The line of action which Psmith had called Stout¹ Denial is anexcellent line to adopt, especially if you really are innocent, but itdoes not lead to anything in the shape of a bright and snappy dialoguebetween accuser and accused. Both Mike and the headmaster wereoppressed by a feeling that the situation was difficult. Theatmosphere was heavy, and conversation showed a tendency to flag. Theheadmaster had opened brightly enough, with a summary of the evidencewhich Mr. Downing had laid before him, but after that a massivesilence had been the order of the day. There is nothing in this worldquite so stolid² and uncommunicative as a boy who has made up his mindto be stolid and uncommunicative; and the headmaster, as he sat andlooked at Mike, who sat and looked past him at the bookshelves, feltawkward. It was a scene which needed either a dramatic interruption ora neat exit speech. As it happened, what it got was the dramaticinterruption.

　　The headmaster was just saying, "I do not think you fully³ realise,Jackson, the extent to which appearances--" --which was practicallygoing back to the beginning and starting again--when there was a knockat the door. A voice without said, "Mr. Downing to see you, sir," andthe chief witness for the prosecution⁴ burst in.

　　"I would not have interrupted you," said Mr. Downing, "but----""Not at all, Mr. Downing. Is there anything I can----?""I have discovered--I have been informed--In short, it was notJackson, who committed the--who painted my dog."Mike and the headmaster both looked at the speaker. Mike with afeeling of relief--for Stout Denial, unsupported by any weightyevidence, is a wearing game to play--the headmaster with astonishment⁵.

　　"Not Jackson?" said the headmaster.

　　"No. It was a boy in the same house. Smith."Psmith! Mike was more than surprised. He could not believe it. Thereis nothing which affords so clear an index to a boy's character as thetype of rag which he considers humorous. Between what is a rag andwhat is merely a rotten trick there is a very definite line drawn

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2 stolid
adj.无动于衷的，感情麻木的
参考例句：
Her face showed nothing but stolid indifference.她的脸上毫无表情，只有麻木的无动于衷。 He conceals his feelings behind a rather stolid manner.他装作无动于衷的样子以掩盖自己的感情。

3 fully
adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地
参考例句：
The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。 They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

4 prosecution
n.起诉，告发，检举，执行，经营
参考例句：
The Smiths brought a prosecution against the organizers.史密斯家对组织者们提出起诉。 He attempts to rebut the assertion made by the prosecution witness.他试图反驳原告方证人所作的断言。

5 astonishment
n.惊奇，惊异
参考例句：
They heard him give a loud shout of astonishment.他们听见他惊奇地大叫一声。 I was filled with astonishment at her strange action.我对她的奇怪举动不胜惊异。

6 drawn
v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的
参考例句：
All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。 Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

7 brute
n.野兽，兽性
参考例句：
The aggressor troops are not many degrees removed from the brute.侵略军简直象一群野兽。 That dog is a dangerous brute.It bites people.那条狗是危险的畜牲，它咬人。

8 yelp
vi.狗吠
参考例句：
The dog gave a yelp of pain.狗疼得叫了一声。 The puppy a yelp when John stepped on her tail.当约翰踩到小狗的尾巴，小狗发出尖叫。

9 wail
vt./vi.大声哀号，恸哭；呼啸，尖啸
参考例句：
Somewhere in the audience an old woman's voice began plaintive wail.观众席里，一位老太太伤心地哭起来。 One of the small children began to wail with terror.小孩中的一个吓得大哭起来。

10 impending
a.imminent, about to come or happen
参考例句：
Against a background of impending famine, heavy fighting took place. 即将发生饥荒之时，严重的战乱爆发了。 The king convoke parliament to cope with the impending danger. 国王召开国会以应付迫近眉睫的危险。

11 motive
n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的
参考例句：
The police could not find a motive for the murder.警察不能找到谋杀的动机。 He had some motive in telling this fable.他讲这寓言故事是有用意的。

12 deliberately
adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地
参考例句：
The girl gave the show away deliberately.女孩故意泄露秘密。 They deliberately shifted off the argument.他们故意回避这个论点。

13 kindly
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。

14 luxurious
adj.精美而昂贵的；豪华的
参考例句：
This is a luxurious car complete with air conditioning and telephone.这是一辆附有空调设备和电话的豪华轿车。 The rich man lives in luxurious surroundings.这位富人生活在奢侈的环境中。

15 bent
n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的
参考例句：
He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。 We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。

16 placidly
adv.平稳地，平静地
参考例句：
Hurstwood stood placidly by, while the car rolled back into the yard. 当车子开回场地时，赫斯渥沉着地站在一边。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹 The water chestnut floated placidly there, where it would grow. 那棵菱角就又安安稳稳浮在水面上生长去了。 来自汉英文学 - 中国现代小说

17 nervously
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。

18 proceeding
n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报
参考例句：
This train is now proceeding from Paris to London.这次列车从巴黎开往伦敦。 The work is proceeding briskly.工作很有生气地进展着。

19 touching
adj.动人的，使人感伤的
参考例句：
It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。 His letter was touching.他的信很感人。

20 purely
adv.纯粹地，完全地
参考例句：
I helped him purely and simply out of friendship.我帮他纯粹是出于友情。 This disproves the theory that children are purely imitative.这证明认为儿童只会单纯地模仿的理论是站不住脚的。

21 strictly
adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地
参考例句：
His doctor is dieting him strictly.他的医生严格规定他的饮食。 The guests were seated strictly in order of precedence.客人严格按照地位高低就座。

22 meditatively
adv.冥想地
参考例句：
The old man looked meditatively at the darts board. 老头儿沉思不语，看着那投镖板。 来自英汉文学 "Well,'said the foreman, scratching his ear meditatively, "we do need a stitcher. “这--"工头沉思地搔了搔耳朵。 "我们确实需要一个缝纫工。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

23 courteously
adv.有礼貌地，亲切地
参考例句：
He courteously opened the door for me.他谦恭有礼地为我开门。 Presently he rose courteously and released her.过了一会，他就很客气地站起来，让她走开。

24 craving
n.渴望,热望
参考例句：
a craving for chocolate 非常想吃巧克力 She skipped normal meals to satisfy her craving for chocolate and crisps. 她不吃正餐，以便满足自己吃巧克力和炸薯片的渴望。

25 writhe
vt.挣扎，痛苦地扭曲；vi.扭曲，翻腾，受苦；n.翻腾，苦恼
参考例句：
They surely writhe under this pressure.他们肯定对这种压力感到苦恼。 Her words made him writhe with shame.她的话使他惭愧地感到浑身不自在。

26 obstinately
ad.固执地，顽固地
参考例句：
He obstinately asserted that he had done the right thing. 他硬说他做得对。 Unemployment figures are remaining obstinately high. 失业数字仍然顽固地居高不下。