worthy mate, since half of the masculine population is looking for

itself, and always in the wrong quarter, needing no assistance to



discover rose-cheeked idiots of nineteen, whose obvious charms draw

thousands to a dull and uneventful fate.



These thoughts were running idly through my mind while the

Honourable Michael McGillicuddy was discoursing to me of Mr.



Gladstone's misunderstanding of Irish questions,--a

misunderstanding, he said, so colossal, so temperamental, and so



all-embracing, that it amounted to genius. I was so anxious to

return to Salemina that I wished I had ordered the car at ten thirty



instead of eleven; but I made up my mind, as we ladies went to the

drawing-room for coffee, that I would seize the first favourable



opportunity to explore the secret chambers of Dr. La Touche's being.

I love to rummage in out-of-the-way corners of people's brains and



hearts if they will let me. I like to follow a courteous host

through the public corridors of his house and come upon a little



chamber closed to the casualvisitor. If I have known him long

enough I put my hand on the latch and smile inquiringly. He looks



confused and conscious, but unlocks the door. Then I peep in, and

often I see something that pleases and charms and touches me so much



that it shows in my eyes when I lift them to his to say "Thank you."

Sometimes, after that, my host gives me the key and says gravely



"Pray come in whenever you like."

When Dr. La Touche offers me this hospitality I shall find out



whether he knows anything of that lavender-scented guest-room in

Salemina's heart. First, has he ever seen it? Second, has he ever



stopped in it for any length of time? Third, was he sufficiently

enamoured of it to occupy it on a long lease?



Chapter XVI. Salemina has her chance.

'And what use is one's life widout chances?



Ye've always a chance wid the tide.'

Jane Barlow.



I was walking with Lady Fincoss, and Francesca with Miss Clondalkin,

a very learnedpersonage who has deciphered more undecipherable



inscriptions than any lady in Ireland, when our eyes fell upon an

unexpected tableau.



Seated on a divan in the centre of the drawing-room, in a most

distinguished attitude, in unexceptionable attire, and with the



rose-coloured lights making all her soft greys opalescent, was Miss

Salemina Peabody. Our exclamations of astonishment were so audible



that they must have reached the dining-room, for Lord Killbally did

not keep the gentlemen long at their wine.



Salemina cannot tell a story quite as it ought to be told to produce

an effect. She is too reserved, too concise, too rigidly



conscientious. She does not like to be the centre of interest, even

in a modest contretemps like being locked out of a room which



contains part of her dress; but from her brief explanation to Lady

Killbally, her more complete and confidentialaccount on the way



home, and Benella's graphic story when we arrived there, we were

able to get all the details.



When the inside-car passed out of view with us, it appears that

Benella wept tears of rage, at the sight of which Oonah and Molly



trembled. In that moment of despair and remorse, her mind worked as

it must always have done before the Salem priestess befogged it with



hazy philosophies, understood neither by teacher nor by pupil.

Peter had come back, but could suggest nothing. Benella forgot her



'science,' which prohibits rage and recrimination, and called him a

great, hulking, lazy vagabone, and told him she'd like to have him



in Salem for five minutes, just to show him a man with head on his

shoulders.



"You call this a Christian country," she said, "and you haven't got

a screwdriver, nor a bradawl, nor a monkey-wrench, nor a rat-tail



file, nor no kind of a useful tool to bless yourselves with; and my

Miss Peabody, that's worth ten dozen of you put together, has got to

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


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


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


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


• personality [,pə:sə´næliti] n.人；个性；人品；人物 (初中英语单词)


• background [´bækgraund] n.背景；经历；幕后 (初中英语单词)


• passive [´pæsiv] a.被动的 n.被动性 (初中英语单词)


• canvas [´kænvəs] n.帆布；油画(布) (初中英语单词)


• liquid [´likwid] n.液体 a.流动的 (初中英语单词)


• running [´rʌniŋ] a.奔跑的；流动的 (初中英语单词)


• literature [´litərətʃə] n.文学；文献；著作 (初中英语单词)


• whatever [wɔt´evə] pron.&a.无论什么 (初中英语单词)


• trifle [´traifəl] n.琐事，小事；少量 (初中英语单词)


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


• anxiety [æŋ´zaiəti] n.挂念；渴望；焦虑的事 (初中英语单词)


• administration [əd,minis´treiʃən] n.管理(事务等)；经营 (初中英语单词)


• absorb [əb´sɔ:b] vt.吸收；吸引 (初中英语单词)


• amusement [ə´mju:zmənt] n.娱乐；文娱设施 (初中英语单词)


• butterfly [´bʌtəflai] n.蝴蝶；蝶式 (初中英语单词)


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


• unhappy [ʌn´hæpi] a.不幸的；不快乐的 (初中英语单词)


• relief [ri´li:f] n.救济；援救；减轻 (初中英语单词)


• extraordinary [ik´strɔ:dinəri] a.非常的；额外的 (初中英语单词)


• normal [´nɔ:məl] a.正规的 n.正常状态 (初中英语单词)


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


• willing [´wiliŋ] a.情愿的，乐意的 (初中英语单词)


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


• therefore [´ðeəfɔ:] ad.&conj.因此；所以 (初中英语单词)


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


• bureau [´bjuərəu] n.局；编辑部；事务所 (初中英语单词)


• acknowledge [ək´nɔlidʒ] vt.(公开)承认；感谢 (初中英语单词)


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


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


• modest [´mɔdist] a.谦虚的；朴素的 (初中英语单词)


• discipline [´disiplin] n.纪律；训练 (初中英语单词)


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


• genius [´dʒi:niəs] n.天才(人物)；天赋 (初中英语单词)


• devotion [di´vəuʃən] n.献身；忠诚；热爱 (初中英语单词)


• assistance [ə´sistəns] n.协作；援助；帮助 (初中英语单词)


• obvious [´ɔbviəs] a.明显的；显而易见的 (初中英语单词)


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


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


• conscious [´kɔnʃəs] a.意识的；自觉的 (初中英语单词)


• whenever [wen´evə] conj.&ad.无论何时 (初中英语单词)


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


• explanation [,eksplə´neiʃən] n.解释；说明；辩解 (初中英语单词)


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


• despair [di´speə] vi.&n.绝望 (初中英语单词)


• heartily [´hɑ:tili] ad.衷心地；亲切地 (高中英语单词)


• vigorous [´vigərəs] a.精力旺盛的；健壮的 (高中英语单词)


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


• consul [´kɔnsəl] n.领事；执政官 (高中英语单词)


• ireland [´aiələnd] n.爱尔兰 (高中英语单词)


• invariably [in´veəriəbli] ad.不变地；永恒地 (高中英语单词)


• exceedingly [ik´si:diŋli] ad.非常地，极度地 (高中英语单词)


• regularly [´regjuləli] ad.有规律地；经常地 (高中英语单词)


• hopeless [´həupləs] a.无望的，无可救药的 (高中英语单词)


• severely [si´viəli] ad.剧烈地；严格地 (高中英语单词)


• disorder [dis´ɔ:də] n.杂乱 vt.扰乱 (高中英语单词)


• reckless [´rekləs] a.不注意的；鲁莽的 (高中英语单词)


• wither [´wiðə] v.(使)枯萎(衰弱) (高中英语单词)


• reverence [´revərəns] n.尊敬；敬畏；尊严 (高中英语单词)


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


• ecstasy [´ekstəsi] n.狂喜；出神，入迷 (高中英语单词)


• converse [´kɔnvə:s] n.交谈 a.相反的 (高中英语单词)


• sweeping [´swi:piŋ] a.掠过的 n.扫除；清除 (高中英语单词)


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


• limited [´limitid] a.有限(制)的 (高中英语单词)


• explore [ik´splɔ:] v.勘探；探索；探查 (高中英语单词)


• courteous [´kə:tiəs] a.有礼貌的；殷勤的 (高中英语单词)


• casual [´kæʒuəl] a.偶然的；临时的 (高中英语单词)


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


• attire [ə´taiə] vt.装饰；穿 n.衣服 (高中英语单词)


• concise [kən´sais] a.简明的；简洁的 (高中英语单词)


• unexpectedly [´ʌniks´pektidli] ad.意外地；突然地 (英语四级单词)


• magnetic [mæg´netik] a.磁(性)的 (英语四级单词)


• trying [´traiiŋ] a.难堪的；费劲的 (英语四级单词)


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


• evolution [,i:və´lu:ʃən] n.进化；发展；发育 (英语四级单词)


• vicinity [vi´siniti] n.邻近，附近，接近 (英语四级单词)


• delighted [di´laitid] a.高兴的；喜欢的 (英语四级单词)


• unfinished [´ʌn´finiʃt] a.未完成的，未完工的 (英语四级单词)


• guidance [´gaidəns] n.向导，指导，领导 (英语四级单词)


• refined [ri´faind] a.精制的；文雅的 (英语四级单词)


• masculine [´mæ:skjulin] a.男性的 n.男子 (英语四级单词)


• colossal [kə´lɔsəl] a.庞大的；异常的 (英语四级单词)


• personage [´pə:sənidʒ] n.名流；人物，角色 (英语四级单词)


• confidential [,kɔnfi´denʃəl] a.极受信任的；心腹的 (英语四级单词)


• remorse [ri´mɔ:s] n.懊悔；自责；同情 (英语四级单词)


• speaking [´spi:kiŋ] n.说话 a.发言的 (英语六级单词)


• individuality [,individʒu´æləti] n.个性；特征 (英语六级单词)


• colourless [´kʌləlis] a.无色的；不生动的 (英语六级单词)


• destitute [´destitju:t] a.贫穷的；缺乏…的 (英语六级单词)


• gaiety [´geəti] n.欢乐；乐事；华丽 (英语六级单词)


• homesick [´həum,sik] n.思乡的 (英语六级单词)


• discontented [,diskən´tentid] a.不平的；不满的 (英语六级单词)


• dublin [´dʌblin] n.都柏林 (英语六级单词)


• apathy [´æpəθi] n.缺乏感情；冷淡 (英语六级单词)


• gentry [´dʒentri] n.上流社会人士，绅士 (英语六级单词)


• enhance [in´hɑ:ns] vt.提高，增加；增进 (英语六级单词)


• prophetic [prə´fetik] a.预言(家)的；预示的 (英语六级单词)


• exaggeration [ig,zædʒə´reiʃən] n.夸张，夸大 (英语六级单词)


• misunderstanding [,misʌndə´stændiŋ] n.误解；隔阂 (英语六级单词)


• graphic [´græfik] a.图表的；生动的 (英语六级单词)