fool, and said if I would hearken to him he could make me a

queen; for the cardinal had told him that the king, from the time



he saw me at court the other night, liked me, and intended to get

a divorce from his wife, and to put me in her place; and ordered



him to find some method to make me a maid of honor to her present

majesty, that in the meantime he might have an opportunity of



seeing me. It is impossible to express the astonishment these

words threw me into; and, notwithstanding that the moment before,



when it appeared at so great a distance, I was very sincere in my

declaration how much it was against my will to be raised so high,



yet now the prospect came nearer, I confess my heart fluttered,

and my eyes were dazzled with a view of being seated on a throne.



My imagination presented before me all the pomp, power and

greatness that attend a crown; and I was so perplexed I knew not



what to answer, but remained as silent as if I had lost the use

of my speech. My father, who guessed what it was that made me in



this condition, proceeded to bring all the arguments he thought

most likely to bend me to his will; at last I recovered from this



dream of grandeur, and begged him, by all the most endearing

names I could think of, not to urge me dishonorably to forsake



the man who I was convinced would raise me to an empire if in his

power, and who had enough in his power to give me all I desired.



But he was deaf to all I could say, and insisted that by next

week I should prepare myself to go to court: he bid me consider



of it, and not prefer a ridiculous notion of honor to the real

interest of my whole family; but, above all things, not to



disclose what he had trusted me with. On which he left me to my

own thoughts. When I was alone I reflected how little real



tenderness this behavior showed to me, whose happiness he did not

at all consult, but only looked on me as a ladder, on which he



could climb to the height of his own ambitious desires: and when

I thought on his fondness for me in my infancy I could impute it



to nothing but either the liking me as a plaything or the

gratification of his vanity in my beauty. But I was too much



divided between a crown and my engagement to lord Percy to spend

much time in thinking of anything else; and, although my father



had positivelyforbid me, yet, when he came next, I could not

help acquainting him with all that had passed, with the reserve



only of the struggle in my own mind on the first mention of being

a queen. I expected he would have received the news with the



greatest agonies; but he showed no vast emotion: however, he

could not help turning pale, and, taking me by the hand, looked



at me with an air of tenderness, and said, 'If being a queen

would make you happy, and it is in your power to be so, I would



not for the world prevent it, let me suffer what I will.' This

amazing greatness of mind had on me quite the contrary effect



from what it ought to have had; for, instead of increasing my

love for him it almost put an end to it, and I began to think, if



he could part with me, the matter was not much. And I am

convinced, when any man gives up the possession of a woman whose



consent he has once obtained, let his motive be ever so generous,

he will disoblige her. I could not help showing my



dissatisfaction, and told him I was very glad this affair sat so

easily on him. He had not power to answer, but was so suddenly



struck with this unexpected ill-natured turn I gave his behavior,

that he stood amazed for some time, and then bowed and left me.



Now I was again left to my own reflections; but to make anything

intelligible out of them is quite impossible: I wished to be a



queen, and wished I might not be one: I would have my lord Percy

happy without me; and yet I would not have the power of my charms



be so weak that he could bear the thought of life after being

disappointed in my love. But the result of all these confused



thoughts was a resolution to obey my father. I am afraid there

was not much duty in the case, though at that time I was glad to



take hold of that small shadow to save me from looking on my own

actions in the true light. When my lover came again I looked on



him with that coldness that he could not bear, on purpose to rid

myself of all importunity: for since I had resolved to use him



ill I regarded him as the monument of my shame, and his every

• amazement [ə´meizmənt] n.惊愕；惊奇 (初中英语单词)


• account [ə´kaunt] vi.说明 vt.认为 n.帐目 (初中英语单词)


• willing [´wiliŋ] a.情愿的，乐意的 (初中英语单词)


• conquest [´kɔŋkwest] n.赢得；获得；占领地 (初中英语单词)


• resolution [,rezə´lu:ʃən] n.决心；坚决；果断 (初中英语单词)


• impression [im´preʃən] n.印刷；印象；效果 (初中英语单词)


• constant [´kɔnstənt] a.坚定的；坚贞的 (初中英语单词)


• employment [im´plɔimənt] n.工作；职业；雇用 (初中英语单词)


• height [hait] n.高度；顶点；卓越 (初中英语单词)


• knowing [´nəuiŋ] a.会意的，心照不宣的 (初中英语单词)


• innocent [´inəsənt] a.无罪的；单纯的 (初中英语单词)


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


• presently [´prezəntli] ad.不久；目前 (初中英语单词)


• prospect [´prɔspekt, prəs´pekt] n.景色；境界 v.勘察 (初中英语单词)


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


• absence [´æbsəns] n.不在，缺席；缺乏 (初中英语单词)


• affection [ə´fekʃən] n.友爱；慈爱 (初中英语单词)


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


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


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


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


• sensation [sen´seiʃən] n.感觉；轰动；轰动一时 (初中英语单词)


• gratitude [´grætitju:d] n.感激，感谢 (初中英语单词)


• prevail [pri´veil] vi.胜(过)；流行；普遍 (初中英语单词)


• mystery [´mistəri] n.神秘；秘密；故弄玄虚 (初中英语单词)


• procure [prə´kjuə] v.获得；完(达)成；实现 (初中英语单词)


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


• confusion [kən´fju:ʒən] n.混乱(状态)；骚乱 (初中英语单词)


• divorce [di´vɔ:s] n.离婚 vt.同….离婚 (初中英语单词)


• meantime [´mi:ntaim] n.&ad.其间；同时 (初中英语单词)


• astonishment [ə´stɔniʃmənt] n.吃惊；惊异 (初中英语单词)


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


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


• imagination [i,mædʒi´neiʃən] n.想象(力) (初中英语单词)


• consult [kən´sʌlt] v.商量；磋商；请教 (初中英语单词)


• ambitious [æm´biʃəs] a.有雄心的；热望的 (初中英语单词)


• vanity [´væniti] n.虚荣；自负；空虚 (初中英语单词)


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


• forbid [fə´bid] vt.禁止，不许，阻止 (初中英语单词)


• emotion [i´məuʃən] n.感情；情绪；激动 (初中英语单词)


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


• motive [´məutiv] n.动机；主题 a.运动的 (初中英语单词)


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


• monument [´mɔnjumənt] n.纪念碑；古迹 (初中英语单词)


• notwithstanding [,nɔtwiθ´stændiŋ] prep.&conj.虽然；还是 (高中英语单词)


• perfectly [´pə:fiktli] ad.理想地；完美地 (高中英语单词)


• embassy [´embəsi] n.大使馆；大使职务 (高中英语单词)


• solitary [´sɔlitəri] a.独居的；孤独的 (高中英语单词)


• serene [si´ri:n] n.&a.清澈的；宁静的 (高中英语单词)


• whilst [wailst] conj.当…时候；虽然 (高中英语单词)


• tenderness [´tendənis] n.娇嫩；柔软；温柔 (高中英语单词)


• proceeding [prə´si:diŋ] n.程序；进程；行动 (高中英语单词)


• uneasy [ʌn´i:zi] a.不安的；不自在的 (高中英语单词)


• nobility [nəu´biliti, nə-] n.高贵；贵金属性 (高中英语单词)


• perpetual [pə´petʃuəl] a.永恒的；终身的 (高中英语单词)


• behavior [bi´heiviə] n.举止，行为 (高中英语单词)


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


• obstacle [´ɔbstəkl] n.障碍(物)；妨碍 (高中英语单词)


• continually [kən´tinjuəli] ad.不断地，频繁地 (高中英语单词)


• melancholy [´melənkəli] n.忧郁 a.忧郁的 (高中英语单词)


• cardinal [´kɑ:dinəl] a.主要的 n.深红色 (高中英语单词)


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


• madness [´mædnis] n.疯狂；狂热 (高中英语单词)


• discourse [´diskɔ:s] n.论文；演说；说教 (高中英语单词)


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


• ladder [´lædə] n.梯子；阶梯 (高中英语单词)


• positively [´pɔzətivli] ad.确实；断然；绝对 (高中英语单词)


• greatness [´greitnis] n.巨大；高尚；卓越 (高中英语单词)


• unexpected [ʌniks´pektid] a.突然的；意外的 (高中英语单词)


• superfluous [su:´pə:fluəs, sju:-] a.过剩的，多余的 (英语四级单词)


• experienced [ik´spiəriənst] a.有经验的；熟练的 (英语四级单词)


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


• retirement [ri´taiəmənt] n.退休；撤退；幽静处 (英语四级单词)


• contradiction [,kɔntrə´dikʃən] n.矛盾；反驳；抵触 (英语四级单词)


• justly [´dʒʌstli] ad.公正地，正当地 (英语四级单词)


• alteration [,ɔ:ltə´reiʃən] n.改变，变更 (英语四级单词)


• desirous [di´zaiərəs] a.渴望的；想往的 (英语四级单词)


• hearken [´hɑ:kən] vi.听 (英语四级单词)


• grandeur [´grændʒə] n.伟大；富丽；壮观 (英语四级单词)


• infancy [´infənsi] n.婴儿期；初期 (英语四级单词)


• plaything [´plei,θiŋ] n.玩具；玩物 (英语四级单词)


• insensible [in´sensəbəl] a.麻木的；冷淡的 (英语六级单词)


• susceptible [sə´septəbəl] a.敏感的；易受影响的 (英语六级单词)


• allure [ə´ljuə, ə´lur] vt.诱惑；吸引 (英语六级单词)


• countess [´kauntis] n.伯爵夫人；女伯爵 (英语六级单词)


• fondness [´fɔndnis] n.蠢事；溺爱；嗜好 (英语六级单词)


• earnestness [´ə:nistnis] n.认真，急切；坚定 (英语六级单词)


• impute [im´pju:t] v.推诿，归(罪) (英语六级单词)


• liking [´laikiŋ] n.爱好；嗜好；喜欢 (英语六级单词)


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