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CHAPTER XV. "DISMISSAL. B. B."
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By return of post Lord Hampstead received the following answer to his letter;—
My dear Lord Hampstead,—
Mr. Crocker's case is a very bad one; but the Postmaster General shall see your appeal, and his lordship will, I am sure, sympathize with your humanity—as do I also. I cannot take upon myself to say what his lordship will think it right to do, and it will be better, therefore, that you should abstain1 for the present from communicating with Mr. Crocker.
I am,
Your lordship's very faithful servant,
Boreas Bodkin.
Any excuse was sufficient to our ?olus to save him from the horror of dismissing a man. He knew well that Crocker, as a public servant, was not worth his salt. Sir Boreas was blessed,—or cursed,—with a conscience, but the stings of his conscience, though they were painful, did not hurt him so much as those of his feelings. He had owned to himself on this occasion that Crocker must go. Crocker was in every way distasteful to him. He was not only untrustworthy and incapable2, but audacious also, and occasionally impudent3. He was a clerk of whom he had repeatedly said that it would be much better to pay him his salary and let him have perpetual leave of absence, than keep him even if there were no salary to be paid. Now there had come a case on which it was agreed by all the office that the man must go. Destroy a bundle of official papers! Mr. Jerningham had been heard to declare that the law was in fault in not having provided that a man should be at once sent to Newgate for doing such a thing. "The stupid old fool's letters weren't really worth anything," Sir Boreas had said, as though attempting to palliate the crime! Mr. Jerningham had only shaken his head. What else could he do? It was not for him to dispute any matter with Sir Boreas. But to his thinking the old gentleman's letters had become precious documents, priceless records, as soon as they had once been bound by the red tape of the Government, and enveloped4 by the security of an official pigeon-hole. To stay away without leave,—to be drunk,—to be obstinately
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1
abstain
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v.自制,戒绝,弃权,避免 | |
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2
incapable
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adj.无能力的,不能做某事的 | |
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3
impudent
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adj.鲁莽的,卑鄙的,厚颜无耻的 | |
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4
enveloped
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v.包围,笼罩,包住( envelop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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obstinately
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ad.固执地,顽固地 | |
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6
blessing
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n.祈神赐福;祷告;祝福,祝愿 | |
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7
wed
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v.娶,嫁,与…结婚 | |
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8
impartial
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adj.(in,to)公正的,无偏见的 | |
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ardent
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adj.热情的,热烈的,强烈的,烈性的 | |
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alluding
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提及,暗指( allude的现在分词 ) | |
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rendezvous
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n.约会,约会地点,汇合点;vi.汇合,集合;vt.使汇合,使在汇合地点相遇 | |
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12
expended
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v.花费( expend的过去式和过去分词 );使用(钱等)做某事;用光;耗尽 | |
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pangs
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突然的剧痛( pang的名词复数 ); 悲痛 | |
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qualms
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n.不安;内疚 | |
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remorse
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n.痛恨,悔恨,自责 | |
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condoled
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v.表示同情,吊唁( condole的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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unbearable
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adj.不能容忍的;忍受不住的 | |
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discretion
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n.谨慎;随意处理 | |
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thither
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adv.向那里;adj.在那边的,对岸的 | |
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circumlocution
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n. 绕圈子的话,迂回累赘的陈述 | |
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touching
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adj.动人的,使人感伤的 | |
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standing
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n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的 | |
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lodgings
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n. 出租的房舍, 寄宿舍 | |
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dice
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n.骰子;vt.把(食物)切成小方块,冒险 | |
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considerably
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adv.极大地;相当大地;在很大程度上 | |
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triumphant
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adj.胜利的,成功的;狂欢的,喜悦的 | |
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extremities
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n.端点( extremity的名词复数 );尽头;手和足;极窘迫的境地 | |
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mere
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adj.纯粹的;仅仅,只不过 | |
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corroboration
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n.进一步的证实,进一步的证据 | |
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audacity
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n.大胆,卤莽,无礼 | |
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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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lesser
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adj.次要的,较小的;adv.较小地,较少地 | |
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softened
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(使)变软( soften的过去式和过去分词 ); 缓解打击; 缓和; 安慰 | |
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pricks
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刺痛( prick的名词复数 ); 刺孔; 刺痕; 植物的刺 | |
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deposed
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v.罢免( depose的过去式和过去分词 );(在法庭上)宣誓作证 | |
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iniquity
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n.邪恶;不公正 | |
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skunk
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n.臭鼬,黄鼠狼;v.使惨败,使得零分;烂醉如泥 | |
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abominable
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adj.可厌的,令人憎恶的 | |
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prudent
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adj.谨慎的,有远见的,精打细算的 | |
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jeers
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n.操纵帆桁下部(使其上下的)索具;嘲讽( jeer的名词复数 )v.嘲笑( jeer的第三人称单数 ) | |
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