As he was returning to Ennis Neville was so far removed from immediate¹ distress² as to be able to look forward without fear to his meeting with the two ladies at Ardkill. He could as yet take his Kate in his arms without any hard load upon his heart, such as would be there if he knew that it was incumbent³ upon him at once to explain his difficulties. His uncle was still living, but was old and still ill. He would naturally make the most of the old man’s age and infirmities. There was every reason why they should wait, and no reason why such waiting should bring reproaches upon his head. On the night of his arrival at his quarters he despatched a note to his Kate.

Dearest love.

Here I am again in the land of freedom and potatoes. I need not trouble you with writing about home news, as I shall see you the day after tomorrow. All tomorrow and Wednesday morning I must stick close to my guns here. After one on Wednesday I shall be free. I will drive over to Lahinch, and come round in the boat. I must come back here the same night, but I suppose it will be the next morning before I get to bed. I sha’n’t mind that if I get something for my pains. My love to your mother. Your own,

F. N.

In accordance with this plan he did drive over to Lahinch. He might have saved time by directing that his boat should come across the bay to meet him at Liscannor, but he felt that he would prefer not to meet Father Marty at present. It might be that before long he would be driven to tell the priest a good deal, and to ask for the priest’s assistance; but at present he was not anxious to see Father Marty. Barney Morony was waiting for him at the stable where he put up his horse, and went down with him to the beach. The ladies, according to Barney, were quite well and more winsome⁴ than ever. But,—and this information was not given without much delay and great beating about the bush,—there was a rumour⁵ about Liscannor that Captain O’Hara had “turned up.” Fred was so startled at this that he could not refrain from showing his anxiety by the questions which he asked. Barney did not seem to think that the Captain had been at Ardkill or anywhere in the neighbourhood. At any rate he, Barney, had not seen him. He had just heard the rumour. “Shure, Captain, I wouldn’t be telling yer honour a lie; and they do be saying that the Captain one time was as fine a man as a woman ever sot eyes on;—and why not, seeing what kind the young lady is, God bless her!” If it were true that Kate’s father had “turned up,” such an

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1 immediate
adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的
参考例句：
His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。 We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

2 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。

3 incumbent
adj.成为责任的，有义务的；现任的，在职的
参考例句：
He defeated the incumbent governor by a large plurality.他以压倒多数票击败了现任州长。 It is incumbent upon you to warn them.你有责任警告他们。

4 winsome
n.迷人的，漂亮的
参考例句：
She gave him her best winsome smile.她给了他一个最为迷人的微笑。 She was a winsome creature.她十分可爱。

5 rumour
n.谣言，谣传，传闻
参考例句：
I should like to know who put that rumour about.我想知道是谁散布了那谣言。 There has been a rumour mill on him for years.几年来，一直有谣言产生，对他进行中伤。

6 advent
n.(重要事件等的)到来，来临
参考例句：
Swallows come by groups at the advent of spring. 春天来临时燕子成群飞来。 The advent of the Euro will redefine Europe.欧元的出现将重新定义欧洲。

7 strand
vt.使（船）搁浅，使（某人）困于（某地）
参考例句：
She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ears.她把一缕散发夹到了耳后。 The climbers had been stranded by a storm.登山者被暴风雨困住了。

8 justify
vt.证明…正当(或有理)，为…辩护
参考例句：
He tried to justify his absence with lame excuses.他想用站不住脚的借口为自己的缺席辩解。 Can you justify your rude behavior to me?你能向我证明你的粗野行为是有道理的吗？

9 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。

10 tenants
n.房客( tenant的名词复数 )；佃户；占用者；占有者
参考例句：
A number of tenants have been evicted for not paying the rent. 许多房客因不付房租被赶了出来。 Tenants are jointly and severally liable for payment of the rent. 租金由承租人共同且分别承担。

11 harassed
adj. 疲倦的，厌烦的 动词harass的过去式和过去分词
参考例句：
He has complained of being harassed by the police. 他投诉受到警方侵扰。 harassed mothers with their children 带着孩子的疲惫不堪的母亲们

12 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》

13 harping
n.反复述说
参考例句：
Don't keep harping on like that. 别那样唠叨个没完。 You're always harping on the samestring. 你总是老调重弹。

14 valid
adj.有确实根据的；有效的；正当的，合法的
参考例句：
His claim to own the house is valid.他主张对此屋的所有权有效。 Do you have valid reasons for your absence?你的缺席有正当理由吗？

15 pretence
n.假装，作假；借口，口实；虚伪；虚饰
参考例句：
The government abandoned any pretence of reform. 政府不再装模作样地进行改革。 He made a pretence of being happy at the party.晚会上他假装很高兴。

16 positively
adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实
参考例句：
She was positively glowing with happiness.她满脸幸福。 The weather was positively poisonous.这天气着实讨厌。

17 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。

18 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。

19 entreaties
n.恳求，乞求( entreaty的名词复数 )
参考例句：
He began with entreaties and ended with a threat. 他先是恳求，最后是威胁。 来自《简明英汉词典》 The tyrant was deaf to the entreaties of the slaves. 暴君听不到奴隶们的哀鸣。 来自《简明英汉词典》

20 detested
v.憎恶，嫌恶，痛恨( detest的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
They detested each other on sight. 他们互相看着就不顺眼。 The freethinker hated the formalist; the lover of liberty detested the disciplinarian. 自由思想者总是不喜欢拘泥形式者，爱好自由者总是憎恶清规戒律者。 来自辞典例句

21 reprobate
n.无赖汉；堕落的人
参考例句：
After the fall,god begins to do the work of differentiation between his elect and the reprobate.人堕落之后，上帝开始分辨选民与被遗弃的人。 He disowned his reprobate son.他声明与堕落的儿子脱离关系。

22 galleys
n.平底大船，战舰( galley的名词复数 )；（船上或航空器上的）厨房
参考例句：
Other people had drowned at sea since galleys swarmed with painted sails. 自从布满彩帆的大船下海以来，别的人曾淹死在海里。 来自辞典例句 He sighed for the galleys, with their infamous costume. 他羡慕那些穿着囚衣的苦工。 来自辞典例句

23 manor
n.庄园，领地
参考例句：
The builder of the manor house is a direct ancestor of the present owner.建造这幢庄园的人就是它现在主人的一个直系祖先。 I am not lord of the manor,but its lady.我并非此地的领主，而是这儿的女主人。

24 binding
有约束力的，有效的，应遵守的
参考例句：
The contract was not signed and has no binding force. 合同没有签署因而没有约束力。 Both sides have agreed that the arbitration will be binding. 双方都赞同仲裁具有约束力。

25 bail
v.舀（水），保释；n.保证金，保释，保释人
参考例句：
One of the prisoner's friends offered to bail him out.犯人的一个朋友答应保释他出来。 She has been granted conditional bail.她被准予有条件保释。

26 alas
int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等)
参考例句：
Alas!The window is broken!哎呀！窗子破了！ Alas,the truth is less romantic.然而，真理很少带有浪漫色彩。

27 utterly
adv.完全地，绝对地
参考例句：
Utterly devoted to the people,he gave his life in saving his patients.他忠于人民，把毕生精力用于挽救患者的生命。 I was utterly ravished by the way she smiled.她的微笑使我完全陶醉了。

28 innocence
n.无罪；天真；无害
参考例句：
There was a touching air of innocence about the boy.这个男孩有一种令人感动的天真神情。 The accused man proved his innocence of the crime.被告人经证实无罪。

29 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。

30 foulest
adj.恶劣的( foul的最高级 )；邪恶的；难闻的；下流的
参考例句：
Most of the foremen abused the workmen in the foulest languages. 大多数的工头用极其污秽的语言辱骂工人。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Of all men the drunkard is the foulest. 男人中最讨人厌的是酒鬼。 来自辞典例句

31 essentially
adv.本质上，实质上，基本上
参考例句：
Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。 She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

32 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。

33 awe
n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧
参考例句：
The sight filled us with awe.这景色使我们大为惊叹。 The approaching tornado struck awe in our hearts.正在逼近的龙卷风使我们惊恐万分。

34 obedience
n.服从，顺从
参考例句：
Society has a right to expect obedience of the law.社会有权要求人人遵守法律。 Soldiers act in obedience to the orders of their superior officers.士兵们遵照上级军官的命令行动。

35 rebuked
责难或指责( rebuke的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
The company was publicly rebuked for having neglected safety procedures. 公司因忽略了安全规程而受到公开批评。 The teacher rebuked the boy for throwing paper on the floor. 老师指责这个男孩将纸丢在地板上。