Bernard was the only one of the party who understood Italian at all, and he failed to get any idea from the rapid words spoken by the four Italians. What they could be talking about not one of the party could conjecture³.

At length the conference seemed to be over. One of the bandits took out a few scudi and handed them to the vetturino. The latter looked very much dissatisfied and had the appearance of one who was making a bad bargain.

Then the bandit who had taken the lead came to the door of the carriage.

“Gentlemen, you will descend,” he said.

“What’s that?” asked the American.

“He says we are to get out of the carriage,” interpreted Bernard.

“What’s that for, I wonder?”

“Probably we shall find out after a while.”

When the three travelers had left the carriage their traveling bags were taken from the vettura and placed in their hands.

Then Pasquale mounted the box and drove away. “Where are you going, Pasquale?” asked Walter Cunningham.

“I am obliged to go. The gentlemen will not allow me to go any further.”

“Will you inform the authorities of the outrage⁴ that has been perpetrated?” said the American. Pasquale shrugged⁵ his shoulders.

“It would be as much as my life is worth,” he replied.

“I suppose,” replied Cunningham, “that the bandits are unwilling⁶ to let the vetturino know their headquarters. So they have sent him away.”

“I believe he is in the plot.”

“I don’t think so. He seems an honest sort of fellow. But what can he do single handed? Should he betray these men, it would, as he says, be as much as his life is worth.”

The captives did not particularly enjoy carrying their baggage, and the American in particular grumbled

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点击收听单词发音  

1 descend
vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降
参考例句：
I hope the grace of God would descend on me.我期望上帝的恩惠。 We're not going to descend to such methods.我们不会沦落到使用这种手段。

2 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。

3 conjecture
n./v.推测，猜测
参考例句：
She felt it no use to conjecture his motives.她觉得猜想他的动机是没有用的。 This conjecture is not supported by any real evidence.这种推测未被任何确切的证据所证实。

4 outrage
n.暴行，侮辱，愤怒；vt.凌辱，激怒
参考例句：
When he heard the news he reacted with a sense of outrage.他得悉此事时义愤填膺。 We should never forget the outrage committed by the Japanese invaders.我们永远都不应该忘记日本侵略者犯下的暴行。

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 unwilling
adj.不情愿的
参考例句：
The natives were unwilling to be bent by colonial power.土著居民不愿受殖民势力的摆布。 His tightfisted employer was unwilling to give him a raise.他那吝啬的雇主不肯给他加薪。

7 grumbled
抱怨( grumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 发牢骚； 咕哝； 发哼声
参考例句：
He grumbled at the low pay offered to him. 他抱怨给他的工资低。 The heat was sweltering, and the men grumbled fiercely over their work. 天热得让人发昏，水手们边干活边发着牢骚。

8 ascended
v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
He has ascended into heaven. 他已经升入了天堂。 来自《简明英汉词典》 The climbers slowly ascended the mountain. 爬山运动员慢慢地登上了这座山。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 fatigue
n.疲劳，劳累
参考例句：
The old lady can't bear the fatigue of a long journey.这位老妇人不能忍受长途旅行的疲劳。 I have got over my weakness and fatigue.我已从虚弱和疲劳中恢复过来了。

10 doorway
n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径
参考例句：
They huddled in the shop doorway to shelter from the rain.他们挤在商店门口躲雨。 Mary suddenly appeared in the doorway.玛丽突然出现在门口。

11 spacious
adj.广阔的，宽敞的
参考例句：
Our yard is spacious enough for a swimming pool.我们的院子很宽敞，足够建一座游泳池。 The room is bright and spacious.这房间很豁亮。

12 dungeon
n.地牢，土牢
参考例句：
They were driven into a dark dungeon.他们被人驱赶进入一个黑暗的地牢。 He was just set free from a dungeon a few days ago.几天前，他刚从土牢里被放出来。

13 collation
n.便餐；整理
参考例句：
It was in this retreat that Mr. Quilp ordered a cold collation to be prepared.奎尔普先生就是在这个别墅里预定冷点的。 I was quite taken with your line of photocopiers with collation and stapling capability.我被贵公司能够自动整理和装订的系列复印机吸引住了。

14 tempting
a.诱人的, 吸引人的
参考例句：
It is tempting to idealize the past. 人都爱把过去的日子说得那么美好。 It was a tempting offer. 这是个诱人的提议。

15 lodged
v.存放( lodge的过去式和过去分词 )；暂住；埋入；（权利、权威等）归属
参考例句：
The certificate will have to be lodged at the registry. 证书必须存放在登记处。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Our neighbours lodged a complaint against us with the police. 我们的邻居向警方控告我们。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 zest
n.乐趣；滋味，风味；兴趣
参考例句：
He dived into his new job with great zest.他充满热情地投入了新的工作。 He wrote his novel about his trip to Asia with zest.他兴趣浓厚的写了一本关于他亚洲之行的小说。

17 mattress
n.床垫，床褥
参考例句：
The straw mattress needs to be aired.草垫子该晾一晾了。 The new mattress I bought sags in the middle.我买的新床垫中间陷了下去。

18 ransom
n.赎金，赎身；v.赎回，解救
参考例句：
We'd better arrange the ransom right away.我们最好马上把索取赎金的事安排好。 The kidnappers exacted a ransom of 10000 from the family.绑架者向这家人家勒索10000英镑的赎金。

19 rascals
流氓( rascal的名词复数 )； 无赖； （开玩笑说法）淘气的人（尤指小孩）； 恶作剧的人
参考例句：
"Oh, but I like rascals. "唔，不过我喜欢流氓。 "They're all second-raters, black sheep, rascals. "他们都是二流人物，是流氓，是恶棍。

20 knavery
n.恶行，欺诈的行为
参考例句：
Knavery may serve,but honesty is best.欺诈可能有用，诚实却是上策。 This is flat knavery.这是十足的无赖作风。

21 alacrity
n.敏捷，轻快，乐意
参考例句：
Although the man was very old,he still moved with alacrity.他虽然很老，动作仍很敏捷。 He accepted my invitation with alacrity.他欣然接受我的邀请。

22 curtly
adv.简短地
参考例句：
He nodded curtly and walked away. 他匆忙点了一下头就走了。 来自《简明英汉词典》 The request was curtly refused. 这个请求被毫不客气地拒绝了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

23 fixed
adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的
参考例句：
Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？ Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

24 interfere
v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰
参考例句：
If we interfere, it may do more harm than good.如果我们干预的话，可能弊多利少。 When others interfere in the affair,it always makes troubles. 别人一卷入这一事件，棘手的事情就来了。

25 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。

26 unwillingly
adv.不情愿地
参考例句：
He submitted unwillingly to his mother. 他不情愿地屈服于他母亲。 Even when I call, he receives unwillingly. 即使我登门拜访，他也是很不情愿地接待我。

27 acquiesced
v.默认，默许( acquiesce的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
Senior government figures must have acquiesced in the cover-up. 政府高级官员必然已经默许掩盖真相。 After a lot of persuasion,he finally acquiesced. 经过多次劝说，他最终默许了。 来自《简明英汉词典》