Timothy Crump's Ward A Story of American Life
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CHAPTER VIII. A STRANGE VISITOR.

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 IT was about eleven o'clock in the forenoon, Mrs. Crump was in the kitchen, busy in preparations for dinner, when a loud knock was heard at the door.
“Who can it be?” ejaculated Mrs. Crump. “Aunt Rachel, there's somebody at the door; won't you be kind enough to see who it is?”
“People have no business to call at such an hour in the morning,” grumbled1 Aunt Rachel, as she laid down her knitting reluctantly, and rose from her seat. “Nobody seems to have any consideration for anybody else. But that's the way of the world.”
Opening the outer door, she saw before her a tall woman, dressed in a gown of some dark stuff, with marked, and not altogether pleasant features.
“Are you the lady of the house?” inquired the visitor.
“There ain't any ladies in this house,” said Rachel. “You've come to the wrong place. We have to work for a living here.”
“The woman of the house, then. It doesn't make any difference about names. Are you the one I want to see?”
“No, I ain't,” said Rachel, shortly.
“Will you lead me to your mistress, then?”
“I have none.”
The visitor's eyes flashed, as if her temper was easily roused.
“I want to see Mrs. Crump,” she said, impatiently. “Will you call her, or shall I go and announce myself?”
“Some folks are mighty2 impatient,” muttered Rachel. “Stay here, and I'll call her to the door.”
In a short time Mrs. Crump presented herself.
“Won't you come in?” she asked, pleasantly.
“I don't care if I do,” was the reply. “I wish to speak to you on important business.”
Mrs. Crump, whose interest was excited, led the way into the sitting-room3.
“You have in your family,” said the stranger, after seating herself, “a girl named Ida.”
Mrs. Crump looked up suddenly and anxiously. Could it be that the secret of Ida's birth was to be revealed at last!
“Yes,” she said.
“Who is not your child.”
“But whom I love as such; whom I have always taught to look upon me as a mother.”
“I presume so. It is of her that I wish to speak to you.”
“Do you know anything of her parentage?” inquired Mrs. Crump, eagerly.

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1 grumbled ed735a7f7af37489d7db1a9ef3b64f91     
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。
2 mighty YDWxl     
adj.强有力的；巨大的
参考例句：
  • A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。
  • The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。
3 sitting-room sitting-room     
n.（BrE）客厅，起居室
参考例句：
  • The sitting-room is clean.起居室很清洁。
  • Each villa has a separate sitting-room.每栋别墅都有一间独立的起居室。
4 nervously tn6zFp     
adv.神情激动地，不安地
参考例句：
  • He bit his lip nervously,trying not to cry.他紧张地咬着唇，努力忍着不哭出来。
  • He paced nervously up and down on the platform.他在站台上情绪不安地走来走去。
5 kindly tpUzhQ     
adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地
参考例句：
  • Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。
  • A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。
6 imperative BcdzC     
n.命令，需要；规则；祈使语气；adj.强制的；紧急的
参考例句：
  • He always speaks in an imperative tone of voice.他老是用命令的口吻讲话。
  • The events of the past few days make it imperative for her to act.过去这几天发生的事迫使她不得不立即行动。
7 reclaiming 4b89b3418ec2ab3c547e204ac2c4a68e     
v.开拓( reclaim的现在分词 )；要求收回；从废料中回收（有用的材料）；挽救
参考例句：
  • People here are reclaiming land from the sea. 这儿的人们正在填海拓地。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • How could such a man need reclaiming? 这么一个了不起的人怎么还需要别人拯救呢？ 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
8 concealment AvYzx1     
n.隐藏, 掩盖，隐瞒
参考例句：
  • the concealment of crime 对罪行的隐瞒
  • Stay in concealment until the danger has passed. 把自己藏起来，待危险过去后再出来。
9 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。
10 jealousy WaRz6     
n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌
参考例句：
  • Some women have a disposition to jealousy.有些女人生性爱妒忌。
  • I can't support your jealousy any longer.我再也无法忍受你的嫉妒了。
11 permanently KluzuU     
adv.永恒地，永久地，固定不变地
参考例句：
  • The accident left him permanently scarred.那次事故给他留下了永久的伤疤。
  • The ship is now permanently moored on the Thames in London.该船现在永久地停泊在伦敦泰晤士河边。
12 affected TzUzg0     
adj.不自然的，假装的
参考例句：
  • She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
  • His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。
13 intrude Lakzv     
vi.闯入；侵入；打扰，侵扰
参考例句：
  • I do not want to intrude if you are busy.如果你忙我就不打扰你了。
  • I don't want to intrude on your meeting.我不想打扰你们的会议。
14 lessened 6351a909991322c8a53dc9baa69dda6f     
减少的，减弱的
参考例句：
  • Listening to the speech through an interpreter lessened its impact somewhat. 演讲辞通过翻译的嘴说出来，多少削弱了演讲的力量。
  • The flight to suburbia lessened the number of middle-class families living within the city. 随着迁往郊外的风行，住在城内的中产家庭减少了。
15 prudent M0Yzg     
adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的
参考例句：
  • A prudent traveller never disparages his own country.聪明的旅行者从不贬低自己的国家。
  • You must school yourself to be modest and prudent.你要学会谦虚谨慎。
16 attachment POpy1     
n.附属物，附件；依恋；依附
参考例句：
  • She has a great attachment to her sister.她十分依恋她的姐姐。
  • She's on attachment to the Ministry of Defense.她现在隶属于国防部。
17 irresolute X3Vyy     
adj.无决断的，优柔寡断的，踌躇不定的
参考例句：
  • Irresolute persons make poor victors.优柔寡断的人不会成为胜利者。
  • His opponents were too irresolute to call his bluff.他的对手太优柔寡断,不敢接受挑战。
18 decided lvqzZd     
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。
19 detailed xuNzms     
adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的
参考例句：
  • He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
  • A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。
20 resolutely WW2xh     
adj.坚决地，果断地
参考例句：
  • He resolutely adhered to what he had said at the meeting. 他坚持他在会上所说的话。
  • He grumbles at his lot instead of resolutely facing his difficulties. 他不是果敢地去面对困难，而是抱怨自己运气不佳。
21 mutual eFOxC     
adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的
参考例句：
  • We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
  • Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。
22 tribulation Kmywb     
n.苦难，灾难
参考例句：
  • Even in our awful tribulation we were quite optimistic.即使在极端痛苦时，我们仍十分乐观。
  • I hate the tribulation,I commiserate the sorrow brought by tribulation.我厌恶别人深重的苦难，怜悯苦难带来的悲哀。
23 relish wBkzs     
n.滋味，享受，爱好，调味品；vt.加调味料，享受，品味；vi.有滋味
参考例句：
  • I have no relish for pop music.我对流行音乐不感兴趣。
  • I relish the challenge of doing jobs that others turn down.我喜欢挑战别人拒绝做的工作。
24 stammered 76088bc9384c91d5745fd550a9d81721     
v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
  • He stammered most when he was nervous. 他一紧张往往口吃。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
  • Barsad leaned back in his chair, and stammered, \"What do you mean?\" 巴萨往椅背上一靠，结结巴巴地说，“你是什么意思？” 来自英汉文学 - 双城记
25 grunted f18a3a8ced1d857427f2252db2abbeaf     
（猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说
参考例句：
  • She just grunted, not deigning to look up from the page. 她只咕哝了一声，继续看书，不屑抬起头来看一眼。
  • She grunted some incomprehensible reply. 她咕噜着回答了些令人费解的话。
26 darting darting     
v.投掷，投射( dart的现在分词 )；向前冲，飞奔
参考例句：
  • Swallows were darting through the clouds. 燕子穿云急飞。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
  • Swallows were darting through the air. 燕子在空中掠过。 来自辞典例句
27 amicably amicably     
adv.友善地
参考例句：
  • Steering according to the wind, he also framed his words more amicably. 他真会看风使舵，口吻也马上变得温和了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • The couple parted amicably. 这对夫妻客气地分手了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

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