again with a basin of water and a sponge, and had begun to bathe



his wounded hand.

'I am dreadfully sorry!' said Gideon apologetically. 'If I had



had any manners I should have opened the box first and smashed my

hand afterward. It feels much better,' he added. 'I assure you it



does.'

'And now I think you are well enough to direct operations,' said



she. 'Tell me what to do, and I'll be your workman.'

'A very pretty workman,' said Gideon, rather forgetting himself.



She turned and looked at him, with a suspicion of a frown; and

the indiscreet young man was glad to direct her attention to the



packing-case. The bulk of the work had been accomplished; and

presently Julia had burst through the last barrier and disclosed



a zone of straw. in a moment they were kneeling side by side,

engaged like haymakers; the next they were rewarded with a



glimpse of something white and polished; and the next again laid

bare an unmistakablemarble leg.



'He is surely a very athletic person,' said Julia.

'I never saw anything like it,' responded Gideon. 'His muscles



stand out like penny rolls.'

Another leg was soon disclosed, and then what seemed to be a



third. This resolved itself, however, into a knotted club resting

upon a pedestal.



'It is a Hercules,' cried Gideon; 'I might have guessed that from

his calf. I'm supposed to be rather partial to statuary, but when



it comes to Hercules, the police should interfere. I should say,'

he added, glancing with disaffection at the swollen leg, 'that



this was about the biggest and the worst in Europe. What in

heaven's name can have induced him to come here?'



'I suppose nobody else would have a gift of him,' said Julia.

'And for that matter, I think we could have done without the



monster very well.'

'O, don't say that,' returned Gideon. 'This has been one of the



most amusing experiences of my life.'

'I don't think you'll forget it very soon,' said Julia. 'Your



hand will remind you.'

'Well, I suppose I must be going,' said Gideon reluctantly. 'No,'



pleaded Julia. 'Why should you? Stay and have tea with me.'

'If I thought you really wished me to stay,' said Gideon, looking



at his hat, 'of course I should only be too delighted.'

'What a silly person you must take me for!' returned the girl.



'Why, of course I do; and, besides, I want some cakes for tea,

and I've nobody to send. Here is the latchkey.'



Gideon put on his hat with alacrity, and casting one look at Miss

Hazeltine, and another at the legs of Hercules, threw open the



door and departed on his errand.

He returned with a large bag of the choicest and most tempting of



cakes and tartlets, and found Julia in the act of spreading a

small tea-table in the lobby.



"The rooms are all in such a state,' she cried, 'that I thought

we should be more cosy and comfortable in our own lobby, and



under our own vine and statuary.'

'Ever so much better,' cried Gideon delightedly.



'O what adorable cream tarts!' said Julia, opening the bag, 'and

the dearest little cherry tartlets, with all the cherries spilled



out into the cream!'

'Yes,' said Gideon, concealing his dismay, 'I knew they would mix



beautifully; the woman behind the counter told me so.'

'Now,' said Julia, as they began their little festival, 'I am



going to show you Morris's letter; read it aloud, please; perhaps

there's something I have missed.'



Gideon took the letter, and spreading it out on his knee, read as

follows:



DEAR JULIA, I write you from Browndean, where we are stopping

over for a few days. Uncle was much shaken in that dreadful



accident, of which, I dare say, you have seen the account.

Tomorrow I leave him here with John, and come up alone; but



before that, you will have received a barrel CONTAINING SPECIMENS

FOR A FRIEND. Do not open it on any account, but leave it in the



lobby till I come.

Yours in haste,



M. FINSBURY.

P.S.--Be sure and leave the barrel in the lobby.



'No,' said Gideon, 'there seems to be nothing about the

monument,' and he nodded, as he spoke, at the marble legs. 'Miss



Hazeltine,' he continued, 'would you mind me asking a few

• peculiar [pi´kju:liə] a.特有的；奇异的 (初中英语单词)


• severe [si´viə] a.严厉的；苛刻的 (初中英语单词)


• squire [skwaiə] n.护卫，侍从；乡绅 (初中英语单词)


• circle [´sə:kəl] n.圆圈 v.环绕；盘旋 (初中英语单词)


• allowance [ə´lauəns] n.津贴；配给量；考虑 (初中英语单词)


• visible [´vizəbəl] a.可见的；明显的 (初中英语单词)


• mental [´mentl] a.精神的；心理的 (初中英语单词)


• scientific [,saiən´tifik] a.科学(上)的 (初中英语单词)


• doorway [´dɔ:wei] n.门口 (初中英语单词)


• apollo [ə´pɔləu] n.阿波罗 (初中英语单词)


• sentiment [´sentimənt] n.情绪；多愁善感 (初中英语单词)


• departure [di´pɑ:tʃə] n.离开，出发 (初中英语单词)


• laughter [´lɑ:ftə] n.笑，笑声 (初中英语单词)


• curiosity [,kjuəri´ɔsiti] n.好奇；奇事；珍品 (初中英语单词)


• barrel [´bærəl] n.(琵琶)桶；圆筒 (初中英语单词)


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


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


• silently [´sailəntli] ad.寂静地；沉默地 (初中英语单词)


• comment [´kɔment] n.&v.评论；评注；注意 (初中英语单词)


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


• dreadfully [dredfuli] ad.可怕地；糟透地 (初中英语单词)


• suspicion [sə´spiʃən] n.怀(猜)疑；嫌疑 (初中英语单词)


• marble [´mɑ:bəl] n.大理石 a.大理石的 (初中英语单词)


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


• interfere [,intə´fiə] vi.干涉；妨碍；打扰 (初中英语单词)


• remind [ri´maind] vt.提醒；使记(想)起 (初中英语单词)


• dismay [dis´mei] n.惊慌 vt.使惊慌 (初中英语单词)


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


• radical [´rædikəl] a.根本的；主要的 (高中英语单词)


• formidable [´fɔ:midəbəl] a.可怕的；艰难的 (高中英语单词)


• denounce [di´nauns] vt.指责；告发；揭发 (高中英语单词)


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


• pavement [´peivmənt] n.路面；铺筑材料 (高中英语单词)


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


• successfully [sək´sesfəli] ad.成功地 (高中英语单词)


• thoughtful [´θɔ:tfəl] a.深思的；体贴的 (高中英语单词)


• reliable [ri´laiəbl] a.可靠的；可信赖的 (高中英语单词)


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


• blacksmith [´blæk,smiθ] n.铁匠，锻工 (高中英语单词)


• regarding [ri´gɑ:diŋ] prep.关于 (高中英语单词)


• workman [´wə:kmən] n.工人；工作人员 (高中英语单词)


• harmless [´hɑ:mləs] a.无害的，无恶意的 (高中英语单词)


• pantry [´pæntri] n.食品室；餐具室 (高中英语单词)


• sponge [spʌndʒ] n.海绵(状物) (高中英语单词)


• barrier [´bæriə] n.栅栏；屏障；障碍 (高中英语单词)


• athletic [æθ´letik] a.运动的；强壮的 (高中英语单词)


• hercules [´hə:kjuli:z] n.大力神 (高中英语单词)


• amusing [ə´mju:ziŋ] a.有趣的 (高中英语单词)


• cherry [´tʃeri] n.樱桃(树) (高中英语单词)


• counter [´kauntə] n.计算者；柜台；计算机 (高中英语单词)


• festival [´festivəl] n.节日；庆祝；欢庆 (高中英语单词)


• extinct [ik´stiŋkt] a.熄灭的；灭绝的 (英语四级单词)


• churchman [´tʃə:tʃmən] n.教士；牧师；国教教徒 (英语四级单词)


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


• lesser [´lesə] a.较小的；次要的 (英语四级单词)


• embarrassment [im´bærəsmənt] n.窘迫；困惑；为难 (英语四级单词)


• lastly [´lɑ:stli] ad.最后，终于 (英语四级单词)


• warning [´wɔ:niŋ] n.警告；前兆 a.预告的 (英语四级单词)


• chisel [´tʃizəl] n.凿子 v.凿；欺骗；干涉 (英语四级单词)


• accomplished [ə´kʌmpliʃt] a.完成了的；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)


• partial [´pɑ:ʃəl] a.部分的；偏袒的 (英语四级单词)


• swollen [´swəulən] swell的过去分词 (英语四级单词)


• reluctantly [ri´lʌktəntli] a.不情愿地；勉强地 (英语四级单词)


• tempting [´temptiŋ] a.引诱人的，吸引人的 (英语四级单词)


• convulsion [kən´vʌlʃən] n.震动；骚动；灾变 (英语六级单词)


• unmistakable [,ʌnmi´steikəbəl] a.明显的；错不了的 (英语六级单词)


• departed [di´pɑ:tid] a.已往的；已故的 (英语六级单词)