ladies, wiping his neck with his handkerchief and receiving their



congratulations with an air of modesty though not without a tinge of

self-conceit, the young girl glanced towards Madame Pensee and saw her,



palpitating and breathless, drinking in the hero's applause with her head

thrown backwards. It seemed as if she were on the point of fainting. Eveline



immediately smiled tenderly on M. Ceres.

The Alcan deputy's speech had a great vogue. In political "spheres" it was



regarded as extremely able. "We have at last heard an honest pronouncement,"

said the chief Moderate journal. "It is a regular programme!" they said in the



House. It was agreed that he was a man of immense talent.

Hippolyte Ceres had now established himself as leader of the radicals,



socialists, and anti-clericals, and they appointed him President of their

group, which was then the most considerable in the House. He thus found



himself marked out for office in the next ministerial combination.

After a long hesitation Eveline Clarence accepted the idea of marrying M.



Hippolyte Ceres. The great man was a little common for her taste. Nothing had

yet proved that he would one day reach the point where politics bring in large



sums of money. But she was entering her twenty-seventh year and knew enough of

life to see that she must not be too fastidious or show herself too difficult



to please.

Hippolyte Ceres was celebrated; Hippolyte Ceres was happy. He was no longer



recognisable; the elegance of his clothes and deportment had increased

tremendously. He wore an undue number of white gloves. Now that he was too



much of a society man, Eveline began to doubt if it was not worse than being

too little of one. Madame Clarence regarded the engagement with favour. She



was reassured concerning her daughter's future and pleased to have flowers

given her every Thursday for her drawing-room.



The celebration of the marriage raised some difficulties. Eveline was pious

and wished to receive the benediction of the Church. Hippolyte Ceres, tolerant



but a free-thinker, wanted only a civil marriage. There were many discussions

and even some violent scenes upon the subject. The last took place in the



young girl's room at the moment when the invitations were being written.

Eveline declared that if she did not go to church she would not believe



herself married. She spoke of breaking off the engagement, and of going abroad

with her mother, or of retiring into a convent. Then she became tender, weak,



suppliant. She sighed, and everything in her virginal chamber sighed in

chorus, the holy-water font, the palm-branch above her white bed, the books of



devotion on their little shelves, and the blue and white statuette of St.

Orberosia chaining the dragon of Cappadocia, that stood upon the marble



mantelpiece. Hippolyte Ceres was moved, softened, melted.

Beautiful in her grief, her eyes shining with tears, her wrists girt by a



rosary of lapis lazuli and, so to speak, chained by her faith, she suddenly

flung herself at Hippolyte's feet, and dishevelled, almost dying, she embraced



his knees.

He nearly yielded.



"A religious marriage," he muttered, "a marriage in church, I could make my

constituents stand that, but my committee would not swallow the matter so



easily. . . . Still I'll explain it to them . . . toleration, social

necessities . . . . They all send their daughters to Sunday school . . . . But



as for office, my dear I am afraid we are going to drown all hope of that in

your holy water."



At these words she stood up grave, generous, resigned, conquered also in her

turn.



"My dear, I insist no longer."

"Then we won't have a religious marriage. It will be better, much better not."



"Very well, but be guided by me. I am going to try and arrange everything both

to your satisfaction and mine."



She sought the Reverend Father Douillard and explained the situation. He

showed himself even more accommodating and yielding than she had hoped.



"Your husband is an intelligent man, a man of order and reason; he will come

• privilege [´privilidʒ] n.特权 vt.给….特权 (初中英语单词)


• spectacle [´spektəkəl] n.展览；表演；景象 (初中英语单词)


• charming [´tʃɑ:miŋ] a.可爱的；极好的 (初中英语单词)


• contrary [´kɔntrəri] a.相反的 n.相反 (初中英语单词)


• pursue [pə´sju:] v.追赶；追踪；从事 (初中英语单词)


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


• existence [ig´zistəns] n.存在；生存；生活 (初中英语单词)


• overcome [,əuvə´kʌm] vt.战胜，克服 (初中英语单词)


• pressure [´preʃə] n.压榨 vt.对…施压力 (初中英语单词)


• curiosity [,kjuəri´ɔsiti] n.好奇；奇事；珍品 (初中英语单词)


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


• advantage [əd´vɑ:ntidʒ] n.优势；利益 (初中英语单词)


• victim [´viktim] n.牺牲者；受害者 (初中英语单词)


• measure [´meʒə] n.量度；范围 vt.测量 (初中英语单词)


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


• passion [´pæʃən] n.激情；激怒；恋爱 (初中英语单词)


• phrase [freiz] n.短语；词组；措词 (初中英语单词)


• security [si´kjuəriti] n.安全；证券；抵押品 (初中英语单词)


• candidate [´kændideit] n.候选人；投考者 (初中英语单词)


• attractive [ə´træktiv] a.有吸引力；诱人的 (初中英语单词)


• promptly [´prɔmptli] ad.敏捷地；即时地 (初中英语单词)


• abandon [ə´bændən] vt.抛弃，放弃，离弃 (初中英语单词)


• weakness [´wi:knis] n.虚弱；弱点，缺点 (初中英语单词)


• amount [ə´maunt] n.总数；数量 v.合计 (初中英语单词)


• moreover [mɔ:´rəuvə] ad.再者，此外，而且 (初中英语单词)


• otherwise [´ʌðəwaiz] ad.另外 conj.否则 (初中英语单词)


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


• satisfaction [,sætis´fækʃən] n.满意；满足 (初中英语单词)


• capable [´keipəbəl] a.有能力；能干的 (初中英语单词)


• affect [ə´fekt] vt.影响；感动；假装 (初中英语单词)


• suspicion [sə´spiʃən] n.怀(猜)疑；嫌疑 (初中英语单词)


• definite [´definit] a.确定的，明确的 (初中英语单词)


• enormous [i´nɔ:məs] a.巨大地，很，极 (初中英语单词)


• advanced [əd´vɑ:nst] a.先进的；高级的 (初中英语单词)


• reform [ri´fɔ:m] v.&n.改革；改良；革除 (初中英语单词)


• sincere [sin´siə] a.真挚的；直率的 (初中英语单词)


• beginning [bi´giniŋ] n.开始，开端；起源 (初中英语单词)


• recommend [,rekə´mend] vt.推荐；使受欢迎 (初中英语单词)


• extreme [ik´stri:m] a.尽头的 n.极端 (初中英语单词)


• assembly [ə´sembli] n.集会；装配；与会者 (初中英语单词)


• solemn [´sɔləm] a.严肃的；隆重的 (初中英语单词)


• audience [´ɔ:diəns] n.听众；观众；接见 (初中英语单词)


• salute [sə´lu:t] n.&v.招呼；行礼；敬礼 (初中英语单词)


• handkerchief [´hæŋkətʃif] n.手帕，手绢 (初中英语单词)


• extremely [ik´stri:mli] ad.极端地；非常地 (初中英语单词)


• moderate [´mɔdərit] a.适度的n.温和主义者 (初中英语单词)


• journal [´dʒə:nəl] n.日记；日报；杂志 (初中英语单词)


• immense [i´mens] a.广大的，无限的 (初中英语单词)


• considerable [kən´sidərəbəl] a.重要的；值得重视 (初中英语单词)


• politics [´pɔlitiks] n.政治(学)；政治活动 (初中英语单词)


• celebrated [´selibreitid] a.著名的 (初中英语单词)


• engagement [in´geidʒmənt] n.婚约；雇用；受聘 (初中英语单词)


• violent [´vaiələnt] a.强暴的；猛烈的 (初中英语单词)


• dragon [´drægən] n.龙 (初中英语单词)


• swallow [swɔləu] n.燕子 v.吞，咽；淹没 (初中英语单词)


• generous [´dʒenərəs] a.慷慨的；丰盛的 (初中英语单词)


• intelligent [in´telidʒənt] a.聪明的；理智的 (初中英语单词)


• simplicity [sim´plisiti] n.简单；朴素 (高中英语单词)


• severely [si´viəli] ad.剧烈地；严格地 (高中英语单词)


• hostess [´həustis] n.女主人；旅馆女老板 (高中英语单词)


• enjoyment [in´dʒɔimənt] n.享受；愉快；乐趣 (高中英语单词)


• innocence [´inəsəns] n.无罪；天真 (高中英语单词)


• respectable [ri´spektəbəl] a.可敬的；有身价的 (高中英语单词)


• unpleasant [ʌn´plezənt] a.不愉快的；不合意的 (高中英语单词)


• oriental [ɔ:ri´entl] a.东方人的 (高中英语单词)


• exquisite [ik´skwizit] a.精巧的；敏锐的 (高中英语单词)


• disdain [dis´dein] vt.&n.藐视，轻视 (高中英语单词)


• fashionable [´fæʃənəbəl] a.流行的，时髦的 (高中英语单词)


• ingenuity [,indʒi´nju:iti] n.创造性；机灵 (高中英语单词)


• offensive [ə´fensiv] a.冒犯的 n.进攻 (高中英语单词)


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


• opponent [ə´pəunənt] a.对立的 n.对手 (高中英语单词)


• esteem [i´sti:m] n.尊重 vt.认为；感到 (高中英语单词)


• solely [´səulli] ad.唯一；单独；完全 (高中英语单词)


• inclination [,inkli´neiʃən] n.倾斜；爱好；天资 (高中英语单词)


• indifference [in´difrəns] n.冷淡；无足轻重 (高中英语单词)


• session [´seʃən] n.会议；会期；(开庭)期 (高中英语单词)


• dealing [´di:liŋ] n.交易；来往 (高中英语单词)


• applause [ə´plɔ:z] n.鼓掌；欢呼；称赞 (高中英语单词)


• breathless [´breθlis] a.屏息的 (高中英语单词)


• tenderly [´tendəli] ad.娇嫩地；柔和地 (高中英语单词)


• hesitation [,hezi´teiʃən] n.犹豫，踌躇 (高中英语单词)


• concerning [kən´sə:niŋ] prep.关于 (高中英语单词)


• celebration [,seli´breiʃən] n.庆祝(会)；庆典 (高中英语单词)


• convent [´kɔnvənt] n.女修道院；女修道会 (高中英语单词)


• chamber [´tʃeimbə] n.房间；议院；会议室 (高中英语单词)


• shelves [ʃelvz] shelf的复数 (高中英语单词)


• reverend [´revərənd] a.可尊敬的 (高中英语单词)


• accomplished [ə´kʌmpliʃt] a.完成了的；熟练的 (英语四级单词)


• modesty [´mɔdisti] n.谨慎；端庄；羞怯 (英语四级单词)


• daring [´deəriŋ] a.&n.勇敢(的) (英语四级单词)


• unmarried [,ʌn´mærid] a.未婚的，独身的 (英语四级单词)


• aristocratic [,æristə´krætik] a.贵族政治的；贵族的 (英语四级单词)


• traditional [trə´diʃənəl] a.传统的，习惯的 (英语四级单词)


• prudence [´pru:dəns] n.谨慎；慎重；节俭 (英语四级单词)


• audacity [ɔ:´dæsiti] n.大胆；卤莽；无礼 (英语四级单词)


• predecessor [´pri:disesə] n.前任；前辈 (英语四级单词)


• policy [´pɔlisi] n.政策；权谋；保险单 (英语四级单词)


• orator [´ɔrətə] n.演说者；雄辩家 (英语四级单词)


• moderation [,mɔdə´reiʃən] n.适度；温和；节制 (英语四级单词)


• diverse [dai´və:s] a.完全不同的 (英语六级单词)


• mercenary [´mə:sinəri] a.唯利是图的；雇佣的 (英语六级单词)


• deplorable [di´plɔ:rəb(ə)l] a.可悲的，悲惨的 (英语六级单词)


• middle-class [´midlmæn] a.中产阶级的 (英语六级单词)


• amazingly [ə´meiziŋli] ad.惊人地；惊奇地 (英语六级单词)


• friendliness [´frendlis] n.友爱，友好，友谊 (英语六级单词)


• mademoiselle [,mædəmə´zel] n.小姐；法国女教师 (英语六级单词)


• diplomat [´dipləmæt] n.外交官；善交际的人 (英语六级单词)


• taking [´teikiŋ] a.迷人的 n.捕获物 (英语六级单词)


• endowment [in´daumənt] n.捐赠；天才 (英语六级单词)


• holding [´həuldiŋ] n.保持，固定，存储 (英语六级单词)


• vehemence [´vi:iməns] n.激烈，猛烈；热烈 (英语六级单词)


• tribune [´tribju:n] n.<<论坛报>> (英语六级单词)


• backwards [´bækwədz] ad.向后 a.向后的 (英语六级单词)


• elegance [´eligəns] n.优雅；优美；精美 (英语六级单词)


• deportment [di´pɔ:tmənt] n.举止，风度；品行 (英语六级单词)