Having unlocked the door, Maurice dashed back into bed.

"Curtains drawn¹, sir, nice air, nice day for the match," said Simcox entering in some excitement with the tea. He looked at the head of black hair that was all the visitor showed. No answer came, and, disappointed of the morning chat Mr Hall had hith-erto accorded, he gathered up the dinner-jacket and its appur-tenances, and took them away to brush.

Simcox and Scudder; two servants. Maurice sat up and drank a cup of tea. He would have to give Scudder some handsome present now, indeed he would like to, but what should it be? What could one give a man in that position? Not a motor-bike. Then he remembered that he was emigrating, which made the problem easier. But the anxious look remained on his face, for he was wondering whether Simcox had been surprised at find-ing the door locked. Also had he meant anything by "Curtains drawn, sir"? Voices sounded under his window. He tried to drowse again, but the acts of other men had impinged.

"Now what will you wear, sir, I wonder?" inquired Simcox, returning. "You'll put on your cricketing flannels² straight away perhaps; that rather than the tweed."

"All right."

"College blazer with them, sir?"

"No—never mind."

"Very good, sir." He straightened out a pair of socks and con-tinued meditatively³: "Oh, they've moved that ladder at last, I see. About time." Maurice then saw that the tips against the sky had disappeared. "I could have sworn it was here when I brought in your tea, sir. Still, one can never be certain."

"No, one can't," agreed Maurice, speaking with difficulty and with the sense that he had lost his bearings. He felt relief when Simcox had left, but it was overshadowed by the thought of Mrs Durham and the breakfast table, and by the problem of a suit-able present for his late companion. It couldn't be a cheque, lest suspicions were aroused when it was cashed. As he dressed, the trickle⁴ of discomfort⁵ gathered force. Though not a dandy, he had the suburban

点击收听单词发音  

1 drawn
v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的
参考例句：
All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。 Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

2 flannels
法兰绒男裤； 法兰绒( flannel的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Erik had been seen in flannels and an imitation Panama hat. 人们看到埃里克身穿法兰绒裤，头戴仿制巴拿马草帽。 He is wearing flannels and a blue jacket. 他穿着一条法兰绒裤子和一件蓝夹克。

3 meditatively
adv.冥想地
参考例句：
The old man looked meditatively at the darts board. 老头儿沉思不语，看着那投镖板。 来自英汉文学 "Well,'said the foreman, scratching his ear meditatively, "we do need a stitcher. “这--"工头沉思地搔了搔耳朵。 "我们确实需要一个缝纫工。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

4 trickle
vi.淌，滴，流出，慢慢移动，逐渐消散
参考例句：
The stream has thinned down to a mere trickle.这条小河变成细流了。 The flood of cars has now slowed to a trickle.汹涌的车流现在已经变得稀稀拉拉。

5 discomfort
n.不舒服，不安，难过，困难，不方便
参考例句：
One has to bear a little discomfort while travelling.旅行中总要忍受一点不便。 She turned red with discomfort when the teacher spoke.老师讲话时她不好意思地红着脸。

6 suburban
adj.城郊的，在郊区的
参考例句：
Suburban shopping centers were springing up all over America. 效区的商业中心在美国如雨后春笋般地兴起。 There's a lot of good things about suburban living.郊区生活是有许多优点。

7 flake
v.使成薄片；雪片般落下；n.薄片
参考例句：
Drain the salmon,discard the skin,crush the bones and flake the salmon with a fork.将鲑鱼沥干，去表皮，粉碎鱼骨并用餐叉子将鱼肉切成小薄片状。 The paint's beginning to flake.油漆开始剥落了。

8 descended
a.为...后裔的，出身于...的
参考例句：
A mood of melancholy descended on us. 一种悲伤的情绪袭上我们的心头。 The path descended the hill in a series of zigzags. 小路呈连续的之字形顺着山坡蜿蜒而下。

9 chauffeur
n.(受雇于私人或公司的)司机；v.为…开车
参考例句：
The chauffeur handed the old lady from the car.这个司机搀扶这个老太太下汽车。 She went out herself and spoke to the chauffeur.她亲自走出去跟汽车司机说话。

10 fatuities
n.愚昧，昏庸( fatuity的名词复数 )；愚蠢的言行
参考例句：

11 territorial
adj.领土的，领地的
参考例句：
The country is fighting to preserve its territorial integrity.该国在为保持领土的完整而进行斗争。 They were not allowed to fish in our territorial waters.不允许他们在我国领海捕鱼。

12 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。

13 versus
prep.以…为对手，对；与…相比之下
参考例句：
The big match tonight is England versus Spain.今晚的大赛是英格兰对西班牙。 The most exciting game was Harvard versus Yale.最富紧张刺激的球赛是哈佛队对耶鲁队。

14 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。

15 lout
n.粗鄙的人；举止粗鲁的人
参考例句：
He's just an ill-bred lout.他是个缺乏教养的乡巴佬。 He had no training, no skills and he was just a big, bungling,useless lout!什么也不行，什么也不会，自己只是个傻大黑粗的废物！

16 squatted
v.像动物一样蹲下( squat的过去式和过去分词 )；非法擅自占用（土地或房屋）；为获得其所有权；而占用某片公共用地。
参考例句：
He squatted down beside the footprints and examined them closely. 他蹲在脚印旁仔细地观察。 来自《简明英汉词典》 He squatted in the grass discussing with someone. 他蹲在草地上与一个人谈话。 来自《简明英汉词典》

17 apparently
adv.显然地；表面上，似乎
参考例句：
An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。 He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

18 conceited
adj.自负的，骄傲自满的
参考例句：
He could not bear that they should be so conceited.他们这样自高自大他受不了。 I'm not as conceited as so many people seem to think.我不像很多人认为的那么自负。

19 crumble
vi.碎裂，崩溃；vt.弄碎，摧毁
参考例句：
Opposition more or less crumbled away.反对势力差不多都瓦解了。 Even if the seas go dry and rocks crumble,my will will remain firm.纵然海枯石烂，意志永不动摇。

20 semblance
n.外貌，外表
参考例句：
Her semblance of anger frightened the children.她生气的样子使孩子们感到害怕。 Those clouds have the semblance of a large head.那些云的形状像一个巨大的人头。

21 wary
adj.谨慎的，机警的，小心的
参考例句：
He is wary of telling secrets to others.他谨防向他人泄露秘密。 Paula frowned,suddenly wary.宝拉皱了皱眉头，突然警惕起来。

22 languished
长期受苦( languish的过去式和过去分词 )； 受折磨； 变得（越来越）衰弱； 因渴望而变得憔悴或闷闷不乐
参考例句：
Our project languished during the holidays. 我们的计划在假期间推动得松懈了。 He languished after his dog died. 他狗死之后，人憔悴了。

23 squire
n.护卫, 侍从, 乡绅
参考例句：
I told him the squire was the most liberal of men.我告诉他乡绅是世界上最宽宏大量的人。 The squire was hard at work at Bristol.乡绅在布里斯托尔热衷于他的工作。

24 receded
v.逐渐远离( recede的过去式和过去分词 )；向后倾斜；自原处后退或避开别人的注视；尤指问题
参考例句：
The floodwaters have now receded. 洪水现已消退。 The sound of the truck receded into the distance. 卡车的声音渐渐在远处消失了。

25 socialist
n.社会主义者；adj.社会主义的
参考例句：
China is a socialist country,and a developing country as well.中国是一个社会主义国家，也是一个发展中国家。 His father was an ardent socialist.他父亲是一个热情的社会主义者。

26 frantically
ad.发狂地, 发疯地
参考例句：
He dashed frantically across the road. 他疯狂地跑过马路。 She bid frantically for the old chair. 她发狂地喊出高价要买那把古老的椅子。