I SAT UP in bed, confused and shocked.

I did not deserve this. I was no knight¹, no noble. Just a commoner. And a lucky one at that-fortunate not to have been ripped to shreds² by a beast. My ordeal³ came back to me, my wife and child. It had been more than a week since I set out to find Sophie.

Your care is most appreciated, Doctor, but I must leave. Please thank my gracious hostess for me.

I got up out of bed but managed to limp no farther than a couple of painful steps. There was a knock at the door. Auguste went to see who was there.

You may thank the lady yourself, the doctor said. She has come.

It was Emilie, adorned⁴ in a dress of linen⁵ gilded⁶ with golden borders. God, I had not been imagining her. She was as lovely as the vision from my dreams. Except her eyes shimmered⁷ soft and green.

I see our patient rises, Emilie exclaimed, seemingly delighted. How is our Red today, Auguste?

His ears are not injured. Nor is his tongue, the doctor said, prodding⁸ at me.

I didn't know whether to bow or kneel. I did not speak to nobles directly unless addressed. But something made me look into her eyes. I cleared my throat. I would be dead if not for you, lady. There is no way I can express my thanks.

I did what anyone would do. Besides, having vanquished⁹ your boar, what a shame it would've been if you had become the dinner of the next pest that stumbled by.

Auguste pushed qver a stool and Emilie sat down. If you must show gratitude¹⁰, you can do so by permitting me a few questions.

点击收听单词发音  

1 knight
n.骑士，武士；爵士
参考例句：
He was made an honourary knight.他被授予荣誉爵士称号。 A knight rode on his richly caparisoned steed.一个骑士骑在装饰华丽的马上。

2 shreds
v.撕碎，切碎( shred的第三人称单数 )；用撕毁机撕毁（文件）
参考例句：
Peel the carrots and cut them into shreds. 将胡罗卜削皮，切成丝。 来自《简明英汉词典》 I want to take this diary and rip it into shreds. 我真想一赌气扯了这日记。 来自汉英文学 - 中国现代小说

3 ordeal
n.苦难经历，（尤指对品格、耐力的）严峻考验
参考例句：
She managed to keep her sanity throughout the ordeal.在那场磨难中她始终保持神志正常。 Being lost in the wilderness for a week was an ordeal for me.在荒野里迷路一星期对我来说真是一场磨难。

4 adorned
[计]被修饰的
参考例句：
The walls were adorned with paintings. 墙上装饰了绘画。 And his coat was adorned with a flamboyant bunch of flowers. 他的外套上面装饰着一束艳丽刺目的鲜花。

5 linen
n.亚麻布，亚麻线，亚麻制品；adj.亚麻布制的，亚麻的
参考例句：
The worker is starching the linen.这名工人正在给亚麻布上浆。 Fine linen and cotton fabrics were known as well as wool.精细的亚麻织品和棉织品像羊毛一样闻名遐迩。

6 gilded
a.镀金的，富有的
参考例句：
The golden light gilded the sea. 金色的阳光使大海如金子般闪闪发光。 "Friends, they are only gilded disks of lead!" "朋友们，这只不过是些镀金的铅饼！ 来自英汉文学 - 败坏赫德莱堡

7 shimmered
v.闪闪发光，发微光( shimmer的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
The sea shimmered in the sunlight. 阳光下海水闪烁着微光。 来自《简明英汉词典》 A heat haze shimmered above the fields. 田野上方微微闪烁着一层热气。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 prodding
v.刺，戳( prod的现在分词 )；刺激；促使；（用手指或尖物）戳
参考例句：
He needed no prodding. 他不用督促。 The boy is prodding the animal with a needle. 那男孩正用一根针刺那动物。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

9 vanquished
v.征服( vanquish的过去式和过去分词 )；战胜；克服；抑制
参考例句：
She had fought many battles, vanquished many foes. 她身经百战，挫败过很多对手。 来自《简明英汉词典》 I vanquished her coldness with my assiduity. 我对她关心照顾从而消除了她的冷淡。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

10 gratitude
adj.感激，感谢
参考例句：
I have expressed the depth of my gratitude to him.我向他表示了深切的谢意。 She could not help her tears of gratitude rolling down her face.她感激的泪珠禁不住沿着面颊流了下来。

11 boorish
adj.粗野的，乡巴佬的
参考例句：
His manner seemed rather boorish.他的举止看上去很俗气。 He disgusted many with his boorish behaviour.他的粗野行为让很多人都讨厌他。

12 askew
adv.斜地；adj.歪斜的
参考例句：
His glasses had been knocked askew by the blow.他的眼镜一下子被打歪了。 Her hat was slightly askew.她的帽子戴得有点斜。

13 anguish
n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼
参考例句：
She cried out for anguish at parting.分手时，她由于痛苦而失声大哭。 The unspeakable anguish wrung his heart.难言的痛苦折磨着他的心。

14 belittle
v.轻视，小看，贬低
参考例句：
Do not belittle what he has achieved.不能小看他取得的成绩。 When you belittle others,you are actually the one who appears small.当你轻视他人时， 真正渺小的其实是你自己。

15 random
adj.随机的；任意的；n.偶然的(或随便的)行动
参考例句：
The list is arranged in a random order.名单排列不分先后。 On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查，发现肉变质了。

16 killing
n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财
参考例句：
Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。 Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

17 indifference
n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎
参考例句：
I was disappointed by his indifference more than somewhat.他的漠不关心使我很失望。 He feigned indifference to criticism of his work.他假装毫不在意别人批评他的作品。

18 plight
n.困境，境况，誓约，艰难；vt.宣誓，保证，约定
参考例句：
The leader was much concerned over the plight of the refugees.那位领袖对难民的困境很担忧。 She was in a most helpless plight.她真不知如何是好。

19 compassion
n.同情，怜悯
参考例句：
He could not help having compassion for the poor creature.他情不自禁地怜悯起那个可怜的人来。 Her heart was filled with compassion for the motherless children.她对于没有母亲的孩子们充满了怜悯心。

20 tolerance
n.宽容；容忍，忍受；耐药力；公差
参考例句：
Tolerance is one of his strengths.宽容是他的一个优点。 Human beings have limited tolerance of noise.人类对噪音的忍耐力有限。