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Chapter XIII
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“Oh yes, I’m modern enough,” said Austin Turold, balancing his cigarette in his white fingers, and glancing at Barrant with a reflective air—“that is to say, I believe in America and the League of Nations, but not in God. It’s not the fashion to believe in God or have a conscience nowadays. They both went out with the war. After all, what’s a conscience to a liver? But here I am, chattering1 on to distract my sad thoughts, although I can see in your eye that you have it in you to ask me some questions. Well, go ahead and ask them, and I will answer them—if I can.”
“I do wish to ask you some questions,” said Barrant—“questions connected with your brother’s death.”
“I know very little about it. It was a most terrible shock to me, I assure you, and is likely to detain me in this barbarous place longer than I intended—greatly against my will.”
“I understand you came to Cornwall at your brother’s request?”
“Yes. My brother sent for me and my son more than a month ago, so we came at once. I’ll forestall2 the further inquiry3 I see on your lips, and tell you why I came so promptly4. My brother Robert was the wealthy member of the family, and I was the poor one—a poor devil of an Anglo-Indian with nothing on this side of the grave but a niggardly5 Civil Service pension!
“When we arrived I found that Robert had already taken these lodgings6 for us, which was as near as he could get accommodation to his own house. I did not object to that arrangement, because I do not like hotels nowadays—not since the newly-rich started to patronize them. So here I’ve been rusticating7 ever since, conferring daily with my poor brother, and eating the four meals a day which are provided with the lodgings by the estimable people of this house. My landlord is an artist. That is to say, he’s forever daubing pictures which nobody buys. I’ve come to the conclusion that most people dislike Cornwall because of the number of bad pictures which are painted here. You see some samples of my host’s brush on these walls. They are actually too bad to be admitted to the Academy. My poor host and hostess, being unable to make ends meet, were obliged to take in
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1
chattering
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n. (机器振动发出的)咔嗒声,(鸟等)鸣,啁啾 adj. 喋喋不休的,啾啾声的 动词chatter的现在分词形式 | |
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2
forestall
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vt.抢在…之前采取行动;预先阻止 | |
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3
inquiry
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n.打听,询问,调查,查问 | |
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promptly
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adv.及时地,敏捷地 | |
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niggardly
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adj.吝啬的,很少的 | |
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6
lodgings
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n. 出租的房舍, 寄宿舍 | |
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rusticating
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v.罚(大学生)暂时停学离校( rusticate的现在分词 );在农村定居 | |
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lodgers
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n.房客,租住者( lodger的名词复数 ) | |
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unduly
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adv.过度地,不适当地 | |
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obtruded
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v.强行向前,强行,强迫( obtrude的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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worthy
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adj.(of)值得的,配得上的;有价值的 | |
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philistine
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n.庸俗的人;adj.市侩的,庸俗的 | |
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bestow
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v.把…赠与,把…授予;花费 | |
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melancholy
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n.忧郁,愁思;adj.令人感伤(沮丧)的,忧郁的 | |
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eyebrows
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眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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apron
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n.围裙;工作裙 | |
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fixed
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adj.固定的,不变的,准备好的;(计算机)固定的 | |
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investigation
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n.调查,调查研究 | |
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geniality
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n.和蔼,诚恳;愉快 | |
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deduction
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n.减除,扣除,减除额;推论,推理,演绎 | |
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cardinal
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n.(天主教的)红衣主教;adj.首要的,基本的 | |
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intimidation
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n.恐吓,威胁 | |
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disarm
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v.解除武装,回复平常的编制,缓和 | |
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watchful
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adj.注意的,警惕的 | |
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burrowing
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v.挖掘(洞穴),挖洞( burrow的现在分词 );翻寻 | |
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mole
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n.胎块;痣;克分子 | |
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gracefully
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ad.大大方方地;优美地 | |
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countenance
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n.脸色,面容;面部表情;vt.支持,赞同 | |
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shrugged
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vt.耸肩(shrug的过去式与过去分词形式) | |
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solitary
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adj.孤独的,独立的,荒凉的;n.隐士 | |
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aloofness
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超然态度 | |
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habitual
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adj.习惯性的;通常的,惯常的 | |
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reluctance
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n.厌恶,讨厌,勉强,不情愿 | |
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agonized
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v.使(极度)痛苦,折磨( agonize的过去式和过去分词 );苦斗;苦苦思索;感到极度痛苦 | |
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inflict
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vt.(on)把…强加给,使遭受,使承担 | |
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analyze
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vt.分析,解析 (=analyse) | |
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sincerity
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n.真诚,诚意;真实 | |
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shameful
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adj.可耻的,不道德的 | |
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inspector
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n.检查员,监察员,视察员 | |
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besought
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v.恳求,乞求(某事物)( beseech的过去式和过去分词 );(beseech的过去式与过去分词) | |
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spoke
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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 | |
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divested
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v.剥夺( divest的过去式和过去分词 );脱去(衣服);2。从…取去…;1。(给某人)脱衣服 | |
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flippancy
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n.轻率;浮躁;无礼的行动 | |
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obsession
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n.困扰,无法摆脱的思想(或情感) | |
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anguish
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n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦,烦恼 | |
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morbid
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adj.病的;致病的;病态的;可怕的 | |
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impelled
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v.推动、推进或敦促某人做某事( impel的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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remorse
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n.痛恨,悔恨,自责 | |
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attained
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(通常经过努力)实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 ); 达到; 获得; 达到(某年龄、水平、状况) | |
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confide
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v.向某人吐露秘密 | |
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portentousness
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Portentousness | |
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confession
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n.自白,供认,承认 | |
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affected
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adj.不自然的,假装的 | |
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disposition
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n.性情,性格;意向,倾向;排列,部署 | |
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bent
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n.爱好,癖好;adj.弯的;决心的,一心的 | |
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tragic
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adj.悲剧的,悲剧性的,悲惨的 | |
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descended
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a.为...后裔的,出身于...的 | |
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wedlock
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n.婚姻,已婚状态 | |
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utterance
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n.用言语表达,话语,言语 | |
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devoted
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adj.忠诚的,忠实的,热心的,献身于...的 | |
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gathering
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n.集会,聚会,聚集 | |
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vista
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n.远景,深景,展望,回想 | |
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surmises
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v.臆测,推断( surmise的第三人称单数 );揣测;猜想 | |
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pointed
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adj.尖的,直截了当的 | |
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conveyance
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n.(不动产等的)转让,让与;转让证书;传送;运送;表达;(正)运输工具 | |
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cynical
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adj.(对人性或动机)怀疑的,不信世道向善的 | |
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wrecking
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破坏 | |
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Chapter XII
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Chapter XIV
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