"Mornin', doctor. Think you can polish me off this time?" he began, very flippant in his manner; then flung himself down in the chair, half closed his eyes and said, "Well, go ahead." He was in a fury to be cured. The knowledge of this interview had helped him to bear up against the vam-pire. Once normal, he could settle him. He longed for the trance, wherein his personality would melt and be subtly reformed. At the least he gained five minutes' oblivion, while the will of the doctor strove to penetrate¹ his own.

"I will go ahead in one moment, Mr Hall. First tell me how you have been?"

"Oh, as usual. Fresh air and exercise, as you told me. All serene²."

"Have you frequented female society with any pleasure?"

"Some ladies were at Penge. I only stayed one night there. The day after you saw me, Friday, I returned to London— that's to say home."

"You had intended to stop longer with your friends, I think."

"I think I did."

Lasker Jones then sat down on the side of his chair. "Let yourself go now," he said quietly.

"Rather."

He repeated the passes. Maurice looked at the fire irons as before.

"Mr Hall, are you going into a trance?"

There was a long silence, broken by Maurice saying gravely, "I'm not quite sure."

They tried again.

"Is the room at all dark, Mr Hall?"

Maurice said, "A bit," in the hope that it would become so. And it did darken a little.

"What do you see?"

"Well, if it's dark I can't be expected to see."

"What did you see last time?"

"A picture."

"Quite so, and what else?"

"What else?"

"What else? A cr— a cr—"

"Crack in the floor."

"And then?"

Maurice changed his position and said, "I stepped over it."

"And then?"

He was silent.

"And then?" the persuasive³ voice repeated.

"I hear you all right," said Maurice. "The bother is I've not gone off. I went just a little muzzy at the start, but now I'm as wide awake as you are. You might have another shot."

They tried again, with no success.

"What in Hell can have happened? You could bowl me out last week first ball. What's your explanation?"

点击收听单词发音  

1 penetrate
v.透(渗)入；刺入，刺穿；洞察，了解
参考例句：
Western ideas penetrate slowly through the East.西方观念逐渐传入东方。 The sunshine could not penetrate where the trees were thickest.阳光不能透入树木最浓密的地方。

2 serene
adj. 安详的，宁静的，平静的
参考例句：
He has entered the serene autumn of his life.他已进入了美好的中年时期。 He didn't speak much,he just smiled with that serene smile of his.他话不多，只是脸上露出他招牌式的淡定的微笑。

3 persuasive
adj.有说服力的，能说得使人相信的
参考例句：
His arguments in favour of a new school are very persuasive.他赞成办一座新学校的理由很有说服力。 The evidence was not really persuasive enough.证据并不是太有说服力。

4 jargon
n.术语，行话
参考例句：
They will not hear critics with their horrible jargon.他们不愿意听到评论家们那些可怕的行话。 It is important not to be overawed by the mathematical jargon.要紧的是不要被数学的术语所吓倒.

5 guffawed
v.大笑，狂笑( guffaw的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
They all guffawed at his jokes. 他们听了他的笑话都一阵狂笑。 Hung-chien guffawed and said, "I deserve a scolding for that! 鸿渐哈哈大笑道：“我是该骂！ 来自汉英文学 - 围城

6 affectedly
参考例句：
Two people affectedly bashful half talent says: "Without. " 两人扭捏了半天才说：“没有。” 来自互联网 The officials don't accept people's petition, if they do, they just affectedly. 这些官员不会接受人民的请愿，如果他们会接受，那也只是在做作而已。 来自互联网

7 bluff
v.虚张声势，用假象骗人；n.虚张声势，欺骗
参考例句：
His threats are merely bluff.他的威胁仅仅是虚张声势。 John is a deep card.No one can bluff him easily.约翰是个机灵鬼。谁也不容易欺骗他。

8 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。

9 persecuted
（尤指宗教或政治信仰的）迫害(~sb. for sth.)( persecute的过去式和过去分词 )； 烦扰，困扰或骚扰某人
参考例句：
Throughout history, people have been persecuted for their religious beliefs. 人们因宗教信仰而受迫害的情况贯穿了整个历史。 Members of these sects are ruthlessly persecuted and suppressed. 这些教派的成员遭到了残酷的迫害和镇压。

10 psychiatry
n.精神病学，精神病疗法
参考例句：
The study appeared in the Amercian science Journal of Psychiatry.这个研究发表在美国精神病学的杂志上。 A physician is someone who specializes in psychiatry.精神病专家是专门从事精神病治疗的人。

11 construed
v.解释（陈述、行为等）( construe的过去式和过去分词 )；翻译，作句法分析
参考例句：
He considered how the remark was to be construed. 他考虑这话该如何理解。 They construed her silence as meaning that she agreed. 他们把她的沉默解释为表示赞同。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 solicitor
n.初级律师，事务律师
参考例句：
The solicitor's advice gave me food for thought.律师的指点值得我深思。 The solicitor moved for an adjournment of the case.律师请求将这个案件的诉讼延期。

13 awfully
adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地
参考例句：
Agriculture was awfully neglected in the past.过去农业遭到严重忽视。 I've been feeling awfully bad about it.对这我一直感到很难受。

14 confession
n.自白，供认，承认
参考例句：
Her confession was simply tantamount to a casual explanation.她的自白简直等于一篇即席说明。 The police used torture to extort a confession from him.警察对他用刑逼供。

15 detailed
adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的
参考例句：
He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。 A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。

16 swerved
v.（使）改变方向，改变目的( swerve的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
She swerved sharply to avoid a cyclist. 她猛地急转弯，以躲开一个骑自行车的人。 The driver has swerved on a sudden to avoid a file of geese. 为了躲避一队鹅，司机突然来个急转弯。 来自《简明英汉词典》

17 fixed
adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的
参考例句：
Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？ Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。