A CROWD GATHERED around us as Matthew and I came back into town. Father Leo, Odo, my other friends... Everyone wanted to comfort and bless me. And hear of my two years in the war.

But I pushed past them. I had to go to the inn. Its ruins... I sifted¹ through the charred² wood and ash, searching for anything that breathed of her, my Sophie-a piece of cloth, a dish, a last memento³ of what I had lost.

She spoke⁴ of you all the time, Hugh, Matthew told me. She missed you terribly. We all thought you were lost in the war. But not Sophie.

You are certain, brother, that she is dead?

I am. Matthew shrugged⁵. When they took her she was already more dead than alive.

But you did not actually see her die? You don't know for sure?

Not for sure. But I beg you, brother, not to cling to false hope. I'm her flesh and blood. And I damn well pray she was dead as they dragged her out of here.

I met his eyes. So she maynot be dead, Matthew?

He looked at me quizzically. You must accept it, Hugh. If she was not then, I'm certain she was soon. Her body could have been left somewhere along the road.

So you searched the road? And did you find her? Has anyone traveling from the west come upon her remains⁶?

No. No one.

Then there's a chance. You say she never doubted me. That she knew I would return. Well,I do the same for her.

I found myself in the part of the inn where our living space had been. Everything was cinder⁷. Our bed, a chest of drawers... On the floor, I noticed something reflecting light.

I dropped to my knees, swept away ash. My heart almost exploded with joy. Tears welled in my eyes.

It was Sophie's comb. Her half of the one she'd placed in my hand the day I left. It was charred, broken; it almost crumbled⁸ in my hand. But in my blood, I felt her!

点击收听单词发音  

1 sifted
v.筛( sift的过去式和过去分词 )；筛滤；细查；详审
参考例句：
She sifted through her papers to find the lost letter. 她仔细在文件中寻找那封丢失的信。 来自《简明英汉词典》 She sifted thistles through her thistle-sifter. 她用蓟筛筛蓟。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 charred
v.把…烧成炭( char的过去式)；烧焦
参考例句：
the charred remains of a burnt-out car 被烧焦的轿车残骸 The intensity of the explosion is recorded on the charred tree trunks. 那些烧焦的树干表明爆炸的强烈。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 memento
n.纪念品，令人回忆的东西
参考例句：
The photos will be a permanent memento of your wedding.这些照片会成为你婚礼的永久纪念。 My friend gave me his picture as a memento before going away.我的朋友在离别前给我一张照片留作纪念品。

4 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。

5 shrugged
vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式）
参考例句：
Sam shrugged and said nothing. 萨姆耸耸肩膀，什么也没说。 She shrugged, feigning nonchalance. 她耸耸肩，装出一副无所谓的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 remains
n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹
参考例句：
He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。 The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

7 cinder
n.余烬，矿渣
参考例句：
The new technology for the preparation of superfine ferric oxide from pyrite cinder is studied.研究了用硫铁矿烧渣为原料，制取超细氧化铁红的新工艺。 The cinder contains useful iron,down from producing sulphuric acid by contact process.接触法制硫酸的矿渣中含有铁矿。

8 crumbled
（把…）弄碎， （使）碎成细屑( crumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 衰落； 坍塌； 损坏
参考例句：
He crumbled the bread in his fingers. 他用手指把面包捻碎。 Our hopes crumbled when the business went bankrupt. 商行破产了，我们的希望也破灭了。

9 pouch
n.小袋，小包，囊状袋；vt.装...入袋中，用袋运输；vi.用袋送信件
参考例句：
He was going to make a tobacco pouch out of them. 他要用它们缝制一个烟草袋。 The old man is always carrying a tobacco pouch with him.这老汉总是随身带着烟袋。

10 vibrantly
参考例句：
Notice that each center is vibrantly multi-colored with no shade predominating. 注意每个中心是多颜色振动毫无遮蔽控制。 There are so many reptiles to discover in this vibrantly colored nature book of hide-and-seek. 这本书主要介绍了爬虫类动物如何利用保护色来保护自己。

11 knights
骑士； （中古时代的）武士( knight的名词复数 )； 骑士； 爵士； （国际象棋中）马
参考例句：
stories of knights and fair maidens 关于骑士和美女的故事 He wove a fascinating tale of knights in shining armour. 他编了一个穿着明亮盔甲的骑士的迷人故事。

12 miller
n.磨坊主
参考例句：
Every miller draws water to his own mill.磨坊主都往自己磨里注水。 The skilful miller killed millions of lions with his ski.技术娴熟的磨坊主用雪橇杀死了上百万头狮子。

13 bastards
私生子( bastard的名词复数 )； 坏蛋； 讨厌的事物； 麻烦事 （认为别人走运或不幸时说）家伙
参考例句：
Those bastards don't care a damn about the welfare of the factory! 这批狗养的，不顾大局！ 来自子夜部分 Let the first bastards to find out be the goddam Germans. 就让那些混账的德国佬去做最先发现的倒霉鬼吧。 来自演讲部分

14 slung
抛( sling的过去式和过去分词 )； 吊挂； 遣送； 押往
参考例句：
He slung the bag over his shoulder. 他把包一甩，挎在肩上。 He stood up and slung his gun over his shoulder. 他站起来把枪往肩上一背。