“It’s quite a sthranger you are, these days,” said the priest, as soon as they had turned their backs upon the ladies.

“Well; yes. We haven’t managed to meet since I came back;—have we?”

“I’ve been pretty constant at home, too. But you like them cliffs up there, better than the village no doubt.”

“Metal more attractive, Father Marty,” said Fred laughing;—“not meaning however any slight upon Liscannor or the Cork¹ whisky.”

“The Cork whisky is always to the fore², Mr. Neville. And how did you lave matters with your noble uncle?”

Neville at the present moment was anxious rather to speak of Kate’s ignoble³ father than of his own noble uncle. He had declared his intention of making inquiry⁴ of Father Marty, and he thought that he should do so with something of a high hand. He still had that scheme in his head, and he might perhaps be better prepared to discuss it with the priest if he could first make this friend of the O’Hara family understand how much he, Neville, was personally injured by this “turning up” of a disreputable father. But, should he allow the priest at once to run away to Scroope and his noble uncle, the result of such conversation would simply be renewed promises on his part in reference to his future conduct to Kate O’Hara.

“Lord Scroope wasn’t very well when I left him. By the bye, Father Marty, I’ve been particularly anxious to see you.”

“‘Deed thin I was aisy found, Mr. Neville.”

“What is this I hear about—Captain O’Hara?”

“What is it that you have heard, Mr. Neville?” Fred looked into the priest’s face and found that he, at least, did not blush. It may be that all power of blushing had departed from Father Marty.

“In the first place I hear that there is such a man.”

“Ony way there was once.”

“You think he’s dead then?”

“I don’t say that. It’s a matter of,—faith, thin, it’s a matter of nigh twenty years since I saw the Captain. And when I did see him I didn’t like him. I can tell you that, Mr. Neville.”

“I suppose not.”

“That lass up there was not born when I saw him. He was a handsome man too, and might have been a gentleman av’ he would.”

点击收听单词发音  

1 cork
n.软木，软木塞
参考例句：
We heard the pop of a cork.我们听见瓶塞砰的一声打开。 Cork is a very buoyant material.软木是极易浮起的材料。

2 fore
adv.在前面；adj.先前的；在前部的；n.前部
参考例句：
Your seat is in the fore part of the aircraft.你的座位在飞机的前部。 I have the gift of fore knowledge.我能够未卜先知。

3 ignoble
adj.不光彩的，卑鄙的；可耻的
参考例句：
There's something cowardly and ignoble about such an attitude.这种态度有点怯懦可鄙。 Some very great men have come from ignoble families.有些伟人出身低微。

4 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。

5 scruple
n./v.顾忌，迟疑
参考例句：
It'seemed to her now that she could marry him without the remnant of a scruple.她觉得现在她可以跟他成婚而不需要有任何顾忌。 He makes no scruple to tell a lie.他说起谎来无所顾忌。

6 odds
n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别
参考例句：
The odds are 5 to 1 that she will win.她获胜的机会是五比一。 Do you know the odds of winning the lottery once?你知道赢得一次彩票的几率多大吗？

7 offsets
n.开端( offset的名词复数 )；出发v.抵消( offset的第三人称单数 )；补偿；（为了比较的目的而）把…并列（或并置）；为（管道等）装支管
参考例句：
The following paragraphs deal with intra-source offsets and the so-called \"bubble\" concept. 下面讨论污染源内部的补偿和所谓的“泡泡”概念。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法 The preceding paragraphs were concerned with inter-source offsets. 前文牵涉到污染源之间的补偿。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

8 purporting
v.声称是…，（装得）像是…的样子( purport的现在分词 )
参考例句：
Cindy Adams (Columnist) : He's purporting to be Mother Teresa. 辛迪？亚当斯（专栏作家）：他无意成为德兰修女。 来自互联网 To prohibit certain practices purporting to be sales by auction. 本条例旨在对看来是以拍卖方式作出的售卖中某些行为予以禁止。 来自互联网

9 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？

10 peril
n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物
参考例句：
The refugees were in peril of death from hunger.难民有饿死的危险。 The embankment is in great peril.河堤岌岌可危。

11 scorched
烧焦，烤焦( scorch的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（植物）枯萎，把…晒枯； 高速行驶； 枯焦
参考例句：
I scorched my dress when I was ironing it. 我把自己的连衣裙熨焦了。 The hot iron scorched the tablecloth. 热熨斗把桌布烫焦了。

12 reiterated
反复地说，重申( reiterate的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
"Well, I want to know about it,'she reiterated. “嗯，我一定要知道你的休假日期，"她重复说。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹 Some twenty-two years later President Polk reiterated and elaborated upon these principles. 大约二十二年之后，波尔克总统重申这些原则并且刻意阐释一番。

13 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。

14 embryo
n.胚胎，萌芽的事物
参考例句：
They are engaging in an embryo research.他们正在进行一项胚胎研究。 The project was barely in embryo.该计划只是个雏形。

15 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。

16 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。

17 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。

18 vile
adj.卑鄙的，可耻的，邪恶的；坏透的
参考例句：
Who could have carried out such a vile attack?会是谁发起这么卑鄙的攻击呢？ Her talk was full of vile curses.她的话里充满着恶毒的咒骂。

19 humbly
adv. 恭顺地，谦卑地
参考例句：
We humbly beg Your Majesty to show mercy. 我们恳请陛下发发慈悲。 "You must be right, Sir,'said John humbly. “你一定是对的，先生，”约翰恭顺地说道。

20 situated
adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的
参考例句：
The village is situated at the margin of a forest.村子位于森林的边缘。 She is awkwardly situated.她的处境困难。

21 assented
同意，赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
The judge assented to allow the prisoner to speak. 法官同意允许犯人申辩。 "No," assented Tom, "they don't kill the women -- they're too noble. “对，”汤姆表示赞同地说，“他们不杀女人——真伟大！

22 bind
vt.捆，包扎；装订；约束；使凝固；vi.变硬
参考例句：
I will let the waiter bind up the parcel for you.我让服务生帮你把包裹包起来。 He wants a shirt that does not bind him.他要一件不使他觉得过紧的衬衫。

23 binds
v.约束( bind的第三人称单数 )；装订；捆绑；（用长布条）缠绕
参考例句：
Frost binds the soil. 霜使土壤凝结。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Stones and cement binds strongly. 石头和水泥凝固得很牢。 来自《简明英汉词典》

24 perjure
v.作伪证；使发假誓
参考例句：
The man scrupled to perjure himself.这人发伪誓时迟疑了起来。 She would rather perjure herself than admit to her sins.她宁愿在法庭上撒谎也不愿承认她的罪行。

25 impudence
n.厚颜无耻；冒失；无礼
参考例句：
His impudence provoked her into slapping his face.他的粗暴让她气愤地给了他一耳光。 What knocks me is his impudence.他的厚颜无耻使我感到吃惊。

26 entirely
ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地
参考例句：
The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。 His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

27 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。

28 averted
防止，避免( avert的过去式和过去分词 )； 转移
参考例句：
A disaster was narrowly averted. 及时防止了一场灾难。 Thanks to her skilful handling of the affair, the problem was averted. 多亏她对事情处理得巧妙，才避免了麻烦。

29 prosaic
adj.单调的，无趣的
参考例句：
The truth is more prosaic.真相更加乏味。 It was a prosaic description of the scene.这是对场景没有想象力的一个描述。

30 depressed
adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的
参考例句：
When he was depressed,he felt utterly divorced from reality.他心情沮丧时就感到完全脱离了现实。 His mother was depressed by the sad news.这个坏消息使他的母亲意志消沉。

31 encumbered
v.妨碍，阻碍，拖累( encumber的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
The police operation was encumbered by crowds of reporters. 警方的行动被成群的记者所妨碍。 The narrow quay was encumbered by hundreds of carts. 狭窄的码头被数百辆手推车堵得水泄不通。 来自辞典例句

32 sufficiently
adv.足够地，充分地
参考例句：
It turned out he had not insured the house sufficiently.原来他没有给房屋投足保险。 The new policy was sufficiently elastic to accommodate both views.新政策充分灵活地适用两种观点。

33 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。