It had now come to pass that Trevelyan had not a friend in the world to whom he could apply in the matter of his wife and family. In the last communication which he had received from Lady Milborough she had scolded him, in terms that were for her severe, because he had not returned to his wife and taken her off with him to Naples. Mr Bideawhile had found himself obliged to decline to move in the matter at all. With Hugh Stanbury, Trevelyan had had a direct quarrel. Mr and Mrs Outhouse he regarded as bitter enemies, who had taken the part of his wife without any regard to the decencies of life. And now it had come to pass that his sole remaining ally, Mr Samuel Bozzle, the ex-policeman, was becoming weary of his service. Trevelyan remained in the north of Italy up to the middle of March, spending a fortune in sending telegrams to Bozzle, instigating¹ Bozzle by all the means in his power to obtain possession of the child, desiring him at one time to pounce² down upon the parsonage of St. Diddulph’s with a battalion³ of policemen armed to the teeth with the law’s authority, and at another time suggesting to him to find his way by stratagem⁴ into Mr Outhouse’s castle and carry off the child in his arms. At last he sent word to say that he himself would be in England before the end of March, and would see that the majesty⁵ of the law should be vindicated⁶ in his favour.

Bozzle had in truth made but one personal application for the child at St. Diddulph’s. In making this he had expected no success, though, from the energetic nature of his disposition⁷, he had made the attempt with some zeal⁸. But he had never applied⁹ again at the parsonage, disregarding the letters, the telegrams, and even the promises which had come to him from his employer with such frequency. The truth was that Mrs Bozzle was opposed to the proposed separation of the mother and the child, and that Bozzle was a man who listened to the words of his wife. Mrs Bozzle was quite prepared to admit that Madame T. as Mrs Trevelyan had come to be called at No. 55,

点击收听单词发音  

1 instigating
v.使（某事物）开始或发生，鼓动( instigate的现在分词 )
参考例句：
Distant but clear Longyin instigating the eardrums of every person. 遥远却清晰的龙吟鼓动着每一个人的耳膜。 来自互联网 The leader was charged with instigating the workers to put down tools. 那位领导人被指控煽动工人罢工。 来自互联网

2 pounce
n.猛扑；v.猛扑，突然袭击，欣然同意
参考例句：
Why do you pounce on every single thing I say?干吗我说的每句话你都要找麻烦？ We saw the tiger about to pounce on the goat.我们看见老虎要向那只山羊扑过去。

3 battalion
n.营；部队；大队(的人)
参考例句：
The town was garrisoned by a battalion.该镇由一营士兵驻守。 At the end of the drill parade,the battalion fell out.操练之后，队伍解散了。

4 stratagem
n.诡计，计谋
参考例句：
Knit the brows and a stratagem comes to mind.眉头一皱，计上心来。 Trade discounts may be used as a competitive stratagem to secure customer loyalty.商业折扣可以用作维护顾客忠诚度的一种竞争策略。

5 majesty
n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权
参考例句：
The king had unspeakable majesty.国王有无法形容的威严。 Your Majesty must make up your mind quickly!尊贵的陛下，您必须赶快做出决定！

6 vindicated
v.澄清（某人/某事物）受到的责难或嫌疑( vindicate的过去式和过去分词 )；表明或证明（所争辩的事物）属实、正当、有效等；维护
参考例句：
I have every confidence that this decision will be fully vindicated. 我完全相信这一决定的正确性将得到充分证明。 Subsequent events vindicated the policy. 后来的事实证明那政策是对的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 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。

8 zeal
n.热心，热情，热忱
参考例句：
Revolutionary zeal caught them up,and they joined the army.革命热情激励他们，于是他们从军了。 They worked with great zeal to finish the project.他们热情高涨地工作，以期完成这个项目。

9 applied
adj.应用的；v.应用，适用
参考例句：
She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。 This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

10 stony
adj.石头的，多石头的，冷酷的，无情的
参考例句：
The ground is too dry and stony.这块地太干，而且布满了石头。 He listened to her story with a stony expression.他带着冷漠的表情听她讲经历。

11 exertions
n.努力( exertion的名词复数 )；费力；（能力、权力等的）运用；行使
参考例句：
As long as they lived, exertions would not be necessary to her. 只要他们活着，是不需要她吃苦的。 来自辞典例句 She failed to unlock the safe in spite of all her exertions. 她虽然费尽力气，仍未能将那保险箱的锁打开。 来自辞典例句

12 lengthy
adj.漫长的，冗长的
参考例句：
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。 The professor wrote a lengthy book on Napoleon.教授写了一部有关拿破仑的巨著。

13 hoot
n.鸟叫声，汽车的喇叭声； v.使汽车鸣喇叭
参考例句：
The sudden hoot of a whistle broke into my thoughts.突然响起的汽笛声打断了我的思路。 In a string of shrill hoot of the horn sound,he quickly ran to her.在一串尖声鸣叫的喇叭声中，他快速地跑向她。

14 paternal
adj.父亲的，像父亲的，父系的，父方的
参考例句：
I was brought up by my paternal aunt.我是姑姑扶养大的。 My father wrote me a letter full of his paternal love for me.我父亲给我写了一封充满父爱的信。

15 followers
追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件
参考例句：
the followers of Mahatma Gandhi 圣雄甘地的拥护者 The reformer soon gathered a band of followers round him. 改革者很快就获得一群追随者支持他。

16 meddle
v.干预，干涉，插手
参考例句：
I hope he doesn't try to meddle in my affairs.我希望他不来干预我的事情。 Do not meddle in things that do not concern you.别参与和自己无关的事。

17 contrive
vt.谋划，策划；设法做到；设计，想出
参考例句：
Can you contrive to be here a little earlier?你能不能早一点来？ How could you contrive to make such a mess of things?你怎么把事情弄得一团糟呢？

18 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。

19 saucy
adj.无礼的；俊俏的；活泼的
参考例句：
He was saucy and mischievous when he was working.他工作时总爱调皮捣蛋。 It was saucy of you to contradict your father.你顶撞父亲，真是无礼。

20 unreasonably
adv. 不合理地
参考例句：
He was also petty, unreasonably querulous, and mean. 他还是个气量狭窄，无事生非，平庸刻薄的人。 Food in that restaurant is unreasonably priced. 那家饭店价格不公道。

21 decency
n.体面，得体，合宜，正派，庄重
参考例句：
His sense of decency and fair play made him refuse the offer.他的正直感和公平竞争意识使他拒绝了这一提议。 Your behaviour is an affront to public decency.你的行为有伤风化。

22 confidential
adj.秘（机）密的，表示信任的，担任机密工作的
参考例句：
He refused to allow his secretary to handle confidential letters.他不让秘书处理机密文件。 We have a confidential exchange of views.我们推心置腹地交换意见。

23 authoritative
adj.有权威的，可相信的；命令式的；官方的
参考例句：
David speaks in an authoritative tone.大卫以命令的口吻说话。 Her smile was warm but authoritative.她的笑容很和蔼，同时又透着威严。

24 arrogant
adj.傲慢的，自大的
参考例句：
You've got to get rid of your arrogant ways.你这骄傲劲儿得好好改改。 People are waking up that he is arrogant.人们开始认识到他很傲慢。

25 standing
n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的
参考例句：
After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。 They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

26 degradation
n.降级；低落；退化；陵削；降解；衰变
参考例句：
There are serious problems of land degradation in some arid zones.在一些干旱地带存在严重的土地退化问题。 Gambling is always coupled with degradation.赌博总是与堕落相联系。

27 miserable
adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的
参考例句：
It was miserable of you to make fun of him.你取笑他，这是可耻的。 Her past life was miserable.她过去的生活很苦。

28 downwards
adj./adv.向下的（地），下行的（地）
参考例句：
He lay face downwards on his bed.他脸向下伏在床上。 As the river flows downwards,it widens.这条河愈到下游愈宽。

29 shuffling
adj. 慢慢移动的, 滑移的 动词shuffle的现在分词形式
参考例句：
Don't go shuffling along as if you were dead. 别像个死人似地拖着脚走。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹 Some one was shuffling by on the sidewalk. 外面的人行道上有人拖着脚走过。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

30 pall
v.覆盖，使平淡无味；n.柩衣，棺罩；棺材；帷幕
参考例句：
Already the allure of meals in restaurants had begun to pall.饭店里的饭菜已经不像以前那样诱人。 I find his books begin to pall on me after a while.我发觉他的书读过一阵子就开始对我失去吸引力。

31 misery
n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦
参考例句：
Business depression usually causes misery among the working class.商业不景气常使工薪阶层受苦。 He has rescued me from the mire of misery.他把我从苦海里救了出来。

32 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。