could take them in at one glance.

They associated in her mind, the parrot becoming sanctified through



the neighbourhood of the Holy Ghost, and the latter becoming more

lifelike in her eyes, and more comprehensible. In all ability" target="_blank" title="n.或有；可能性">probability the



Father had never chosen as messenger a dove, as the latter has no

voice, but rather one of Loulou's ancestors. And Felicite said her



prayers in front of the coloured picture, though from time to time she

turned slightly towards the bird.



She desired very much to enter in the ranks of the "Daughters of the

Virgin." But Madame Aubain dissuaded her from it.



A most important event occurred: Paul's marriage.

After being first a notary's clerk, then in business, then in the



customs, and a tax collector, and having even applied for a position

in the administration of woods and forests, he had at last, when he



was thirty-six years old, by a divineinspiration, found his vocation:

registrature! and he displayed such a high ability that an inspector



had offered him his daughter and his influence.

Paul, who had become quite settled, brought his bride to visit his



mother.

But she looked down upon the customs of Pont-l'Eveque, put on airs,



and hurt Felicite's feelings. Madame Aubain felt relieved when she

left.



The following week they learned of Monsieur Bourais' death in an inn.

There were rumours of suicide, which were confirmed; doubts concerning



his integrity arose. Madame Aubain looked over her accounts and soon

discovered his numerous embezzlements; sales of wood which had been



concealed from her, false receipts, etc. Furthermore, he had an

illegitimate child, and entertained a friendship for "a person in



Dozule."

These base actions affected her very much. In March, 1853, she



developed a pain in her chest; her tongue looked as if it were coated

with smoke, and the leeches they applied did not relieve her



oppression; and on the ninth evening she died, being just seventy-two

years old.



People thought that she was younger, because her hair, which she wore

in bands framing her pale face, was brown. Few friends regretted her



loss, for her manner was so haughty that she did not attract them.

Felicite mourned for her as servants seldom mourn for their masters.



The fact that Madame should die before herself perplexed her mind and

seemed contrary to the order of things, and absolutelymonstrous and



inadmissible. Ten days later (the time to journey from Besancon), the

heirs arrived. Her daughter-in-law ransacked the drawers, kept some of



the furniture, and sold the rest; then they went back to their own

home.



Madame's armchair, foot-warmer, work-table, the eight chairs,

everything was gone! The places occupied by the pictures formed yellow



squares on the walls. They had taken the two little beds, and the

wardrobe had been emptied of Virginia's belongings! Felicite went



upstairs, overcome with grief.

The following day a sign was posted on the door; the chemistscreamed



in her ear that the house was for sale.

For a moment she tottered, and had to sit down.



What hurt her most was to give up her room,--so nice for poor Loulou!

She looked at him in despair and implored the Holy Ghost, and it was



this way that she contracted the idolatrous habit of saying her

prayers kneeling in front of the bird. Sometimes the sun fell through



the window on his glass eye, and lighted a spark in it which sent

Felicite into ecstasy.



Her mistress had left her an income of three hundred and eighty

francs. The garden supplied her with vegetables. As for clothes, she



had enough to last her till the end of her days, and she economised on

the light by going to bed at dusk.



She rarely went out, in order to avoid passing in front of the second-

hand dealer's shop where there was some of the old furniture. Since



her fainting spell, she dragged her leg, and as her strength was

failing rapidly, old Mother Simon, who had lost her money in the



grocery business, came very morning to chop the wood and pump the

water.

• despair [di´speə] vi.&n.绝望 (初中英语单词)


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


• consequence [´kɔnsikwəns] n.结果；后果；推断 (初中英语单词)


• throat [θrəut] n.咽喉；嗓子；出入口 (初中英语单词)


• mistress [´mistris] n.女主人；情妇；女能手 (初中英语单词)


• goodness [´gudnis] n.优良；美德；精华 (初中英语单词)


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


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


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


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


• carpenter [´kɑ:pintə] n.木工 vi.做木工活 (初中英语单词)


• thunder [´θʌndə] n.雷 vi.打雷 vt.吼出 (初中英语单词)


• scream [skri:m] v.&n.尖叫(声) (初中英语单词)


• excite [ik´sait] vt.激动；引起，招惹 (初中英语单词)


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


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


• chemist [´kemist] n.化学家；药剂师 (初中英语单词)


• diligence [´dilidʒəns] n.勤奋，努力 (初中英语单词)


• incline [in´klain] v.(使)倾斜 n.斜坡 (初中英语单词)


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


• furious [´fjuəriəs] a.狂怒的；猛烈的 (初中英语单词)


• violence [´vaiələns] n.猛烈；暴力(行) (初中英语单词)


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


• childhood [´tʃaildhud] n.幼年(时代)；早期 (初中英语单词)


• disappointment [,disə´pɔintmənt] n.失望；挫折 (初中英语单词)


• nephew [´nevju:, ´nɛfju] n.侄子；外甥 (初中英语单词)


• virginia [və´dʒinjə] n.佛吉尼亚(州) (初中英语单词)


• vessel [´vesəl] n.容器；船；脉管 (初中英语单词)


• second-hand [,sekənd´hænd] a.用过的；间接的 (初中英语单词)


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


• artificial [,ɑ:ti´fiʃəl] a.人工的；模拟的 (初中英语单词)


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


• striking [´straikiŋ] a.显著的，明显的 (初中英语单词)


• scarlet [´skɑ:lit] n.猩红色 a.猩红的 (初中英语单词)


• messenger [´mesindʒə] n.使者；送信人 (初中英语单词)


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


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


• divine [di´vain] a.神圣的 v.预言 (初中英语单词)


• ability [ə´biliti] n.(办事)能力；才干 (初中英语单词)


• monsieur [mə´sjə:] n.先生 (初中英语单词)


• relieve [ri´li:v] v.救济，援救；减轻 (初中英语单词)


• contrary [´kɔntrəri] a.相反的 n.相反 (初中英语单词)


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


• overcome [,əuvə´kʌm] vt.战胜，克服 (初中英语单词)


• income [´inkʌm] n.收入，所得 (初中英语单词)


• rarely [´reəli] ad.难得；非凡地 (初中英语单词)


• umbrella [ʌm´brelə] n.伞 (高中英语单词)


• community [kə´mju:niti] n.团体；社区；公众 (高中英语单词)


• confession [kən´feʃən] n.招供；认错；交待 (高中英语单词)


• divert [dai´və:t] vt.转移注意力；消遣 (高中英语单词)


• shrill [ʃril] a.(声音)尖锐的 (高中英语单词)


• imitate [´imiteit] vt.模仿；伪造 (高中英语单词)


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


• sidewalk [´saidwɔ:k] n.人行道 (高中英语单词)


• upright [´ʌprait] a.直立的 ad.直立地 (高中英语单词)


• napkin [´næpkin] n.餐巾；手帕；尿布 (高中英语单词)


• geography [dʒi´ɔgrəfi] n.地理(学) (高中英语单词)


• bitterness [´bitənis] n.苦味；辛酸；苦难 (高中英语单词)


• communicate [kə´mju:nikeit] vi.通讯；传达；传播 (高中英语单词)


• temporary [´tempərəri] a.暂时的 n.临时工 (高中英语单词)


• probability [,prɔbə´biliti] n.或有；可能性 (高中英语单词)


• inspiration [,inspi´reiʃən] n.鼓舞；灵感；启发 (高中英语单词)


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


• suicide [´su:isaid, ´sju:-] n.&a.自杀(者)(的) (高中英语单词)


• furthermore [,fə:ðə´mɔ:] ad.而且，此外 (高中英语单词)


• haughty [´hɔ:ti] a.傲慢的，高傲的 (高中英语单词)


• monstrous [´mɔnstrəs] a.怪异的；庞大的 (高中英语单词)


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


• parrot [´pærət] n.鹦鹉；应声虫 (英语四级单词)


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


• resolved [ri´zɔlvd] a.决心的；坚定的 (英语四级单词)


• whirlwind [´wə:l,wind] n.旋风；猛烈的势力 (英语四级单词)


• shipment [´ʃipmənt] n.装运；载货量 (英语四级单词)


• mahogany [mə´hɔgəni] n.红木；桃花心木 (英语四级单词)


• pedestal [´pedistl] n.垫座 vt.给…装上座 (英语四级单词)


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


• wardrobe [´wɔ:drəub] n.衣柜；全部服装 (英语四级单词)


• saucer [´sɔ:sə] n.茶托；浅碟 (英语四级单词)


• victor [´viktə] n.&a.胜利者(的) (英语四级单词)


• insignificant [,insig´nifikənt] a.无意义的；无价值的 (英语四级单词)


• baptism [´bæptizəm] n.洗礼 (英语四级单词)


• saviour [´seiviə] n.救星；救助者 (英语四级单词)


• collector [kə´lektə] n.收款(税)员；收藏家 (英语四级单词)


• integrity [in´tegriti] n.完整；完善；正直 (英语四级单词)


• armchair [´ɑ:mtʃeə] n.扶手椅 (英语四级单词)


• bewilderment [bi´wildəmənt] n.为难；狼狈；迷惑 (英语六级单词)


• unison [´ju:nisən] n.协调，一致；齐唱 (英语六级单词)


• sorely [´sɔ:li] ad.痛苦地；剧烈地 (英语六级单词)


• sumptuous [´sʌmptʃuəs] a.奢侈的；豪华的 (英语六级单词)


• applied [ə´plaid] a.实用的，应用的 (英语六级单词)


• affected [ə´fektid] a.做作的；假装的 (英语六级单词)


• contracted [kən´træktid] a.收缩了的；缩略的 (英语六级单词)