grew unusually talkative and sentimental, in a few minutes.



"`Oh, sing, somebody!' he sighed in a hoarserapture: `the night

was made for Song.'



"Miss Ringtop, nothing loath, immediately commenced, `When stars

are in the quiet skies;' but scarcely had she finished the first



verse before Abel interrupted her.

"`Candor's the order of the day, isn't it?' he asked.



"`Yes!' `Yes!' two or three answered.

"`Well then,' said he, `candidly, Pauline, you've got the darn'dest



squeaky voice'--

"Miss Ringtop gave a faint little scream of horror.



"`Oh, never mind!' he continued. `We act according to

impulse, don't we? And I've the impulse to swear; and it's right.



Let Nature have her way. Listen! Damn, damn, damn, damn! I never

knew it was so easy. Why, there's a pleasure in it! Try it,



Pauline! try it on me!'

"`Oh-ooh!' was all Miss Ringtop could utter.



"`Abel! Abel!' exclaimed Hollins, `the beer has got into your

head.'



"`No, it isn't Beer,--it's Candor!' said Abel. `It's your own

proposal, Hollins. Suppose it's evil to swear: isn't it better I



should express it, and be done with it, than keep it bottled up to

ferment in my mind? Oh, you're a precious, consistent old humbug,



you are!'

"And therewith he jumped off the stoop, and went dancing awkwardly



down towards the water, singing in a most unmelodious voice, `'Tis

home where'er the heart is.'



"`Oh, he may fall into the water!' exclaimed Eunice, in alarm.

"`He's not fool enough to do that,' said Shelldrake. `His head is



a little light, that's all. The air will cool him down presently.'

But she arose and followed him, not satisfied with this assurance.



Miss Ringtop sat rigidly still. She would have received with

composure the news of his drowning.



"As Eunice's white dress disappeared among the cedars crowning the

shore, I sprang up and ran after her. I knew that Abel was not



intoxicated, but simply excited, and I had no fear on his account:

I obeyed an involuntaryimpulse. On approaching the water, I



heard their voices--hers in friendly persuasion, his in sentimental

entreaty,--then the sound of oars in the row-locks. Looking out



from the last clump of cedars, I saw them seated in the boat,

Eunice at the stern, while Abel, facing her, just dipped an oar now



and then to keep from drifting with the tide. She had found him

already in the boat, which was loosely chained to a stone.



Stepping on one of the forward thwarts in her eagerness to persuade

him to return, he sprang past her, jerked away the chain, and



pushed off before she could escape. She would have fallen, but he

caught her and placed her in the stern, and then seated himself at



the oars. She must have been somewhat alarmed, but there was only

indignation in her voice. All this had transpired before my



arrival, and the first words I heard bound me to the spot and kept

me silent.



"`Abel, what does this mean?' she asked

"`It means Fate--Destiny!' he exclaimed, rather wildly. `Ah,



Eunice, ask the night, and the moon,--ask the impulse which told

you to follow me! Let us be candid like the old Arcadians we



imitate. Eunice, we know that we love each other: why should we

conceal it any longer? The Angel of Love comes down from the stars



on his azure wings, and whispers to our hearts. Let us confess to

each other! The female heart should not be timid, in this pure and



beautiful atmosphere of Love which we breathe. Come, Eunice! we

are alone: let your heart speak to me!'



"Ned, if you've ever been in love, (we'll talk of that after

a while,) you will easily understand what tortures I endured, in



thus hearing him speak. That HE should love Eunice! It was a

profanation to her, an outrage to me. Yet the assurance with which



he spoke! COULD she love this conceited, ridiculous, repulsive

fellow, after all? I almost gasped for breath, as I clinched the



prickly boughs of the cedars in my hands, and set my teeth, waiting

to hear her answer.



"`I will not hear such language! Take me back to the shore!' she

said, in very short, decided tones.

• driven [´driv(ə)n] drive 的过去分词 (初中英语单词)


• platform [´plætfɔ:m] n.(平)台；讲台；站台 (初中英语单词)


• whatever [wɔt´evə] pron.&a.无论什么 (初中英语单词)


• instinct [´instiŋkt] n.本能；直觉；天资 (初中英语单词)


• variety [və´raiəti] n.变化；多样(性)；种类 (初中英语单词)


• reading [´ri:diŋ] n.(阅)读；朗读；读物 (初中英语单词)


• paragraph [´pærəgrɑ:f] n.段；节 vt.将…分段 (初中英语单词)


• meadow [´medəu] n.草地；牧场 (初中英语单词)


• countenance [´kauntinəns] n.面部表情；脸色；面容 (初中英语单词)


• hatred [´heitrid] n.憎恨，敌意 (初中英语单词)


• reflection [ri´flekʃən] n.反射；映象；想法 (初中英语单词)


• illustration [,ilə´streiʃən] n.插图，图解，例证 (初中英语单词)


• coward [´kauəd] n.胆怯者 a.胆小的 (初中英语单词)


• universal [,ju:ni´və:səl] a.宇宙的；普遍的 (初中英语单词)


• hidden [´hid(ə)n] hide 的过去分词 (初中英语单词)


• sympathy [´simpəθi] n.同情，怜悯 (初中英语单词)


• wisdom [´wizdəm] n.智慧，聪明，才智 (初中英语单词)


• earnest [´ə:nist] a.认真的 n.认真；诚恳 (初中英语单词)


• confess [kən´fes] vt.供认；坦白；承认 (初中英语单词)


• communication [kə,mju:ni´keiʃən] n.通信；通讯联系 (初中英语单词)


• flavor [´fleivə] n.滋味 vt.给….调味 (初中英语单词)


• agreeable [ə´gri:əbəl] a.适合的；符合的 (初中英语单词)


• vegetable [´vedʒtəbəl] a.&n.蔬菜(的)；植物 (初中英语单词)


• properly [´prɔpəli] ad.适当地；严格地 (初中英语单词)


• distinguish [di´stiŋgwiʃ] v.区分；识别；立功 (初中英语单词)


• chemical [´kemikəl] a.化学的 n.化学制品 (初中英语单词)


• analysis [ə´næləsis] n.分解；分析(结果) (初中英语单词)


• relief [ri´li:f] n.救济；援救；减轻 (初中英语单词)


• character [´kæriktə] n.特性；性质；人物；字 (初中英语单词)


• cellar [´selə] n.地窑，地下室 (初中英语单词)


• thirst [θə:st] n.渴，口渴；渴望 (初中英语单词)


• contents [´kɔ:ntents] n.容纳物；要旨 (初中英语单词)


• liquid [´likwid] n.液体 a.流动的 (初中英语单词)


• invitation [,invi´teiʃən] n.邀请；请帖；吸引 (初中英语单词)


• acting [´æktiŋ] a.代理的 n.演戏 (初中英语单词)


• scream [skri:m] v.&n.尖叫(声) (初中英语单词)


• impulse [´impʌls] n.推动(力)；冲动；刺激 (初中英语单词)


• therewith [ðɛə´wið] ad.于是，随即 (初中英语单词)


• sprang [spræŋ] spring 的过去式 (初中英语单词)


• persuasion [pə´sweiʒən] n.说服(力)；劝说；见解 (初中英语单词)


• female [´fi:meil] a.女(性)的 n.女人 (初中英语单词)


• atmosphere [´ætməsfiə] n.大气；空气；气氛 (初中英语单词)


• breath [breθ] n.呼吸；气息 (初中英语单词)


• temporary [´tempərəri] a.暂时的 n.临时工 (高中英语单词)


• hearing [´hiəriŋ] n.听力；听证会；审讯 (高中英语单词)


• variation [,veəri´eiʃən] n.变化；变动 (高中英语单词)


• repetition [,repi´tiʃən] n.重复；背诵；复制品 (高中英语单词)


• seeing [si:iŋ] see的现在分词 n.视觉 (高中英语单词)


• intellectual [,inti´lektʃuəl] n.知识分子 (高中英语单词)


• stubborn [´stʌbən] a.顽固的；坚持的 (高中英语单词)


• streak [stri:k] n.纹理 v.用线条(条纹) (高中英语单词)


• scotch [skɔtʃ] vt.&n.刻痕(于)；划伤 (高中英语单词)


• exceedingly [ik´si:diŋli] ad.非常地，极度地 (高中英语单词)


• hereafter [hiər´ɑ:ftə] ad.&n.将来；来世 (高中英语单词)


• rapture [´ræptʃə] n.着迷；全神贯注 (高中英语单词)


• eagerness [´i:gənis] n.渴望；热忱 (高中英语单词)


• outrage [´aut,reidʒ] n.残暴 vt.虐待；伤害 (高中英语单词)


• assurance [ə´ʃuərəns] n.保证；自信；信任 (高中英语单词)


• ridiculous [ri´dikjuləs] a.荒谬的；可笑的 (高中英语单词)


• decided [di´saidid] a.明显的；决定的 (高中英语单词)


• monotonous [mə´nɔtənəs] a.单(音)调的 (英语四级单词)


• feminine [´feminin] a.女性的 (英语四级单词)


• unconsciously [ʌn´kɔʃəsli] ad.无意识地；不觉察地 (英语四级单词)


• courageous [kə´reidʒəs] a.勇敢的；无畏的 (英语四级单词)


• resolved [ri´zɔlvd] a.决心的；坚定的 (英语四级单词)


• beverage [´bevəridʒ] n.饮料 (英语四级单词)


• auction [´ɔ:kʃən] n.&vt.拍卖 (英语四级单词)


• potent [´pəutənt] a.有(势)力的；烈性的 (英语四级单词)


• unusually [ʌn´ju:ʒuəli] ad.异常地；非常 (英语四级单词)


• sentimental [,senti´mentl] a.感伤的；多愁善感的 (英语四级单词)


• hoarse [hɔ:s] a.嘶哑的；嗓门粗哑的 (英语四级单词)


• consistent [kən´sistənt] a.一致的；始终如一的 (英语四级单词)


• loosely [´lu:sli] ad.松散地 (英语四级单词)


• doubly [´dʌbli] ad.加倍地，双重地 (英语六级单词)


• priceless [´praisləs] a.无价的；贵重的 (英语六级单词)


• hypocrisy [hi´pɔkrisi] n.伪善 (英语六级单词)


• arrogance [´ærəgəns] n.傲慢；自大 (英语六级单词)


• unanimously [ju:´næniməsli] ad.一致同意的 (英语六级单词)


• fermentation [,fə:men´teiʃən] n.发酵；骚动 (英语六级单词)


• reformer [ri´fɔ:mə] n.改革者；革新者 (英语六级单词)


• sultry [´sʌltri] a.狂(闷)热的；风骚的 (英语六级单词)


• rigidly [´ridʒidli] ad.坚硬地；不易弯地 (英语六级单词)


• involuntary [in´vɔləntəri] a.无意识的；非自愿的 (英语六级单词)


• conceited [kən´si:tid] a.自负的；自夸的 (英语六级单词)