be possible that this man, who had so openly and in so manly³ a manner engaged himself to Lucy Morris, should now be proposing to himself a marriage with his rich cousin? Lady Fawn did not believe that it was possible. Clara had not seen those horrid⁴ things with her own eyes, and other people might be liars⁵. But Amelia shook her head. Amelia evidently believed that all manner of iniquities⁶ were possible to man.

“You see, mamma, the sacrifice he was making was so very great!”

“But he made it!” pleaded Lady Fawn.

“No, mamma, he said he would make it. Men do these things. It is very horrid, but I think they do them more now than they used to. It seems to me that nobody cares now what he does, if he’s not to be put into prison.” It was resolved between these two wise ones that nothing at the present should be said to Lucy or to any one of the family. They would wait awhile, and in the meantime they attempted, as far as it was possible to make the attempt without express words, to let Lucy understand that she might remain at Fawn Court if she pleased. While this was going on, Lord Fawn did come down once again, and on that occasion Lucy simply absented herself from the dinner-table and from the family circle for that evening.

“He’s coming in, and you’ve got to go to prison again,” Nina said to her, with a kiss.

The matter to which Mrs. Hittaway’s letter more specially⁷ alluded

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1 fawn
n.未满周岁的小鹿；v.巴结，奉承
参考例句：
A fawn behind the tree looked at us curiously.树后面一只小鹿好奇地看着我们。 He said you fawn on the manager in order to get a promotion.他说你为了获得提拔，拍经理的马屁。

2 consternation
n.大为吃惊，惊骇
参考例句：
He was filled with consternation to hear that his friend was so ill.他听说朋友病得那么厉害，感到非常震惊。 Sam stared at him in consternation.萨姆惊恐不安地注视着他。

3 manly
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。

4 horrid
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。

5 liars
说谎者( liar的名词复数 )
参考例句：
The greatest liars talk most of themselves. 最爱自吹自擂的人是最大的说谎者。 Honest boys despise lies and liars. 诚实的孩子鄙视谎言和说谎者。

6 iniquities
n.邪恶( iniquity的名词复数 )；极不公正
参考例句：
The preacher asked God to forgive us our sins and wash away our iniquities. 牧师乞求上帝赦免我们的罪过，涤荡我们的罪孽。 来自辞典例句 If thou, Lord shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? 3主―耶和华啊，你若究察罪孽，谁能站得住呢？ 来自互联网

7 specially
adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地
参考例句：
They are specially packaged so that they stack easily.它们经过特别包装以便于堆放。 The machine was designed specially for demolishing old buildings.这种机器是专为拆毁旧楼房而设计的。

8 alluded
提及，暗指( allude的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
In your remarks you alluded to a certain sinister design. 在你的谈话中，你提到了某个阴谋。 She also alluded to her rival's past marital troubles. 她还影射了对手过去的婚姻问题。

9 sufficiently
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。

10 embittered
v.使怨恨，激怒( embitter的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
These injustices embittered her even more. 不公平使她更加受苦。 来自《简明英汉词典》 The artist was embittered by public neglect. 大众的忽视于那位艺术家更加难受。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 peculiar
adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的
参考例句：
He walks in a peculiar fashion.他走路的样子很奇特。 He looked at me with a very peculiar expression.他用一种很奇怪的表情看着我。

12 delicacy
n.精致，细微，微妙，精良；美味，佳肴
参考例句：
We admired the delicacy of the craftsmanship.我们佩服工艺师精巧的手艺。 He sensed the delicacy of the situation.他感觉到了形势的微妙。

13 decided
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。

14 caressingly
爱抚地，亲切地
参考例句：
His voice was caressingly sweet. 他的嗓音亲切而又甜美。

15 indifference
n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎
参考例句：
I was disappointed by his indifference more than somewhat.他的漠不关心使我很失望。 He feigned indifference to criticism of his work.他假装毫不在意别人批评他的作品。

16 miraculous
adj.像奇迹一样的，不可思议的
参考例句：
The wounded man made a miraculous recovery.伤员奇迹般地痊愈了。 They won a miraculous victory over much stronger enemy.他们战胜了远比自己强大的敌人，赢得了非凡的胜利。

17 acting
n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的
参考例句：
Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。 During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

18 supremely
adv.无上地，崇高地
参考例句：
They managed it all supremely well. 这件事他们干得极其出色。 I consider a supremely beautiful gesture. 我觉得这是非常优雅的姿态。

19 longing
n.（for）渴望
参考例句：
Hearing the tune again sent waves of longing through her.再次听到那首曲子使她胸中充满了渴望。 His heart burned with longing for revenge.他心中燃烧着急欲复仇的怒火。

20 stipulated
vt.& vi.规定；约定adj.[法]合同规定的
参考例句：
A delivery date is stipulated in the contract. 合同中规定了交货日期。 Yes, I think that's what we stipulated. 对呀，我想那是我们所订定的。 来自辞典例句

21 discomfort
n.不舒服，不安，难过，困难，不方便
参考例句：
One has to bear a little discomfort while travelling.旅行中总要忍受一点不便。 She turned red with discomfort when the teacher spoke.老师讲话时她不好意思地红着脸。

22 sullenness
n. 愠怒, 沉闷, 情绪消沉
参考例句：
His bluster sank to sullenness under her look. 在她目光逼视下，他蛮横的表情稍加收敛，显出一副阴沉的样子。 Marked by anger or sullenness. 怒气冲冲的，忿恨的。

23 sullen
adj.愠怒的，闷闷不乐的，(天气等)阴沉的
参考例句：
He looked up at the sullen sky.他抬头看了一眼阴沉的天空。 Susan was sullen in the morning because she hadn't slept well.苏珊今天早上郁闷不乐，因为昨晚没睡好。

24 consultations
n.磋商（会议）( consultation的名词复数 )；商讨会；协商会；查找
参考例句：
Consultations can be arranged at other times by appointment. 磋商可以通过预约安排在其他时间。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》 Consultations are under way. 正在进行磋商。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

25 thoroughly
adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地
参考例句：
The soil must be thoroughly turned over before planting.一定要先把土地深翻一遍再下种。 The soldiers have been thoroughly instructed in the care of their weapons.士兵们都系统地接受过保护武器的训练。

26 fixed
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。

27 protracted
adj.拖延的；延长的v.拖延“protract”的过去式和过去分词
参考例句：
The war was protracted for four years. 战争拖延了四年。 来自《简明英汉词典》 We won victory through protracted struggle. 经过长期的斗争，我们取得了胜利。 来自《简明英汉词典》

28 persuasion
n.劝说；说服；持有某种信仰的宗派
参考例句：
He decided to leave only after much persuasion.经过多方劝说，他才决定离开。 After a lot of persuasion,she agreed to go.经过多次劝说后，她同意去了。

29 obstinate
adj.顽固的，倔强的，不易屈服的，较难治愈的
参考例句：
She's too obstinate to let anyone help her.她太倔强了，不会让任何人帮她的。 The trader was obstinate in the negotiation.这个商人在谈判中拗强固执。

30 obedience
n.服从，顺从
参考例句：
Society has a right to expect obedience of the law.社会有权要求人人遵守法律。 Soldiers act in obedience to the orders of their superior officers.士兵们遵照上级军官的命令行动。

31 rumour
n.谣言，谣传，传闻
参考例句：
I should like to know who put that rumour about.我想知道是谁散布了那谣言。 There has been a rumour mill on him for years.几年来，一直有谣言产生，对他进行中伤。

32 abrupt
adj.突然的，意外的；唐突的，鲁莽的
参考例句：
The river takes an abrupt bend to the west.这河突然向西转弯。 His abrupt reply hurt our feelings.他粗鲁的回答伤了我们的感情。

33 overtures
n.主动的表示，提议；（向某人做出的）友好表示、姿态或提议( overture的名词复数 )；（歌剧、芭蕾舞、音乐剧等的）序曲，前奏曲
参考例句：
Their government is making overtures for peace. 他们的政府正在提出和平建议。 来自《简明英汉词典》 He had lately begun to make clumsy yet endearing overtures of friendship. 最近他开始主动表示友好，样子笨拙却又招人喜爱。 来自辞典例句

34 jocose
adj.开玩笑的，滑稽的
参考例句：
Dr. Daniel was a gleg man of a jocose nature.丹尼尔大夫是一位天生诙谐而反应机敏的人。 His comic dialogues are jocose and jocular,thought-provoking.他的小品诙谐，逗乐，发人深省。

35 droll
adj.古怪的，好笑的
参考例句：
The band have a droll sense of humour.这个乐队有一种滑稽古怪的幽默感。 He looked at her with a droll sort of awakening.他用一种古怪的如梦方醒的神情看着她.

36 spoke
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。

37 exclusion
n.拒绝，排除，排斥，远足，远途旅行
参考例句：
Don't revise a few topics to the exclusion of all others.不要修改少数论题以致排除所有其他的。 He plays golf to the exclusion of all other sports.他专打高尔夫球，其他运动一概不参加。

38 trumpery
n.无价值的杂物；adj.（物品）中看不中用的
参考例句：
The thing he bought yesterday was trumpery.他昨天买的只是一件没有什么价值的东西。 The trumpery in the house should be weeded out.应该清除房子里里无价值的东西。