Miss Stanbury, looking out of her parlour window, saw Mr Gibson hurrying towards the cathedral, down the passage which leads from Southernhay into the Close. ‘He’s just come from Heavitree, I’ll be bound,’ said Miss Stanbury to Martha, who was behind her.

‘Like enough, ma’am.’

‘Though they do say that the poor fool of a man has become quite sick of his bargain already.’

‘He’ll have to be sicker yet, ma’am,’ said Martha.

‘They were to have been married last week, and nobody ever knew why it was put off. It’s my belief he’ll never marry her. And she’ll be served right, quite right.’

‘He must marry her now, ma’am. She’s been buying things all over Exeter, as though there was no end of their money.’

‘They haven’t more than enough to keep body and soul together,’ said Miss Stanbury. ‘I don’t see why I mightn’t have gone to service this morning, Martha. It’s quite warm now out in the Close.’

‘You’d better wait, ma’am, till the east winds is over. She was at Puddock’s only the day before yesterday, buying bed-linen, the finest they had, and that wasn’t good enough.’

‘Psha!’ said Miss Stanbury.

‘As though Mr Gibson hadn’t things of that kind good enough for her,’ said Martha.

Then there was silence in the room for awhile. Miss Stanbury was standing¹ at one window, and Martha at the other, watching the people as they passed backwards² and forwards, in and out of the Close. Dorothy had now been away at Nuncombe Putney for some weeks, and her aunt felt her loneliness with a heavy sense of weakness. Never had she entertained a companion in the house who had suited her as well as her niece, Dorothy. Dorothy would always listen to her, would always talk to her, would always bear with her. Since Dorothy had gone, various letters had been interchanged between them. Though there had been anger about Brooke Burgess, there had been no absolute rupture³; but Miss Stanbury had felt that she could not write and beg her niece to come back to her. She had not sent Dorothy away. Dorothy had chosen to go, because her aunt had bad an opinion of her own as to what was fitting for her heir; and as Miss Stanbury would not give up her opinion, she could not ask her niece to return to her. Such had been her resolution, sternly expressed to herself a dozen times during these

点击收听单词发音  

1 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。

2 backwards
adv.往回地，向原处，倒，相反，前后倒置地
参考例句：
He turned on the light and began to pace backwards and forwards.他打开电灯并开始走来走去。 All the girls fell over backwards to get the party ready.姑娘们迫不及待地为聚会做准备。

3 rupture
n.破裂；(关系的)决裂；v.(使)破裂
参考例句：
I can rupture a rule for a friend.我可以为朋友破一次例。 The rupture of a blood vessel usually cause the mark of a bruise.血管的突然破裂往往会造成外伤的痕迹。

4 solitary
adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士
参考例句：
I am rather fond of a solitary stroll in the country.我颇喜欢在乡间独自徜徉。 The castle rises in solitary splendour on the fringe of the desert.这座城堡巍然耸立在沙漠的边际，显得十分壮美。

5 solitude
n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方
参考例句：
People need a chance to reflect on spiritual matters in solitude. 人们需要独处的机会来反思精神上的事情。 They searched for a place where they could live in solitude. 他们寻找一个可以过隐居生活的地方。

6 dummy
n.假的东西；(哄婴儿的)橡皮奶头
参考例句：
The police suspect that the device is not a real bomb but a dummy.警方怀疑那个装置不是真炸弹，只是一个假货。 The boys played soldier with dummy swords made of wood.男孩们用木头做的假木剑玩打仗游戏。

7 entrusted
v.委托，托付( entrust的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
He entrusted the task to his nephew. 他把这任务托付给了他的侄儿。 She was entrusted with the direction of the project. 她受委托负责这项计划。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 descending
n. 下行 adj. 下降的
参考例句：
The results are expressed in descending numerical order . 结果按数字降序列出。 The climbers stopped to orient themselves before descending the mountain. 登山者先停下来确定所在的位置，然后再下山。

9 flannel
n.法兰绒；法兰绒衣服
参考例句：
She always wears a grey flannel trousers.她总是穿一条灰色法兰绒长裤。 She was looking luscious in a flannel shirt.她穿着法兰绒裙子，看上去楚楚动人。

10 desolate
adj.荒凉的，荒芜的；孤独的，凄凉的；v.使荒芜，使孤寂
参考例句：
The city was burned into a desolate waste.那座城市被烧成一片废墟。 We all felt absolutely desolate when she left.她走后，我们都觉得万分孤寂。

11 bestow
v.把…赠与，把…授予；花费
参考例句：
He wished to bestow great honors upon the hero.他希望将那些伟大的荣誉授予这位英雄。 What great inspiration wiII you bestow on me?你有什么伟大的灵感能馈赠给我？

12 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。

13 unconditional
adj.无条件的，无限制的，绝对的
参考例句：
The victorious army demanded unconditional surrender.胜方要求敌人无条件投降。 My love for all my children is unconditional.我对自己所有孩子的爱都是无条件的。

14 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。

15 postscript
n.附言，又及；(正文后的)补充说明
参考例句：
There was the usual romantic postscript at the end of his letter.他的信末又是一贯的浪漫附言。 She mentioned in a postscript to her letter that the parcel had arrived.她在信末附笔中说包裹已寄到。

16 repented
对（自己的所为）感到懊悔或忏悔( repent的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
He repented his thoughtlessness. 他后悔自己的轻率。 Darren repented having shot the bird. 达伦后悔射杀了那只鸟。

17 rumours
n.传闻( rumour的名词复数 )；风闻；谣言；谣传
参考例句：
The rumours were completely baseless. 那些谣传毫无根据。 Rumours of job losses were later confirmed. 裁员的传言后来得到了证实。

18 wont
adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯
参考例句：
He was wont to say that children are lazy.他常常说小孩子们懒惰。 It is his wont to get up early.早起是他的习惯。