IN spite of Miss Mountford's affection for Ralph Torrance, the friendship which had grown up between these two who differed so much in age began to have an inconvenient¹ side. Aylmer had always feared this, and that the boy would become, if not exacting², troublesome to deal with. Made free of the Hall, and by Kathleen's wish accustomed to go and come as he chose, it was natural that Ralph should count himself one of the family there.

 

Taking the boy to the seaside opened the door for another difficulty to arise when an autumn tour was in contemplation, and it would be equally unwise and impracticable to include Ralph in the party.

 

Ralph was in the grounds with Kathleen and Geraldine one afternoon in July. The boy was telling them that his holidays were about to begin.

 

"I can be all the time nearly with you, if you want me. Mr. Sinley is going to have a month of Sundays, that will be nearly five weeks, but lessons will not begin even when he comes back."

 

Kathleen hesitated, for she knew what was coming would distress³ her favourite. All the same it must be said.

 

"I would have you a great deal with me if I could, but we are all going away for a few weeks. We shall be travelling about a good deal, so we shall not even take Polly with us. Horses would only be a trouble, and no use."

 

"And boys would be a trouble too, wouldn't they?" replied Ralph, making a great effort to treat the question from an outsider's point of view.

 

"We have never had boys with us, dear. We had one boy friend at St. Leonards, and we did not find him a trouble. But there are times when even one boy would not be quite in the right place with a party of grown-up people. Fathers and mothers go without their boys and girls very often. You know that?"

 

Ralph pondered the matter, and could not deny this. The Stapleton children had been often left behind when their parents went away. And he—well, he owed the most delightful⁴ time he had ever enjoyed to those who were just friends—not even relatives. Ralph decided

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1 inconvenient
adj.不方便的，令人感到麻烦的
参考例句：
You have come at a very inconvenient time.你来得最不适时。 Will it be inconvenient for him to attend that meeting?他参加那次会议会不方便吗？

2 exacting
adj.苛求的，要求严格的
参考例句：
He must remember the letters and symbols with exacting precision.他必须以严格的精度记住每个字母和符号。 The public has been more exacting in its demands as time has passed.随着时间的推移，公众的要求更趋严格。

3 distress
n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛
参考例句：
Nothing could alleviate his distress.什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。 Please don't distress yourself.请你不要忧愁了。

4 delightful
adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的
参考例句：
We had a delightful time by the seashore last Sunday.上星期天我们在海滨玩得真痛快。 Peter played a delightful melody on his flute.彼得用笛子吹奏了一支欢快的曲子。

5 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。

6 beseeching
adj.恳求似的v.恳求，乞求（某事物）( beseech的现在分词 )
参考例句：
She clung to her father, beseeching him for consent. 她紧紧挨着父亲，恳求他答应。 来自辞典例句 He casts a beseeching glance at his son. 他用恳求的眼光望着儿子。 来自辞典例句

7 awfully
adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地
参考例句：
Agriculture was awfully neglected in the past.过去农业遭到严重忽视。 I've been feeling awfully bad about it.对这我一直感到很难受。

8 heartily
adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很
参考例句：
He ate heartily and went out to look for his horse.他痛快地吃了一顿，就出去找他的马。 The host seized my hand and shook it heartily.主人抓住我的手，热情地和我握手。

9 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。

10 guardians
监护人( guardian的名词复数 )； 保护者，维护者
参考例句：
Farmers should be guardians of the countryside. 农民应是乡村的保卫者。 The police are guardians of law and order. 警察是法律和秩序的护卫者。

11 contented
adj.满意的，安心的，知足的
参考例句：
He won't be contented until he's upset everyone in the office.不把办公室里的每个人弄得心烦意乱他就不会满足。 The people are making a good living and are contented,each in his station.人民安居乐业。

12 bide
v.忍耐；等候；住
参考例句：
We'll have to bide our time until the rain stops.我们必须等到雨停。 Bide here for a while. 请在这儿等一会儿。

13 monogram
n.字母组合
参考例句：
There was a monogram in the corner in which were the initials"R.K.B.".原来手帕角上有个图案，其中包含着RKB三个字母。 When we get married I don't have to change the monogram on my luggage.当我们结婚后，我连皮箱上的字母也不用改。

14 inscription
n.（尤指石块上的）刻印文字，铭文，碑文
参考例句：
The inscription has worn away and can no longer be read.铭文已磨损，无法辨认了。 He chiselled an inscription on the marble.他在大理石上刻碑文。

15 upwards
adv.向上，在更高处...以上
参考例句：
The trend of prices is still upwards.物价的趋向是仍在上涨。 The smoke rose straight upwards.烟一直向上升。

16 dangling
悬吊着( dangle的现在分词 )； 摆动不定； 用某事物诱惑…； 吊胃口
参考例句：
The tooth hung dangling by the bedpost, now. 结果，那颗牙就晃来晃去吊在床柱上了。 The children sat on the high wall,their legs dangling. 孩子们坐在一堵高墙上，摇晃着他们的双腿。

17 bough
n.大树枝，主枝
参考例句：
I rested my fishing rod against a pine bough.我把钓鱼竿靠在一棵松树的大树枝上。 Every bough was swinging in the wind.每条树枝都在风里摇摆。

18 boughs
大树枝( bough的名词复数 )
参考例句：
The green boughs glittered with all their pearls of dew. 绿枝上闪烁着露珠的光彩。 A breeze sighed in the higher boughs. 微风在高高的树枝上叹息着。

19 dread
vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧
参考例句：
We all dread to think what will happen if the company closes.我们都不敢去想一旦公司关门我们该怎么办。 Her heart was relieved of its blankest dread.她极度恐惧的心理消除了。

20 bent
n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的
参考例句：
He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。 We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。

21 entangled
adj.卷入的；陷入的；被缠住的；缠在一起的v.使某人（某物/自己）缠绕，纠缠于（某物中），使某人（自己）陷入（困难或复杂的环境中）( entangle的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
The bird had become entangled in the wire netting. 那只小鸟被铁丝网缠住了。 Some military observers fear the US could get entangled in another war. 一些军事观察家担心美国会卷入另一场战争。 来自《简明英汉词典》

22 heeding
v.听某人的劝告，听从( heed的现在分词 )
参考例句：
This come of heeding people who say one thing and mean another! 有些人嘴里一回事，心里又是一回事，今天这个下场都是听信了这种人的话的结果。 来自辞典例句 Her dwarfish spouse still smoked his cigar and drank his rum without heeding her. 她那矮老公还在吸他的雪茄，喝他的蔗酒，睬也不睬她。 来自辞典例句

23 implicitly
adv. 含蓄地, 暗中地, 毫不保留地
参考例句：
Many verbs and many words of other kinds are implicitly causal. 许多动词和许多其他类词都蕴涵着因果关系。 I can trust Mr. Somerville implicitly, I suppose? 我想，我可以毫无保留地信任萨莫维尔先生吧？

24 allaying
v.减轻，缓和( allay的现在分词 )
参考例句：
Most important, improving the government's reputation means allaying political and human-rights concerns. 最重要的在于提高政府的声誉，这意味着需要缓和政治策略和关注人权间的矛盾。 来自互联网 More reading may be allaying your doubt. 多读书或许可以减少你的疑惑。 来自互联网

25 rib
n.肋骨，肋状物
参考例句：
He broke a rib when he fell off his horse.他从马上摔下来折断了一根肋骨。 He has broken a rib and the doctor has strapped it up.他断了一根肋骨，医生已包扎好了。

26 concussion
n.脑震荡；震动
参考例句：
He was carried off the field with slight concussion.他因轻微脑震荡给抬离了现场。 She suffers from brain concussion.她得了脑震荡。

27 mischief
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。

28 deftness
参考例句：
Handling delicate instruments requires deftness. 使用精巧仪器需要熟练。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》 I'm greatly impressed by your deftness in handling the situation. 你处理这个局面的机敏令我印象十分深刻。 来自高二英语口语

29 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。

30 inquiry
n.打听，询问，调查，查问
参考例句：
Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。 The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。

31 admiration
n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕
参考例句：
He was lost in admiration of the beauty of the scene.他对风景之美赞不绝口。 We have a great admiration for the gold medalists.我们对金牌获得者极为敬佩。

32 worthy
adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的
参考例句：
I did not esteem him to be worthy of trust.我认为他不值得信赖。 There occurred nothing that was worthy to be mentioned.没有值得一提的事发生。

33 intimacy
n.熟悉，亲密，密切关系，亲昵的言行
参考例句：
His claims to an intimacy with the President are somewhat exaggerated.他声称自己与总统关系密切，这有点言过其实。 I wish there were a rule book for intimacy.我希望能有个关于亲密的规则。

34 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。

35 capes
碎谷； 斗篷( cape的名词复数 )； 披肩； 海角； 岬
参考例句：
It was cool and they were putting on their capes. 夜里阴冷，他们都穿上了披风。 The pastor smiled to give son's two Capes five cents money. 牧师微笑着给了儿子二角五分钱。

36 pang
n.剧痛，悲痛，苦闷
参考例句：
She experienced a sharp pang of disappointment.她经历了失望的巨大痛苦。 She was beginning to know the pang of disappointed love.她开始尝到了失恋的痛苦。

37 hush
int.嘘，别出声；n.沉默，静寂；v.使安静
参考例句：
A hush fell over the onlookers.旁观者们突然静了下来。 Do hush up the scandal!不要把这丑事声张出去！

38 salvation
n.（尤指基督）救世，超度，拯救，解困
参考例句：
Salvation lay in political reform.解救办法在于政治改革。 Christians hope and pray for salvation.基督教徒希望并祈祷灵魂得救。

39 gratitude
adj.感激，感谢
参考例句：
I have expressed the depth of my gratitude to him.我向他表示了深切的谢意。 She could not help her tears of gratitude rolling down her face.她感激的泪珠禁不住沿着面颊流了下来。