NEKHLUDOFF AND KATUSHA.

And so the evening passed and night came. The doctor went to bed. Nekhludoff's aunts had also retired¹, and he knew that Matrona Pavlovna was now with them in their bedroom so that Katusha was sure to be alone in the maids' sitting-room². He again went out into the porch. It was dark, damp and warm out of doors, and that white spring mist which drives away the last snow, or is diffused³ by the thawing⁴ of the last snow, filled the air. From the river under the hill, about a hundred steps from the front door, came a strange sound. It was the ice breaking. Nekhludoff came down the steps and went up to the window of the maids' room, stepping over the puddles⁶ on the bits of glazed⁷ snow. His heart was beating so fiercely in his breast that he seemed to hear it, his laboured breath came and went in a burst of long-drawn sighs. In the maids' room a small lamp was burning, and Katusha sat alone by the table, looking thoughtfully in front of her. Nekhludoff stood a long time without moving and waited to see what she, not knowing that she was observed, would do. For a minute or two she did not move; then she lifted her eyes, smiled and shook her head as if chiding⁸ herself, then changed her pose and dropped both her arms on the table and again began gazing down in front of her. He stood and looked at her, involuntarily listening to the beating of his own heart and the strange sounds from the river. There on the river, beneath the white mist, the unceasing labour went on, and sounds as of something sobbing⁹, cracking, dropping, being shattered to pieces mixed with the tinkling¹⁰ of the thin bits of ice as they broke against each other like glass.

There he stood, looking at Katusha's serious, suffering face, which betrayed the inner struggle of her soul, and he felt pity for her; but, strange though it may seem, this pity only confirmed him in his evil intention.

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1 retired
adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的
参考例句：
The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。 Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

2 sitting-room
n.（BrE）客厅，起居室
参考例句：
The sitting-room is clean.起居室很清洁。 Each villa has a separate sitting-room.每栋别墅都有一间独立的起居室。

3 diffused
散布的，普及的，扩散的
参考例句：
A drop of milk diffused in the water. 一滴牛奶在水中扩散开来。 Gases and liquids diffused. 气体和液体慢慢混合了。

4 thawing
n.熔化，融化v.（气候）解冻( thaw的现在分词 )；（态度、感情等）缓和；（冰、雪及冷冻食物）溶化；软化
参考例句：
The ice is thawing. 冰在融化。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》 It had been snowing and thawing and the streets were sloppy. 天一直在下雪，雪又一直在融化，街上泥泞不堪。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

5 puddle
n.(雨)水坑，泥潭
参考例句：
The boy hopped the mud puddle and ran down the walk.这个男孩跳过泥坑，沿着人行道跑了。 She tripped over and landed in a puddle.她绊了一下，跌在水坑里。

6 puddles
n.水坑， （尤指道路上的）雨水坑( puddle的名词复数 )
参考例句：
The puddles had coalesced into a small stream. 地面上水洼子里的水汇流成了一条小溪。 The road was filled with puddles from the rain. 雨后路面到处是一坑坑的积水。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 glazed
adj.光滑的，像玻璃的；上过釉的；呆滞无神的v.装玻璃( glaze的过去式)；上釉于，上光；（目光）变得呆滞无神
参考例句：
eyes glazed with boredom 厌倦无神的眼睛 His eyes glazed over at the sight of her. 看到她时，他的目光就变得呆滞。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 chiding
v.责骂，责备( chide的现在分词 )
参考例句：
She was chiding her son for not being more dutiful to her. 她在责骂她儿子对她不够孝尽。 来自《简明英汉词典》 She called back her scattered maidens, chiding their alarm. 她把受惊的少女们召唤回来，对她们的惊惶之状加以指责。 来自辞典例句

9 sobbing
<主方>Ⅰ adj.湿透的
参考例句：
I heard a child sobbing loudly. 我听见有个孩子在呜呜地哭。 Her eyes were red with recent sobbing. 她的眼睛因刚哭过而发红。

10 tinkling
n.丁当作响声
参考例句：
I could hear bells tinkling in the distance. 我能听到远处叮当铃响。 To talk to him was like listening to the tinkling of a worn-out musical-box. 跟他说话，犹如听一架老掉牙的八音盒子丁冬响。 来自英汉文学

11 pane
n.窗格玻璃，长方块
参考例句：
He broke this pane of glass.他打破了这块窗玻璃。 Their breath bloomed the frosty pane.他们呼出的水气，在冰冷的窗玻璃上形成一层雾。

12 submission
n.服从，投降；温顺，谦虚；提出
参考例句：
The defeated general showed his submission by giving up his sword.战败将军缴剑表示投降。 No enemy can frighten us into submission.任何敌人的恐吓都不能使我们屈服。

13 beckoned
v.（用头或手的动作）示意，召唤( beckon的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
He beckoned to the waiter to bring the bill. 他招手示意服务生把账单送过来。 The seated figure in the corner beckoned me over. 那个坐在角落里的人向我招手让我过去。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 dense
a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的
参考例句：
The general ambushed his troops in the dense woods. 将军把部队埋伏在浓密的树林里。 The path was completely covered by the dense foliage. 小路被树叶厚厚地盖了一层。

15 rustling
n. 瑟瑟声，沙沙声 adj. 发沙沙声的
参考例句：
the sound of the trees rustling in the breeze 树木在微风中发出的沙沙声 the soft rustling of leaves 树叶柔和的沙沙声

16 latch
n.门闩，窗闩；弹簧锁
参考例句：
She laid her hand on the latch of the door.她把手放在门闩上。 The repairman installed an iron latch on the door.修理工在门上安了铁门闩。

17 bustle
v.喧扰地忙乱，匆忙，奔忙；n.忙碌；喧闹
参考例句：
The bustle and din gradually faded to silence as night advanced.随着夜越来越深，喧闹声逐渐沉寂。 There is a lot of hustle and bustle in the railway station.火车站里非常拥挤。

18 implore
vt.乞求，恳求，哀求
参考例句：
I implore you to write. At least tell me you're alive.请给我音讯，让我知道你还活着。 Please implore someone else's help in a crisis.危险时请向别人求助。

19 lighter
n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级
参考例句：
The portrait was touched up so as to make it lighter.这张画经过润色，色调明朗了一些。 The lighter works off the car battery.引燃器利用汽车蓄电池打火。

20 waning
adj.（月亮）渐亏的，逐渐减弱或变小的n.月亏v.衰落( wane的现在分词 )；（月）亏；变小；变暗淡
参考例句：
Her enthusiasm for the whole idea was waning rapidly. 她对整个想法的热情迅速冷淡了下来。 The day is waning and the road is ending. 日暮途穷。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

21 weird
adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的
参考例句：
From his weird behaviour,he seems a bit of an oddity.从他不寻常的行为看来，他好像有点怪。 His weird clothes really gas me.他的怪衣裳简直笑死人。