"DEAR me!" exclaimed Miss Basset; "oh, dear me! I was saying only yesterday that the whole world seemed topsy-turvy as the result of the war, but I never thought that this might happen! Oh, dear me!"

 

She was a gentle-faced maiden¹ lady of nearly seventy, with soft brown eyes and silvery hair. As she spoke² she glanced across the breakfast-table, at which she was presiding, at her brother, and then at the young folks—a girl and boy—who were seated facing each other. Having assured herself she had every one's attention, she proceeded—

 

"Really it is most upsetting! Though we have often said we should like to see Paul's little daughter, haven't we, John? It will be a great responsibility for us to have charge of her, but under the circumstances—"

 

"Had you not better let me know the contents of Paul's letter, my dear Ann?" interposed Mr. Basset, smiling.

 

He was a tall thin man, with stooping shoulders which made him look older than his sister, who was his senior by several years. Being of a retiring disposition³, he lived a quiet life, spending most of his days in the pursuits he loved—the study of flowers and insects. The gardens surrounding his home—the Glen, a modern red brick residence, situated⁴ near the west country town of Midbury—were full of the choicest plants; and he was the possessor of one of the finest collections of moths⁵ and butterflies in England.

 

Miss Basset had kept house for her brother for many years, during which they had been very happy together. They were good, kind people, always ready to help any charitable cause which was brought to their notice; but they lived rather narrow lives, and made few new acquaintances.

 

Six years previously⁶ Mr. Basset had been left trustee to two orphan7

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1 maiden
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。

2 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。

3 disposition
n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署
参考例句：
He has made a good disposition of his property.他已对财产作了妥善处理。 He has a cheerful disposition.他性情开朗。

4 situated
adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的
参考例句：
The village is situated at the margin of a forest.村子位于森林的边缘。 She is awkwardly situated.她的处境困难。

5 moths
n.蛾( moth的名词复数 )
参考例句：
The moths have eaten holes in my wool coat. 蛀虫将我的羊毛衫蛀蚀了几个小洞。 来自《简明英汉词典》 The moths tapped and blurred at the window screen. 飞蛾在窗帘上跳来跳去，弄上了许多污点。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

6 previously
adv.以前，先前（地）
参考例句：
The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。 Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

7 orphan
n.孤儿；adj.无父母的
参考例句：
He brought up the orphan and passed onto him his knowledge of medicine.他把一个孤儿养大，并且把自己的医术传给了他。 The orphan had been reared in a convent by some good sisters.这个孤儿在一所修道院里被几个好心的修女带大。

8 crutch
n.T字形拐杖；支持，依靠，精神支柱
参考例句：
Her religion was a crutch to her when John died.约翰死后，她在精神上依靠宗教信仰支撑住自己。 He uses his wife as a kind of crutch because of his lack of confidence.他缺乏自信心，总把妻子当作主心骨。

9 lame
adj.跛的，(辩解、论据等)无说服力的
参考例句：
The lame man needs a stick when he walks.那跛脚男子走路时需借助拐棍。 I don't believe his story.It'sounds a bit lame.我不信他讲的那一套。他的话听起来有些靠不住。

10 regiment
n.团，多数，管理；v.组织，编成团，统制
参考例句：
As he hated army life,he decide to desert his regiment.因为他嫌恶军队生活，所以他决心背弃自己所在的那个团。 They reformed a division into a regiment.他们将一个师整编成为一个团。

11 widower
n.鳏夫
参考例句：
George was a widower with six young children.乔治是个带著六个小孩子的鳏夫。 Having been a widower for many years,he finally decided to marry again.丧偶多年后，他终于决定二婚了。

12 assented
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！

13 cosy
adj.温暖而舒适的，安逸的
参考例句：
We spent a cosy evening chatting by the fire.我们在炉火旁聊天度过了一个舒适的晚上。 It was so warm and cosy in bed that Simon didn't want to get out.床上温暖而又舒适，西蒙简直不想下床了。

14 enlist
vt.谋取(支持等)，赢得；征募；vi.入伍
参考例句：
They come here to enlist men for the army.他们来这儿是为了召兵。 The conference will make further efforts to enlist the support of the international community for their just struggle. 会议必将进一步动员国际社会，支持他们的正义斗争。

15 resentment
n.怨愤，忿恨
参考例句：
All her feelings of resentment just came pouring out.她一股脑儿倾吐出所有的怨恨。 She cherished a deep resentment under the rose towards her employer.她暗中对她的雇主怀恨在心。

16 vented
表达，发泄（感情，尤指愤怒）( vent的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
He vented his frustration on his wife. 他受到挫折却把气发泄到妻子身上。 He vented his anger on his secretary. 他朝秘书发泄怒气。

17 irritability
n.易怒
参考例句：
It was the almost furtive restlessness and irritability that had possessed him. 那是一种一直纠缠着他的隐秘的不安和烦恼。 All organisms have irritability while alive. 所有生物体活着时都有应激性。

18 guardian
n.监护人；守卫者，保护者
参考例句：
The form must be signed by the child's parents or guardian. 这张表格须由孩子的家长或监护人签字。 The press is a guardian of the public weal. 报刊是公共福利的卫护者。

19 saluted
v.欢迎，致敬( salute的过去式和过去分词 )；赞扬，赞颂
参考例句：
The sergeant stood to attention and saluted. 中士立正敬礼。 He saluted his friends with a wave of the hand. 他挥手向他的朋友致意。 来自《简明英汉词典》

20 gainsay
v.否认，反驳
参考例句：
She is a fine woman-that nobody can gainsay.她是个好女人无人能否认。 No one will gainsay his integrity.没有人对他的正直有话可讲。

21 subscribed
v.捐助( subscribe的过去式和过去分词 )；签署，题词；订阅；同意
参考例句：
It is not a theory that is commonly subscribed to. 一般人并不赞成这个理论。 来自《简明英汉词典》 I subscribed my name to the document. 我在文件上签了字。 来自《简明英汉词典》

22 snare
n.陷阱，诱惑，圈套；（去除息肉或者肿瘤的）勒除器；响弦，小军鼓；vt.以陷阱捕获，诱惑
参考例句：
I used to snare small birds such as sparrows.我曾常用罗网捕捉麻雀等小鸟。 Most of the people realized that their scheme was simply a snare and a delusion.大多数人都认识到他们的诡计不过是一个骗人的圈套。

23 outright
adv.坦率地；彻底地；立即；adj.无疑的；彻底的
参考例句：
If you have a complaint you should tell me outright.如果你有不满意的事，你应该直率地对我说。 You should persuade her to marry you outright.你应该彻底劝服她嫁给你。

24 devoted
adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的
参考例句：
He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。 We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。

25 complexion
n.肤色；情况，局面；气质，性格
参考例句：
Red does not suit with her complexion.红色与她的肤色不协调。 Her resignation puts a different complexion on things.她一辞职局面就全变了。

26 wilfully
adv.任性固执地；蓄意地
参考例句：
Don't wilfully cling to your reckless course. 不要一意孤行。 来自辞典例句 These missionaries even wilfully extended the extraterritoriality to Chinese converts and interfered in Chinese judicial authority. 这些传教士还肆意将"治外法权"延伸至中国信徒，干涉司法。 来自汉英非文学 - 白皮书

27 doorway
n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径
参考例句：
They huddled in the shop doorway to shelter from the rain.他们挤在商店门口躲雨。 Mary suddenly appeared in the doorway.玛丽突然出现在门口。

28 curiously
adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地
参考例句：
He looked curiously at the people.他好奇地看着那些人。 He took long stealthy strides. His hands were curiously cold.他迈着悄没声息的大步。他的双手出奇地冷。

29 Christian
adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒
参考例句：
They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。 His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

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