No attempt at escape was made. The Earl breakfasted by himself at about nine, and then lighting¹ a cigar, roamed about for a while round the Inn, thinking of the work that was now before him. He saw nothing of Father Marty though he knew that the priest was still in Ennistimon. And he felt that he was watched. They might have saved themselves that trouble, for he certainly had no intention of breaking his word to them. So he told himself, thinking as he did so, that people such as these could not understand that an Earl of Scroope would not be untrue to his word. And yet since he had been back in County Clare he had almost regretted that he had not broken his faith to them and remained in England. At half-past ten he started on a car, having promised to be at the cottage at noon, and he told his servant that he should certainly leave Ennistimon that day at three. The horse and gig were to be ready for him exactly at that hour.

On this occasion he did not go through Liscannor, but took the other road to the burial ground. There he left his car and slowly walked along the cliffs till he came to the path leading down from them to the cottage. In doing this he went somewhat out of his way, but he had time on his hands and he did not desire to be at the cottage before the hour he had named. It was a hot midsummer day, and there seemed to be hardly a ripple² on the waves. The tide was full in, and he sat for a while looking down upon the blue waters. What an ass³ had he made himself, coming thither⁴ in quest of adventures! He began to see now the meaning of such idleness of purpose as that to which he had looked for pleasure and excitement. Even the ocean itself and the very rocks had lost their charm for him. It was all one blaze of blue light, the sky above and the water below, in which there was neither beauty nor variety. How poor had been the life he had chosen! He had spent hour after hour in a comfortless dirty boat, in company with a wretched ignorant creature, in order that he might shoot a few birds and possibly a seal. All the world had been open to him, and yet how miserable⁶ had been his ambition! And now he could see no way out of the ruin he had brought upon himself.

When the time had come he rose from his seat and took the path down to the cottage. At the corner of the little patch of garden ground attached to it he met Mrs. O’Hara. Her hat was on her head, and a light shawl was on her shoulders as though she had prepared herself for walking. He immediately asked after Kate. She told him that Kate was within and should see him presently. Would it not be better that they two should go up on the cliffs together, and then say what might be necessary for the

点击收听单词发音  

1 lighting
n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光
参考例句：
The gas lamp gradually lost ground to electric lighting.煤气灯逐渐为电灯所代替。 The lighting in that restaurant is soft and romantic.那个餐馆照明柔和而且浪漫。

2 ripple
n.涟波，涟漪，波纹，粗钢梳；vt.使...起涟漪，使起波纹； vi.呈波浪状，起伏前进
参考例句：
The pebble made a ripple on the surface of the lake.石子在湖面上激起一个涟漪。 The small ripple split upon the beach.小小的涟漪卷来，碎在沙滩上。

3 ass
n.驴；傻瓜，蠢笨的人
参考例句：
He is not an ass as they make him.他不象大家猜想的那样笨。 An ass endures his burden but not more than his burden.驴能负重但不能超过它能力所负担的。

4 thither
adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的
参考例句：
He wandered hither and thither looking for a playmate.他逛来逛去找玩伴。 He tramped hither and thither.他到处流浪。

5 wretch
n.可怜的人，不幸的人；卑鄙的人
参考例句：
You are really an ungrateful wretch to complain instead of thanking him.你不但不谢他，还埋怨他，真不知好歹。 The dead husband is not the dishonoured wretch they fancied him.死去的丈夫不是他们所想象的不光彩的坏蛋。

6 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。

7 mutual
adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的
参考例句：
We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。 Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。

8 gulls
n.鸥( gull的名词复数 )v.欺骗某人( gull的第三人称单数 )
参考例句：
A flock of sea gulls are hovering over the deck. 一群海鸥在甲板上空飞翔。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》 The gulls which haunted the outlying rocks in a prodigious number. 数不清的海鸥在遥远的岩石上栖息。 来自辞典例句

9 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。

10 imploring
恳求的，哀求的
参考例句：
Those calm, strange eyes could see her imploring face. 那平静的，没有表情的眼睛还能看得到她的乞怜求情的面容。 She gave him an imploring look. 她以哀求的眼神看着他。

11 suppliant
adj.哀恳的；n.恳求者，哀求者
参考例句：
He asked for help in a suppliant attitude.他以恳求的态度要我帮忙。 He knelt as a suppliant at the altar.他跪在祭坛前祈祷。

12 bosom
n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的
参考例句：
She drew a little book from her bosom.她从怀里取出一本小册子。 A dark jealousy stirred in his bosom.他内心生出一阵恶毒的嫉妒。

13 joyous
adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的
参考例句：
The lively dance heightened the joyous atmosphere of the scene.轻快的舞蹈给这场戏渲染了欢乐气氛。 They conveyed the joyous news to us soon.他们把这一佳音很快地传递给我们。

14 upwards
adv.向上，在更高处...以上
参考例句：
The trend of prices is still upwards.物价的趋向是仍在上涨。 The smoke rose straight upwards.烟一直向上升。

15 injustice
n.非正义，不公正，不公平，侵犯（别人的）权利
参考例句：
They complained of injustice in the way they had been treated.他们抱怨受到不公平的对待。 All his life he has been struggling against injustice.他一生都在与不公正现象作斗争。

16 dishonoured
a.不光彩的，不名誉的
参考例句：
You have dishonoured the name of the school. 你败坏了学校的名声。 We found that the bank had dishonoured some of our cheques. 我们发现银行拒绝兑现我们的部分支票。

17 dinning
vt.喧闹（din的现在分词形式）
参考例句：
The cries of his tormentors were still dinning in his ears. 使他痛苦的人们的叫嚣仍然在他的耳际震响。 来自辞典例句 The meals in the artistic little dinning-room were pleasant. 在雅致的小餐厅里吃饭是一种享受。 来自辞典例句

18 hoarsely
adv.嘶哑地
参考例句：
"Excuse me," he said hoarsely. “对不起。”他用嘶哑的嗓子说。 Jerry hoarsely professed himself at Miss Pross's service. 杰瑞嘶声嘶气地表示愿为普洛丝小姐效劳。 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

19 lawful
adj.法律许可的，守法的，合法的
参考例句：
It is not lawful to park in front of a hydrant.在消火栓前停车是不合法的。 We don't recognised him to be the lawful heir.我们不承认他为合法继承人。

20 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。

21 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。

22 avenge
v.为...复仇，为...报仇
参考例句：
He swore to avenge himself on the mafia.他发誓说要向黑手党报仇。 He will avenge the people on their oppressor.他将为人民向压迫者报仇。

23 precipice
n.悬崖，危急的处境
参考例句：
The hut hung half over the edge of the precipice.那间小屋有一半悬在峭壁边上。 A slight carelessness on this precipice could cost a man his life.在这悬崖上稍一疏忽就会使人丧生。

24 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。

25 crouch
v.蹲伏，蜷缩，低头弯腰；n.蹲伏
参考例句：
I crouched on the ground.我蹲在地上。 He crouched down beside him.他在他的旁边蹲下来。

26 crumbling
adj.摇摇欲坠的
参考例句：
an old house with crumbling plaster and a leaking roof 一所灰泥剥落、屋顶漏水的老房子 The boat was tied up alongside a crumbling limestone jetty. 这条船停泊在一个摇摇欲坠的石灰岩码头边。

27 margin
n.页边空白；差额；余地，余裕；边，边缘
参考例句：
We allowed a margin of 20 minutes in catching the train.我们有20分钟的余地赶火车。 The village is situated at the margin of a forest.村子位于森林的边缘。

28 cuff
n.袖口；手铐；护腕；vt.用手铐铐；上袖口
参考例句：
She hoped they wouldn't cuff her hands behind her back.她希望他们不要把她反铐起来。 Would you please draw together the snag in my cuff?请你把我袖口上的裂口缝上好吗？

29 spurned
v.一脚踢开，拒绝接受( spurn的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
Eve spurned Mark's invitation. 伊夫一口回绝了马克的邀请。 With Mrs. Reed, I remember my best was always spurned with scorn. 对里德太太呢，我记得我的最大努力总是遭到唾弃。 来自辞典例句

30 forth
adv.向前；向外，往外
参考例句：
The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。 He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

31 eternity
n.不朽，来世；永恒，无穷
参考例句：
The dull play seemed to last an eternity.这场乏味的剧似乎演个没完没了。 Finally,Ying Tai and Shan Bo could be together for all of eternity.英台和山伯终能双宿双飞，永世相随。

32 perpendicular
adj.垂直的，直立的；n.垂直线，垂直的位置
参考例句：
The two lines of bones are set perpendicular to one another.这两排骨头相互垂直。 The wall is out of the perpendicular.这墙有些倾斜。

33 slant
v.倾斜，倾向性地编写或报道；n.斜面，倾向
参考例句：
The lines are drawn on a slant.这些线条被画成斜线。 The editorial had an antiunion slant.这篇社论有一种反工会的倾向。

34 mangled
vt.乱砍（mangle的过去式与过去分词形式）
参考例句：
His hand was mangled in the machine. 他的手卷到机器里轧烂了。 He was off work because he'd mangled his hand in a machine. 他没上班，因为他的手给机器严重压伤了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

35 corpse
n.尸体，死尸
参考例句：
What she saw was just an unfeeling corpse.她见到的只是一具全无感觉的尸体。 The corpse was preserved from decay by embalming.尸体用香料涂抹以防腐烂。

36 avenged
v.为…复仇，报…之仇( avenge的过去式和过去分词 )；为…报复
参考例句：
She avenged her mother's death upon the Nazi soldiers. 她惩处了纳粹士兵以报杀母之仇。 来自《简明英汉词典》 The Indians avenged the burning of their village on〔upon〕 the settlers. 印第安人因为村庄被焚毁向拓居者们进行报复。 来自《简明英汉词典》

37 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。

38 remorse
n.痛恨，悔恨，自责
参考例句：
She had no remorse about what she had said.她对所说的话不后悔。 He has shown no remorse for his actions.他对自己的行为没有任何悔恨之意。

39 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。

40 accomplished
adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的
参考例句：
Thanks to your help,we accomplished the task ahead of schedule.亏得你们帮忙,我们才提前完成了任务。 Removal of excess heat is accomplished by means of a radiator.通过散热器完成多余热量的排出。

41 grandeur
n.伟大，崇高，宏伟，庄严，豪华
参考例句：
The grandeur of the Great Wall is unmatched.长城的壮观是独一无二的。 These ruins sufficiently attest the former grandeur of the place.这些遗迹充分证明此处昔日的宏伟。

42 plundered
掠夺，抢劫( plunder的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
Many of our cultural treasures have been plundered by imperialists. 我国许多珍贵文物被帝国主义掠走了。 The imperialists plundered many valuable works of art. 帝国主义列强掠夺了许多珍贵的艺术品。