temper. I am sure I did it all for the best in trying to

facilitate the fellow's escape; but Captain Lingard was that kind



of man--you know--one couldn't argue with. Just before sunset

the water was high enough, and we got out of the creek. We got



to Lakamba's clearing about dark. All very quiet; I thought they

were gone, of course, and felt very glad. We walked up the



courtyard--saw a big heap of something lying in the middle. Out

of that she rose and rushed at us. By God. . . . You know those



stories of faithful dogs watching their masters' corpses . . .

don't let anybody approach . . . got to beat them off--and all



that. . . . Well, 'pon my word we had to beat her off. Had to!

She was like a fury. Wouldn't let us touch him. Dead--of



course. Should think so. Shot through the lung, on the left

side, rather high up, and at pretty close quarters too, for the



two holes were small. Bullet came out through the

shoulder-blade. After we had overpowered her--you can't imagine



how strong that woman was; it took three of us--we got the body

into the boat and shoved off. We thought she had fainted then,



but she got up and rushed into the water after us. Well, I let

her clamber in. What could I do? The river's full of



alligators. I will never forget that pull up-stream in the night

as long as I live. She sat in the bottom of the boat, holding



his head in her lap, and now and again wiping his face with her

hair. There was a lot of blood dried about his mouth and chin.



And for all the six hours of that journey she kept on whispering

tenderly to that corpse! . . . I had the mate of the schooner



with me. The man said afterwards that he wouldn't go through it

again--not for a handful of diamonds. And I believed him--I did.



It makes me shiver. Do you think he heard? No! I mean

somebody--something--heard? . . ."



"I am a materialist," declared the man of science, tilting the

bottle shakily over the emptied glass.



Almayer shook his head and went on--

"Nobody saw how it really happened but that man Mahmat. He



always said that he was no further off from them than two lengths

of his lance. It appears the two women rowed each other while



that Willems stood between them. Then Mahmat says that when

Joanna struck her and ran off, the other two seemed to become



suddenly mad together. They rushed here and there. Mahmat

says--those were his very words: 'I saw her standingholding the



pistol that fires many times and pointing it all over the

campong. I was afraid--lest she might shoot me, and jumped on



one side. Then I saw the white man coming at her swiftly. He

came like our master the tiger when he rushes out of the jungle



at the spears held by men. She did not take aim. The barrel of

her weapon went like this--from side to side, but in her eyes I



could see suddenly a great fear. There was only one shot. She

shrieked while the white man stood blinking his eyes and very



straight, till you could count slowly one, two, three; then he

coughed and fell on his face. The daughter of Omar shrieked



without drawingbreath, till he fell. I went away then and left

silence behind me. These things did not concern me, and in my



boat there was that other woman who had promised me money. We

left directly, paying no attention to her cries. We are only



poor men--and had but a small reward for our trouble!' That's

what Mahmat said. Never varied. You ask him yourself. He's the



man you hired the boats from, for your journey up the river."

"The most rapacious thief I ever met!" exclaimed the traveller,



thickly.

"Ah! He is a respectable man. His two brothers got themselves



speared--served them right. They went in for robbing Dyak

graves. Gold ornaments in them you know. Serve them right. But



he kept respectable and got on. Aye! Everybody got on--but I.

And all through that scoundrel who brought the Arabs here."



"De mortuis nil ni . . . num," muttered Almayer's guest.

"I wish you would speak English instead of jabbering in your own



language, which no one can understand," said Almayer, sulkily.

"Don't be angry," hiccoughed the other. "It's Latin, and it's



wisdom. It means: Don't waste your breath in abusing shadows.

No offence there. I like you. You have a quarrel with



Providence--so have I. I was meant to be a professor,

while--look."



His head nodded. He sat grasping the glass. Almayer walked up

and down, then stopped suddenly.



"Yes, they all got on but I. Why? I am better than any of them.

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


• possibility [,pɔsə´biliti] n.可能(性)；希望；前途 (初中英语单词)


• sleeve [sli:v] n.袖子；袖套 (初中英语单词)


• jacket [´dʒækit] n.茄克衫；外套 (初中英语单词)


• gesture [´dʒestʃə] n.手势 v.打手势 (初中英语单词)


• fiercely [´fiəsli] ad.凶猛地，残忍地 (初中英语单词)


• opening [´əupəniŋ] n.开放；开端 a.开始的 (初中英语单词)


• poison [´pɔizən] n.毒物 v.毒害 a.有毒的 (初中英语单词)


• pointed [´pɔintid] a.尖(锐)的；中肯的 (初中英语单词)


• laughter [´lɑ:ftə] n.笑，笑声 (初中英语单词)


• altogether [,ɔ:ltə´geðə] ad.完全；总而言之 (初中英语单词)


• shriek [ʃri:k] v.&n.尖叫(声) (初中英语单词)


• swiftly [´swiftli] ad.迅速地，敏捷地 (初中英语单词)


• weapon [´wepən] n.武器；斗争手段 (初中英语单词)


• helpless [´helpləs] a.无助的，无依靠的 (初中英语单词)


• horror [´hɔrə] n.恐怖；战栗 (初中英语单词)


• sunlight [´sʌnlait] n.日光 (初中英语单词)


• uncertain [ʌn´sə:tn] a.不定的；不可靠的 (初中英语单词)


• whisper [´wispə] v.耳语 n.低语；沙沙声 (初中英语单词)


• slightly [´slaitli] ad.轻微地；细长的 (初中英语单词)


• immense [i´mens] a.广大的，无限的 (初中英语单词)


• sunshine [´sʌnʃain] n.日光，阳光 (初中英语单词)


• visitor [´vizitə] n.访问者；来宾；参观者 (初中英语单词)


• acquaintance [ə´kweintəns] n.相识；熟人，相识的人 (初中英语单词)


• intention [in´tenʃən] n.意图；打算；意义 (初中英语单词)


• writing [´raitiŋ] n.书写；写作；书法 (初中英语单词)


• interior [in´tiəriə] n.&a.内部地(的) (初中英语单词)


• moonlight [´mu:nlait] n.&a.月光(的) (初中英语单词)


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


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


• bullet [´bulit] n.子弹 (初中英语单词)


• shiver [´ʃivə] v.&n.(使)颤抖；碎片 (初中英语单词)


• standing [´stændiŋ] n.持续 a.直立的 (初中英语单词)


• barrel [´bærəl] n.(琵琶)桶；圆筒 (初中英语单词)


• breath [breθ] n.呼吸；气息 (初中英语单词)


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


• solitude [´sɔlitju:d] n.孤独；寂寞；荒凉 (高中英语单词)


• strode [strəud] stride的过去式 (高中英语单词)


• jealousy [´dʒeləsi] n.妒忌；猜忌 (高中英语单词)


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


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


• heathen [´hi:ðən] n.异教徒 (高中英语单词)


• access [´ækses] n.接近；通路；进入 (高中英语单词)


• insane [in´sein] a.患神经病的；疯狂的 (高中英语单词)


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


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


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


• stride [straid] n.进展 v.跨过；骑 (高中英语单词)


• tropical [´trɔpikəl] a.热带地区的 (高中英语单词)


• squeeze [skwi:z] v.&n.压榨，榨取 (高中英语单词)


• handful [hændful] n.一把，少数，一小撮 (高中英语单词)


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


• humility [hju:´militi] n.谦逊，谦让 (英语四级单词)


• accursed [ə´kə:sid] a.被诅咒的；可憎的 (英语四级单词)


• revolver [ri´vɔlvə] n.左轮手枪；旋转者 (英语四级单词)


• blackness [´blæknis] n.黑色；阴险 (英语四级单词)


• triumphant [trai´ʌmfənt] a.胜利的；洋洋得意的 (英语四级单词)


• naturalist [´nætʃərəlist] n.自然主义者 (英语四级单词)


• trying [´traiiŋ] a.难堪的；费劲的 (英语四级单词)


• clearing [´kliəriŋ] n.(森林中的)空旷地 (英语四级单词)


• clamber [´klæmbə] v.&n.爬；攀登 (英语四级单词)


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


• varied [´veərid] a.各种各样的 (英语四级单词)


• scornful [´skɔ:nful] a.轻蔑的，藐视的 (英语六级单词)


• riverside [´rivəsaid] n.河岸 a.河岸上的 (英语六级单词)


• diversity [dai´və:siti] n.差异；多样性 (英语六级单词)


• trigger [´trigə] n.扳机 vt.触发，启动 (英语六级单词)


• extended [iks´tendid] a.伸长的；广大的 (英语六级单词)


• dissatisfied [´dis,sætis´fækʃən] a.不满的；显出不满的 (英语六级单词)


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


• scoundrel [´skaundrəl] n.&a.无赖(的) (英语六级单词)