into a reclining position once more. 'No,' she said to herself,

'the woman walks steadily; she is not intoxicated--the only other



possibility is that she may be mad.'

She had spoken loud enough to be heard. Stung by the insult,



Mrs. Ferrari instantly answered her: 'I am no more drunk or mad

than you are!'



'No?' said Lady Montbarry. 'Then you are only insolent?

The ignorant English mind (I have observed) is apt to be insolent in



the exercise of unrestrained English liberty. This is very noticeable

to us foreigners among you people in the streets. Of course I can't



be insolent to you, in return. I hardly know what to say to you.

My maid was imprudent in admitting you so easily to my room.



I suppose your respectable appearance misled her. I wonder who you are?

You mentioned the name of a courier who left us very strangely.



Was he married by any chance? Are you his wife? And do you know where

he is?'



Mrs. Ferrari's indignation burst its way through all restraints.

She advanced to the sofa; she feared nothing, in the fervour and rage



of her reply.

'I am his widow--and you know it, you wicked woman!



Ah! it was an evil hour when Miss Lockwood recommended my husband

to be his lordship's courier--!'



Before she could add another word, Lady Montbarry sprang from the sofa

with the stealthy suddenness of a cat--seized her by both shoulders--



and shook her with the strength and frenzy of a madwoman. 'You lie!

you lie! you lie!' She dropped her hold at the third repetition of



the accusation, and threw up her hands wildly with a gesture of despair.

'Oh, Jesu Maria! is it possible?' she cried. 'Can the courier



have come to me through that woman?' She turned like lightning

on Mrs. Ferrari, and stopped her as she was escaping from the room.



'Stay here, you fool--stay here, and answer me! If you cry out, as sure

as the heavens are above you, I'll strangle you with my own hands.



Sit down again--and fear nothing. Wretch! It is I who am frightened--

frightened out of my senses. Confess that you lied, when you used



Miss Lockwood's name just now! No! I don't believe you on your oath;

I will believe nobody but Miss Lockwood herself. Where does she live?



Tell me that, you noxious stinging little insect--and you may go.'

Terrified as she was, Mrs. Ferrari hesitated. Lady Montbarry lifted



her hands threateningly, with the long, lean, yellow-white fingers

outspread and crooked at the tips. Mrs. Ferrari shrank at the sight



of them, and gave the address. Lady Montbarry pointed contemptuously

to the door--then changed her mind. 'No! not yet! you will tell



Miss Lockwood what has happened, and she may refuse to see me.

I will go there at once, and you shall go with me. As far as the house--



not inside of it. Sit down again. I am going to ring for my maid.

Turn your back to the door--your cowardly face is not fit to be



seen!'

She rang the bell. The maid appeared.



'My cloak and bonnet--instantly!'

The maid produced the cloak and bonnet from the bedroom.



'A cab at the door--before I can count ten!'

The maid vanished. Lady Montbarry surveyed herself in the glass,



and wheeled round again, with her cat-like suddenness, to Mrs. Ferrari.

'I look more than half dead already, don't I?' she said with a grim



outburst of irony. 'Give me your arm.'

She took Mrs. Ferrari's arm, and left the room. 'You have nothing



to fear, so long as you obey,' she whispered, on the way downstairs.

'You leave me at Miss Lockwood's door, and never see me again.'



In the hall they were met by the landlady of the hotel.

Lady Montbarry graciously presented her companion.



'My good friend Mrs. Ferrari; I am so glad to have seen her.'

The landlady accompanied them to the door. The cab was waiting.



'Get in first, good Mrs. Ferrari,' said her ladyship; 'and tell the man

where to go.'



They were driven away. Lady Montbarry's variablehumour changed again.

With a low groan of misery, she threw herself back in the cab.



Lost in her own dark thoughts, as careless of the woman whom she

had bent to her iron will as if no such person sat by her side,



she preserved a sinister silence, until they reached the house where

Miss Lockwood lodged. In an instant, she roused herself to action.



She opened the door of the cab, and closed it again on Mrs. Ferrari,

before the driver could get off his box.



'Take that lady a mile farther on her way home!' she said,

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


• dignity [´digniti] n.尊严，尊贵；高官显贵 (初中英语单词)


• intelligence [in´telidʒəns] n.智力；消息 (初中英语单词)


• mysterious [mi´stiəriəs] a.神秘的；难以理解的 (初中英语单词)


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


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


• guilty [´gilti] a.有罪的；心虚的 (初中英语单词)


• gravely [´greivli] ad.庄重地，严肃地 (初中英语单词)


• scheme [ski:m] n.计划；阴谋，诡计 (初中英语单词)


• reverse [ri´və:s] v.颠倒；(使)反向 (初中英语单词)


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


• disturb [di´stə:b] vt.扰乱；使不安；打乱 (初中英语单词)


• introduction [,intrə´dʌkʃən] n.介绍；引言；引导 (初中英语单词)


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


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


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


• remarkable [ri´mɑ:kəbl] a.值得注意的；显著的 (初中英语单词)


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


• performance [pə´fɔ:məns] n.履行；行为；工作 (初中英语单词)


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


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


• daylight [´deilait] n.日光；黎明 (初中英语单词)


• contrast [´kɔntrɑ:st] n.对比 v.使对比(照) (初中英语单词)


• brilliant [´briliənt] a.灿烂的；杰出的 (初中英语单词)


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


• screen [skri:n] n.银幕 vt.遮蔽 (初中英语单词)


• receipt [ri´si:t] n.收到；收据 (初中英语单词)


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


• deadly [´dedli] a.致命的 ad.死一般地 (初中英语单词)


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


• steadily [´stedili] ad.坚定地；不断地 (初中英语单词)


• spoken [´spəukən] speak的过去分词 (初中英语单词)


• instantly [´instəntli] ad.立即，立刻 (初中英语单词)


• ignorant [´ignərənt] a.无知的，愚昧的 (初中英语单词)


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


• wicked [´wikid] a.邪恶的；不道德的 (初中英语单词)


• sprang [spræŋ] spring 的过去式 (初中英语单词)


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


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


• driven [´driv(ə)n] drive 的过去分词 (初中英语单词)


• humour [´hju:mə] n.幽默，诙谐 (初中英语单词)


• misery [´mizəri] n.痛苦；悲惨；穷困 (初中英语单词)


• careless [´keəlis] a.粗心的；草率的 (初中英语单词)


• positive [´pɔzətiv] a.确定的 (高中英语单词)


• startling [´stɑ:tliŋ] a.惊人的 (高中英语单词)


• fashionable [´fæʃənəbəl] a.流行的，时髦的 (高中英语单词)


• notable [´nəutəbəl] a.显著的 n.名人 (高中英语单词)


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


• mantle [´mæntl] n.斗蓬 v.覆盖；笼罩 (高中英语单词)


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


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


• threshold [´θreʃhəuld] n.门槛；入门；开端 (高中英语单词)


• outward [´autwəd] a.外面的 ad.向外 (高中英语单词)


• disagreeable [,disə´gri:əbl] a.令人不悦的 (高中英语单词)


• memorable [´memərəbəl] a.难忘的；重大的 (高中英语单词)


• ghastly [´gɑ:stli] a.苍白的；可怕的 (高中英语单词)


• dismal [´dizməl] a.灰暗的；阴郁的 (高中英语单词)


• outbreak [´autbreik] n.(战争等的)爆发 (高中英语单词)


• stillness [´stilnis] n.不动；无声，寂静 (高中英语单词)


• indignation [,indig´neiʃən] n.愤慨；气愤 (高中英语单词)


• repetition [,repi´tiʃən] n.重复；背诵；复制品 (高中英语单词)


• crooked [´krukid] a.弯曲的；畸形的 (高中英语单词)


• bonnet [´bɔnit] n.无边女帽；童帽 (高中英语单词)


• landlady [´lænd,leidi] n.女房东；女店主 (高中英语单词)


• nobleman [´nəublmən] n.贵族 (英语四级单词)


• rational [´ræʃənəl] a.(有)理性的；合理的 (英语四级单词)


• speechless [´spi:tʃləs] a.说不出话的 (英语四级单词)


• frenzy [´frenzi] n.&vt.(使)狂乱 (英语四级单词)


• accusation [ækju:´zeiʃən] n.谴责；告发 (英语四级单词)


• cowardly [´kauədli] a.&ad.胆小的(地) (英语四级单词)


• graciously [´greiʃəsli] ad.仁慈地，和蔼庄重地 (英语四级单词)


• sinister [´sinistə] a.阴险的；不吉的 (英语四级单词)


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


• languid [´læŋgwid] a.精神不振的 (英语六级单词)


• mechanically [mi´kænikəli] ad.机械地；无意识地 (英语六级单词)


• insolent [´insələnt] a.傲慢的；无礼的 (英语六级单词)


• courier [´kuriə] n.送急件的人；信使 (英语六级单词)


• shrank [ʃræŋk] shrink的过去式 (英语六级单词)


• variable [´veəriəbəl] a.易变的 n.可变量 (英语六级单词)