AT half-past six that afternoon, just as Amherst, on his return from the mills, put the key into his door at Hanaford, Mrs. Ansell, in New York, was being shown into Mr. Langhope's library.

As she entered, her friend rose from his chair by the fire, and turned on her a face so disordered by emotion that she stopped short with an exclamation¹ of alarm.

"Henry--what has happened? Why did you send for me?"

"Because I couldn't go to you. I couldn't trust myself in the streets--in the light of day."

"But why? What is it?--Not Cicely----?"

He struck both hands upward with a comprehensive gesture. "Cicely--everyone--the whole world!" His clenched² fist came down on the table against which he was leaning. "Maria, my girl might have been saved!"

Mrs. Ansell looked at him with growing perturbation. "Saved--Bessy's life? But how? By whom?"

"She might have been allowed to live, I mean--to recover. She was killed, Maria; that woman killed her!"

Mrs. Ansell, with another cry of bewilderment, let herself drop helplessly into the nearest chair. "In heaven's name, Henry--what woman?"

He seated himself opposite to her, clutching at his stick, and leaning his weight heavily on it--a white dishevelled old man. "I wonder why you ask--just to spare me?"

Their eyes met in a piercing exchange of question and answer, and Mrs. Ansell tried to bring out reasonably: "I ask in order to understand what you are saying."

"Well, then, if you insist on keeping up appearances--my daughter-in-law killed my daughter. There you have it." He laughed silently, with a tear on his reddened eye-lids.

Mrs. Ansell groaned³. "Henry, you are raving--I understand less and less."

"I don't see how I can speak more plainly. She told me so herself, in this room, not an hour ago."

"She told you? Who told you?"

"John Amherst's wife. Told me she'd killed my child. It's as easy as breathing--if you know how to use a morphia-needle."

Light seemed at last to break on his hearer. "Oh, my poor Henry--you mean--she gave too much? There was some dreadful accident?"

"There was no accident. She killed my child--killed her deliberately⁴. Don't look at me as if I were a madman. She sat in that chair you're in when she told me."

点击收听单词发音  

1 exclamation
n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词
参考例句：
He could not restrain an exclamation of approval.他禁不住喝一声采。 The author used three exclamation marks at the end of the last sentence to wake up the readers.作者在文章的最后一句连用了三个惊叹号，以引起读者的注意。

2 clenched
v.紧握，抓紧，咬紧( clench的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
He clenched his fists in anger. 他愤怒地攥紧了拳头。 She clenched her hands in her lap to hide their trembling. 她攥紧双手放在腿上，以掩饰其颤抖。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 groaned
v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦
参考例句：
He groaned in anguish. 他痛苦地呻吟。 The cart groaned under the weight of the piano. 大车在钢琴的重压下嘎吱作响。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 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。

5 miserable
adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的
参考例句：
It was miserable of you to make fun of him.你取笑他，这是可耻的。 Her past life was miserable.她过去的生活很苦。

6 exultation
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。

7 abysmally
adv.极糟地；可怕地；完全地；极端地
参考例句：
But the two-and-a-half-year-olds, much to my and their parents' surprise, failed abysmally. 但是两岁半的孩子根本不会找，我们与孩子的父母都很意外。 来自互联网 Research and development spending by existing firms is abysmally low. 该数据能衡量新增的商业业务量和对创业的态度。 来自互联网

8 vile
adj.卑鄙的，可耻的，邪恶的；坏透的
参考例句：
Who could have carried out such a vile attack?会是谁发起这么卑鄙的攻击呢？ Her talk was full of vile curses.她的话里充满着恶毒的咒骂。

9 plunged
v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降
参考例句：
The train derailed and plunged into the river. 火车脱轨栽进了河里。 She lost her balance and plunged 100 feet to her death. 她没有站稳，从100英尺的高处跌下摔死了。

10 misery
n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦
参考例句：
Business depression usually causes misery among the working class.商业不景气常使工薪阶层受苦。 He has rescued me from the mire of misery.他把我从苦海里救了出来。

11 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。

12 regained
复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地
参考例句：
The majority of the people in the world have regained their liberty. 世界上大多数人已重获自由。 She hesitated briefly but quickly regained her poise. 她犹豫片刻，但很快恢复了镇静。

13 habitual
adj.习惯性的；通常的，惯常的
参考例句：
He is a habitual criminal.他是一个惯犯。 They are habitual visitors to our house.他们是我家的常客。

14 accomplice
n.从犯，帮凶，同谋
参考例句：
She was her husband's accomplice in murdering a rich old man.她是她丈夫谋杀一个老富翁的帮凶。 He is suspected as an accomplice of the murder.他涉嫌为这次凶杀案的同谋。

15 forestall
vt.抢在…之前采取行动；预先阻止
参考例句：
I left the room to forestall involvements.我抢先离开了这房间以免受牵累。 He followed this rule in order to forestall rumors.他遵守这条规矩是为了杜绝流言蜚语。

16 sardonically
adv.讽刺地，冷嘲地
参考例句：
Some say sardonically that combat pay is good and that one can do quite well out of this war. 有些人讽刺地说战地的薪饷很不错，人们可借这次战争赚到很多钱。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Tu Wei-yueh merely drew himself up and smiled sardonically. 屠维岳把胸脯更挺得直些，微微冷笑。 来自子夜部分

17 furrows
n.犁沟( furrow的名词复数 )；（脸上的）皱纹v.犁田，开沟( furrow的第三人称单数 )
参考例句：
I could tell from the deep furrows in her forehead that she was very disturbed by the news. 从她额头深深的皱纹上，我可以看出她听了这个消息非常不安。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Dirt bike trails crisscrossed the grassy furrows. 越野摩托车的轮迹纵横交错地布满条条草沟。 来自辞典例句

18 hideous
adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的
参考例句：
The whole experience had been like some hideous nightmare.整个经历就像一场可怕的噩梦。 They're not like dogs,they're hideous brutes.它们不像狗，是丑陋的畜牲。

19 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

20 distress
n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛
参考例句：
Nothing could alleviate his distress.什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。 Please don't distress yourself.请你不要忧愁了。

21 judicial
adj.司法的，法庭的，审判的，明断的，公正的
参考例句：
He is a man with a judicial mind.他是个公正的人。 Tom takes judicial proceedings against his father.汤姆对他的父亲正式提出诉讼。

22 coordinating
v.使协调，使调和( coordinate的现在分词 )；协调；协同；成为同等
参考例句：
He abolished the Operations Coordinating Board and the Planning Board. 他废除了行动协调委员会和计划委员会。 来自辞典例句 He's coordinating the wedding, and then we're not going to invite him? 他是来协调婚礼的，难道我们不去请他？ 来自电影对白

23 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。

24 poignant
adj.令人痛苦的，辛酸的，惨痛的
参考例句：
His lyrics are as acerbic and poignant as they ever have been.他的歌词一如既往的犀利辛辣。 It is especially poignant that he died on the day before his wedding.他在婚礼前一天去世了，这尤其令人悲恸。

25 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。

26 conclusive
adj.最后的，结论的；确凿的，消除怀疑的
参考例句：
They produced some fairly conclusive evidence.他们提供了一些相当确凿的证据。 Franklin did not believe that the French tests were conclusive.富兰克林不相信这个法国人的实验是结论性的。

27 guilt
n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责
参考例句：
She tried to cover up her guilt by lying.她企图用谎言掩饰自己的罪行。 Don't lay a guilt trip on your child about schoolwork.别因为功课责备孩子而使他觉得很内疚。

28 revolve
vi.(使)旋转；循环出现
参考例句：
The planets revolve around the sun.行星绕着太阳运转。 The wheels began to revolve slowly.车轮开始慢慢转动。

29 revolved
v.（使）旋转( revolve的过去式和过去分词 )；细想
参考例句：
The fan revolved slowly. 电扇缓慢地转动着。 The wheel revolved on its centre. 轮子绕中心转动。 来自《简明英汉词典》

30 drooping
adj. 下垂的，无力的 动词droop的现在分词
参考例句：
The drooping willows are waving gently in the morning breeze. 晨风中垂柳袅袅。 The branches of the drooping willows were swaying lightly. 垂柳轻飘飘地摆动。

31 asperity
n.粗鲁，艰苦
参考例句：
He spoke to the boy with asperity.他严厉地对那男孩讲话。 The asperity of the winter had everybody yearning for spring.严冬之苦让每个人都渴望春天。

32 heed
v.注意，留意；n.注意，留心
参考例句：
You must take heed of what he has told.你要注意他所告诉的事。 For the first time he had to pay heed to his appearance.这是他第一次非得注意自己的外表不可了。

33 extenuate
v.减轻，使人原谅
参考例句：
Nothing can extenuate his crime.他的罪责无法减轻。 Because of extenuating circumstances,the court acquitted him of the crime.因考虑到情有可原，法庭判他无罪。

34 furrowed
v.犁田，开沟( furrow的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
Overhead hung a summer sky furrowed with the rash of rockets. 头顶上的夏日夜空纵横着急疾而过的焰火。 来自辞典例句 The car furrowed the loose sand as it crossed the desert. 车子横过沙漠，在松软的沙土上犁出了一道车辙。 来自辞典例句

35 avowed
adj.公开声明的，承认的v.公开声明，承认( avow的过去式和过去分词)
参考例句：
An aide avowed that the President had known nothing of the deals. 一位助理声明，总统对这些交易一无所知。 The party's avowed aim was to struggle against capitalist exploitation. 该党公开宣称的宗旨是与资本主义剥削斗争。 来自《简明英汉词典》

36 mere
adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过
参考例句：
That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。 It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

37 exonerated
v.使免罪，免除( exonerate的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
The police report exonerated Lewis from all charges of corruption. 警方的报告免除了对刘易斯贪污的所有指控。 An investigation exonerated the school from any blame. 一项调查证明该学校没有任何过失。 来自辞典例句

38 wrung
绞( wring的过去式和过去分词 )； 握紧（尤指别人的手）； 把（湿衣服）拧干； 绞掉（水）
参考例句：
He has wrung the words from their true meaning. 他曲解这些字的真正意义。 He wrung my hand warmly. 他热情地紧握我的手。

39 effacing
谦逊的
参考例句：
He was a shy, self-effacing man. 他是个腼腆谦逊的人。 She was a quiet woman, bigboned, and self-effacing. 她骨架很大，稳稳当当，从来不喜欢抛头露面。 来自辞典例句

40 pretext
n.借口，托词
参考例句：
He used his headache as a pretext for not going to school.他借口头疼而不去上学。 He didn't attend that meeting under the pretext of sickness.他以生病为借口，没参加那个会议。

41 eyebrows
眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Eyebrows stop sweat from coming down into the eyes. 眉毛挡住汗水使其不能流进眼睛。 His eyebrows project noticeably. 他的眉毛特别突出。

42 ironic
adj.讽刺的，有讽刺意味的，出乎意料的
参考例句：
That is a summary and ironic end.那是一个具有概括性和讽刺意味的结局。 People used to call me Mr Popularity at high school,but they were being ironic.人们中学时常把我称作“万人迷先生”，但他们是在挖苦我。

43 shrug
v.耸肩(表示怀疑、冷漠、不知等)
参考例句：
With a shrug,he went out of the room.他耸一下肩，走出了房间。 I admire the way she is able to shrug off unfair criticism.我很佩服她能对错误的批评意见不予理会。

44 shuddering
v.战栗( shudder的现在分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动
参考例句：
'I am afraid of it,'she answered, shuddering. “我害怕，”她发着抖，说。 来自英汉文学 - 双城记 She drew a deep shuddering breath. 她不由得打了个寒噤，深深吸了口气。 来自飘（部分）

45 musingly
adv.沉思地，冥想地
参考例句：

46 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。

47 inevitable
adj.不可避免的，必然发生的
参考例句：
Mary was wearing her inevitable large hat.玛丽戴着她总是戴的那顶大帽子。 The defeat had inevitable consequences for British policy.战败对英国政策不可避免地产生了影响。

48 measles
n.麻疹，风疹，包虫病，痧子
参考例句：
The doctor is quite definite about Tom having measles.医生十分肯定汤姆得了麻疹。 The doctor told her to watch out for symptoms of measles.医生叫她注意麻疹出现的症状。

49 malady
n.病，疾病(通常做比喻)
参考例句：
There is no specific remedy for the malady.没有医治这种病的特效药。 They are managing to control the malady into a small range.他们设法将疾病控制在小范围之内。

50 virulence
n.毒力，毒性；病毒性；致病力
参考例句：
The virulence of the café owner's anger had appalled her.咖啡店老板怒气冲天，充满敌意，把她吓坏了。 Medical authorities were baffled,both as to its causes and its virulence.医疗当局对其病因及有多致命都还不甚了解。

51 tragic
adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的
参考例句：
The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。 Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。

52 renouncing
v.声明放弃( renounce的现在分词 )；宣布放弃；宣布与…决裂；宣布摒弃
参考例句：
He enraged the government by renouncing the agreement. 他否认那项协议，从而激怒了政府。 来自辞典例句 What do you get for renouncing Taiwan and embracing Beijing instead? 抛弃台湾，并转而拥抱北京之后，你会得到什么？ 来自互联网

53 beguiled
v.欺骗( beguile的过去式和过去分词 )；使陶醉；使高兴；消磨（时间等）
参考例句：
She beguiled them into believing her version of events. 她哄骗他们相信了她叙述的事情。 He beguiled me into signing this contract. 他诱骗我签订了这项合同。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

54 recording
n.录音，记录
参考例句：
How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？ I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。

55 recurred
再发生，复发( recur的过去式和过去分词 )； 治愈
参考例句：
Old memories constantly recurred to him. 往事经常浮现在他的脑海里。 She always winced when he recurred to the subject of his poems. 每逢他一提到他的诗作的时候，她总是有点畏缩。

56 negation
n.否定；否认
参考例句：
No reasonable negation can be offered.没有合理的反对意见可以提出。 The author boxed the compass of negation in his article.该作者在文章中依次探讨了各种反面的意见。

57 expiatory
adj.赎罪的，补偿的
参考例句：

58 sustenance
n.食物，粮食；生活资料；生计
参考例句：
We derive our sustenance from the land.我们从土地获取食物。 The urban homeless are often in desperate need of sustenance.城市里无家可归的人极其需要食物来维持生命。

59 justified
a.正当的，有理的
参考例句：
She felt fully justified in asking for her money back. 她认为有充分的理由要求退款。 The prisoner has certainly justified his claims by his actions. 那个囚犯确实已用自己的行动表明他的要求是正当的。

60 laboriously
adv.艰苦地；费力地；辛勤地；（文体等）佶屈聱牙地
参考例句：
She is tracing laboriously now. 她正在费力地写。 来自《简明英汉词典》 She is laboriously copying out an old manuscript. 她正在费劲地抄出一份旧的手稿。 来自辞典例句

61 ERECTED
adj. 直立的，竖立的，笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立，建立
参考例句：
A monument to him was erected in St Paul's Cathedral. 在圣保罗大教堂为他修了一座纪念碑。 A monument was erected to the memory of that great scientist. 树立了一块纪念碑纪念那位伟大的科学家。

62 fissures
n.狭长裂缝或裂隙( fissure的名词复数 )；裂伤；分歧；分裂v.裂开( fissure的第三人称单数 )
参考例句：
Rising molten rock flows out on the ocean floor and caps the fissures, trapping the water. 上升熔岩流到海底并堵住了裂隙，结果把海水封在里面。 来自辞典例句 The French have held two colloquia and an international symposium on rock fissures. 法国已经开了两次岩石裂缝方面的报告会和一个国际会议。 来自辞典例句

63 fabric
n.织物，织品，布；构造，结构，组织
参考例句：
The fabric will spot easily.这种织品很容易玷污。 I don't like the pattern on the fabric.我不喜欢那块布料上的图案。

64 precipitated
v.（突如其来地）使发生( precipitate的过去式和过去分词 )；促成；猛然摔下；使沉淀
参考例句：
His resignation precipitated a leadership crisis. 他的辞职立即引发了领导层的危机。 He lost his footing and was precipitated to the ground. 他失足摔倒在地上。 来自《简明英汉词典》

65 verge
n.边，边缘；v.接近，濒临
参考例句：
The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。 She was on the verge of bursting into tears.她快要哭出来了。

66 reverence
n.敬畏，尊敬，尊严；Reverence:对某些基督教神职人员的尊称；v.尊敬，敬畏，崇敬
参考例句：
He was a bishop who was held in reverence by all.他是一位被大家都尊敬的主教。 We reverence tradition but will not be fettered by it.我们尊重传统，但不被传统所束缚。

67 desecrated
毁坏或亵渎( desecrate的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
The invading army desecrated this holy place when they camped here. 侵略军在这块圣地上扎营就是对这块圣地的亵渎。 She shouldn't have desecrated the picture of a religious leader. 她不该亵渎宗教领袖的画像。

68 judgment
n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见
参考例句：
The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。 He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

69 undo
vt.解开，松开；取消，撤销
参考例句：
His pride will undo him some day.他的傲慢总有一天会毁了他。 I managed secretly to undo a corner of the parcel.我悄悄地设法解开了包裹的一角。

70 appeasement
n.平息，满足
参考例句：
Music is an appeasement to shattered nerves. 音乐可抚慰受重创的神经。 There can be no appeasement with ruthlessness. 对残暴行为是不能姑息的。 来自演讲部分

71 well-being
n.安康，安乐，幸福
参考例句：
He always has the well-being of the masses at heart.他总是把群众的疾苦挂在心上。 My concern for their well-being was misunderstood as interference.我关心他们的幸福，却被误解为多管闲事。

72 instinctive
adj.(出于)本能的；直觉的；(出于)天性的
参考例句：
He tried to conceal his instinctive revulsion at the idea.他试图饰盖自己对这一想法本能的厌恶。 Animals have an instinctive fear of fire.动物本能地怕火。

73 confession
n.自白，供认，承认
参考例句：
Her confession was simply tantamount to a casual explanation.她的自白简直等于一篇即席说明。 The police used torture to extort a confession from him.警察对他用刑逼供。

74 momentary
adj.片刻的，瞬息的；短暂的
参考例句：
We are in momentary expectation of the arrival of you.我们无时无刻不在盼望你的到来。 I caught a momentary glimpse of them.我瞥了他们一眼。

75 estrangement
n.疏远，失和，不和
参考例句：
a period of estrangement from his wife 他与妻子分居期间 The quarrel led to a complete estrangement between her and her family. 这一争吵使她同家人完全疏远了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

76 obloquy
n.斥责，大骂
参考例句：
I have had enough obloquy for one lifetime.我一辈子受够了诽谤。 I resent the obloquy that you are casting upon my reputation.我怨恨你对我的名誉横加诽谤。

77 craved
渴望，热望( crave的过去式 )； 恳求，请求
参考例句：
She has always craved excitement. 她总渴望刺激。 A spicy, sharp-tasting radish was exactly what her stomach craved. 她正馋着想吃一个香甜可口的红萝卜呢。

78 exonerating
v.使免罪，免除( exonerate的现在分词 )
参考例句：

79 fortify
v.强化防御，为…设防；加强，强化
参考例句：
This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。 This treaty forbade the United States to fortify the canal.此条约禁止美国对运河设防。

80 isolating
adj.孤立的，绝缘的v.使隔离( isolate的现在分词 )；将…剔出（以便看清和单独处理）；使（某物质、细胞等）分离；使离析
参考例句：
Colour filters are not very effective in isolating narrow spectral bands. 一些滤色片不能很有效地分离狭窄的光谱带。 来自辞典例句 This became known as the streak method for isolating bacteria. 这个方法以后就称为分离细菌的划线法。 来自辞典例句

81 solace
n.安慰；v.使快乐；vt.安慰(物)，缓和
参考例句：
They sought solace in religion from the harshness of their everyday lives.他们日常生活很艰难，就在宗教中寻求安慰。 His acting career took a nosedive and he turned to drink for solace.演艺事业突然一落千丈，他便借酒浇愁。

82 impetus
n.推动，促进，刺激；推动力
参考例句：
This is the primary impetus behind the economic recovery.这是促使经济复苏的主要动力。 Her speech gave an impetus to my ideas.她的讲话激发了我的思绪。

83 atoning
v.补偿，赎（罪）( atone的现在分词 )；补偿，弥补，赎回
参考例句：
A legacy from Mrs. Jennings, was the easiest means of atoning for his own neglect. 詹宁斯太太的遗赠，是弥补他自己的失职的最简单、最容易的方法。 来自辞典例句 Their sins are washed away by Christ's atoning sacrifice. 耶稣为世人赎罪作出的牺牲，洗去了他们的罪过。 来自互联网

84 stranded
a.搁浅的，进退两难的
参考例句：
He was stranded in a strange city without money. 他流落在一个陌生的城市里， 身无分文，一筹莫展。 I was stranded in the strange town without money or friends. 我困在那陌生的城市，既没有钱，又没有朋友。

85 impelled
v.推动、推进或敦促某人做某事( impel的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
He felt impelled to investigate further. 他觉得有必要作进一步调查。 I feel impelled to express grave doubts about the project. 我觉得不得不对这项计划深表怀疑。 来自《简明英汉词典》

86 symbolic
adj.象征性的，符号的，象征主义的
参考例句：
It is symbolic of the fighting spirit of modern womanhood.它象征着现代妇女的战斗精神。 The Christian ceremony of baptism is a symbolic act.基督教的洗礼仪式是一种象征性的做法。