October 1st. - All is settled now. My father has given his consent, and the time is fixed¹ for Christmas, by a sort of compromise between the respective advocates for hurry and delay. Milicent Hargrave is to be one bridesmaid and Annabella Wilmot the other - not that I am particularly fond of the latter, but she is an intimate of the family, and I have not another friend.

When I told Milicent of my engagement, she rather provoked me by her manner of talking it. After staring a moment in mute surprise, she said, - 'Well, Helen, I suppose I ought to congratulate you - and I am glad to see you so happy; but I did not think you would take him; and I can't help feeling surprised that you should like him so much.'

'Why so?'

'Because you are so superior to him in every way, and there's something so bold and reckless about him - so, I don't know how - but I always feel a wish to get out of his way when I see him approach.'

'You are timid, Milicent; but that's no fault of his.'

'And then his look,' continued she. 'People say he's handsome, and of course he is; but I don't like that kind of beauty, and I wonder that you should.'

'Why so, pray?'

'Well, you know, I think there's nothing noble or lofty in his appearance.'

'In fact, you wonder that I can like any one so unlike the stilted² heroes of romance. Well, give me my flesh and blood lover, and I'll leave all the Sir Herberts and Valentines to you - if you can find them.'

'I don't want them,' said she. 'I'll be satisfied with flesh and blood too - only the spirit must shine through and predominate. But don't you think Mr. Huntingdon's face is too red?'

'No!' cried I, indignantly. 'It is not red at all. There is just a pleasant glow, a healthy freshness in his complexion³ - the warm, pinky tint⁴ of the whole harmonising with the deeper colour of the cheeks, exactly as it ought to do. I hate a man to be red and white, like a painted doll, or all sickly white, or smoky black, or cadaverous yellow.'

'Well, tastes differ - but I like pale or dark,' replied she. 'But, to tell you the truth, Helen, I had been deluding⁵ myself with the hope that you would one day be my sister. I expected Walter would be introduced to you next season; and I thought you would like him, and was certain he would like you; and I flattered myself I should thus have the felicity of seeing the two persons I like best in the world - except mamma - united in one. He mayn't be exactly what you would call handsome, but he's far more distinguished-looking, and nicer and better than Mr. Huntingdon; - and I'm sure you would say so, if you knew him.'

点击收听单词发音  

1 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。

2 stilted
adj.虚饰的；夸张的
参考例句：
All too soon the stilted conversation ran out.很快这种做作的交谈就结束了。 His delivery was stilted and occasionally stumbling.他的发言很生硬，有时还打结巴。

3 complexion
n.肤色；情况，局面；气质，性格
参考例句：
Red does not suit with her complexion.红色与她的肤色不协调。 Her resignation puts a different complexion on things.她一辞职局面就全变了。

4 tint
n.淡色，浅色；染发剂；vt.着以淡淡的颜色
参考例句：
You can't get up that naturalness and artless rosy tint in after days.你今后不再会有这种自然和朴实无华的红润脸色。 She gave me instructions on how to apply the tint.她告诉我如何使用染发剂。

5 deluding
v.欺骗，哄骗( delude的现在分词 )
参考例句：
They used Teresa's desolation as another proof that believers are deluding themselves. 他们用德肋撒嬷嬷的孤寂再一次论证信徒们是在蒙蔽自己。 来自互联网 There is, for instance, a self-deluding interpretation of the contemporary world situation. 比如说有一些对当代世界时局自我欺骗式的阐释。 来自互联网

6 disparage
v.贬抑，轻蔑
参考例句：
Your behaviour will disparage the whole family.你的行为将使全家丢脸。 Never disparage yourself or minimize your strength or power.不要贬低你自己或降低你的力量或能力。

7 impunity
n.(惩罚、损失、伤害等的)免除
参考例句：
You will not escape with impunity.你不可能逃脱惩罚。 The impunity what compulsory insurance sets does not include escapement.交强险规定的免责范围不包括逃逸。

8 amiable
adj.和蔼可亲的，友善的，亲切的
参考例句：
She was a very kind and amiable old woman.她是个善良和气的老太太。 We have a very amiable companionship.我们之间存在一种友好的关系。

9 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。

10 vindictive
adj.有报仇心的，怀恨的，惩罚的
参考例句：
I have no vindictive feelings about it.我对此没有恶意。 The vindictive little girl tore up her sister's papers.那个充满报复心的小女孩撕破了她姐姐的作业。

11 countenance
n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同
参考例句：
At the sight of this photograph he changed his countenance.他一看见这张照片脸色就变了。 I made a fierce countenance as if I would eat him alive.我脸色恶狠狠地，仿佛要把他活生生地吞下去。

12 delightful
adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的
参考例句：
We had a delightful time by the seashore last Sunday.上星期天我们在海滨玩得真痛快。 Peter played a delightful melody on his flute.彼得用笛子吹奏了一支欢快的曲子。

13 vexed
adj.争论不休的；（指问题等）棘手的；争论不休的问题；烦恼的v.使烦恼( vex的过去式和过去分词 )；使苦恼；使生气；详细讨论
参考例句：
The conference spent days discussing the vexed question of border controls. 会议花了几天的时间讨论边境关卡这个难题。 He was vexed at his failure. 他因失败而懊恼。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

14 perusal
n.细读，熟读；目测
参考例句：
Peter Cooke undertook to send each of us a sample contract for perusal.彼得·库克答应给我们每人寄送一份合同样本供阅读。 A perusal of the letters which we have published has satisfied him of the reality of our claim.读了我们的公开信后，他终于相信我们的要求的确是真的。

15 grimaces
n.（表蔑视、厌恶等）面部扭曲，鬼脸( grimace的名词复数 )v.扮鬼相，做鬼脸( grimace的第三人称单数 )
参考例句：
Mr. Clark winked at the rude child making grimaces. 克拉克先生假装没有看见那个野孩子做鬼脸。 来自辞典例句 The most ridiculous grimaces were purposely or unconsciously indulged in. 故意或者无心地扮出最滑稽可笑的鬼脸。 来自辞典例句

16 avocations
n.业余爱好，嗜好( avocation的名词复数 )；职业
参考例句：
Most seem to come from technical avocations, like engineering, computers and sciences. 绝大多数人原有技术方面的爱好，比如工程、计算机和科学。 来自互联网 In terms of avocations, there is hardly anything in common between Jenny and her younger sister. 就业余爱好而言，珍妮和她妹妹几乎没什么共同之处。 来自互联网

17 entailed
使…成为必要( entail的过去式和过去分词 )； 需要； 限定继承； 使必需
参考例句：
The castle and the land are entailed on the eldest son. 城堡和土地限定由长子继承。 The house and estate are entailed on the eldest daughter. 这所房子和地产限定由长女继承。

18 prospects
n.希望，前途(恒为复数)
参考例句：
There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。 They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

19 jovial
adj.快乐的，好交际的
参考例句：
He seemed jovial,but his eyes avoided ours.他显得很高兴，但他的眼光却避开了我们的眼光。 Grandma was plump and jovial.祖母身材圆胖，整天乐呵呵的。

20 prop
vt.支撑；n.支柱，支撑物；支持者，靠山
参考例句：
A worker put a prop against the wall of the tunnel to keep it from falling.一名工人用东西支撑住隧道壁好使它不会倒塌。 The government does not intend to prop up declining industries.政府无意扶持不景气的企业。

21 shamefully
可耻地； 丢脸地； 不体面地； 羞耻地
参考例句：
He misused his dog shamefully. 他可耻地虐待自己的狗。 They have served me shamefully for a long time. 长期以来，他们待我很坏。

22 piqued
v.伤害…的自尊心( pique的过去式和过去分词 )；激起（好奇心）
参考例句：
Their curiosity piqued, they stopped writing. 他们的好奇心被挑起，停下了手中的笔。 来自辞典例句 This phenomenon piqued Dr Morris' interest. 这一现象激起了莫里斯医生的兴趣。 来自辞典例句

23 discourse
n.论文，演说；谈话；话语；vi.讲述，著述
参考例句：
We'll discourse on the subject tonight.我们今晚要谈论这个问题。 He fell into discourse with the customers who were drinking at the counter.他和站在柜台旁的酒客谈了起来。

24 deserted
adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的
参考例句：
The deserted village was filled with a deathly silence.这个荒废的村庄死一般的寂静。 The enemy chieftain was opposed and deserted by his followers.敌人头目众叛亲离。

25 crumpled
adj. 弯扭的, 变皱的 动词crumple的过去式和过去分词形式
参考例句：
She crumpled the letter up into a ball and threw it on the fire. 她把那封信揉成一团扔进了火里。 She flattened out the crumpled letter on the desk. 她在写字台上把皱巴巴的信展平。

26 scrawl
vt.潦草地书写；n.潦草的笔记，涂写
参考例句：
His signature was an illegible scrawl.他的签名潦草难以辨认。 Your beautiful handwriting puts my untidy scrawl to shame.你漂亮的字体把我的潦草字迹比得见不得人。

27 accusations
n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名
参考例句：
There were accusations of plagiarism. 曾有过关于剽窃的指控。 He remained unruffled by their accusations. 对于他们的指控他处之泰然。

28 lamentable
adj.令人惋惜的，悔恨的
参考例句：
This lamentable state of affairs lasted until 1947.这一令人遗憾的事态一直持续至1947年。 His practice of inebriation was lamentable.他的酗酒常闹得别人束手无策。

29 intimacy
n.熟悉，亲密，密切关系，亲昵的言行
参考例句：
His claims to an intimacy with the President are somewhat exaggerated.他声称自己与总统关系密切，这有点言过其实。 I wish there were a rule book for intimacy.我希望能有个关于亲密的规则。

30 mingled
混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系]
参考例句：
The sounds of laughter and singing mingled in the evening air. 笑声和歌声交织在夜空中。 The man and the woman mingled as everyone started to relax. 当大家开始放松的时候，这一男一女就开始交往了。

31 waterproof
n.防水材料；adj.防水的；v.使...能防水
参考例句：
My mother bought me a waterproof watch.我妈妈给我买了一块防水手表。 All the electronics are housed in a waterproof box.所有电子设备都储放在一个防水盒中。

32 wholesale
n.批发；adv.以批发方式；vt.批发，成批出售
参考例句：
The retail dealer buys at wholesale and sells at retail.零售商批发购进货物，以零售价卖出。 Such shoes usually wholesale for much less.这种鞋批发出售通常要便宜得多。

33 rambles
（无目的地）漫游( ramble的第三人称单数 )； （喻）漫谈； 扯淡； 长篇大论
参考例句：
He rambles in his talk. 他谈话时漫无中心。 You will have such nice rambles on the moors. 你可以在旷野里好好地溜达溜达。