plunging it over her shoulder into the bosom of the person that spoke.



"Ah, me, I am slain!" cried Matilda, sinking. "Good heaven, receive

my soul!"



"Savage, inhuman monster, what hast thou done!" cried Theodore,

rushing on him, and wrenching his dagger from him.



"Stop, stop thy impious hand!" cried Matilda; "it is my father!"

Manfred, waking as from a trance, beat his breast, twisted his hands



in his locks, and endeavoured to recover his dagger from Theodore to

despatch himself. Theodore, scarce less distracted, and only



mastering the transports of his grief to assist Matilda, had now by

his cries drawn some of the monks to his aid. While part of them



endeavoured, in concert with the afflicted Theodore, to stop the blood

of the dying Princess, the rest prevented Manfred from laying violent



hands on himself.

Matilda, resigning herself patiently to her fate, acknowledged with



looks of grateful love the zeal of Theodore. Yet oft as her faintness

would permit her speech its way, she begged the assistants to comfort



her father. Jerome, by this time, had learnt the fatal news, and

reached the church. His looks seemed to reproach Theodore, but



turning to Manfred, he said,

"Now, tyrant! behold the completion of woe fulfilled on thy impious



and devoted head! The blood of Alfonso cried to heaven for vengeance;

and heaven has permitted its altar to be polluted by assassination,



that thou mightest shed thy own blood at the foot of that Prince's

sepulchre!"



"Cruel man!" cried Matilda, "to aggravate the woes of a parent; may

heaven bless my father, and forgive him as I do! My Lord, my gracious



Sire, dost thou forgive thy child? Indeed, I came not hither to meet

Theodore. I found him praying at this tomb, whither my mother sent me



to intercede for thee, for her - dearest father, bless your child, and

say you forgive her."



"Forgive thee! Murderous monster!" cried Manfred, "can assassins

forgive? I took thee for Isabella; but heaven directed my bloody hand



to the heart of my child. Oh, Matilda! - I cannot utter it - canst

thou forgive the blindness of my rage?"



"I can, I do; and may heaven confirm it!" said Matilda; "but while I

have life to ask it - oh! my mother! what will she feel? Will you



comfort her, my Lord? Will you not put her away? Indeed she loves

you! Oh, I am faint! bear me to the castle. Can I live to have her



close my eyes?"

Theodore and the monks besought her earnestly to suffer herself to be



borne into the convent; but her instances were so pressing to be

carried to the castle, that placing her on a litter, they conveyed her



hither" target="_blank" title="ad.到那里 a.那边的">thither as she requested. Theodore, supporting her head with his arm,

and hanging over her in an agony of despairing love, still endeavoured



to inspire her with hopes of life. Jerome, on the other side,

comforted her with discourses of heaven, and holding a crucifix before



her, which she bathed with innocent tears, prepared her for her

passage to immortality. Manfred, plunged in the deepest affliction,



followed the litter in despair.

Ere they reached the castle, Hippolita, informed of the dreadful



catastrophe, had flown to meet her murdered child; but when she saw

the afflicted procession, the mightiness of her grief deprived her of



her senses, and she fell lifeless to the earth in a swoon. Isabella

and Frederic, who attended her, were overwhelmed in almost equal



sorrow. Matilda alone seemed insensible to her own situation: every

thought was lost in tenderness for her mother.



Ordering the litter to stop, as soon as Hippolita was brought to

herself, she asked for her father. He approached, unable to speak.



Matilda, seizing his hand and her mother's, locked them in her own,

• practise [´præktis] v.实践(行，施)；提倡 (初中英语单词)


• damsel [´dæmzəl] n.姑娘，未婚少女 (初中英语单词)


• conscience [´kɔnʃəns] n.良心；道德心 (初中英语单词)


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


• persuade [pə´sweid] v.(被)说服；使相信 (初中英语单词)


• absolutely [´æbsəlu:tli] ad.绝对地；确实 (初中英语单词)


• prince [´prins] n.王子；亲王；君主 (初中英语单词)


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


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


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


• apartment [ə´pɑ:tmənt] n.一套房间 (初中英语单词)


• beheld [bi´held] behold的过去式(分词) (初中英语单词)


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


• softly [´sɔftli] ad.软化地；柔和地 (初中英语单词)


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


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


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


• interruption [intə´rʌpʃ(ə)n] n.停止，中断 (初中英语单词)


• eternal [i´tə:nəl] a.永远的；永恒的 (初中英语单词)


• errand [´erənd] n.差使，使命 (初中英语单词)


• pardon [´pɑ:dən] n.&vt.原谅；饶恕；赦免 (初中英语单词)


• transport [træn´spɔ:t] n.运输；流放 (初中英语单词)


• princess [,prin´ses] n.公主；王妃；亲王夫人 (初中英语单词)


• shriek [ʃri:k] v.&n.尖叫(声) (初中英语单词)


• fright [frait] n.惊吓；恐怖；怪人 (初中英语单词)


• abruptly [ə´brʌptli] ad.突然地；粗鲁地 (初中英语单词)


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


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


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


• conference [´kɔnfərəns] n.讨论(会)；会谈 (初中英语单词)


• thither [´ðiðə] ad.到那里 a.那边的 (初中英语单词)


• monster [´mɔnstə] n.怪物 a.大得异常的 (初中英语单词)


• scarce [skeəs, skers] a.缺乏的；稀有的 (初中英语单词)


• assist [ə´sist] v.协助；援助；搀扶 (初中英语单词)


• grateful [´greitful] a.感谢的；令人愉快的 (初中英语单词)


• learnt [lə:nt] learn 的过去式(分词) (初中英语单词)


• forgive [fə´giv] vt.原谅，谅解，宽恕 (初中英语单词)


• hither [´hiðə] ad.到此处 (初中英语单词)


• bloody [´blʌdi] a.(流)血的；血腥的 (初中英语单词)


• confirm [kən´fə:m] vt.证实；认可；加强 (初中英语单词)


• inspire [in´spaiə] v.鼓舞；使感悟；吸入 (初中英语单词)


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


• procession [prə´seʃən] n.队伍 v.列队行进 (初中英语单词)


• unable [ʌn´eibəl] a.不能的；无能为力的 (初中英语单词)


• marquis [´mɑ:kwis] n.侯爵 (高中英语单词)


• bearing [´beəriŋ] n.举止；忍耐；关系 (高中英语单词)


• temptation [temp´teiʃən] n.引诱，诱惑(物) (高中英语单词)


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


• banquet [´bæŋkwit] n.宴会，盛宴 (高中英语单词)


• gravity [´græviti] n.严肃；严重；重力 (高中英语单词)


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


• remainder [ri´meində] n.剩余物；残余部分 (高中英语单词)


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


• pretence [pri´tens] n.假装；托词；无理要求 (高中英语单词)


• plentiful [´plentifəl] a.丰富的；多的 (高中英语单词)


• repose [ri´pəuz] v.&n.(使)休息；安息 (高中英语单词)


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


• highness [´hainis] n.高，高贵，高尚 (高中英语单词)


• withdrew [wið´dru:] withdraw的过去式 (高中英语单词)


• gloomy [´glu:mi] a.昏暗的；忧郁的 (高中英语单词)


• skeleton [´skelitən] n.骨骼；骷髅 (高中英语单词)


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


• motion [´məuʃən] n.手势 vt.打手势 (高中英语单词)


• haughty [´hɔ:ti] a.傲慢的，高傲的 (高中英语单词)


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


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


• secretly [´si:kritli] ad.秘密地；隐蔽地 (高中英语单词)


• faintly [´feintli] ad.微弱地，软弱无力的 (高中英语单词)


• tyrant [´taiərənt] n.暴君；霸主；专制君主 (高中英语单词)


• patiently [´peiʃəntli] ad.有耐心地；坚韧地 (高中英语单词)


• reproach [ri´prəutʃ] vt.&n.责备；指责；耻辱 (高中英语单词)


• earnestly [´ə:nistli] ad.认真地；急切地 (高中英语单词)


• litter [´litə] n.杂乱 v.乱丢 (高中英语单词)


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


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


• injurious [in´dʒuəriəs] a.(中)伤的；腐败的 (英语四级单词)


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


• resolute [´rezəlu:t] a.坚决的；不屈不挠的 (英语四级单词)


• surmount [sə´maunt] vt.克服；越过 (英语四级单词)


• counterfeit [´kauntəfit] a.伪造的 v.&n.伪造 (英语四级单词)


• withdrawn [wið´drɔ:n] withdraw过去分词 (英语四级单词)


• freshness [´freʃnis] n.新鲜 (英语四级单词)


• meditation [,medi´teiʃən] n.熟虑；默想 (英语四级单词)


• prostrate [´prɔstreit, prɔ´streit] a.俯伏的 vt.弄倒 (英语四级单词)


• virtuous [´və:tjuəs] a.道德的；善良的 (英语四级单词)


• conjecture [kən´dʒektʃə] n.&v.猜测(想)；设想 (英语四级单词)


• imperfect [im´pə:fikt] a.不完全的；未完成的 (英语四级单词)


• drawing [´drɔ:iŋ] n.画图；制图；图样 (英语四级单词)


• dagger [´dægə] n.短剑，匕首 (英语四级单词)


• completion [kəm´pli:ʃən] n.完成；完整 (英语四级单词)


• devoted [di´vəutid] a.献身…的，忠实的 (英语四级单词)


• aggravate [´ægrəveit] vt.使加剧；激怒 (英语四级单词)


• murderous [´mə:dərəs] a.行凶的；势不可挡的 (英语四级单词)


• blindness [´blaindnis] n.失明；愚味，文盲 (英语四级单词)


• besought [bi´sɔ:t] beseech过去式(分词) (英语四级单词)


• immortality [,imɔ:´tæliti] n.不死，不朽，永生，来生 (英语四级单词)


• lifeless [´laifləs] a.无生命的，无生气的 (英语四级单词)


• affront [ə´frʌnt] vt.&n.(当众)侮辱 (英语六级单词)


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


• assured [ə´ʃuəd] a.确实的 n.被保险人 (英语六级单词)


• retired [ri´taiəd] a.退休的；通职的 (英语六级单词)


• oratory [´ɔrətəri] n.演讲(术)；修辞 (英语六级单词)


• repast [ri´pɑ:st] n.餐 vi.就餐，设宴 (英语六级单词)


• unobserved [´ʌnəb´sə:vd] a.没有观察到 (英语六级单词)


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


• apparition [,æpə´riʃən] n.(幽灵)出现；鬼；幻影 (英语六级单词)


• beauteous [´bju:tiəs] a.美的，美丽的 (英语六级单词)


• plaintive [´pleintiv] a.表示哀怨(悲痛) (英语六级单词)


• doleful [´dəulful] a.悲哀的；忧郁的 (英语六级单词)


• purport [´pə:pɔ:t, -pət] n.意义 vt.意味着 (英语六级单词)


• rudely [´ru:dli] ad.粗鲁地；粗略地 (英语六级单词)


• impious [´impiəs] a.不敬的；不孝的 (英语六级单词)


• trance [trɑ:ns] n.恍惚；出神 (英语六级单词)


• despairing [di´speəriŋ] a.感到绝望的 (英语六级单词)


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


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