The mansion¹ of the eighteenth century Earl had been changed in the twentieth century into a Club. And it was pleasant, after dining in the great room with the pillars and the chandeliers under a glare of light to go out on to the balcony overlooking the Park. The trees were in full leaf, and had there been a moon, one could have seen the pink and cream coloured cockades on the chestnut² trees. But it was a moonless night; very warm, after a fine summer’s day.

Mr. and Mrs. Ivimey’s party were drinking coffee and smoking on the balcony. As if to relieve them from the need of talking, to entertain them without any effort on their part, rods of light wheeled across the sky. It was peace then; the air force was practising; searching for enemy aircraft in the sky. After pausing to prod³ some suspected spot, the light wheeled, like the wings of a windmill, or again like the antennae⁴ of some prodigious⁵ insect and revealed here a cadaverous stone front; here a chestnut tree with all its blossoms riding; and then suddenly the light struck straight at the balcony, and for a second a bright disc shoneperhaps it was a mirror in a ladies’ hand-bag.

“Look!” Mrs. Ivimey exclaimed.

The light passed. They were in darkness again

“You’ll never guess what THAT made me see! she added. Naturally, they guessed.

“No, no, no,” she protested. Nobody could guess; only she knew; only she could know, because she was the great-grand-daughter of the man himself. He had told her the story. What story? If they liked, she would try to tell it. There was still time before the play.

“But where do I begin?” she pondered. “In the year 1820? . . . It must have been about then that my greatgrandfather was a boy. I’m not young myself “— no, but she was very well set up and handsome —“and he was a very old man when I was a child — when he told me the story. A very handsome old man, with a shock of white hair, and blue eyes. He must have been a beautiful boy. But queer. . . . That was only natural,” she explained, “seeing how they lived. The name was Comber. They’d come down in the world. They’d been gentlefolk; they’d owned land up in Yorkshire. But when he was a boy only the tower was left. The house was nothing but a little

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1 mansion
n.大厦，大楼；宅第
参考例句：
The old mansion was built in 1850.这座古宅建于1850年。 The mansion has extensive grounds.这大厦四周的庭园广阔。

2 chestnut
n.栗树，栗子
参考例句：
We have a chestnut tree in the bottom of our garden.我们的花园尽头有一棵栗树。 In summer we had tea outdoors,under the chestnut tree.夏天我们在室外栗树下喝茶。

3 prod
vt.戳，刺；刺激，激励
参考例句：
The crisis will prod them to act.那个危机将刺激他们行动。 I shall have to prod him to pay me what he owes.我将不得不催促他把欠我的钱还给我。

4 antennae
n.天线；触角
参考例句：
Sometimes a creature uses a pair of antennae to swim.有时某些动物使用其一对触须来游泳。 Cuba's government said that Cubans found watching American television on clandestine antennae would face three years in jail.古巴政府说那些用秘密天线收看美国电视的古巴人将面临三年监禁。

5 prodigious
adj.惊人的，奇妙的；异常的；巨大的；庞大的
参考例句：
This business generates cash in prodigious amounts.这种业务收益丰厚。 He impressed all who met him with his prodigious memory.他惊人的记忆力让所有见过他的人都印象深刻。

6 farmhouse
n.农场住宅（尤指主要住房）
参考例句：
We fell for the farmhouse as soon as we saw it.我们对那所农舍一见倾心。 We put up for the night at a farmhouse.我们在一间农舍投宿了一夜。

7 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。

8 panes
窗玻璃( pane的名词复数 )
参考例句：
The sun caught the panes and flashed back at him. 阳光照到窗玻璃上，又反射到他身上。 The window-panes are dim with steam. 玻璃窗上蒙上了一层蒸汽。

9 moor
n.荒野，沼泽；vt.(使)停泊；vi.停泊
参考例句：
I decided to moor near some tourist boats.我决定在一些观光船附近停泊。 There were hundreds of the old huts on the moor.沼地上有成百上千的古老的石屋。

10 moors
v.停泊，系泊（船只）( moor的第三人称单数 )
参考例句：
the North York moors 北约克郡的漠泽 They're shooting grouse up on the moors. 他们在荒野射猎松鸡。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 clatter
v./n.(使)发出连续而清脆的撞击声
参考例句：
The dishes and bowls slid together with a clatter.碟子碗碰得丁丁当当的。 Don't clatter your knives and forks.别把刀叉碰得咔哒响。

12 middle-aged
adj.中年的
参考例句：
I noticed two middle-aged passengers.我注意到两个中年乘客。 The new skin balm was welcome by middle-aged women.这种新护肤香膏受到了中年妇女的欢迎。

13 sweeping
adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的
参考例句：
The citizens voted for sweeping reforms.公民投票支持全面的改革。 Can you hear the wind sweeping through the branches?你能听到风掠过树枝的声音吗？

14 dozing
v.打瞌睡,假寐 n.瞌睡
参考例句：
The economy shows no signs of faltering. 经济没有衰退的迹象。 He never falters in his determination. 他的决心从不动摇。

15 scouring
擦[洗]净，冲刷，洗涤
参考例句：
The police are scouring the countryside for the escaped prisoners. 警察正在搜索整个乡村以捉拿逃犯。 This is called the scouring train in wool processing. 这被称为羊毛加工中的洗涤系列。

16 propped
支撑，支持，维持( prop的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
He sat propped up in the bed by pillows. 他靠着枕头坐在床上。 This fence should be propped up. 这栅栏该用东西支一支。

17 shaft
n.(工具的)柄，杆状物
参考例句：
He was wounded by a shaft.他被箭击中受伤。 This is the shaft of a steam engine.这是一个蒸汽机主轴。

18 doorway
n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径
参考例句：
They huddled in the shop doorway to shelter from the rain.他们挤在商店门口躲雨。 Mary suddenly appeared in the doorway.玛丽突然出现在门口。

19 fumble
vi.笨拙地用手摸、弄、接等，摸索
参考例句：
His awkwardness made him fumble with the key.由于尴尬不安，他拿钥匙开锁时显得笨手笨脚。 He fumbled his one-handed attempt to light his cigarette.他笨拙地想用一只手点燃香烟。

20 gathering
n.集会，聚会，聚集
参考例句：
He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。 He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。