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"Mrs. Shakespeare Smith would like to have Mr. John Brooke, Mr. Thomas Bangs, and Mr. Nathaniel Blake to come to her ball at three o'clock today.
"P.S. Nat must bring his fiddle1, so we can dance, and all the boys must be good, or they cannot have any of the nice things we have cooked."
This elegant invitation would, I fear, have been declined, but for the hint given in the last line of the postscript2.
"They have been cooking lots of goodies, I smelt3 'em. Let's go," said Tommy.
"We needn't stay after the feast, you know," added Demi.
"I never went to a ball. What do you have to do?" asked Nat.
"Oh, we just play be men, and sit round stiff and stupid like grown-up folks, and dance to please the girls. Then we eat up everything, and come away as soon as we can."
"I think I could do that," said Nat, after considering Tommy's description for a minute.
"I'll write and say we'll come;" and Demi despatched the following gentlemanly reply,
"We will all come. Please have lots to eat. J. B. Esquire."
Great was the anxiety of the ladies about their first ball, because if every thing went well they intended to give a dinner-party to the chosen few.
"Aunt Jo likes to have the boys play with us, if they are not rough; so we must make them like our balls, then they will do them good," said Daisy, with her maternal4 air, as she set the table and surveyed the store of refreshments5 with an anxious eye.
"Demi and Nat will be good, but Tommy will do something bad, I know he will," replied Nan, shaking her head over the little cake-basket which she was arranging.
"Then I shall send him right home," said Daisy, with decision.
"People don't do so at parties, it isn't proper."
"I shall never ask him any more."
"That would do. He'd be sorry not to come to the dinner-ball, wouldn't he?"
"I guess he would! we'll have the splendidest things ever seen, won't we? Real soup with a ladle and a tureem (she meant tureen) and a little bird for turkey, and
1
fiddle
n.小提琴;vi.拉提琴;不停拨弄,乱动
2
postscript
n.附言,又及;(正文后的)补充说明
3
smelt
v.熔解,熔炼;n.银白鱼,胡瓜鱼
4
maternal
adj.母亲的,母亲般的,母系的,母方的
5
refreshments
n.点心,便餐;(会议后的)简单茶点招 待
6
gravy
n.肉汁;轻易得来的钱,外快
7
ornament
v.装饰,美化;n.装饰,装饰物
8
ornamented
adj.花式字体的v.装饰,点缀,美化( ornament的过去式和过去分词 )
9
rosy
adj.美好的,乐观的,玫瑰色的
10
slippers
n. 拖鞋
11
elegance
n.优雅;优美,雅致;精致,巧妙
12
wart
n.疣,肉赘;瑕疵
13
distressed
痛苦的
14
gasped
v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 );喘息;倒抽气;很想要
15
candor
n.坦白,率真
16
winking
n.瞬眼,目语v.使眼色( wink的现在分词 );递眼色(表示友好或高兴等);(指光)闪烁;闪亮
17
conscientiously
adv.凭良心地;认真地,负责尽职地;老老实实
18
varied
adj.多样的,多变化的
19
motives
n.动机,目的( motive的名词复数 )
20
labored
adj.吃力的,谨慎的v.努力争取(for)( labor的过去式和过去分词 );苦干;详细分析;(指引擎)缓慢而困难地运转
21
beverage
n.(水,酒等之外的)饮料
22
affected
adj.不自然的,假装的
23
owl
n.猫头鹰,枭
24
festive
adj.欢宴的,节日的
25
vigor
n.活力,精力,元气
26
rattle
v.飞奔,碰响;激怒;n.碰撞声;拨浪鼓
27
gaily
adv.欢乐地,高兴地
28
gems
growth; economy; management; and customer satisfaction 增长
29
bestowed
赠给,授予( bestow的过去式和过去分词 )
30
mishaps
n.轻微的事故,小的意外( mishap的名词复数 )
31
jumble
vt.使混乱,混杂;n.混乱;杂乱的一堆
32
behold
v.看,注视,看到
33
raisin
n.葡萄干
34
swoop
n.俯冲,攫取;v.抓取,突然袭击
35
outraged
a.震惊的,义愤填膺的
36
fray
v.争吵;打斗;磨损,磨破;n.吵架;打斗
37
bawled
v.大叫,大喊( bawl的过去式和过去分词 );放声大哭;大声叫出;叫卖(货物)
38
accusation
n.控告,指责,谴责
39
devoted
adj.忠诚的,忠实的,热心的,献身于...的
40
mingled
混合,混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 ); 混进,与…交往[联系]
41
defenders
n.防御者( defender的名词复数 );守卫者;保护者;辩护者
42
innocence
n.无罪;天真;无害
43
foe
n.敌人,仇敌
44
pelted
(连续地)投掷( pelt的过去式和过去分词 ); 连续抨击; 攻击; 剥去…的皮
45
tarts
n.果馅饼( tart的名词复数 );轻佻的女人;妓女;小妞
46
ammunition
n.军火,弹药
47
besieged
包围,围困,围攻( besiege的过去式和过去分词 )
48
prospered
成功,兴旺( prosper的过去式和过去分词 )
49
villain
n.反派演员,反面人物;恶棍;问题的起因
50
ignominious
adj.可鄙的,不光彩的,耻辱的
51
conquerors
征服者,占领者( conqueror的名词复数 )
52
scattered
adj.分散的,稀疏的;散步的;疏疏落落的
53
accomplished
adj.有才艺的;有造诣的;达到了的
54
woes
困境( woe的名词复数 ); 悲伤; 我好苦哇; 某人就要倒霉
55
atoned
v.补偿,赎(罪)( atone的过去式和过去分词 );补偿,弥补,赎回
56
pointed
adj.尖的,直截了当的
57
countenance
n.脸色,面容;面部表情;vt.支持,赞同
58
retired
adj.隐退的,退休的,退役的
59
lamented
adj.被哀悼的,令人遗憾的v.(为…)哀悼,痛哭,悲伤( lament的过去式和过去分词 )
60
repented
对(自己的所为)感到懊悔或忏悔( repent的过去式和过去分词 )
61
banishment
n.放逐,驱逐
62
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
63
deserted
adj.荒芜的,荒废的,无人的,被遗弃的
64
unnatural
adj.不自然的;反常的
65
afflicted
使受痛苦,折磨( afflict的过去式和过去分词 )
66
secluding
v.使隔开,使隔绝,使隐退( seclude的现在分词 )
67
grumbled
抱怨( grumble的过去式和过去分词 ); 发牢骚; 咕哝; 发哼声
68
mightily
ad.强烈地;非常地
69
inquisitive
adj.求知欲强的,好奇的,好寻根究底的
70
lamenting
adj.悲伤的,悲哀的v.(为…)哀悼,痛哭,悲伤( lament的现在分词 )
71
consultation
n.咨询;商量;商议;会议
72
wagon
n.四轮马车,手推车,面包车;无盖运货列车
73
kindly
adj.和蔼的,温和的,爽快的;adv.温和地,亲切地
74
impatience
n.不耐烦,急躁
75
bustled
闹哄哄地忙乱,奔忙( bustle的过去式和过去分词 ); 催促
76
kit
n.用具包,成套工具;随身携带物
77
imposing
adj.使人难忘的,壮丽的,堂皇的,雄伟的
78
remarkable
adj.显著的,异常的,非凡的,值得注意的
79
behooved
v.适宜( behoove的过去式和过去分词 )
80
intervals
n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 );间隔时间;[数学]区间;(戏剧、电影或音乐会的)幕间休息
81
suspense
n.(对可能发生的事)紧张感,担心,挂虑
82
forth
adv.向前;向外,往外
83
shrieks
n.尖叫声( shriek的名词复数 )v.尖叫( shriek的第三人称单数 )
84
thoroughly
adv.完全地,彻底地,十足地
85
tickled
(使)发痒( tickle的过去式和过去分词 ); (使)愉快,逗乐
86
standing
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的
87
steadily
adv.稳定地;不变地;持续地
88
tug
v.用力拖(或拉);苦干;n.拖;苦干;拖船
89
darted
v.投掷,投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 );向前冲,飞奔
90
mere
adj.纯粹的;仅仅,只不过
91
speck
n.微粒,小污点,小斑点
92
strings
n.弦
93
nibbling
v.啃,一点一点地咬(吃)( nibble的现在分词 );啃出(洞),一点一点咬出(洞);慢慢减少;小口咬
94
frightful
adj.可怕的;讨厌的
95
grimace
v.做鬼脸,面部歪扭
96
privately
adv.以私人的身份,悄悄地,私下地
97
complacently
adv. 满足地, 自满地, 沾沾自喜地
98
meekly
adv.温顺地,逆来顺受地