The Glascock marriage was a great affair in Florence so much so, that there were not a few who regarded it as a strengthening of peaceful relations between the United States and the United Kingdom, and who thought that the Alabama claims and the question of naturalisation might now be settled with comparative ease. An English lord was about to marry the niece of an American Minister to a foreign court. The bridegroom was not, indeed, quite a lord as yet, but it was known to all men that he must be a lord in a very short time, and the bride was treated with more than usual bridal honours because she belonged to a legation. She was not, indeed, an ambassador’s daughter, but the niece of a daughterless ambassador, and therefore almost as good as a daughter. The wives and daughters of other ambassadors, and the ambassadors themselves, of course, came to the wedding; and as the palace in which Mr Spalding had apartments stood alone, in a garden, with a separate carriage entrance, it seemed for all wedding purposes as though the whole palace were his own. The English Minister came, and his wife, although she had never quite given over turning up her nose at the American bride whom Mr Glascock had chosen for himself. It was such a pity, she said, that such a man as Mr Glascock should marry a young woman from Providence¹, Rhode Island. Who in England would know anything of Providence, Rhode Island? And it was so expedient², in her estimation, that a man of family should strengthen himself by marrying a woman of family. It was so necessary, she declared, that a man when marrying should remember that his child would have two grandfathers, and would be called upon to account for four great-grandfathers. Nevertheless Mr Glascock was Mr Glascock; and, let him marry whom he would, his wife would be the future Lady Peterborough. Remembering this, the English Minister’s wife gave up the point when the thing was really settled, and benignly³ promised to come to the breakfast with all the secretaries and attaches belonging to the legation, and all the wives and daughters thereof. What may a man not do, and do with eclat⁴, if he be heir to a peer and have plenty of money in his pocket?

Mr and Mrs Spalding were covered with glory on the occasion; and perhaps they did not bear their glory as meekly

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1 providence
n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝
参考例句：
It is tempting Providence to go in that old boat.乘那艘旧船前往是冒大险。 To act as you have done is to fly in the face of Providence.照你的所作所为那样去行事，是违背上帝的意志的。

2 expedient
adj.有用的，有利的；n.紧急的办法，权宜之计
参考例句：
The government found it expedient to relax censorship a little.政府发现略微放宽审查是可取的。 Every kind of expedient was devised by our friends.我们的朋友想出了各种各样的应急办法。

3 benignly
adv.仁慈地，亲切地
参考例句：
Everyone has to benignly help people in distress. 每一个人应让该亲切地帮助有困难的人。 来自互联网 This drug is benignly soporific. 这种药物具有良好的催眠效果。 来自互联网

4 eclat
n.显赫之成功，荣誉
参考例句：
He a diplomat of great eclat.他是个声望显赫的外交家。 They gave him more eclat than he really deserved.他并不真得值得他们给他那么多的荣誉。

5 meekly
adv.温顺地，逆来顺受地
参考例句：
He stood aside meekly when the new policy was proposed. 当有人提出新政策时，他唯唯诺诺地站 来自《简明英汉词典》 He meekly accepted the rebuke. 他顺从地接受了批评。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 ridicule
v.讥讽，挖苦；n.嘲弄
参考例句：
You mustn't ridicule unfortunate people.你不该嘲笑不幸的人。 Silly mistakes and queer clothes often arouse ridicule.荒谬的错误和古怪的服装常会引起人们的讪笑。

7 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。

8 poke
n.刺，戳，袋；vt.拨开，刺，戳；vi.戳，刺，捅，搜索，伸出，行动散慢
参考例句：
We never thought she would poke her nose into this.想不到她会插上一手。 Don't poke fun at me.别拿我凑趣儿。

9 wards
区( ward的名词复数 )； 病房； 受监护的未成年者； 被人照顾或控制的状态
参考例句：
This hospital has 20 medical [surgical] wards. 这所医院有 20 个内科[外科]病房。 It was a big constituency divided into three wards. 这是一个大选区，下设三个分区。

10 vexed
adj.争论不休的；（指问题等）棘手的；争论不休的问题；烦恼的v.使烦恼( vex的过去式和过去分词 )；使苦恼；使生气；详细讨论
参考例句：
The conference spent days discussing the vexed question of border controls. 会议花了几天的时间讨论边境关卡这个难题。 He was vexed at his failure. 他因失败而懊恼。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

11 melee
n.混战；混战的人群
参考例句：
There was a scuffle and I lost my hat in the melee.因发生一场斗殴，我的帽子也在混乱中丢失了。 In the melee that followed they trampled their mother a couple of times.他们打在一团，七手八脚的又踩了他们的母亲几下。

12 dole
n.救济，（失业）救济金；vt.（out）发放，发给
参考例句：
It's not easy living on the dole.靠领取失业救济金生活并不容易。 Many families are living on the dole since the strike.罢工以来，许多家庭靠失业救济金度日。

13 oratorical
adj.演说的，雄辩的
参考例句：
The award for the oratorical contest was made by a jury of nine professors. 演讲比赛的裁决由九位教授组成的评判委员会作出。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》 His oratorical efforts evoked no response in his audience. 他的雄辩在听众中不起反响。 来自辞典例句

14 annihilated
v.（彻底）消灭( annihilate的过去式和过去分词 )；使无效；废止；彻底击溃
参考例句：
Our soldiers annihilated a force of three hundred enemy troops. 我军战士消灭了300名敌军。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》 We annihilated the enemy. 我们歼灭了敌人。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 courteous
adj.彬彬有礼的，客气的
参考例句：
Although she often disagreed with me,she was always courteous.尽管她常常和我意见不一，但她总是很谦恭有礼。 He was a kind and courteous man.他为人友善，而且彬彬有礼。

16 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。

17 hereditary
adj.遗传的，遗传性的，可继承的，世袭的
参考例句：
The Queen of England is a hereditary ruler.英国女王是世袭的统治者。 In men,hair loss is hereditary.男性脱发属于遗传。

18 feudal
adj.封建的，封地的，领地的
参考例句：
Feudal rulers ruled over the country several thousand years.封建统治者统治这个国家几千年。 The feudal system lasted for two thousand years in China.封建制度在中国延续了两千年之久。

19 equanimity
n.沉着，镇定
参考例句：
She went again,and in so doing temporarily recovered her equanimity.她又去看了戏，而且这样一来又暂时恢复了她的平静。 The defeat was taken with equanimity by the leadership.领导层坦然地接受了失败。

20 impartiality
n. 公平, 无私, 不偏
参考例句：
He shows impartiality and detachment. 他表现得不偏不倚，超然事外。 Impartiality is essential to a judge. 公平是当法官所必需的。

21 perseverance
n.坚持不懈，不屈不挠
参考例句：
It may take some perseverance to find the right people.要找到合适的人也许需要有点锲而不舍的精神。 Perseverance leads to success.有恒心就能胜利。

22 reverence
n.敬畏，尊敬，尊严；Reverence:对某些基督教神职人员的尊称；v.尊敬，敬畏，崇敬
参考例句：
He was a bishop who was held in reverence by all.他是一位被大家都尊敬的主教。 We reverence tradition but will not be fettered by it.我们尊重传统，但不被传统所束缚。

23 extravagant
adj.奢侈的；过分的；(言行等)放肆的
参考例句：
They tried to please him with fulsome compliments and extravagant gifts.他们想用溢美之词和奢华的礼品来取悦他。 He is extravagant in behaviour.他行为放肆。

24 aged
adj.年老的，陈年的
参考例句：
He had put on weight and aged a little.他胖了，也老点了。 He is aged,but his memory is still good.他已年老，然而记忆力还好。

25 maliciously
adv.有敌意地
参考例句：
He was charged with maliciously inflicting grievous bodily harm. 他被控蓄意严重伤害他人身体。 来自《简明英汉词典》 His enemies maliciously conspired to ruin him. 他的敌人恶毒地密谋搞垮他。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

26 palatial
adj.宫殿般的，宏伟的
参考例句：
Palatial office buildings are being constructed in the city.那个城市正在兴建一些宫殿式办公大楼。 He bought a palatial house.他买了套富丽堂皇的大房子。

27 asylum
n.避难所，庇护所，避难
参考例句：
The people ask for political asylum.人们请求政治避难。 Having sought asylum in the West for many years,they were eventually granted it.他们最终获得了在西方寻求多年的避难权。

28 prospects
n.希望，前途(恒为复数)
参考例句：
There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。 They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

29 reciprocate
v.往复运动；互换；回报，酬答
参考例句：
Although she did not reciprocate his feelings, she did not discourage him.尽管她没有回应他的感情，她也没有使他丧失信心。 Some day I will reciprocate your kindness to me.总有一天我会报答你对我的恩德。

30 condescending
adj.谦逊的,故意屈尊的
参考例句：
He has a condescending attitude towards women. 他对女性总是居高临下。 He tends to adopt a condescending manner when talking to young women. 和年轻女子说话时，他喜欢摆出一副高高在上的姿态。

31 honeymoon
n.蜜月（假期）；vi.度蜜月
参考例句：
While on honeymoon in Bali,she learned to scuba dive.她在巴厘岛度蜜月时学会了带水肺潜水。 The happy pair are leaving for their honeymoon.这幸福的一对就要去度蜜月了。

32 lodgings
n. 出租的房舍, 寄宿舍
参考例句：
When he reached his lodgings the sun had set. 他到达公寓房间时，太阳已下山了。 I'm on the hunt for lodgings. 我正在寻找住所。

33 bustle
v.喧扰地忙乱，匆忙，奔忙；n.忙碌；喧闹
参考例句：
The bustle and din gradually faded to silence as night advanced.随着夜越来越深，喧闹声逐渐沉寂。 There is a lot of hustle and bustle in the railway station.火车站里非常拥挤。

34 destitute
adj.缺乏的；穷困的
参考例句：
They were destitute of necessaries of life.他们缺少生活必需品。 They are destitute of common sense.他们缺乏常识。

35 patronage
n.赞助，支援，援助；光顾，捧场
参考例句：
Though it was not yet noon,there was considerable patronage.虽然时间未到中午，店中已有许多顾客惠顾。 I am sorry to say that my patronage ends with this.很抱歉，我的赞助只能到此为止。

36 perilous
adj.危险的，冒险的
参考例句：
The journey through the jungle was perilous.穿过丛林的旅行充满了危险。 We have been carried in safety through a perilous crisis.历经一连串危机，我们如今已安然无恙。

37 mariner
n.水手号不载人航天探测器，海员，航海者
参考例句：
A smooth sea never made a skillful mariner.平静的大海决不能造就熟练的水手。 A mariner must have his eye upon rocks and sands as well as upon the North Star.海员不仅要盯着北极星，还要注意暗礁和险滩。

38 curtailed
v.截断，缩短( curtail的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
Spending on books has been severely curtailed. 购书开支已被大大削减。 Their public health programme had to be severely curtailed. 他们的公共卫生计划不得不大大收缩。 来自《简明英汉词典》

39 extorted
v.敲诈( extort的过去式和过去分词 )；曲解
参考例句：
The gang extorted money from over 30 local businesses. 这帮歹徒向当地30多户商家勒索过钱财。 He extorted a promise from me. 他硬要我答应。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

40 resolute
adj.坚决的，果敢的
参考例句：
He was resolute in carrying out his plan.他坚决地实行他的计划。 The Egyptians offered resolute resistance to the aggressors.埃及人对侵略者作出坚决的反抗。

41 gulf
n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂
参考例句：
The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。 There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

42 allude
v.提及，暗指
参考例句：
Many passages in Scripture allude to this concept.圣经中有许多经文间接地提到这样的概念。 She also alluded to her rival's past marital troubles.她还影射了对手过去的婚姻问题。

43 discreet
adj.(言行)谨慎的；慎重的；有判断力的
参考例句：
He is very discreet in giving his opinions.发表意见他十分慎重。 It wasn't discreet of you to ring me up at the office.你打电话到我办公室真是太鲁莽了。

44 chapel
n.小教堂，殡仪馆
参考例句：
The nimble hero,skipped into a chapel that stood near.敏捷的英雄跳进近旁的一座小教堂里。 She was on the peak that Sunday afternoon when she played in chapel.那个星期天的下午，她在小教堂的演出，可以说是登峰造极。

45 celebrated
adj.有名的，声誉卓著的
参考例句：
He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。 The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

46 virtue
n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力
参考例句：
He was considered to be a paragon of virtue.他被认为是品德尽善尽美的典范。 You need to decorate your mind with virtue.你应该用德行美化心灵。

47 simile
n.直喻，明喻
参考例句：
I believe this simile largely speaks the truth.我相信这种比拟在很大程度上道出了真实。 It is a trite simile to compare her teeth to pearls.把她的牙齿比做珍珠是陈腐的比喻。

48 cravat
n.领巾，领结；v.使穿有领结的服装，使结领结
参考例句：
You're never fully dressed without a cravat.不打领结，就不算正装。 Mr. Kenge adjusting his cravat,then looked at us.肯吉先生整了整领带，然后又望着我们。

49 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。

50 maternal
adj.母亲的，母亲般的，母系的，母方的
参考例句：
He is my maternal uncle.他是我舅舅。 The sight of the hopeless little boy aroused her maternal instincts.那个绝望的小男孩的模样唤起了她的母性。

51 determined
adj.坚定的；有决心的
参考例句：
I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。 He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

52 estranged
adj.疏远的，分离的
参考例句：
He became estranged from his family after the argument.那场争吵后他便与家人疏远了。 The argument estranged him from his brother.争吵使他同他的兄弟之间的关系疏远了。

53 eldest
adj.最年长的，最年老的
参考例句：
The King's eldest son is the heir to the throne.国王的长子是王位的继承人。 The castle and the land are entailed on the eldest son.城堡和土地限定由长子继承。

54 custody
n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留
参考例句：
He spent a week in custody on remand awaiting sentence.等候判决期间他被还押候审一个星期。 He was taken into custody immediately after the robbery.抢劫案发生后，他立即被押了起来。