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ON a September day, somewhat more than a year and a half after Bessy Amherst's death, her husband and his mother sat at luncheon1 in the dining-room of the Westmore house at Hanaford.
The house was John Amherst's now, and shortly after the loss of his wife he had established himself there with his mother. By a will made some six months before her death, Bessy had divided her estate between her husband and daughter, placing Cicely's share in trust, and appointing Mr. Langhope and Amherst as her guardians2. As the latter was also her trustee, the whole management of the estate devolved on him, while his control of the Westmore mills was ensured by his receiving a slightly larger proportion of the stock than his step-daughter.
The will had come as a surprise, not only to Amherst himself, but to his wife's family, and more especially to her legal adviser3. Mr. Tredegar had in fact had nothing to do with the drawing of the instrument; but as it had been drawn4 in due form, and by a firm of excellent standing5, he was obliged, in spite of his private views, and Mr. Langhope's open adjurations that he should "do something," to declare that there was no pretext6 for questioning the validity of the document.
To Amherst the will was something more than a proof of his wife's confidence: it came as a reconciling word from her grave. For the date showed that it had been made at a moment when he supposed himself to have lost all influence over her--on the morrow of the day when she had stipulated7 that he should give up the management of the Westmore mills, and yield the care of her property to Mr. Tredegar.
While she smote8 him with one hand, she sued for pardon with the other; and the contradiction was so characteristic, it explained and excused in so
收听单词发音
1
luncheon
n.午宴,午餐,便宴
2
guardians
监护人( guardian的名词复数 ); 保护者,维护者
3
adviser
n.劝告者,顾问
4
drawn
v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的
5
standing
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的
6
pretext
n.借口,托词
7
stipulated
vt.& vi.规定;约定adj.[法]合同规定的
8
smote
v.猛打,重击,打击( smite的过去式 )
9
touching
adj.动人的,使人感伤的
10
impulsive
adj.冲动的,刺激的;有推动力的
11
generosity
n.大度,慷慨,慷慨的行为
12
pang
n.剧痛,悲痛,苦闷
13
subsided
v.(土地)下陷(因在地下采矿)( subside的过去式和过去分词 );减弱;下降至较低或正常水平;一下子坐在椅子等上
14
soften
v.(使)变柔软;(使)变柔和
15
softened
(使)变软( soften的过去式和过去分词 ); 缓解打击; 缓和; 安慰
16
quelled
v.(用武力)制止,结束,镇压( quell的过去式和过去分词 )
17
outlet
n.出口/路;销路;批发商店;通风口;发泄
18
complexities
复杂性(complexity的名词复数); 复杂的事物
19
vicissitudes
n.变迁,世事变化;变迁兴衰( vicissitude的名词复数 );盛衰兴废
20
wilderness
n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等,荒漠
21
justify
vt.证明…正当(或有理),为…辩护
22
assented
同意,赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 )
23
expenditure
n.(时间、劳力、金钱等)支出;使用,消耗
24
retrenchment
n.节省,删除
25
mere
adj.纯粹的;仅仅,只不过
26
motive
n.动机,目的;adv.发动的,运动的
27
erectness
n.直立
28
cleft
n.裂缝;adj.裂开的
29
friendliness
n.友谊,亲切,亲密
30
concession
n.让步,妥协;特许(权)
31
expediency
n.适宜;方便;合算;利己
32
liking
n.爱好;嗜好;喜欢
33
dedicated
adj.一心一意的;献身的;热诚的
34
harry
vt.掠夺,蹂躏,使苦恼
35
enquiring
a.爱打听的,显得好奇的
36
apparitions
n.特异景象( apparition的名词复数 );幽灵;鬼;(特异景象等的)出现
37
remarkable
adj.显著的,异常的,非凡的,值得注意的
38
irresistible
adj.非常诱人的,无法拒绝的,无法抗拒的
39
prostration
n. 平伏, 跪倒, 疲劳
40
justified
a.正当的,有理的
41
random
adj.随机的;任意的;n.偶然的(或随便的)行动
42
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
43
clan
n.氏族,部落,宗族,家族,宗派
44
disposition
n.性情,性格;意向,倾向;排列,部署
45
imprisoned
下狱,监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 )
46
bestowed
赠给,授予( bestow的过去式和过去分词 )
47
displeasing
不愉快的,令人发火的
48
devoted
adj.忠诚的,忠实的,热心的,献身于...的
49
obtuseness
感觉迟钝
50
doorway
n.门口,(喻)入门;门路,途径
51
instinctive
adj.(出于)本能的;直觉的;(出于)天性的
52
recoil
vi.退却,退缩,畏缩
53
entrapped
v.使陷入圈套,使入陷阱( entrap的过去式和过去分词 )
54
delightful
adj.令人高兴的,使人快乐的
55
nervously
adv.神情激动地,不安地
56
smother
vt./vi.使窒息;抑制;闷死;n.浓烟;窒息
57
allusion
n.暗示,间接提示
58
anticipation
n.预期,预料,期望
59
intercourse
n.性交;交流,交往,交际
60
abrupt
adj.突然的,意外的;唐突的,鲁莽的
61
chary
adj.谨慎的,细心的
62
swelled
增强( swell的过去式和过去分词 ); 肿胀; (使)凸出; 充满(激情)
63
awed
adj.充满敬畏的,表示敬畏的v.使敬畏,使惊惧( awe的过去式和过去分词 )
64
tenacity
n.坚韧
65
acquitting
宣判…无罪( acquit的现在分词 ); 使(自己)作出某种表现
66
consolatory
adj.慰问的,可藉慰的
67
distress
n.苦恼,痛苦,不舒适;不幸;vt.使悲痛
68
peculiarity
n.独特性,特色;特殊的东西;怪癖
69
reticence
n.沉默,含蓄
70
afterward
adv.后来;以后
71
opportune
adj.合适的,适当的
72
aggravated
使恶化( aggravate的过去式和过去分词 ); 使更严重; 激怒; 使恼火
73
futile
adj.无效的,无用的,无希望的
74
wrath
n.愤怒,愤慨,暴怒
75
engendered
v.产生(某形势或状况),造成,引起( engender的过去式和过去分词 )
76
immediate
adj.立即的;直接的,最接近的;紧靠的
77
irritation
n.激怒,恼怒,生气
78
intervention
n.介入,干涉,干预
79
interval
n.间隔,间距;幕间休息,中场休息
80
tiresome
adj.令人疲劳的,令人厌倦的
81
bereavement
n.亲人丧亡,丧失亲人,丧亲之痛
82
imposing
adj.使人难忘的,壮丽的,堂皇的,雄伟的
83
paternal
adj.父亲的,像父亲的,父系的,父方的
84
exhausted
adj.极其疲惫的,精疲力尽的
85
consigning
v.把…置于(令人不快的境地)( consign的现在分词 );把…托付给;把…托人代售;丟弃
86
migratory
n.候鸟,迁移
87
intermittently
adv.间歇地;断断续续
88
hover
vi.翱翔,盘旋;徘徊;彷徨,犹豫
89
misery
n.痛苦,苦恼,苦难;悲惨的境遇,贫苦
90
evoked
[医]诱发的
91
formerly
adv.从前,以前
92
immaturity
n.不成熟;未充分成长;未成熟;粗糙
93
vagrant
n.流浪者,游民;adj.流浪的,漂泊不定的
94
elegance
n.优雅;优美,雅致;精致,巧妙
95
embellish
v.装饰,布置;给…添加细节,润饰
96
graceful
adj.优美的,优雅的;得体的
97
varied
adj.多样的,多变化的
98
inquisitive
adj.求知欲强的,好奇的,好寻根究底的
99
indigenous
adj.土产的,土生土长的,本地的
100
subsist
vi.生存,存在,供养
101
reigned
vi.当政,统治(reign的过去式形式)
102
previously
adv.以前,先前(地)
103
impatience
n.不耐烦,急躁
104
meditations
默想( meditation的名词复数 ); 默念; 沉思; 冥想
105
trolley
n.手推车,台车;无轨电车;有轨电车
106
kindly
adj.和蔼的,温和的,爽快的;adv.温和地,亲切地
107
proffer
v.献出,赠送;n.提议,建议
108
embarrassment
n.尴尬;使人为难的人(事物);障碍;窘迫
109
intimacy
n.熟悉,亲密,密切关系,亲昵的言行