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CHAPTER XXXV. WOOING THE WIDOW.

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 Mrs. Sheldon was sitting in her morning-room when a servant appeared and announced that Major Ashton was in the parlor1.
"Major Ashton!" repeated the widow. "Did you tell him Miss Grace was out?"
"Yes'm; but he said it was of no consequence; he wanted to see you."
"I suppose he wants to inquire about his chances with Grace," thought Mrs. Sheldon. "I am sorry I can't give him any encouragement. I never knew Grace more prejudiced against a man than she is against the major. Tell him I will come down at once." This last to the servant.
Major Ashton, as already foreshadowed, had changed his plan of campaign—or, rather, he had changed the object of his campaign. Knowing that he could not secure the niece, he had come to lay siege to the aunt. He felt fortunate in having hit a time when Miss Dearborn was out.
It was rather a delicate matter to make such a sudden[Pg 239] change, and required a good deal of tact2; but Major Ashton had considerable confidence in his ability to make the transfer without exciting suspicion. He looked about the room in which he was seated, and surveyed with satisfaction the signs everywhere of opulence3 in the owner.
"What matter if the widow is fifteen years my senior?" he said to himself. "I am not going to marry her out of sentiment, but for solid pecuniary4 reasons. The older she is, the more chance there is of her leaving me my freedom with her fortune before I am an old man."
His reflections were interrupted by the entrance of Mrs. Sheldon, who advanced to meet him with a gracious smile.
"I am glad to see you, major," she said.
"Thank you, Mrs. Sheldon," he replied, in a tone and with an empressement new to him and to her.
"Poor fellow! he is in trouble," she thought, not suspecting his change of front. "He wants my assistance."
"Grace is not at home," she said, supposing this information would interest him.
"Indeed!" he returned, with languid indifference5. "Out shopping, I suppose?"
"Really, major, you don't show much interest in[Pg 240] the subject. But then that's the way with you men. You are all of you

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1 parlor v4MzU     
n.店铺，营业室；会客室，客厅
参考例句：
  • She was lying on a small settee in the parlor.她躺在客厅的一张小长椅上。
  • Is there a pizza parlor in the neighborhood?附近有没有比萨店？
2 tact vqgwc     
n.机敏，圆滑，得体
参考例句：
  • She showed great tact in dealing with a tricky situation.她处理棘手的局面表现得十分老练。
  • Tact is a valuable commodity.圆滑老练是很有用处的。
3 opulence N0TyJ     
n.财富，富裕
参考例句：
  • His eyes had never beheld such opulence.他从未见过这样的财富。
  • He owes his opulence to work hard.他的财富乃辛勤工作得来。
4 pecuniary Vixyo     
adj.金钱的；金钱上的
参考例句：
  • She denies obtaining a pecuniary advantage by deception.她否认通过欺骗手段获得经济利益。
  • She is so independent that she refused all pecuniary aid.她很独立，所以拒绝一切金钱上的资助。
5 indifference k8DxO     
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。
6 fickle Lg9zn     
adj.(爱情或友谊上)易变的，不坚定的
参考例句：
  • Fluctuating prices usually base on a fickle public's demand.物价的波动往往是由于群众需求的不稳定而引起的。
  • The weather is so fickle in summer.夏日的天气如此多变。
7 fidelity vk3xB     
n.忠诚，忠实；精确
参考例句：
  • There is nothing like a dog's fidelity.没有什么能比得上狗的忠诚。
  • His fidelity and industry brought him speedy promotion.他的尽职及勤奋使他很快地得到晋升。
8 reciprocated 7ece80b4c4ef4a99f6ba196f80ae5fb4     
v.报答，酬答( reciprocate的过去式和过去分词 )；（机器的部件）直线往复运动
参考例句：
  • Her passion for him was not reciprocated. 她对他的热情没有得到回应。
  • Their attraction to each other as friends is reciprocated. 作为朋友，他们相互吸引着对方。 来自辞典例句
9 delightful 6xzxT     
adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的
参考例句：
  • We had a delightful time by the seashore last Sunday.上星期天我们在海滨玩得真痛快。
  • Peter played a delightful melody on his flute.彼得用笛子吹奏了一支欢快的曲子。
10 explicit IhFzc     
adj.详述的，明确的；坦率的；显然的
参考例句：
  • She was quite explicit about why she left.她对自己离去的原因直言不讳。
  • He avoids the explicit answer to us.他避免给我们明确的回答。
11 abrupt 2fdyh     
adj.突然的，意外的；唐突的，鲁莽的
参考例句：
  • The river takes an abrupt bend to the west.这河突然向西转弯。
  • His abrupt reply hurt our feelings.他粗鲁的回答伤了我们的感情。
12 deign 6mLzp     
v. 屈尊, 惠允 ( 做某事)
参考例句：
  • He doesn't deign to talk to unimportant people like me. 他不肯屈尊和像我这样不重要的人说话。
  • I would not deign to comment on such behaviour. 这种行为不屑我置评。
13 exultation wzeyn     
n.狂喜，得意
参考例句：
  • It made him catch his breath, it lit his face with exultation. 听了这个名字，他屏住呼吸，乐得脸上放光。
  • He could get up no exultation that was really worthy the name. 他一点都激动不起来。
14 meridian f2xyT     
adj.子午线的；全盛期的
参考例句：
  • All places on the same meridian have the same longitude.在同一子午线上的地方都有相同的经度。
  • He is now at the meridian of his intellectual power.他现在正值智力全盛期。
15 suspense 9rJw3     
n.（对可能发生的事）紧张感，担心，挂虑
参考例句：
  • The suspense was unbearable.这样提心吊胆的状况实在叫人受不了。
  • The director used ingenious devices to keep the audience in suspense.导演用巧妙手法引起观众的悬念。
16 acting czRzoc     
n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的
参考例句：
  • Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
  • During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。
17 harassed 50b529f688471b862d0991a96b6a1e55     
adj. 疲倦的，厌烦的 动词harass的过去式和过去分词
参考例句：
  • He has complained of being harassed by the police. 他投诉受到警方侵扰。
  • harassed mothers with their children 带着孩子的疲惫不堪的母亲们
18 creditors 6cb54c34971e9a505f7a0572f600684b     
n.债权人，债主( creditor的名词复数 )
参考例句：
  • They agreed to repay their creditors over a period of three years. 他们同意3年内向债主还清欠款。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Creditors could obtain a writ for the arrest of their debtors. 债权人可以获得逮捕债务人的令状。 来自《简明英汉词典》
19 complacent JbzyW     
adj.自满的；自鸣得意的
参考例句：
  • We must not become complacent the moment we have some success.我们决不能一见成绩就自满起来。
  • She was complacent about her achievements.她对自己的成绩沾沾自喜。
20 appease uVhzM     
v.安抚，缓和，平息，满足
参考例句：
  • He tried to appease the crying child by giving him candy.他试图给那个啼哭的孩子糖果使他不哭。
  • The government tried to appease discontented workers.政府试图安抚不满的工人们。
21 impecunious na1xG     
adj.不名一文的，贫穷的
参考例句：
  • He is impecunious,does not know anyone who can lend mony.他身无分文，也不认识任何可以借钱的人。
  • They are independent,impecunious and able to tolerate all degrees of discomfort.他们独立自主，囊中羞涩，并且能够忍受各种不便。
22 mingled fdf34efd22095ed7e00f43ccc823abdf     
混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系]
参考例句：
  • The sounds of laughter and singing mingled in the evening air. 笑声和歌声交织在夜空中。
  • The man and the woman mingled as everyone started to relax. 当大家开始放松的时候，这一男一女就开始交往了。
23 graceful deHza     
adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的
参考例句：
  • His movements on the parallel bars were very graceful.他的双杠动作可帅了!
  • The ballet dancer is so graceful.芭蕾舞演员的姿态是如此的优美。
24 irritably e3uxw     
ad.易生气地
参考例句：
  • He lost his temper and snapped irritably at the children. 他发火了，暴躁地斥责孩子们。
  • On this account the silence was irritably broken by a reproof. 为了这件事，他妻子大声斥责，令人恼火地打破了宁静。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
25 entirely entirely     
ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地
参考例句：
  • The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
  • His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。
26 motives 6c25d038886898b20441190abe240957     
n.动机，目的( motive的名词复数 )
参考例句：
  • to impeach sb's motives 怀疑某人的动机
  • His motives are unclear. 他的用意不明。

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