secrecy by a hundred oaths, and ended by declaring that the

girl who could betray her friend's love, even to a brother,



would be as black a traitor as a soldier in a garrison who should

open the city gates to the enemy. While they were yet discussing



the matter, Bold returned, and Eleanor was forced into

sudden action: she had either to accomplish or abandon her



plan; and having slipped into her friend's bedroom, as the

gentleman closed the hall door, she washed the marks of tears



from her eyes, and resolved within herself to go through with

it. 'Tell him I am here,' said she, 'and coming in; and mind,



whatever you do, don't leave us.' So Mary informed her

brother, with a somewhat sombre air, that Miss Harding was



in the next room, and was coming to speak to him.

Eleanor was certainly thinking more of her father than herself,



as she arranged her hair before the glass, and removed the

traces of sorrow from her face; and yet I should be untrue if



I said that she was not anxious to appear well before her lover:

why else was she so sedulous with that stubborn curl that



would rebel against her hand, and smooth so eagerly her

ruffled ribands? why else did she damp her eyes to dispel the



redness, and bite her pretty lips to bring back the colour? Of

course she was anxious to look her best, for she was but a



mortal angel after all. But had she been immortal, had she

flitted back to the sitting-room on a cherub's wings, she could



not have had a more faithful heart, or a truer wish to save her

father at any cost to herself.



John Bold had not met her since the day when she left him

in dudgeon in the cathedral close. Since that his whole time



had been occupied in promoting the cause against her father,

and not unsuccessfully. He had often thought of her, and



turned over in his mind a hundred schemes for showing her

how disinterested was his love. He would write to her and



beseech her not to allow the performance of a public duty to

injure him in her estimation; he would write to Mr Harding,



explain all his views, and boldly claim the warden's daughter,

urging that the untoward circumstances between them need



be no bar to their ancient friendship, or to a closer tie; he

would throw himself on his knees before his mistress; he would



wait and marry the daughter when the father has lost his

home and his income; he would give up the lawsuit and go to



Australia, with her of course, leaving The Jupiter and Mr

Finney to complete the case between them. Sometimes as he



woke in the morning fevered and impatient, he would blow

out his brains and have done with all his cares--but this idea



was generally consequent on an imprudent supper enjoyed in

company with Tom Towers.



How beautiful Eleanor appeared to him as she slowly walked

into the room! Not for nothing had all those little cares been



taken. Though her sister, the archdeacon's wife, had spoken

slightingly of her charms, Eleanor was very beautiful when



seen aright. Hers was not of those impassive faces, which have

the beauty of a marble bust; finely chiselled features, perfect



in every line, true to the rules of symmetry, as lovely to a

stranger as to a friend, unvarying unless in sickness, or as age



affects them. She had no startling brilliancy of beauty, no

pearly whiteness, no radiant carnation. She had not the



majestic contour that rivets attention, demands instant wonder

and then disappoints by the coldness of its charms. You might



pass Eleanor Harding in the street without notice, but you

could hardly pass an evening with her and not lose your heart.



She had never appeared more lovely to her lover than she

now did. Her face was animated though it was serious, and



her full dark lustrous eyes shone with anxiousenergy; her

hand trembled as she took his, and she could hardly pronounce



his name, when she addressed him. Bold wished with all his

heart that the Australian scheme was in the act of realisation,



and that he and Eleanor were away together, never to hear

further of the lawsuit.



He began to talk, asked after her health--said something

about London being very stupid, and more about Barchester



being very pleasant; declared the weather to be very hot, and

then inquired after Mr Harding.



'My father is not very well,' said Eleanor.

• equally [´i:kwəli] ad.相等地；平等地 (初中英语单词)


• reward [ri´wɔ:d] n.&v.报答；报酬；奖赏 (初中英语单词)


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


• scheme [ski:m] n.计划；阴谋，诡计 (初中英语单词)


• project [prə´dʒekt, ´prɔdʒekt] v.设计；投掷 n.计划 (初中英语单词)


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


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


• romance [rəu´mæns] n.中世纪骑士小说 (初中英语单词)


• absurd [əb´sə:d] a.荒谬的，可笑的 (初中英语单词)


• expose [ik´spəuz] vt.揭露，暴露；陈列 (初中英语单词)


• solemn [´sɔləm] a.严肃的；隆重的 (初中英语单词)


• resolve [ri´zɔlv] v.决心 n.决心；刚毅 (初中英语单词)


• embrace [im´breis] vt.&n.拥抱；采纳；信奉 (初中英语单词)


• retreat [ri´tri:t] v.&n.退却；撤退；放弃 (初中英语单词)


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


• modest [´mɔdist] a.谦虚的；朴素的 (初中英语单词)


• maiden [´meidn] n.少女 a.未婚的 (初中英语单词)


• ashamed [ə´ʃeimd] a.惭愧；不好意思 (初中英语单词)


• worthy [´wə:ði] a.有价值的；值得的 (初中英语单词)


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


• operate [´ɔpəreit] v.(使)运转；操作；经营 (初中英语单词)


• submit [səb´mit] vt.使服从；使忍受 (初中英语单词)


• sharply [´ʃɑ:pli] ad.锋利地；剧烈地 (初中英语单词)


• charge [tʃɑ:dʒ] v.收费；冲锋 n.费用 (初中英语单词)


• betray [bi´trei] vt.背叛；辜负；暴露 (初中英语单词)


• traitor [´treitə] n.叛徒，卖国贼 (初中英语单词)


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


• anxious [´æŋkʃəs] a.担忧的；渴望的 (初中英语单词)


• eagerly [´i:gəli] ad.渴望地，急切地 (初中英语单词)


• immortal [i´mɔ:təl] a.不死的n.不朽的人物 (初中英语单词)


• faithful [´feiθfəl] a.忠实的；可靠的 (初中英语单词)


• cathedral [kə´θi:drəl] n.大教堂 (初中英语单词)


• performance [pə´fɔ:məns] n.履行；行为；工作 (初中英语单词)


• mistress [´mistris] n.女主人；情妇；女能手 (初中英语单词)


• income [´inkʌm] n.收入，所得 (初中英语单词)


• jupiter [´dʒu:pitə] n.朱庇特；木星 (初中英语单词)


• marble [´mɑ:bəl] n.大理石 a.大理石的 (初中英语单词)


• sickness [´siknis] n.生病；呕吐，恶心 (初中英语单词)


• instant [´instənt] a.立即的 n.紧迫；瞬间 (初中英语单词)


• coldness [´kəuldnis] n.寒冷；冷淡 (初中英语单词)


• energy [´enədʒi] n.活力，精力；能力 (初中英语单词)


• stupid [´stju:pid] a.愚蠢的；糊涂的 (初中英语单词)


• saying [´seiŋ, ´sei-iŋ] n.言语；言论；格言 (高中英语单词)


• ultimate [´ʌltimit] a.最终的 n.终极；顶点 (高中英语单词)


• probability [,prɔbə´biliti] n.或有；可能性 (高中英语单词)


• appreciation [ə,pri:ʃi´eiʃən] n.评价；感激 (高中英语单词)


• loving [´lʌviŋ] a.爱的，有爱情的 (高中英语单词)


• horrid [´hɔrid] a.令人讨厌的；极糟的 (高中英语单词)


• strove [strəuv] strive的过去式 (高中英语单词)


• appeal [ə´pi:l] vi.&n.请求；呼吁；上诉 (高中英语单词)


• behalf [bi´hɑ:f] n.利益 (高中英语单词)


• disadvantage [,disəd´vɑ:ntidʒ] n.不利(条件)；损失 (高中英语单词)


• inward [´inwəd] a.向内的；心灵上的 (高中英语单词)


• finding [´faindiŋ] n.发现物；判断；结果 (高中英语单词)


• falsehood [´fɔ:lshud] n.错误；撒谎 (高中英语单词)


• garrison [´gærisən] n.警备队 vt.驻防 (高中英语单词)


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


• boldly [´bəuldli] ad.大胆地；醒目地 (高中英语单词)


• impatient [im´peiʃənt] a.不耐烦的，急躁的 (高中英语单词)


• finely [´fainli] ad.美好地；精细地 (高中英语单词)


• startling [´stɑ:tliŋ] a.惊人的 (高中英语单词)


• radiant [´reidiənt] a.发光的 n.光源(体) (高中英语单词)


• heroine [´herəuin] n.女英雄；女主人公 (英语四级单词)


• downwards [´daunwədz] ad.向下，以下 (英语四级单词)


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


• catastrophe [kə´tæstrəfi] n.大灾难；(悲剧)结局 (英语四级单词)


• utterance [´ʌtərəns] n.发音；言辞；所说的话 (英语四级单词)


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


• consequent [´kɔnsikwənt] a.因…而起的 (英语四级单词)


• ordeal [ɔ:´di:l] n.严峻考验；折磨 (英语六级单词)


• calling [´kɔ:liŋ] n.点名；职业；欲望 (英语六级单词)


• relent [ri´lent] vi.发慈悲心；怜悯 (英语六级单词)


• filial [´filiəl] a.子女的；孝顺的 (英语六级单词)


• untrue [ʌn´tru:] a.不真(忠)实的 (英语六级单词)


• dispel [di´spel] vt.驱逐；驱散(乌云) (英语六级单词)


• estimation [,esti´meiʃən] n.估计；评价；判断 (英语六级单词)


• contour [´kɔntuə] n.外形 vt.描…的轮廓 (英语六级单词)


• animated [´ænimeitid] a.栩栩如生的；活跃的 (英语六级单词)