on this occasion thoroughly merited its name, he held in one hand a

lighted candle and in the other a watch, into which the soul of a



dead plumber seemed to have passed. A box of matches lay at his

feet and was resorted to on the fairly frequent occasions when the



candle succumbed to the night breezes. The house loomed inscrutable

in the middle distance, but as Octavian conscientiously repeated the



formula of his penance he felt certain that three pairs of solemn

eyes were watching his moth-shared vigil.



And the next morning his eyes were gladdened by a sheet of copy-book

paper lying beside the blank wall, on which was written the message



"Un-Beast."

THE PHANTOM LUNCHEON



"The Smithly-Dubbs are in Town," said Sir James. "I wish you would

show them some attention. Ask them to lunch with you at the Ritz or



somewhere."

"From the little I've seen of the Smithly-Dubbs I don't thing I want



to cultivate their acquaintance," said Lady Drakmanton.

"They always work for us at election times," said her husband; "I



don't suppose they influence very many votes, but they have an uncle

who is on one of my ward committees, and another uncle speaks



sometimes at some of our less important meetings. Those sort of

people expect some return in the shape of hospitality."



"Expect it!" exclaimed Lady Drakmanton; "the Misses Smithly-Dubb do

more than that; they almost demand it. They belong to my club, and



hang about the lobby just about lunch-time, all three of them, with

their tongues hanging out of their mouths and the six-course look in



their eyes. If I were to breathe the word 'lunch' they would hustle

me into a taxi and scream 'Ritz' or 'Dieudonne's' to the driver



before I knew what was happening."

"All the same, I think you ought to ask them to a meal of some



sort," persisted Sir James.

"I consider that showing hospitality to the Smithly-Dubbs is



carrying Free Food principles to a regrettable extreme," said Lady

Drakmanton; "I've entertained the Joneses and the Browns and the



Snapheimers and the Lubrikoffs, and heaps of others whose names I

forget, but I don't see why I should inflict the society of the



Misses Smithly-Dubb on myself for a solid hour. Imagine it, sixty

minutes, more or less, of unrelenting gobble and gabble. Why can't



YOU take them on, Milly?" she asked, turning hopefully to her

sister.



"I don't know them," said Milly hastily.

"All the better; you can pass yourself off as me. People say that



we are so alike that they can hardly tell us apart, and I've only

spoken to these tiresome young women about twice in my life, at



committee-rooms, and bowed to them in the club. Any of the club

page-boys will point them out to you; they're always to be found



lolling about the hall just before lunch-time."

"My dear Betty, don't be absurd," protested Milly; "I've got some



people lunching with me at the Carlton to-morrow, and I'm leaving

Town the day afterwards."



"What time is your lunch to-morrow?" asked Lady Drakmanton

reflectively.



"Two o'clock," said Milly.

"Good," said her sister; "the Smithly-Dubbs shall lunch with me to-



morrow. It shall be rather an amusing lunch-party. At least, I

shall be amused."



The last two remarks she made to herself. Other people did not

always appreciate her ideas of humour. Sir James never did.



The next day Lady Drakmanton made some marked variations in her

usual toilet effects. She dressed her hair in an unaccustomed



manner, and put on a hat that added to the transformation of her

appearance. When she had made one or two minor alterations she was



sufficiently unlike her usual smart self to produce some hesitation

in the greeting which the Misses Smithly-Dubb bestowed on her in the



club-lobby. She responded, however, with a readiness which set

their doubts at rest.

• meadow [´medəu] n.草地；牧场 (初中英语单词)


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


• paradise [´pærədais] n.天堂；乐园 (初中英语单词)


• supposed [sə´pəuzd] a.想象的；假定的 (初中英语单词)


• probable [´prɔbəbəl] a.大概的n.很可能的事 (初中英语单词)


• haunted [´hɔ:tid] a.常出现鬼的，闹鬼的 (初中英语单词)


• disgrace [dis´greis] n.耻辱 vt.玷辱；贬黜 (初中英语单词)


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


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


• bestow [bi´stəu] vt.(把…)赠给；使用 (初中英语单词)


• amateur [´æmətə, ,æmə´tə:] n.业余爱好者 (初中英语单词)


• solemn [´sɔləm] a.严肃的；隆重的 (初中英语单词)


• welcome [´welkəm] a.受欢迎的；可喜的 (初中英语单词)


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


• bundle [´bʌndl] n.包，捆；包袱(裹) (初中英语单词)


• shaken [´ʃeikən] shake的过去分词 (初中英语单词)


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


• pursuit [pə´sju:t] n.追踪；追击；事务 (初中英语单词)


• blossom [´blɔsəm] n.花；开花期 vi.开花 (初中英语单词)


• repair [ri´peə] v.&n.修理，修补 (初中英语单词)


• mischief [´mistʃif] n.伤害；故障；调皮 (初中英语单词)


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


• evident [´evidənt] a.明显的，明白的 (初中英语单词)


• rescue [´reskju:] vt.&n.救援；挽救 (初中英语单词)


• gently [´dʒentli] ad.温和地；静静地 (初中英语单词)


• desperate [´despərit] a.拼死的；绝望的 (初中英语单词)


• miserable [´mizərəbəl] a.悲惨的；可怜的 (初中英语单词)


• previous [´pri:viəs] a.先，前，以前的 (初中英语单词)


• twilight [´twailait] n.黎明；黄昏 (初中英语单词)


• thoroughly [´θʌrəli] ad.完全地，彻底地 (初中英语单词)


• frequent [´fri:kwənt] a.常见的，频繁的 (初中英语单词)


• cultivate [´kʌltiveit] vt.耕作；培植；培养 (初中英语单词)


• election [i´lekʃən] n.选举；选择 (初中英语单词)


• scream [skri:m] v.&n.尖叫(声) (初中英语单词)


• appreciate [ə´pri:ʃieit] v.评价；珍惜；感激 (初中英语单词)


• humour [´hju:mə] n.幽默，诙谐 (初中英语单词)


• unlike [,ʌn´laik] a.不同的 prep.不象… (初中英语单词)


• strewn [stru:n] strew的过去分词 (高中英语单词)


• learned [´lə:nid] a.有学问的，博学的 (高中英语单词)


• inspiration [,inspi´reiʃən] n.鼓舞；灵感；启发 (高中英语单词)


• hitherto [,hiðə´tu:] ad.至今，迄今 (高中英语单词)


• sternly [´stə:nli] ad.严厉地；坚定地 (高中英语单词)


• sleepy [´sli:pi] a.困的，想睡的 (高中英语单词)


• tightly [´taitli] ad.紧，紧密地 (高中英语单词)


• charity [´tʃæriti] n.施舍；慈悲；博爱 (高中英语单词)


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


• tangle [´tæŋgəl] n.&vt.(使)缠结；纠纷 (高中英语单词)


• apparently [ə´pærəntli] ad.显然，表面上地 (高中英语单词)


• overtake [,əuvə´teik] vt.追上；赶上 (高中英语单词)


• studied [´stʌdid] a.故意的；有计划的 (高中英语单词)


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


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


• inevitable [i´nevitəbəl] a.不可避免的 (高中英语单词)


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


• fortunately [´fɔ:tʃənətli] ad.幸运地 (高中英语单词)


• goodly [´gudli] a.适意的；漂亮的 (高中英语单词)


• ladder [´lædə] n.梯子；阶梯 (高中英语单词)


• extract [ik´strækt, ´ekstrækt] vt.取出；摘录 n.精华 (高中英语单词)


• shrill [ʃril] a.(声音)尖锐的 (高中英语单词)


• repeated [ri´pi:tid] a.反复的；重复的 (高中英语单词)


• hanging [´hæŋiŋ] n.绞刑 a.悬挂着的 (高中英语单词)


• hospitality [,hɔspi´tæliti] n.好客，殷勤 (高中英语单词)


• inflict [in´flikt] vt.加以(打击等) (高中英语单词)


• amusing [ə´mju:ziŋ] a.有趣的 (高中英语单词)


• toilet [´tɔilit] n.梳妆(台)；卫生间 (高中英语单词)


• forfeit [´fɔ:fit] n.罚金 a.丧失了的 (英语四级单词)


• verdict [´və:dikt] n.裁决，判决；判定 (英语四级单词)


• seeming [´si:miŋ] a.表面上的 n.外观 (英语四级单词)


• carelessness [kɛəlisnis] n.粗心；漫不经心 (英语四级单词)


• placid [´plæsid] a.平静的；温和的 (英语四级单词)


• classical [´klæsikəl] a.经典的；传统的 (英语四级单词)


• farthest [´fɑ:ðist] ad.&a.最远(的) (英语四级单词)


• muster [´mʌstə] n.集合 v.集合；征召 (英语四级单词)


• composure [kəm´pəuʒə] n.镇静，沉着 (英语四级单词)


• assuredly [ə´ʃuəridli] ad.确实地；确信地 (英语四级单词)


• detachment [di´tætʃmənt] n.分开(离)；分遣队 (英语四级单词)


• precedent [´presidənt] n.先例 a.在先的 (英语四级单词)


• unwilling [ʌn´wiliŋ] a.不愿意的；不情愿的 (英语四级单词)


• tiresome [´taiəsəm] a.令人厌倦的；讨厌的 (英语四级单词)


• transformation [,trænsfə´meiʃən] n.转化；转变；改造 (英语四级单词)


• readiness [´redinis] n.准备就绪；愿意 (英语四级单词)


• culprit [´kʌlprit] n.犯人；罪犯 (英语六级单词)


• revision [ri´viʒən] n.修订(本)；修改 (英语六级单词)


• nickname [´nikneim] n.绰号 vt.给…起绰口 (英语六级单词)


• affected [ə´fektid] a.做作的；假装的 (英语六级单词)


• vantage [´vɑ:ntidʒ] n.优势；好机会 (英语六级单词)


• reminder [ri´maində] n.提醒物；纪念品；暗示 (英语六级单词)


• rampart [´ræmpɑ:t] n.壁垒 vt.防护 (英语六级单词)


• sticky [´stiki] a.胶粘的；顽固的 (英语六级单词)


• normally [´nɔ:məli] ad.正常情况下；通常 (英语六级单词)


• flounder [´flaundə] vi.&n.挣扎；踌躇 (英语六级单词)


• penance [´penəns] n.悔过；(赎罪的)苦行 (英语六级单词)


• solemnity [sə´lemniti] n.庄严；(隆重的)仪式 (英语六级单词)


• notably [´nəutəbli] ad.显著地；著名地 (英语六级单词)


• penitent [´penitənt] a.悔罪的 n.悔罪者 (英语六级单词)


• phantom [´fæntəm] n.幽灵；幻影 a.幻想的 (英语六级单词)


• gobble [´gɔbəl] v.狼吞虎咽 n.咯咯声 (英语六级单词)


• hopefully [´həupfəli] ad.抱着希望地 (英语六级单词)