Both doors were new, unpainted, and much heavier than the old ones. Ray silently thanked his landlord for the extra expense, though he knew that there would be no more break-ins. The pursuit had ended. No more quick looks over the shoulder. No more sneaking¹ to Chaney's to play hide-and-seek. No more hushed conversations with Corey Crawford. And no more illicit² money to fret³ over, and dream about, and haul around, literally⁴. The lifting of that burden made him smile and walk a bit faster.
Life would become normal again. Long runs in the heat. Long solo flights over the Piedmont. He even looked forward to his neglected research for the monopolies treatise⁵ he'd promised to deliver by either this Christmas or the one after. He had softened⁶ on the Kaley issue and was ready for one last attempt at dinner. She was legal now, a graduate, and she simply looked too fine to write off without a decent effort.
His apartment was the same, its usual condition since no one else lived there. Other than the door, there was no evidence of a forced entry. He now knew that his burglar had not really been a thief after all, just a tormentor⁸, an intimidator⁹. Either Gordie or one of his brothers. He wasn't sure how they had divided their labors¹⁰, nor did he care.
It was almost 11 A.M. He made some strong coffee and began shuffling¹¹ through the mail. No more anonymous¹² letters. Nothing now but the usual bills and solicitations.

点击收听单词发音  

1 sneaking
a.秘密的，不公开的
参考例句：
She had always had a sneaking affection for him. 以前她一直暗暗倾心于他。 She ducked the interviewers by sneaking out the back door. 她从后门偷偷溜走，躲开采访者。

2 illicit
adj.非法的，禁止的，不正当的
参考例句：
He had an illicit association with Jane.他和简曾有过不正当关系。 Seizures of illicit drugs have increased by 30% this year.今年违禁药品的扣押增长了30%。

3 fret
v.(使)烦恼；(使)焦急；(使)腐蚀，(使)磨损
参考例句：
Don't fret.We'll get there on time.别着急，我们能准时到那里。 She'll fret herself to death one of these days.她总有一天会愁死的.

4 literally
adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实
参考例句：
He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。 Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

5 treatise
n.专著；(专题)论文
参考例句：
The doctor wrote a treatise on alcoholism.那位医生写了一篇关于酗酒问题的论文。 This is not a treatise on statistical theory.这不是一篇有关统计理论的论文。

6 softened
（使）变软( soften的过去式和过去分词 )； 缓解打击； 缓和； 安慰
参考例句：
His smile softened slightly. 他的微笑稍柔和了些。 The ice cream softened and began to melt. 冰淇淋开始变软并开始融化。

7 gal
n.姑娘，少女
参考例句：
We decided to go with the gal from Merrill.我们决定和那个从梅里尔来的女孩合作。 What's the name of the gal? 这个妞叫什么？

8 tormentor
n. 使苦痛之人, 使苦恼之物, 侧幕 =tormenter
参考例句：
He was the tormentor, he was the protector, he was the inquisitor, he was the friend. 他既是拷打者，又是保护者；既是审问者，又是朋友。 来自英汉文学 The tormentor enlarged the engagement garment. 折磨者加大了订婚服装。

9 intimidator
n.威吓者，胁迫者
参考例句：

10 labors
v.努力争取(for)( labor的第三人称单数 )；苦干；详细分析；（指引擎）缓慢而困难地运转
参考例句：
He was tiresome in contending for the value of his own labors. 他老为他自己劳动的价值而争强斗胜，令人生厌。 来自辞典例句 Farm labors used to hire themselves out for the summer. 农业劳动者夏季常去当雇工。 来自辞典例句

11 shuffling
adj. 慢慢移动的, 滑移的 动词shuffle的现在分词形式
参考例句：
Don't go shuffling along as if you were dead. 别像个死人似地拖着脚走。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹 Some one was shuffling by on the sidewalk. 外面的人行道上有人拖着脚走过。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

12 anonymous
adj.无名的；匿名的；无特色的
参考例句：
Sending anonymous letters is a cowardly act.寄匿名信是懦夫的行为。 The author wishes to remain anonymous.作者希望姓名不公开。

13 stationery
n.文具；(配套的)信笺信封
参考例句：
She works in the stationery department of a big store.她在一家大商店的文具部工作。 There was something very comfortable in having plenty of stationery.文具一多，心里自会觉得踏实。

14 gulf
n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂
参考例句：
The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。 There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

15 determined
adj.坚定的；有决心的
参考例句：
I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。 He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

16 hovering
鸟( hover的现在分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫
参考例句：
The helicopter was hovering about 100 metres above the pad. 直升机在离发射台一百米的上空盘旋。 I'm hovering between the concert and the play tonight. 我犹豫不决今晚是听音乐会还是看戏。

17 margins
边( margin的名词复数 )； 利润； 页边空白； 差数
参考例句：
They have always had to make do with relatively small profit margins. 他们不得不经常设法应付较少的利润额。 To create more space between the navigation items, add left and right margins to the links. 在每个项目间留更多的空隙，加左或者右的margins来定义链接。

18 mumbled
含糊地说某事，叽咕，咕哝( mumble的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
He mumbled something to me which I did not quite catch. 他对我叽咕了几句话，可我没太听清楚。 George mumbled incoherently to himself. 乔治语无伦次地喃喃自语。

19 harry
vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼
参考例句：
Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。 Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

20 negotiations
协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过
参考例句：
negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判 Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

21 bickering
v.争吵( bicker的现在分词 )；口角；（水等）作潺潺声；闪烁
参考例句：
The children are always bickering about something or other. 孩子们有事没事总是在争吵。 The two children were always bickering with each other over small matters. 这两个孩子总是为些小事斗嘴。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

22 sordid
adj.肮脏的，不干净的，卑鄙的，暗淡的
参考例句：
He depicts the sordid and vulgar sides of life exclusively.他只描写人生肮脏和庸俗的一面。 They lived in a sordid apartment.他们住在肮脏的公寓房子里。

23 chancellor
n.(英)大臣；法官；(德、奥)总理；大学校长
参考例句：
They submitted their reports to the Chancellor yesterday.他们昨天向财政大臣递交了报告。 He was regarded as the most successful Chancellor of modern times.他被认为是现代最成功的财政大臣。

24 contemplating
深思，细想，仔细考虑( contemplate的现在分词 )； 注视，凝视； 考虑接受（发生某事的可能性）； 深思熟虑，沉思，苦思冥想
参考例句：
You're too young to be contemplating retirement. 你考虑退休还太年轻。 She stood contemplating the painting. 她站在那儿凝视那幅图画。

25 spouses
n.配偶，夫或妻( spouse的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Jobs are available for spouses on campus and in the community. 校园里和社区里有配偶可做的工作。 来自辞典例句 An astonishing number of spouses-most particularly in the upper-income brackets-have no close notion of their husbands'paychecks. 相当大一部分妇女——特别在高收入阶层——并不很了解他们丈夫的薪金。 来自辞典例句

26 halfway
adj.中途的，不彻底的，部分的；adv.半路地，在中途，在半途
参考例句：
We had got only halfway when it began to get dark.走到半路，天就黑了。 In study the worst danger is give up halfway.在学习上，最忌讳的是有始无终。

27 defensive
adj.防御的；防卫的；防守的
参考例句：
Their questions about the money put her on the defensive.他们问到钱的问题，使她警觉起来。 The Government hastily organized defensive measures against the raids.政府急忙布置了防卫措施抵御空袭。

28 intercept
vt.拦截，截住，截击
参考例句：
His letter was intercepted by the Secret Service.他的信被特工处截获了。 Gunmen intercepted him on his way to the airport.持枪歹徒在他去机场的路上截击了他。

29 cubs
n.幼小的兽，不懂规矩的年轻人( cub的名词复数 )
参考例句：
a lioness guarding her cubs 守护幼崽的母狮 Lion cubs depend on their mother to feed them. 狮子的幼仔依靠母狮喂养。 来自《简明英汉词典》

30 decided
adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的
参考例句：
This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。 There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。