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在线英语听力室中部分内容缺少原文,让很多学习者听起来比较费劲。所以想开辟此板块,让大家一起来搜集听力原文。

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本帖最后由 billatasp 于 2017-9-28 11:46 编辑

俺弄简单的   自己听写的,如有错误希望指正
听写的原文:
http://bbs.tingroom.com/thread-787188-1-1.htmlMP3:
http://www.tingroom.com/lesson/myfirstbook/67343.html


我的第一本英文作文书10
Chapter 10: The Moon Festival

Tips:
The Moon Festival is on August 15 of the lunar calendar. Inthe old days, there were many customs associated it with celebrating afestival. They ate moon cake because it looked like the Moon. They also atepomelo for good luck, because the name of it in mandarin sounds like blessingthe children. Sometimes, the adults use the peel of pomelo to make a cap forthe kids.  It was so funny.


Nowadays, people still eat moon cake and pomelo. Butnowadays, people like to have a barbeque on the Moon Festival. They usually goto the river side, park, or other open fields, relatives or friends often gettogether to celebrate the festival. This Moon festival, I went to the barbequewith my relatives in a big park. I ate lot of food and pomelos and my unclemade me a pomelo-peel cap too.

The Moon Festival is a very important day for us because onthis day people can have a reunion with their friends or relatives from faraway. Everybody can relax and enjoy the joy of reunion. So next time, don’tforget to invite your friends of relatives to your barbeque party.

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回复 99# yoyo530521

http://bbs.tingroom.com/viewthread.php?tid=774994&extra=,(帖子)我看要发新帖,就发了个帖子,没有在原版上回复。新编剑桥商务英语中级第三版听力 09的原文听力。   http://www.tingroom.com/lesson/xbjqswzjdsbtl/108856.html(听力链接)新编剑桥商务英语中级第三版听力 09
Planning a seminar

Recorded message :Thank you for calling Business Circle Conferencing. Please state your name and address. Then give the name of the event you'd like information on and we will send it to you immediately. Please speak after the tone.

Ray : Hello. This is Mr Ray Naunton. That's N-A-U-N-T-O-N. I'm coming to the event next week called 'Launching your business online' and so you've already got my details. Anyway, the reason I'm calling is that I won't be able to arrive in time for registration and the buffet on the Sunday evening. My train doesn't arrive until nine fifteen, so I'm going to take a taxi straight to the hotel. So I probably won't get to the training centre until Monday morning. I hope that's OK. Anyway it's just to confirm that I will be there for the course. Oh, and could someone send me the schedule for the two days? You can email it to me at r dot naunton at worldsyouroyster dot com. Worldsyouroyster is all one word. That's w-o-r-l-d-s-y-o-u-r-o-y-s-t-e-r. And all in lower case. Thank you.

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在哪能,怎么都看不到的

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英语听力:新概念英语第四册单词MP3 Lesson 02
lesson two
acre  英目
authority 权威
be content with 对......满足
beast 野兽
census 统计数字
flocks and herds 牛羊
football pitch 足球场
on one's behalf 为......利益
owe 感激
spare
宽恕,饶(命)

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“Miss Halcombe’s light is out. The rooms next door are empty. The only window with a light in is my wife’s, so now we may talk. We are at a serious crisis in our refunds, Percival, and we must decide about the future tonight.”
“It’s a worse crisis that you think.” growled Sir Percival
“Listen, Percival. This is our situation. We both came to this house in need of money, and the only way of getting it was with the help of your wife. Now what did I tell you? I told you never to lose your temper with her, and especially never with her sister, Miss Halcombe. And have you remembered this? Not once, your mad temper lost your wife’s signature, lost the ready money, made Miss. Halcombe write to the lawyer for the first time.”
“First time? Has she written again?”
“Yes, she has written again today.”
“What? How does he know that? Did he follow me to the hotel? But even if he did, he couldn’t have seen the letters. They went straight from my hands to Fanny’s dress. So how does he know?”
“You are lucky,” the Count continues, “that you have me in the house to undo the harm that you do. Lucky that I said no when you were mad enough to make your wife a prisoner and keep her from Miss. Halcombe. Can’t you see that Miss. Halcombe has the courage and understanding of a man? How I admire that woman! But she stands like a rock between us and that pretty little wife of yours. Now the money, we haven’t obtained the loan, a horribly expensive loan by signing a document promising to repay it in three months. When the time comes, is there really no way to repay the money except by the help of your wife?”
“None!”
“What money do you actually get from your wife at present?”
“Only the income from her twenty thousand pounds”
“Do you expect any more from your wife?”
“Absolutely nothing! Except in the case of her death”
“Aha… in the case of her death”
A pause, it has begun to rain and already I felt wet and cold.
Sir Percival again, “If she leaves no children, I’ll get her twenty thousand pounds.”
“Percival, do you care about your wife?”
“Fosco, that’s a very direct question.”
“Let’s say your wife dies before the end of the summer.”
“Forget it, Fosco!”
“You would gain twenty thousand pounds.”
“Speak for yourself as well as for me, Fosco. You would also gain my wife’s death would be ten thousand pounds in your wife’s pocket.”
“Percival, here is the position. If your wife lives, you pay that debt with her signature on the document. If your wife dies, you pay the debt with her death.”
The light in Madam Fosco’s room goes out, and the front roof is now sunk in darkness. The rain continues. I listen with my every nerve in my body, memorizing word after word.
“Percival, you must now leave this matter in my hands. I have more than two months to find the solution, so let’s not talk about it anymore. Let me help you with your other difficulty, the difficulty that seems to have the name of Anne Catherick.”
“Look, Fosco! We may be friends but we still have our secrets. This does not concern you. Please don’t ask me about it.”
“My friend, I can respect the secret, so I won’t ask you to tell me. But can I help you all the same?”
“If I don’t find Anne Catherick, I am a lost man. Both she and her mother know this, this secret. It could ruin me, Fosco. Anne Catherick has spoken to my wife, and I am sure she’s told her.”
“But is your wife surely it’s in her interest to keep it secret?”
“If she loved me, that would be true. But she is in love with someone she met before we married, a drawing teacher called Walter Hartright, and who helped Anne Catherick escape from the asylum; Hartright, who saw her again in Cumberland; Hartright, he knows the secret, and my wife knows the secret. If they get together, they will use it against me.”
“Yes, yes I see. Where is Mr. Hartright?”
“Out of the country, he sailed for America.”
“Don’t worry then. I will deal with him if he ever comes back, depend on it(请放心). But first we must find Anne Cathercik. What about her mother? Can she be trusted?”
“It’s inherent trust not to tell anyone the secret.”
“Good! Now how will I recognize Anne Catherick?”
“Easily! She’s the pale sickly likeness of my wife.”
A noise of a cheer pushed back. The Count has jumped to his feet and is walking about. He seems amazed. “What? Are she and your wife related to each other?”
“Not at all!”
“And yet so alike, Wow! I will know her when I see her.”
“What the devil you laughing about, Fosco?”
“Just a thought, my good friend. Just a thought! But enough for tonight. You will pay the debt, and find Anne Catherick, I promise you. You can put your mind at rest, Percival.”
Not another word is spoken. I hear the library door closed. I am wet to the skin, stiff and aching with the cold. At first, I can’t move, but slowly painfully I crept back to my window and climbed in. As I fell on the floor, I hear the clock struck a quarter past one. Time passes, somehow I managed to get up and put on dry clothes. I am burning, hot and shivering with cold. I know I must write down what I have heard, so I find paper and pen and write without stopping. The fever rises in me burning, burning. I open the window for cool air. Eight o’clock, bright sunshine which ___ my eyes, my head aches; my bones ache; my skin burns, and I can not stop shivering. I lie down to sleep. My writing finished. And in my fever I see Count Fosco come into my room and read the pages I have written. He smiles. I am helpless, unable to move, speak, breath, and I sink into the long black night of illness.
原文是本人自己听写出来的,如有错误,请务必指出,谢谢支持!

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首页>听力教程>书虫牛津英语有声读物6级>白衣女人.The.Woman.in.White>
Part two: the Story Told by Marian Halcombe
Seven: A Conversation in the Night
I arrived back at the house with only twenty minutes to get ready for dinner, and to slip into Laura’s room to say that the letters were safe in Fanny’s hands. Laura looked pale. “I’m not coming down to dinner.” she said, “Sir Percival came to my door, shouting at me to tell him where Anne Catherick is.”
“At least that means he hasn’t found her yet.” I said
At dinner, the Count looked hot and red in the face, and his clothes were a little untidy. Where’d he been out to? I wondered. He looked troubled by some secret annoyance or anxiety, and was almost silent at Sir Percival. At the end of the meal, when Madam Fosco and I left the table, the Count stood up, too. “Where are you going, Fosco?” Sir Percival said, “Sit down, and have another glass of wine. I want a quiet talk with you.”
“Not now, Percival, later!” he answered
Early in the day, I had heard Sir Percival make the same request, and this was the second time the Count had postponed the talk. Why? I wondered, and what was it that Sir Percival wanted to discuss so urgently?
We went into the living room, and Madam Fosco, usually so slow and deliberate in her movements, drank her tea in great speed and then slipped quietly out of the room. I began to leave, too, but the Count stopped me, first by a request for more tea, then by asking my opinion on some music, and then by playing several noisy Italian songs on the piano. Eventually I escaped from him and went up to Laura’s room. Had she seen or heard anything of Madam Fosco? I asked. No, she had not. We talked together until ten o’clock, and then I went downstairs again to say goodnight. Sir Percival, the Count and his wife were sitting together in the living room. I noticed that Madam Fosco’s face was now hot and red. Where had she been? And what had she been doing? As I looked at her, she gave a little smile as though some private joke. I said goodnight to everybody, and as I left the room, I heard Sir Percival say impatiently to the Count, “Come outside and have a smoke, Fosco.”
“With pleasure, Percival, when all the ladies have gone to bed.” replied the Count. Up in my room, I could not stop myself from thinking about this private discussion between Sir Percival and the Count postponed all day and now it seemed about to take place in the silence and loneliness of the night. After a while, I went from my bedroom into my sitting room, and closed the door between the rooms. It was dark as no candles were lit, and I looked out of the open window for some time down into the blackness of the garden. There was a smell like rain and still heavier. Suddenly I saw two red points of light advancing in the dark and stopping below my bedroom window inside which a candle was burning. One red point was small, the other was big. The Count smoking a cigarette and Sir Percival smoking a cigar, I think. They could not see me in the darkness of my sitting room, so I waited to hear what they said. “Why don’t you come in and sit down?” Sir Percival said
“Wait till we see that light go out.” replied the Count, “When I know she’s in bed and I have checked the room on the each side of the library, then we will talk.”
Such secrecy! I decided I must listen to this conversation in spite of the Count’s efforts to keep it private. The idea terrified me, but Laura’s happiness, perhaps even her life might depend on what I heard. How could I do it? I realized that I could get out onto the flat front roof, which round past the bedrooms, about three feet below the windows. It was narrow, but there was room to move along it till I was above the library window. The Count and Sir Percival usually sat near the open window, smoking, and if they did, I would be able to hear them from above. I went back to my bedroom, put on a long dark cloak with a hood and put out the candle. Then after a while I returned to my sitting room and climbed out of the window onto the front roof. My heart began to beat very fast. I had to pass five windows. Four were dark, but the fifth window was the Countess’ room, and it looked out over the exact place above the library where I planned to sit, and there was still a light in it. I crawled along the roof, then went down on my hands and knees to pass her window. As I passed, I looked up and saw her shadow against the thin curtains of the window. I stopped breathing, “Has she heard me? Or she looked out? No, the shadow moves away. She’s gone. Now I move to my position at the edge of the roof and begin to listen. Are they there? Or have they gone elsewhere for their talk? Ah, I can hear the Count’s voice.”

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I woke to find Laura’s hand on my shoulder. “Marian, the figure of the lake! I’ve just spoken to her. It’s Anne Catherick. Look! She found my bracelet.”
Still half asleep, I stared at her stupidly. “Anne Catherick?”
“Yes, I was searching in the boat house,” Laura went on, “when a woman in a white dress came in. And said quietly, ‘Miss. Fairlie, I have your bracelet. Your mother would not want you to lose it.’ I jumped up, but her voice was so kind that I wasn’t afraid. I asked her how she knew my mother. She said her name was Anne Catherick, and asked me if I remembered as a little girl, walking with her and my mother to the school in Limmeridge one day. I did remember. Suddenly I saw we were alike each other, but her face was paler and thinner and tired. It was how my face might look after a long illness. ‘Why do you call me Miss. Fairlie?’ I asked, and she answered, ‘Because I loved the name of Fairlie and hated the name of Glyde.’”
“Did she say anything about your husband?” I asked
“She said that after she wrote the letter, she did not have the courage to stay in Limmeridge to try to prevent my marriage to him. She was afraid he would find her and shut her up in the asylum again. But she was not afraid anymore, because she was so ill, she thought she was dying. Then, Marian, she said that she and her mother knew a secret that my husband was afraid of.”
“Yes! Go on!” I said eagerly, “What secret?”       
“She was just going to tell me, when she thought she heard a noise outside. ‘We are not alone.’ she said, ‘Someone is watching. Come here tomorrow this time and I will tell you.’ Then she pushed me to one side and disappeared.”
“Oh, Laura, Laura! Another chance lost, but you must keep the appointment tomorrow. It seems so important. I will follow you at a safe distance. She must not escape this time.”
We were silent for time. Then Laura said anxiously, “Why hasn’t Sir Percival called us to the library to sign the document?”
“Oh, yes, I forgot to tell you.” I said, “Thanks to Count Fosco, the business of the signature has been postponed.”
“But why?” Laura said, amazed, “If Sir Percival urgently needs money, how could it be postponed?”
“I heard Sir Percival’s lawyer mention a second plan, to give a document promising payment in three months.”
“Oh, Marian,” she said, “that would be such a relief.”
“Yes, it would. Let’s hope that it is true.”
That evening Sir Percival was polite, even pleasant, especially to Laura. This must be due to the Count’s influence, and it worried me. What lay behind it? I was sure that Sir Percival’ s sudden journey yesterday had been to ___(一处地名), to question Mrs. Catherick. What had he learnt? What were his plans? As the evening passed, I grew more and more uneasy. And I went to bed feeling very anxious about what the next day would bring. I was not wrong to be anxious.
The next day Laura and I arranged that after the lunch she would go alone to the boat house, and that I would follow a little later, taking great care of Anne Catherick did not see me, in case she was frightened by the appearance of another stranger. Sir Percival had gone out earlier in the morning, and did not appear even for lunch, so it was quite easy to put our plan into action. However, when I came quietly up to the back of the boat house, I heard no voices, no sounds of movement, nothing. Soon I was searching inside of the boat house and softly calling Laura’s name, but no one answered and no one appeared. Outside I searched the ground for signs and found the footprints of two people in the sand, big footprints like man, and small footprints which I was sure were Laura’s. There was also a little hole in the sand by the wall of the boat house. Desperate with worry, I hurried back to the house. The first person I met was Mrs. Michelson, the housekeeper. “Do you know,” I asked, “whether Lady Glyde is coming?”
“Yes, she has, Miss Halcombe. And I am afraid something unfortunate has happened. Lady Glyde ran upstairs in tears, and Sir Percival has told me to dismiss her servant, Fanny.”
My heart sank. Fanny was Laura’s personal servant from Limmeridge, and the only person in the house we both trusted. I ran upstairs to Laura’s room. Her door was shut and there was one of Sir Percival’s house servants standing in front of it. “Move away!” I said, “Don’t you see that I want to go in?”
“But you mustn’t go in.” she answered, “I have my orders.”
Wild with anger, I turned and went downstairs to find Sir Percival. He was in the library with the Count and Countess. “Am I understand that your wife’s room is a prison?” I asked, staring him full in the face.
“Yes, that is what you are to understand.” he answered
“Take care how you treat your wife.” I shouted furiously, “There are laws to protect women, and I will use those laws.”
Instead of answering me, he turned to the Count. The Count looked at me with his calm, cold, grey eyes. “But it was the Countess.” he spoke
“Thank you for your hospitality, Sir Percival.” she said suddenly, “But I can not remain in a house where ladies are treated as your wife and Miss. Halcombe have been treated today.”
Sir Percival stared at her in shocked silence, knowing as I did she would not have said this without the Count’s permission.
“I agreed with my wife.” the Count said quietly
Sir Percival swore, then whispered angrily, “Oh, right, have you run away?” With these words, he left the room.
“We have made the worst-tempered man in England. See reason,” said the Count, “Thanks to your courage, Miss Halcombe. This insulting situation is now ended.”
I tried to speak normally, but could not. The Count left the library, then returned in a few minutes later to say that Lady Glyde had the freedom of her own house again. Immediately I rushed upstairs to Laura’s room. She was alone inside, and I was in such a hurry that I did not close the door properly behind me. “Marian!” she said thankfully, “How did you get here?”
“It was the Count’s influence, of course.” I said
“That horrible man!” she cried, “He is a miserable spy.”
Just then we heard a knock on the door. It was the Countess bringing me a handkerchief I had dropped. Her face was white, and I saw in her eyes that she had been listening at the door.
“Oh, Laura!” I said when she had gone, “You shouldn’t have called the Count spy. We shall both regret it.”
“But he is a spy, Marian. There was someone watching me at the lake yesterday, and it was him. He told Sir Percival who watched and waited all morning for me and Anne Catherick, but she didn’t come. I found a note from her hidden in a hole in the sand. She said she had been followed yesterday by a fat old man. He hadn’t caught her, but she was afraid to come back this afternoon. She hid this note very early in the morning, and said she would see me again soon to tell me Sir Percival’s secret.”
“What happened to the note?” I said, “Have you got it?”
“No, while I was reading it, Sir Percival appeared. He took it from me, and demanded to hear everything Anne Catherick had said. He held my arm so tightly. Look see how he has bruised it! What could I do, Marian? I was helpless. I told him everything.”
I looked at the bruises on Laura’s arm, and felt such furious hatred for Sir Percival that I dare not speak.
“But he didn’t believe me.” Laura went on, “He said he knew she had told me more, and he would lock me up until I confessed the truth. Then he took me back to the house, gave orders for Fanny to leave, and locked me in my room. Oh, Marian, he was like a mad man. What are we to do?”
“He is mad, mad with fear. He thinks you know his secret.” I said, “I must act now to protect you. Who knows how long I will be allowed to stay here?” I thought hard for a few minutes, “I will write two letters, and give them to Fanny to take with her. I can’t trust the post bag here anymore. One for Mr. Cole, telling him of your bruises and Sir Percival’s violent behavior.”
“And whom is the other letter for?” asked Laura anxiously
“For Mr. Fairlie,” I said, “your lay selfish uncle! I’ll make him invite you for a visit to Limmeridge without your husband.”
I left then, and went to my room to write the letters. Fanny had already gone, and was staying the night in a little hotel in the village before beginning the long journey to Cumberland the next day. I decided I had time before dinner to walk to the village and back, so I slipped quietly out of the house and set off. From time to time I looked behind me. Was I being followed? Or was my imagination playing tricks on me? By now I was suspicious of everything, every tiny sound, every shadow on the road, every breath of wind. Earlier while writing the letters, I thought I had heard the rush of silk dress outside my door. I had even wondered if someone had been in my room, looking through the things in my desk. I hurried on, trying to put these thoughts out of my mind. When I got to the little hotel, I saw Fanny in her room. She was very upset leaving Laura, and started crying, but stopped when I told her that Lady Glyde and I needed her help. “Here are two letters.” I said, “Post one address to Mr. Cole in London tomorrow and deliver the other to Mr. Fairlie yourself when you get home to Limmeridge. Keep them safe!”
Fanny put the letters down in front of her dress. “They’ll stay there, Miss.” she said, “Till I have done what you tell me.”
原文是本人自己听写出来的,如有错误,请务必指出,谢谢支持!

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首页>听力教程>书虫牛津英语有声读物6级>白衣女人.The.Woman.in.White>
Part two: the Story Told by Marian Halcombe
Six: An Appointment by the Lake
After dinner that evening, Laura and I went for a walk down to the lake. The atmosphere was gloomy and depressing, but at least we were alone. “I want to have no secrets from you, Marian.” Laura said, “But I am sure you have already guessed what my married life is like. Sir Percival said such cruel things to me in Italy that I turned for comfort to my memory of those happy days with Walter Hartright, and I have to tell you, Marian. Sir Percival now knows that Walter is the man I loved.” I stared at her, and what a little hope I had left began to die. “It was at a party in Rome. Some people from London said I should have drawing lessons, and recommended a Mr. Hartright. I could not control myself when I heard his name, and my husband noticed, ‘So it was him, wasn’t it?’ he said with a horrible smile, ‘Well, we will see about Mr. Hartright. You will be sorry and so will he to the end of your lives. And Marian, he uses this knowledge like a whip to punish me day in and day out(日复一日).”
“Oh, Laura!” I said, putting my arms around her, “This was my fault! Yes, my fault.” I remember the wild despair of Walter’s face as I told him to leave, as I tore these young hearts apart, and I had done this for Sir Percival Glyde, for Sir Percival Glyde.
It was growing dark when we set off for home. And as we left, Laura seized my arm. “Marian, Look!” By the lake was a dark figure, half hidden by the evening mist rising off the water. We began to walk quickly. “I am sure it’s following us.” Laura whispered, “Is it a man or a woman?” She was shaking with fear.
“It’s hard to tell in this light.” I said, then called out, “Who’s there?” There was no answer. We hurried back through the wood, and when we reached the home I sent Laura upstairs and went to find out where everyone was. The Count and his wife, the servants and the housekeepers, all inside. The figure by the lake was no one from the house. So who could it have been?
The next day Laura discovered she had lost her bracelet, and thought she must drop it near the lake. She went out to look for it while I waited for the messenger from Mr. Cole. One o’clock came. By now I was so suspicious of everyone in the house that I decided to slip out and meet the messenger myself. Taking great care not be seen, I went down to the main gate and a little while along the road. Soon a cab appeared. I stopped it and said, “Are you going to Black Water Park?”
A man pulled his head out and said, “Yes, with a letter for Miss. Halcombe.”
“You may give the letter to me.” I said, “I am Miss. Halcombe.” I read the letter quickly. ‘Dear Miss. Halcombe, your letter has caused great anxiety. It seems very likely that Lady Glyde’s signature is needed, so that it alone of all of the part of her twenty thousand pounds can be made to Sir Percival. This is most certainly illegal, and Lady Glyde should not sign any document until I have examined it first. Sincerely! William Cole.’
I read this very thankfully, and told the messenger to say that I understood the letter. As I spoke these words, Count Fosco came around the corner and suddenly appeared in front of me. Completely taken by surprise, I stared at him speechlessly. The messenger drove away in his cab and the Count took my arm to walk home with me. He talked pleasantly of this and that, and asked no questions about letters or messengers, so I assumed he had found out everything. I must have read my letter, returned it to the post bag and now knew that I had received the answer. There was no point trying to deceive him, so I said nothing and just tried to seem quite cool and calm. Back at the house, we found Sir Percival had returned, in an even worse mood than before it seemed. When I told Laura was out looking for her bracelet, he growled, “Bracelet or no bracelet, I shall expect to see her in the library in half an hour.”
I turned to go into the house, but behind me heard the Count saying to Sir Percival, “May I have five minutes’ talk with you here on the grass?” They walked off together, and I went inside to the sitting room, to think over all that had happened. Before long, however, the door opened softly. The Count looked in. “Good news! Miss. Halcombe” he said, “The business of the signature is put off for the moment. I am sure you are relieved.” He went out before I had recovered from my amazement. There could be no doubt that this change was due to his influence. His discovery of my writing to London and receiving an answer had caused him to interfere. Now there was even more to think about, but exhausted by worry and the heat of the day my eyes closed and I fell into a little sleep.

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At the lunchtime a few days after they all returned, a man called Mr. Marriman arrived asking to see Sir Percival urgently. Sir Percival had clearly not expected the visit, and looked both alarmed and angry as he left the table. Neither Laura nor I had any idea whom Mr. Marriman was, but the Count told us he was Sir Percival’s lawyer. I wondered what had happened, as lawyer did not usually travel from London to Hampshire unless sent for. Mr. Marriman must be the bringer of an important news, either good or bad. Count Fosco must have read my thoughts and said softly to me, “Yes, Miss. Halcombe, something has happened.”
Later in the day I was coming from my room, when I saw Sir Percival and his lawyer crossing the hall downstairs. They spoke quietly, but clearly enough for their words to reach my ears. “Yes, Sir Percival,” I heard the lawyer say, “it all depends on Lady Glyde.” I immediately stopped when I heard Laura’s name, and although I knew it was wrong, continued to listen. “You understands, Sir Percival, Lady Glyde must sign her name in the presence of two witnesses. If this is done in a week’s time, everything will be alright. If not, I may be able to get them to accept a document promising payment in three months. But how that money is to be obtained by then?” they went into the library, and I heard no more. But it seemed that Sir Percival had a serious debt, and the solution to it depended on Laura. I immediately went to tell Laura what I had heard.
She did not seem surprised. “I was afraid of something like this,” she said, “when I heard about that strange gentleman who called without leaving his name. He has probably come to us for his money. But don’t worry, Marian. I won’t sign anything that I might later regret.
In the evening, Sir Percival was unusually polite and pleasant to all of us. What did this mean? I thought I could guess. I was afraid Laura could guess, and I was sure Count Fosco knew. I saw Sir Percival looking at him for approval more than once during the evening. The Count was certainly aware of Sir Percival’s financial problems.
The next morning Sir Percival asked Count Fosco, Laura and myself if we would go to the library for a minute after lunch for a small business matter. Before lunch, however, we all went for a walk to the lake, stopping at the boat house for a rest. “Some people called the lake pretty.” Sir Percival said, pointing to the view, “I call it ugly. It looks just like a place for a murder, doesn’t it? What do you think, Fosco?”
“My dear Percival,” the Count protested, “the water is too shallow to hide a body. Only a fool would murder someone here. A wise man will choose somewhere else.”
“Wise men do not murder.” said Laura, looking at him with dislike. “I am sure you can not give me an example of a wise man who has been a criminal.”
“My dear lady,” said the Count, “it is impossible to give an example because wise men’s crime is never found out.” As he spoke he was playing with his white mice in their little cage, and suddenly noticed that one of them was missing. A few seconds later he found a little animal under a seat, but also found something which seemed to shock. “Percival,” he said, “come here! Look at this in the sand, blood!”
Everyone seemed alarmed, so I had to explain about the wounded dog I had found. “Whose dog was it?” asked Sir Percival
“The house keeper said it was Mrs. Catherick’s dog.” I replied, remembering too late that the visit was meant to be kept a secret.
“What the devil was Mrs. Catherick doing here?”
This question came with such rudeness and anger that I turned away. Count Fosco laid his hand on Sir Percival’s arm. “My dear Percival, gently, gently”
To my great surprise, Sir Percival apologized to me, and Count Fosco then said, “Why not question the house keeper, Percival? Since she seems to know all about it.”
Sir Percival took the point, and immediately left us to return to the house. The Count seemed fascinated by Mrs. Catherick, and wanted to know all about her visit. I tried to say as little as possible, but Laura asked questions, too. And in the end, the Count knew as much as we did about Mrs. Catherick and her daughter Anne. I was quite sure from his surprise of the story that the Count had known nothing of Anne Catherick, and easily I wondered Sir Percival had not told his closest friend.
When went back to the house, Sir Percival came to greet us. “I am sorry to say I have to leave you. I have to drive a long and won’t be back until tomorrow. First though I would like to finish that little business matter. Will you come to the library? It won’t take minute.”
In the library, he got a document out of a cupboard, and put it on the table. It was folded in such a way that all the writing was hidden and only the places to sign were visible. Handing a pen to Laura, he said, “Sign that. You and Fosco ought to sign that after with Miss. Halcombe.”
“What do you want to me to sign?” Laura asked quietly
“I have no time to explain. I have to leave. It’s just business.” he said angrily, “Women don’t understand business. Just sign it!”
“But surely I ought to know what I am signing.”
“I see, so you are saying you don’t trust me, is that it? What kind of a wife is that!”
To help Laura I said, “I am afraid I can not be a witness if she doesn’t understand what she is signing.”
Sir Percival turned to me furiously. “How dare you! You are against in my house! You take my wife side against me!”
“Control your unfortunate temper, Percival!” said the Count, and I heard him whisper to him, “You idiot!” But Laura had put the pen down, and moved to my side. “Lady Glyde is right.” the Count then said, “Let the signature wait until tomorrow.”
Sir Percival swore at him, but moved away from the table. “All right!” then he said, “Until tomorrow! Anyway, I have to go, but you will sign tomorrow, or…” he gave his wife a cold hard stare, and went out.
As Laura and I moved to the door, the Count approached us. “You have just seen Sir Percival at his worst.” he said, “As his an old friend, I apologize for him, and promise he won’t behave like that tomorrow.”
I had begun to realize that I could not hope to remain at Black Water Park now, without the influence and support of the Count. So I answered by thanking him warmly. Then I led Laura out and took her up to my room for a rest. While we were there, she told me how cruel Sir Percival had been to her since their marriage and how unhappy she was. I tried to calm her and find a solution to the problem of the signature. Suddenly I had an idea of writing to Mr. Gilmore’s partner, Mr. Cole, and asking for his advice. In my letter, I also asked him to get a messenger to bring the reply by one o’clock the next day. I then put the letter into the post bag in the hall. Just at that moment, Madam Fosco appeared and asked to speak to me in the garden. She spoke to me for a full half hour about how much sympathy she had for me. I found this very odd indeed since she had shown very little interest in me before. When I finally returned, I saw the Count also putting a letter in the post bag. For some reason I decided to check that my letter was properly closed, so I got it out of the bag. This was lucky as I found the envelope had come open. “How strange!” I thought, “Perhaps there had been something wrong with it, or perhaps… No, that could be no other explanation.”
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首页>听力教程>书虫牛津英语有声读物6级>白衣女人.The.Woman.in.White>
Part two: the Story Told by Marian Halcombe
Five: A Document for Signature
Six long lonely months passed, and I had little to do but think of upset friends. I received a cheerful letter from Walter Hartright after he arrived in Honduras, and just before he set off with the expedition into the forest. Since then I have heard nothing. There was no news of Anne Cathrick and Mrs. Clements. Poor Mr. Gilmore felt very ill and had to give up work, but his business is continued by his partner, Mr. Cole. Mrs. Vansz has moved to London to live with her sister, and Mr. Fairlie, I believe, is secretly delighted to have his house free of women. Most of all, of course, I thought about Laura. Many letters came from her, but she said very little in them. She told me she was well, but hardly mentioned her husband, and wrote not a word about Count Fosco, whom they had met in Austria, not Italy. I understood from her silence that she did not like him. All she said was her aunt Elena, Madam Fosco, was quieter and more sensible than she had used to be.
On the 11th of June I arrived in Black Water Park, Sir Percival’s family home in Hampshire. The waiting was nearly over, and how happy I was. The next day, Laura and her husband would return home together with Count Fosco and his wife, who were going to spend the summer at the Black Water. In the morning, the housekeeper, Mrs. Michelson, showed me around the house. It is very old and much of it is dusty and unused, only one part of the anonymous building is comfortably enough to live in. Later I explored the garden and its park. The gardens are small, and not well kept, and there are so many trees that the house fields sheltered in by them. I found a path through the trees which after half a mile brought me to a lake. It was a damp lonely place. The still dark water of the lake, and the long shadows from the tall trees gave it a gloomy(阴郁的) air. Near the lake there was an old boat house with some seats in it. So I went in and sat down for a rest. I am not a nervous person generally, but when I heard the sound of quick breathing under my feet, I jumped to my feet in alarm. In fact, it was a dog, a small black and white dog with a bullet wound in its side. I carried the poor creature back to the house and sent for Mrs. Michelson to help me. When she came in and saw the dog lie on the floor, she cried out at once. “Oh! That must be Mrs. Catherick’s dog.”
“Whose?” I asked, amazed.
“Mrs. Catherick’s! Do you know her? She came here to ask for news of her daughter.”
“When?”
“Yesterday! She had heard that her daughter Anne had been seen in a neighborhood, but no one knew anything. I suppose the dog ran away into the woods and got shocked by the park keeper.”
I tried to make my voice sound politely interested. “I suppose you’ve known Mrs. Catherick for many years?”
“Oh, no, Miss. Halcombe, I never saw her before. She lives in ___, twenty-five miles away. I had heard of her because Sir Percival paid for her daughter to go to an asylum, but yesterday Mrs. Catherick asked me not to mention her visit to Sir Percival. That was not a thing to say, wasn’t it, Miss?”
Odd indeed! Then we had to turn our attention to the poor dog which despite of our efforts died a little while later. It was a sad thing to happen on my first day at Black Water.
Later that evening, the travelers returned. After my first happiness of meeting Laura, I felt there was strangeness between us. And I realized she had changed. I was sure we would soon get back to normal, but she had lost her innocence and openness. She was unwilling to talk about her married life, and I saw there were no warm feelings between her husband and her. It wasn’t long before she asked me about Walter. “Have you heard from him? Is he well and happy?” And it was clear to me that she loved him as deeply as ever.
As for Sir Percival, his manners are sharp and less pleasant. On meeting me, he simply said, “Hello, Miss. Halcombe, glad to see you again.” and then walked past me. Little things seemed to annoy him a great deal. For example, the house keeper told him a man had called to speak to him a week ago, but left no name. Sir Percival demanded a description of the man which poor Mrs. Michelson was unable to give, and Sir Percival stormed out of the room in great anger.
Laura was certainly right about Madam Fosco. Never have I seen such a change in a woman. As Elena Fairlie, aged thirty-seven, she wore bright clothes were silly and foolish, and always talked nonsense. As Madam Fosco, aged forty-three, she wears only grey and black, and sits for hours in silence, doing needle work, rolling up cigarettes for the Count, or just looking at him with the eyes of a loyal dog. And the man who has achieved this extraordinary change, the man who has obtained this wild English woman, yes, what can I say about the Count? He looks like a man who can obtain anything. If he had married me, I would have made his cigarettes as his wife does, I would have held my tongue when he looked at me as she holds hers. How can I explain the power, the attraction, the force that comes from this man? There are many unlikable and unattractive things about him. For example, he is enormously fat. He seems to have false hair(假发). He is at least sixty years old. He is lazy, jumps at the slightest sudden sound, and has a peculiar fondness for pet animals. He has brought with him a variety of birds and a whole family of white mice, which he often kisses and calls loving names just as a child might do. And yet, and yet he is fat but moves likely and easily, like a dancer. There is a calmness and a strength about his smooth unlined face, and his voice is persuasive, gentle, hard to exist. His knowledge of the English language is perfect, and he is well-known expert in chemical science. He speaks baby language to his white mice, but he talks intelligence and charms about the books of every language and brings to his conversation experience of life in half the capitals of Europe. But it is his eyes that I shall always remember, his cold, clear, beautiful grey eyes, eyes which held such a frightening power that I shiver even now to think of it. I could discover very little about his past from Sir Percival. I only learnt that he had not been to Italy for years. I wondered if this was for political reasons. It seemed he had said Sir Percival, from a great danger in Rome once, and they had been the closest friends ever since. It was quite clear that Sir Percival was always anxious to please him and would never go against his wishes. I wonder whether I am afraid of him, too. I certainly never saw a man I would be more sorry to have as an enemy.

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After he had gone, I tried to be sensible. Mr. Fairlie was Laura’s Guardian, and if he chose to accept this agreement, there was nothing I could do about it. It was just one more worry about this dreadful marriage. A more immediate worry was the date of wedding. When I told Laura, she turned pale and trembled. “Not so soon” she cried, “Oh, Marian, not so soon.”
“Well, let me speak to Mr. Fairlie then.” I said, ready to fight for her. “I would try to change it.”
“No,” she said faintly, “Too late, Marian, too late. It will only make more trouble. Please tell my uncle I agree.”
I think I would have cried if I had not been so angry. I rushed into Mr. Fairlie’s room and shouted loudly. “Laura agrees to the 22nd!” And rushed out again, banging the door nosily. I hoped I had destroyed his nerves for the whole day.
After this, the wedding preparation began. The dress makes ___ went all the time. There was packing and planning, and all kinds of arrangements to make. We heard every day from Sir Percival, after the wedding he proposed to take Laura to Italy for six months. They would meet a number of Sir Percival’s friends there, including his best and oldest friend---Count Fosco---whose wife , of course, was Laura’s aunt, Elena. At least, this marriage would bring Laura and her aunt together again, I thought. The Count himself sounded the most interesting person, and I’d rather hope that I would meet him one day.
All too quickly the days passed, Sir Percival arrived, looking a little tired and anxious, but talking and laughing like the happiest man. The evening after he had arrived, he went off to the village to ask if anyone had any news about Anne Catherick. No one had heard anything, but I had to admit it was good of him to continue to try to help her. I have decided to try and think better of him. After all, what reason do I have to distrust him? I am sure I could like him if I really tried. It is getting quite easy to like him. Today I spoke to him about the dearest wish of both Laura and myself that I shall be able to live with Laura after her marriage, just as I had always lived with her before. He agreed instantly, and seemed delighted with the plan. I would be the ideal, the perfect companion for his wife, he said. Yes! I am beginning to like Sir Percival very much.
I hate Sir Percival. He has no sensitivity, no kindness, no good feeling. Last night he whispered something in Laura’s ear. She has refused to tell me what it was, and her face turned white with misery. He took no notice at all, and all my suspicions of him have returned. Is he now showing his true character? He seems more restless and nervous than before, and has often shouted in bad-tempered. I have a strange idea that something might happen to prevent this marriage, and that he is afraid of that. A foolish thought, I must forget it. As the day of our separation grows nearer, Laura can not bear to have me out of her sight. I must be brave and cheerful for her sake, but my fear will not go away. Will this marriage be the one terrible mistake of her life? And one hopeless sorrow of mine?
It is the 22nd. No more time for tears, Laura is dressed and we leave for the church. By eleven o’clock, they are married. By three o’clock, they are gone. I am glad with crying, and cry no more.
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The first thing that happened the next morning did nothing to make me feel more cheerful. A letter arrived for me from poor Walter Hartright. He had decided to leave England, and asked me if I could help him finding an employment abroad. I was then alarmed to read that since his return to London he had neither seen nor heard anything of Anne Catherick, but suspected he had been watched and followed by a strange man. I was worried about his state of mind, so I immediately wrote to some friends in London to ask if they could help him to find a suitable job in another country. Laura, of course, knew nothing about these letters.
Sir Percival did not join us for breakfast, but sent a message saying he would meet us at eleven o’clock as arranged. Laura seemed calm, and unusually self-controlled. I had never seen her like this. It was almost that if love had created a new force in her character. At exactly eleven, Sir Percival knocked and entered with anxiety and worry in every line of his face. This meeting would decide his future life and he obviously knew it. “You may wonder, Sir Percival,” Laura said calmly, “if I am going to ask to be released from the promise to marry you, I am not going to ask this. I respect my father’s wishes too much.” His face relaxed a little, but I saw one of his feet nervously beating on the carpet. “No, if we are going to withdraw from our planned marriage, it will be because of your wish, Sir Percival, not mine.”
“Mine?” he said in great surprise, “What reason could I have for withdrawing?”
“A reason that is very hard to tell you.” she answered, “There is a change in me.”
His face went so pale that even his lips lost their color. He turned his head to one side. “What change?” he asked, trying to hide his nervousness.
“When the promise was made two years ago,” she said, “my love did not belong to anyone. Will you forgive me, Sir Percival? If I tell you that it now belongs to another person.” Her tears started to fall, and Sir Percival hid his face behind his hand, so that it was impossible to know what he was thinking.
He made no answer, and my temper got the better of me. “Sir Percival!” I said sharply, “have you nothing to say? You’ve already heard more than you have the right to hear.”
“But I didn’t ask for that right.” he said, avoiding my question.
“I wish you to understand,” Laura continued, “that I will never see this person again. And that if you leave me, you only allow me to remain a single woman for the rest of my life. All I ask is that you forgive me and keep my secret.
“I will do both those things.” he said. Then he looked at Laura as if he was waiting to hear them all.
“I think I have said enough to give you reason to withdraw from our marriage.” she added quietly.
“No, you have said enough to make the dearest wish of my life to marry you.” he said, getting up and advancing towards her.
Laura gave a cry of surprise, but I had more than half expect to this. Every word she had spoken had shown her honesty and her innocence, but these fine qualities had destroyed her ¬___ hopes of release. Sir Percival understood very well the priceless value of a pure and true woman. Why would he give her right now? “I will do everything I can to earn your love,” he said, “and perhaps in time I will win it.”
“Never” she answered, looking more beautiful than ever, “I will be your true and loyal wife, but never your loving wife.”
“That is enough for me. I accept your loyalty and truth.” he said. Then raised his hand to lips, and silently left the room.
Laura sat without moving. I put my arm around her. At last, she said, “I must resign myself, Marian. If you write to Walter, don’t tell him how unhappy I am. And if I die first, please say to him, say what I could never say myself, say I loved him.” Then she threw herself on the sofa, and cried as if her heart was breaking, until the last she fell asleep.
In the days that followed it seemed nothing could prevent this miserable marriage from taking place. I tried to make Laura change her mind, but she was determined to keep her promise and to do her duty. Mr. Fairlie was, of course, very happy that the family worry was now at end, and suggested that the sooner his niece got married, the better. This made me very angry, but when I told Laura, I was surprised by her calm reply. “My uncle is right. I have caused trouble and ___ to everyone. Let’s Sir Percival decide on the day of our marriage.”
Sir Percival was delighted by this news, and he then left to prepare for the bride’s reception at his house in Hampshire. I thought that the change would do Laura good, so I arranged for us both to go and stay with some friends in Yorkshire. She passively agreed with my idea. I also wrote to Mr. Gilmore, telling him this marriage would now take place.
The next day I received a letter from Walter Hartright, saying that my friends had got him a job on an expedition to settle America. He was going to be an artist for the expedition. He was leaving on the 21st November, and would be away for six months. I could only hope so this was for the best. Laura and I then departed for Yorkshire, but after only nine days there, we received a letter from Mr. Fairlie, pulling us back to Limmeridge immediately. “What could this mean?” I wondered
I found out as soon as we arrived. Mr. Fairlie and Sir Percival had agreed on the 22nd of December for the wedding, provided that Laura also agreed. “Would I please persuade her?” said Mr. Fairlie. His nerves was much too bad to talk to her himself. I also found our old friend, Mr. Gilmore, who had come to talk to Mr. Fairlie about the marriage agreement. He was leaving that day, and was anxious to speak to me alone before he left. “I am not at all happy about the financial arrangements in the agreement, Miss. Halcombe.” he said, “But there is nothing I can do about it. I know how fond you are of your sister, and I think you ought to know why I am concerned. As you will know,” he went on, “there are three parts to Miss. Fairlie’s inheritance. Firstly, on Mr. Fairlie’s death, she will inherit the Limmeridge property and land, and income from it. If she dies childless, this property will go to a cousin, but the income from it will go to her husband during his lifetime. If she has a son, everything---property and income---will go to her son. No problems there! Secondly, when Miss. Fairlie reaches the age of twenty-one next March, she will receive the income from ten thousand pounds. This ten-thousand pounds will go to her aunt, Elena, if Miss. Fairlie dies before her aunt, which is not very likely. The reason Miss. Fairlie’s father did not leave the ten-thousand pounds to his sister, Elena, on his death was he disapproved strongly of her marriage to a foreigner, even though this man was an Italian nobleman---Count(伯爵)Fosco.”
“Yes, Laura has told me about that.” I said
“Well,” Mr. Gilmore went on, “there are no problems there, either. But the third part of Miss. Fairlie’s inheritance is more difficult. Next March, she will also inherit twenty thousand pounds, which will be her own money completely. If she dies before her husband, the income from the twenty-thousand pounds will go to Sir Percival for his lifetime and capital will go to their children. If there are no children to inherit the capital, Miss. Fairlie can choose relations and friends to inherit when she dies. That’s what I propose, but Sir Percival’s lawyer did not accept it. He insists that if Sir Percival survives his wife and there are no children, Sir Percival should receive the capital. In that case, nothing will go to any other member of the family, including you, Miss. Halcombe.” Mr. Gilmore sighed deeply. “I protested strongly. I tried every argument I could, but nothing will change the lawyer’s mind. I’ve discovered, you see, that Sir Percival is always in debt and always in need of cash. My last effort has been to come here to try and persuade Mr. Fairlie to oppose this demand from Sir Percival’s lawyer. I am sorry to say I have not succeeded. Mr. Fairlie wishes to avoid all responsibility for his niece’s marriage arrangements. He says that his niece would not die before Sir Percival, anyway. So what is that worried about?” Mr. Gilmore stood up to go, picked up his hat. “I shall complete the agreement and send it in. I have no choice. If I don’t do it, Mr. Fairlie will find another lawyer who will. But I tell you, Miss. Fairlie, no daughter of mine shall be married to any man alive under such an agreement as I am forced to make for Miss. Fairlie.” With that, he shook my hand. And without another word, he went away to catch his train back to London.

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首页>听力教程>书虫牛津英语有声读物6级>白衣女人.The.Woman.in.White>
Part two: the Story Told by Marian Halcombe
Four: Arrangements for a Marriage
It was a sad day when Walter Hartright left us. Laura stayed in her room all day, and I felt sad and depressed. Poor Gilmore must have a dull time. And the next morning when Laura reappeared, looking pale and ill. I thought she seemed rather anxious about her. I was anxious, too. Laura is such a sensitive and loving person that it was not surprised to me to find that she had grown fond of Walter. Indeed, I have grown fond of him myself. But I honestly believed that time would kill Laura of these feelings.
Two days after Walter left Sir Percival Glyde arrived. He is forty-five years old, but seems younger. He is handsome, and only a little bald, has perfect manners, and is pleasant, agreeable and respectful. I really must try to like him. In the afternoon, while Laura was out of the room, Sir Percival referred to Anne Catherick’s letter. “I read Mr. Gilmore’s letter to my lawyer,” he said, “and I want to give you a full explanation. Mrs. Catherick, you see, worked for me in my family for many years. Her marriage was unfortunate in that her husband deserted her and her only child--- a girl became mentally ill and needed to be put in an asylum. So in recognition of Mrs. Catherick’s services, I agreed to pay the expenses of a private asylum for the girl. Unfortunately, the girl discovered this, and consequently developed hatred for me. She recently escaped from the asylum, and I am sure she wrote this letter because of her hatred for me. It’s all very sad.”
Mr. Gilmore found this explanation perfectly satisfactory, and said so, “He then looked at me for agreement.”
But I was struggling with a sense of unease that I could not explain, and hesitated before answering. Sir Percival noticed this at once. “May I beg you, Miss. Halcombe,” he said politely, “to write to Mrs. Catherick to ask if these facts are true?”
I did not want to agree to this, but how could I refuse? Without making the situation even more embarrassing than it already was, so I went to the desk, wrote a note and gave it to him. Without looking at it, he put it in an envelope and wrote the address. “Now that is done.” he said, “May I ask if Anne Catherick spoke to Miss. Fairlie, or to you?”
“No, she spoke to nobody except Mr. Hartright.” I replied.
“Ah, yes, the drawing teacher” he said softly, “and did you discover where Anne Catherick was staying?” I described the found to him. “It is my duty to try to find her.” he continued, “Tomorrow I will go to this farm and make inquiries.” Soon afterwards he left to go up to his room.
That evening and the next day, Sir Percival took every opportunity to bring Laura into the conversation, but she hardly took any notice. He went to the farm to make his inquiries about Anne Catherick, but learnt nothing. Then on Thursday, a letter came from Mrs. Catherick, a short business-like letter. Thanking me for my note, and saying that everything Sir Percival had told me was completely correct. Why did I still have doubts? This surely was enough proof for anyone, but how I wished that Walter Hartright had been there to give his opinion! At Sir Percival’s request, I now had to give Laura his explanation about the letter of Anne Catherick. She listened quietly and showed no emotion, but I noticed that on the table near her hand the little book of Hartright’s drawings. I also had to tell her that the reason for Sir Percival’s visit was to fix the day of their marriage. “I am afraid he will ask you to decide quite soon, Laura.”
“Oh, no, Marian, I can’t do that!” she said, “Please ask him, beg him to allow me more time. I promise him to give him a final answer before the end of this year, but not yet please, not yet.”
Sir Percival agreed to this request, and when Mr. Gilmore heard about it, he arranged to have a private talk with Laura. “I have to return to London tomorrow,” he said to me, “and I need to discuss the financial side of this marriage with Miss. Fairlie before I go. As you know, she will inherit a great deal of money and property when she becomes twenty-one next March. And I must include all this in the marriage agreement in a way that reflects Miss. Fairlie’s own wishes, and is acceptable to Sir Percival.”
He had a meeting with Laura the next day, and in the afternoon he left for London, looking rather sad and thoughtful. Wondering what had been sad, I hurried up to Laura’s room. “Oh, Marian, come in!” she said, “I need to talk to you.”
“What is it, Laura? Is it about marriage agreement?”
“No, I couldn’t even better discuss that with Mr. Gilmore. I am ashamed to say that all I could do was cry. He was very kind and good, Marian. And he said he would look after everything for me. No, what I wanted to tell you was this. ‘I can not bear the situation any longer.’”
I must add it---her eyes were bright and she spoke with great energy. I began to feel alarmed. “What do you wish to do, Laura darling? Do you want to be released from your promise to marry Sir Percival?”
“No,” she said simply, “I can not break my promise to my father, but I want to tell the truth. And I will confess to Sir Percival that I love someone else.”
“Laura! He has no right to know that.” I said in amazement.
“I can not deceive him.” she said, “I had thought it over carefully after I have told him. Let him do as he wishes.”
I looked into her innocent loving eyes, and could say nothing. I just put my arms around her, trying not to cry for myself.
“May I speak to him tomorrow in your presence, Marian?”
I held her tight and agreed, though I was not sure I was doing the right thing. Indeed, I was not sure of anything. I could not understand how I had failed to see how deeply she loved Walter Hartright. For the first time in my life I had made a mistake about her. Now I realize that she would love him all her life.

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The first thing I had to do next morning was to ask Mr. Fairlie if I could leave my job a month earlier. As his nerves were particularly bad, I could not speak to him directly and had to write a note, explaining some unexpected news force me to return to London. In reply, I received an unpleasant letter informing me that I could go. Once such a letter would have upset me greatly. Now I no longer cared. Later Miss. Halcombe and I walked to the farm, and Miss. Halcombe went in when I waited nearby. To my surprise, she returned after only a few minutes. “Does Anne Catherick refuse to see you?” I asked
“Anne Catherick has gone.” replied Miss. Halcombe, “she left this morning with Mrs. Clements. The farmer’s wife, Mrs. Talt, has no idea why they left or where they went. She just said that Anne Catherick had been disturbed after reading something in the local newspaper a couple of days ago. I looked the paper and saw that it mentioned Laura’s future wedding. Then Mrs. Talt said Anne Catherick fainted last night, apparent in shock something mentioned that one of servant girls from our house who was visiting the farm on her evening off.”
We hurried back to the house to question the servant girl. Miss. Halcombe asked if she had mentioned Sir Percival Glyde’s name while at the farm. “Oh, yes” the girl replied, “I said he was coming on Monday.
At that moment, a cab arrived and Mr. Gilmore, the family friend and legal advisor, got out. He was an elderly man, pleasant-looking and neatly-dressed. Miss. Halcombe introduced me, and then went away to discuss family matters with him. I wandered out to the garden. My time at the Limmeridge House was nearly at an end, and I wanted to say a last goodbye to the places where I had so often worked with Miss. Fairlie in the dreamtime of my happiness and my love. But the autumn day was grey and damp, and those golden memories were already fading.
As I returned to the house, I met Mr. Gilmore. “Ah, Mr. Hartright” he said, “Miss. Halcombe has told me how helpful you have been to this strange letter received by Miss. Fairlie. I want you to know that the investigation is now in my safe hands. I’ve written to Sir Percival Glyde’s lawyer in London, and I am sure we will receive a satisfactory explanation.”
“I’m afraid I am not so sure as you.” was my reply
“Well, well” said Mr. Gilmore, “we’ll wait for events.”
At dinner that evening---my last dinner at Limmeridge House, it was a hard battle to keep myself controlled. I saw it was not easy for Miss. Fairlie, either. She gave me her hand as she had done in happier days, but her fingers trembled, and her face was pale. Mr. Gilmore kept the conversation going, and afterwards we went into the sitting room as usual. Miss. Fairlie sat at the piano, “Shall I play some of those pieces by Mozart that you like? Will you sit in your old chair near me?” she asked nervously. As it is my last night, I will.” I answered
“I’m very sorry you are going.” she said almost in a whisper
“I shall remember those kinds of words, Miss. Fairlie, long after tomorrow has gone.” I replied
“Don’t speak about tomorrow.” then she played, at last it was time to say goodnight.
The next morning I found Miss. Halcombe and Miss. Fairlie waiting for me downstairs. When I began to speak, Miss. Fairlie turned and hurried to the room. I tried to control my voice but could only say. “Will you write to me, Miss. Halcombe?”
She took my both hands in hers, and her face grew beautiful with the force of her generosity and pity. “Of course I will, Walter. Goodbye and God bless you.”
She left, and a few seconds later Miss. Fairlie returned, holding something. It was her own schedule of the summer house where we had first met. With tears in her eyes, she offered it to me. “To remind you” she whispered
My own tears fell as I kissed her hand. Then I turned to go. She sank into a chair. Her head dropped on her arms. At that moment I knew that Laura Fairlie loved me, too. But it was over, we were separated.
原文是本人自己听写出来的,如有错误,请务必指出,谢谢支持!

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首页>听力教程>书虫牛津英语有声读物6级>白衣女人.The.Woman.in.White>
Part one: the Story Told by Walter Hartright
Three: The Unsigned letter
As I sat alone in my room late that morning, my thoughts crowded in on me. There was no reason at all for me to connect Sir Percival Glyde with the man who had made Anne Catherick so afraid, but I did. My suffering was great, but even greater was my feeling that some terrible invisible danger lay ahead of us. Then I heard a knock on my door. It was Miss. Halcombe. “Mr. Hartright, I am sorry to disturb you. But you are the only person who can advise me. A letter has just arrived for Miss. Fairlie, a horrible unsigned letter warning her not to marry Sir Percival Glyde. It upset my sister very much. Should I try to find out who wrote it? Or wait to speak to Mr. Gilmore, Mr. Fairlie’s legal advisor who arrives tomorrow?”
She gave me the letter. There was no greeting, no signature. ‘Do you believe in dream, Miss. Fairlie? Last night I dreamt and saw you in your white wedding dress in a church, so pretty, so innocent. By your side stood a man with the scar of an old wound on his right hand, a handsome man, but with a black evil heart. A man who has brought misery to many, and who will bring misery to you. And in my dream I cried for you. Find out the past life of this man, Miss Fairlie, before you marry him. I send you this warning, because your mother was my first, my best, my only friend.’
These last words suggested an idea to me, which I was afraid to mention. Was I danger of losing my bonds of mind? Why should everything lead back to the woman in white?
“I think a woman wrote this letter.” said Miss. Halcombe, “It certainly refers to Sir Percival. I remember that scar. What should I do, Mr. Hartright? This mystery must be solved. Mr. Gilmore is coming to discuss the financial details of Miss. Fairlie’s marriage, and Sir Percival arrives on Monday to fix the date of marriage, though Miss. Fairlie does not know this yet.
The date of marriage, those words filled me with jealous despair. Perhaps there was some truth in this letter. If I could find the writer, perhaps I would find a way to prove that Sir Percival Glyde was not the honest man he seemed.
“I think we shall begin inquiries at once.” I said, “The longer we delay, the harder it would be to find out anything.”
We questioned the servants and learned the letter had been delivered by an elderly woman, who had then disappeared in the direction of the village. People in Limmeridge remembered seeing the woman, but on one could tell us who she was or where she had come from. Finally I suggested asking the school teacher. As we approached the school door, we could hear the teacher shouting at one of the boys, saying angrily that there were no such things as ghosts. It was an awkward moment, but we went in anyway and asked our question. The teacher could tell us nothing. However, as we turned to leave, Miss. Halcombe spoke to the boy standing in the corner. “Are you the foolish boy who’s talking about the ghosts?”
“Yes, Miss, but I saw one. I saw it yesterday, in the churchyard. I did! It was… it was the ghost of Mrs. Fairlie.”
His answer visibly shocked Miss. Halcombe, and the teacher quickly stepped in to explain the silly boy had said he had seen or probably imagined a woman in white standing next to Mrs. Fairlie’s grave as he passed the churchyard yesterday evening. There was nothing more to happen that.
“What’s your opinion of this?” Miss. Halcombe asked me, as we went out of the school.
“The boy may have seen someone,” I said, “but not a ghost. I think we should examine the grave. I have had a suspicion, Miss. Halcombe, that the writer of the letter and the imagined person in the churchyard might be the same person.”
She stopped, turned pale, and looked at me. “What person?”
“Anne Catherick” I replied, “the woman in white.”
“I don’t know why, but your suspicion frightens me.” she said slowly, “I will show you the grave, and then I must go back to Laura. We’ll meet again at the house later.”
In the churchyard I examined Mrs. Fairlie’s grave carefully, and noticed the gravestone had been partly cleaned. Perhaps the person who had done the cleaning would return to finish the job. I decided to come back that evening and watched. Back at the house I explained my plan to Miss. Halcombe who seemed uneasy and made no objection. So as the sun began to go down, I walked to the churchyard, chose my position and waited. After about half an hour, I heard footsteps. Then two women passed in front of me and walked to the grave. One wore a long cloak with a hood(头巾)over her head, hiding her face. Below the cloak a little of her dress was visible---a white dress. The other woman said something to her companion, and then walked away around the corner of the church, leaving the woman in the cloak next to the grave. After looking all around her, she took out a cloth, kissed the white cloth and started to clean it. I approached her slowly and carefully, but when she saw me, she jumped up and looked at me in terror. There in front of me was the face of the woman in white.
“Don’t be frightened.” I said, “Surely you remember me?” Her eyes searched my face. “I helped you to find a way to London.” I went on, “Surely you’ve not forgotten that?”
Her face relaxed as she recognized me, and she sighed in relief. Before this, I had seen her likeness in Miss. Fairlie. Now I saw Miss. Fairlie’s likeness in her. Except the Miss. Fairlie’s delicate beauty was missing from this tired face, and I could not help thinking that ever sorrow and suffering fell on this fairy. Then, and only then they would be the living reflections of one another. It was a horrible thought. Gently I began to question her. I told her that I knew she had escaped from an asylum(精神病院). And I was glad I had helped her.
“Had you found her friend in London that night?”
“Oh, yes, that was Mrs. Clements, who is here with me now. She was our neighbor in Hampshire, and took care of me when I was a little girl. She’s always been my friend.”
“Have you no father or mother to take care of you?”
“I never saw my father. I never heard mother speak of him, and I don’t get on well with her. I’d rather be with Mrs. Clements, who is kind like you.”
I learned that she was staying with a relation of Mrs. Clements’ at the farm, three miles from the village. There were other hard questions I wanted to ask. Who had shocked her away in an asylum? Her unkind mother perhaps? What was her motive in writing a letter to Miss. Fairlie, accusing Sir Percival Glyde? Was it a revenge? What wrong had Sir Percival done to her? She was easily frightened, easily confused and could only hold one idea in her mind at the time. I tried not to alarm her. “Has she ever” I asked, “been wronged by a man and then abandoned?” Her innocent ___ face had told me that was not the answer. All the time we were talking, she was cleaning the gravestone with her cloth.
“Mrs. Fairlie was my best friend.” she murmured, “and her daughter,” she looked up at me, turned away again as though hiding her face in guilt. “Is Miss. Fairlie well and happy?” she whispered anxiously
I decided to try and surprise confusion from her. “She was not well or happy this morning after receiving your letter. You wrote it, didn’t you? It was wrong to send such a letter.”
Her face went deadly pale, and she bent down and kissed the gravestone. “Oh, Mrs. Fairlie, Mrs. Fairlie, tell me how to save your daughter? Tell me what to do?
“You mentioned no names in the letter, but Miss. Fairlie knows the person you described is Sir Percival Glyde.” The moment I said his name, she gave such a scream of terror that my blood ran cold. Her face, now full of fear and hatred, told me everything. Without doubt, the person who had shocked her away in the asylum was Sir Percival Glyde.
Of the sound of her scream, Mrs. Clements came running and looking angrily at me, said, “What is it, my dear? What has this man done to you?”
“Nothing” the poor girl said, “he was good to me once. He helped me.” She whispered the rest in her friend’s ear. Then Mrs. Clements put her arm around Anne Catherick, and led her away. I watched them go, feeling great pity for that poor pale frightened face.
Half an hour later, I was back at the house, and the story I told Miss. Halcombe made her very worried. “I am certain Sir Percival Glyde put Anne Catherick in the asylum.” I said
“But why? What’s the connection between them? We must find it out.” said Miss. Halcombe, “We will go to the farm tomorrow, and I will speak to Anne Catherick myself.”

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Later when Miss. Fairlie had finished playing and had wandered out into the moonlit garden, Miss. Halcombe called me. “Mr. Hartright, would you come here for a minute?” I went off and she showed me a letter. “It’s from my mother to her second husband twelve years ago. She mentions a lady from Hampshire, called Mrs. Catherick, will come to look after her six sisters living in the village. It seemed she brought her only child with her, a little girl called Anne, who is about a year older than Laura. I was in school in Paris at the time. My mother who took great interests in a village school, since the little girl was slow in learning, showed she gave her lessons here at the house. She also gave her some of Laura’s white dresses and white hats, saying she looked better in white than any other color. She says the little Anne Catherick was so grateful and loved so much. One day she kissed her hand and said, ‘I’ll always wear white as long as I live. It will help me to remember you.’” Miss. Halcombe stopped and looked at me, “Did the woman you met that night seem young enough to be twenty-two or twenty-three?”
“Yes, Miss. Halcombe, as young as that.”       
“And was she dressed from head to foot all in white?”
“All in white”
From where I sat, I can see Miss. Fairlie walking in the garden and the whiteness of her dress suddenly made my heart beat fast.
“Now listen to what my mother says at the end of the letter.” Miss. Halcombe continued, “It would surprise you. She says perhaps the real reason for her liking little Anne Catherick so much was that she looked exactly like…”
Before she could finish, I jumped up. Outside stood Miss. Fairlie, a white figure alone in the moonlight, and suddenly I realized what it was that I had been unable to remember. It was the extremely likeness between Miss. Laura Fairlie and the run-away from an asylum, the woman in white.
“You see it.” said Miss. Halcombe, “just as my mother saw the likeness between them the years ago.”
“Yes” I replied. But very unwillingly to connect that lonely friendless woman, even by accidental likeness, to Miss. Fairlie, disturbs me very much. I don’t like to think of it. Please call in from that horrible moonlight.
“We won’t say anything about this light, Mr. Hartright(录音里是Laura,但本人认为可能是念错了,很明显此处是Halcombe和Hartright在对话,所以应该是Mr. Hartright).” she said, “It would be a secret between you and me.”
Then she called Miss. Fairlie in, asking her to play the piano again. And so my first eventful day at Limmeridge House came to an end.
The days passed. The weeks passed, and the summer changed into a golden autumn. A peaceful happy time, but at last I had to confess to myself my real feelings for Miss. Fairlie---I loved her. Everyday I was near her in that dangerous closeness which existed between teacher and student. Often as we bent over her schedule book, our hands and faces almost touched. I breathed the perfume of her hair. I should have put a professional distance between myself and her as I had always done with my students in the past. But I did not, and it was soon too late.
By the third month of my staying in Cumberland, I was lost in dreams of love and blind of the dangers ahead of me. Then the first warning finally came from her. In the space of one night(一夜之间), she changed towards me. There was a sudden nervous distance, and a kind of sadness in her attitude. The pain I felt that moment is beyond the description. But I knew then that she had changed because she had suddenly discovered not only my feelings, but her own as well. This change was also reflected in Miss. Halcombe, would say nothing unusual to me, but had to develop a new habit of always watching me. This new and awful situation continued for some time until on a Thursday, near the end of third month, I was at last rescued by the sensible and courageous Miss. Halcombe. “Have you got a moment for me?” she asked after the breakfast, “Shall we go into the garden?”
We walked to the summer house and went inside. Miss. Halcombe turned to me, “Mr. Hartright, what I have to say to you, I can say here. Now I know that you are a good man who always acts correctly. Your story about that unhappy woman in London proves that. As your friend, I must tell you that I discover your feeling for my sister, Laura, although you have done nothing wrong except your weakness. I must tell you to leave Limmeridge House before any harm is done. And there is something else I must tell you, which will also give you pain. Will you shake hands with your friend Marian Halcombe first?”
She spoke with such kindness that I shook her hand. “You must leave because Laura Fairlie is to be married.”
The last word was like a bullet to my heart. I turned white. I felt cold. With one word all my hopes disappeared.
“You must put an end in your feelings here, where you first met her. I will hide nothing from you. She’s not marrying for love, because of a promise she made to her father just before he died. The man she is to marry arrives here next Monday.”
“Let me go today.” I said bitterly, “The sooner, the better.”
“No, not today, that will look strange, wait till tomorrow after the post has arrived. Say to Mr. Fairlie that you have received a bad news and must return to London.”
“I will follow your advice, Miss. Halcombe.” I said sadly, “but may I ask the gentleman engaged to Miss. Fairlie is?”
“A rich man from Hampshire”
“Hampshire again! Connection with Anne Catherick, and his name?” I asked as calmly as I could.
“Sir Percival Glyde”
“Sir” I remembered Anne Catherick’s suspicious questions about Baronets(准男爵,英国世袭爵位中最低等级的受勋者,地位在男爵之下爵士之上), and my voice shook a little as I asked, “Is he a Baronet?”
She paused for a moment. Then ansewered, “Yes, a Baronet.”
原文是本人自己听写出来的,如有错误,请务必指出,谢谢支持!

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首页>听力教程>书虫牛津英语有声读物6级>白衣女人.The.Woman.in.White>
Part one: the Story Told by Walter Hartright
Two: Life at Limmeridge House
When I got up the next morning, I was greeted by the bright sunlight and the view of blue sea through the window. The future suddenly seemed full of promise. I found my way down to the breakfast room. And there, looking out of the window with her back turned to me, was a young woman with a perfect figure. But when she turned and walk towards me, I saw to my surprise that her face was ugly. Hair grew on her upper lip, and her mouth was large and firm. It was almost a man’s face, but the friendly smile she gave me softened it, and made her look more womanly. She welcomed in a pleasant educated voice, and introduced herself as Marian Halcombe, Miss. Fairlie’s half sister. “My mother was twice married.” she explained in her easy friendly manner. “The first time to Mr. Halcombe, my father; and the second time to Mr. Fairlie, my half sister’s father. My father was a poor man, and Miss. Fairlie’s father was a rich man. I’ve got nothing, and she has fortune. I am dark and ugly, and she is fair and pretty.” She said all this quite happily. “My sister and I are very fond of each other, so you must please both of us, Mr. Hartright, or please neither of us.” She then told me that Miss. Fairlie had a headache that morning, and was being looked after by Mrs. Vansz , an elderly lady, her once being Miss. Fairlie’s governess. “So we should be alone at breakfast, Mr. Hartright” she said, “As for Mr. Fairlie, your employer, you will doubt this meeting later. He is Miss Fairlie’s uncle, a single man, who became Miss Fairlie’s guardian when her parents died. He suffers from some mysterious illness of the nerves, and never leaves his rooms.”
When we ate breakfast, she described the quiet regular life that she and her sister laid. “Do you think you will get used to it?” she said, “or will you be restless and wish for some adventure?”
Hearing the word “adventure” reminded me of my meeting with the woman in white and her reference to Mrs. Fairlie. I told Miss. Halcombe all about my adventure, and she showed an eager interest, especially in a mention of her mother. “But you didn’t find out the woman’s name.” she said
“I’m afraid not, only that she came from Hampshire.”
“Well, I shall spend the morning,” said Miss. Halcombe, “looking through my mother’s letters. I am sure I will find some clues there to explain this mystery. Lunch is two o’clock, Mr. Hartright, and I shall introduce you to my sister then.”
After the breakfast, the Mr. Fairlie’s personal servant, Louis, came to tell me that Mr. Fairlie would like to see me. I followed the servant upstairs and was shown into a large room full of art treasures. There, in an armchair, sat a small, pale, delicate-looking man of about fifty. The ___ fine clothes and valuable rings on his soft white fingers, they were something very unattractive about him. “So glad to have you here, Mr. Hartright.” he said in a complaining high voice, “Please sit down, but don’t move the chair. In my state of the nerves, any movement was painful to me. May I ask if you have found everything satisfactory here at Limmeridge?” When I began to reply, he at once raised his hand to stop me. “Please, excused me, but could you speak more softly? I simply cannot bear loud voices, or indeed any kind of loud sound.” The interview did not last long as Mr. Fairlie quickly lost interest in it. He informed the ladies would make all the arrangements for their drawing lessons. “I suffered so much from my nerves, Mr. Hartright.” he said, “Do you mind ringing the bell for Louis? Thank you. Good morning.”
With a great relief, I left the room and spent the rest of morning looking forward to lunchtime, when I would be introduced to Miss. Fairlie.
At two o’clock I entered the dinning room and found Miss. Halcombe sit at the table with a rather fat lady, who smiled all the time. This I discovered was Mrs. Vansz. We started eating and for long we had finished the lunch with still no signs of Miss. Fairlie. Miss. Halcombe noticed my frequent glances at the door. “I understand you, Mr. Hartright.” she said, “You are wondering about your other student. Well, she’s got over her headache, but did not want any lunch. If you follow me, I think we can find her somewhere in the garden.”
We walked out together along a path through the garden until we came to a pretty summer house. Inside I can see a young lady standing near a table, looking out at the view and turning the pages of a little drawing book. This was Miss. Laura Fairlie. How can I describe her? How can I separate this moment from all that has happened since then? In a drawing I later made of her, she appears as a light useful figure, wearing a simple white and blue straight dress and a summer hat. Her hair is like brown, almost gold, and she’s eyes that are clear and blue, with a look of truth in them. They gave her whole face such a charm that is difficult to notice each individual future. The delicate though not perfect straight nose, the sweet sensitive mouth, the life and beauty of her face, lights in her eyes, such was my impression, but the same time I felt there was something about her that I could not explain, something I ought to remember, but could not. In fact, I was thinking about this so much that I could hardly answer when she greeted me. Miss. Halcombe, believing I was shy, quickly said, “Look at your perfect student.” And she pointed at the schedules, “She has already started to work before your lessons have begun. You must show them to Mr. Hartright, Laura, when we go for a drive.”
Miss. Fairlie laughed with bright great humor. “I hope he will give his true opinion of them, and not just say something to please me.” she said
“May I inquire why you said that?” I asked
“Because I shall believe all that you tell me.” she answered simply
In those few words she gave me the key to her own trusting truthful character. Later we went for our promised drive, but I must confess that I was far more interested in Miss. Fairlie’s conversation and her schedules. Soon I realized that I was behaving more like a guest than a drawing teacher. And when I was on my own cab, I felt uneasy and dissatisfied with myself. At dinner that evening, these feelings soon disappeared. And when the meal was over, we went into a large sitting room with glass doors leading into the garden. Mrs. Vansz fell asleep in an armchair and Miss. Halcombe sat near a window to look through her mother’s letters. At my request, Miss. Fairlie played the piano. How would I ever forget that peaceful picture! The flowers outside, the music of Mozart, Miss. Halcombe reading the letters in a half light, the delicate outline of Miss. Fairlie’s face against the dark wall. It was an evening of sights and songs to remember forever.

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首页>听力教程>书虫牛津英语有声读物6级>白衣女人.The.Woman.in.White>
Part one: the Story Told by Walter Hartright
One: A Meeting by Moonlight
It was the last day of July. The long hot summer was coming to an end, and I was feeling ill and depressed. I was also short of money, so I had a little chances of escaping from the dusty London streets. I would have to spend the autumn economically between my rooms in the city and my mother’s house.
My mother and my sister, Sara, lived in a cottage in Hamstander in the northern suburbs, and I usually went to see them twice a week.
This evening I arrived at the gate of the cottage, just as it was starting to get dark.        I had hardly rung the bell before the door was opened violently. And my Italian friend Professor Pesca rushed out to greet me. Pesca was a language teacher, who left Italy for political reasons, and made his home in England. He was a strange, excitable little man, who was always trying to be more English than the English. I had met him from time to time when he was teaching in the same house as I was.
And the one day I met him by chance in Brighten, we agreed to go for a swim together in the sea. He was very enthusiastic, and it never for a moment occurred to me that he did not know how to swim. Fortunately, when he suddenly sank to the bottom, I was able to dive down and saved him. From that day on, he was my grateful friend. And that evening he showed his gratitude to me in a way that changed my whole life. “Now, my good friends,” he said, when we were all in another sitting room, “I have some wonderful news for you. I have been asked by my employer to recommend a drawing teacher for a post with a rich family in the north of England. And who do you think I recommended? The best drawing teacher in the world, Mr. Walter Hartright!
“My dear Pesca, how good you are towards!” explained my mother, “How kind, how generous you are!
As for myself, although I was certainly grateful for his kindness, I still felt strangely depressed. I thanked him warmly, however, and asked to see the conditions. The note gave me said that a qualified drawing teacher was wanted Mr. Frederick Fairlie of Limmeridge House, Cumberland, to teach his two young nieces for a period of at least four months. The teacher was to live in the Limmeridge House as a gentleman, and received four pounds a week. Let us to show he was a good character would be required.
The position was certainly an attractive one, and I could not understand why I felt so little enthusiastic for it. However, my mother and sister thought it was a great opportunity, and I had no wish to hurt Pesca’s feelings. I agreed to apply for the job.
The next morning I sent my letters of recommendation to Professor Pesca’s employer. And four days later I heard that Mr. Fairlie accepted my services and requested me to start for Cumberland immediately.
I arranged to leave the next day and in the evening I walked to Hamstander to say goodbye to my mother and Sara. When I left at midnight, a full moon was shining in a dark blue starlit sky, and the air was soft and warm. I decided to take a long rude home, and walked across the Hamstander heath before joining the road into the center of the city. After a while, I came to cross roads and turned onto the London road.
I was lost in my own thoughts wondering about the two young ladies in Cumberland when suddenly my heart seemed to stop beating, a hand had touched my should from behind. I turned at once, my hand tightening on my walking stick. There, as if it dropped from the sky, stood a figure of a woman, dressed from head to foot in white clothes. I was too surprised to speak. “Is that the road into London?” she said. I looked at her carefully. It was then nearly one o’clock. All I can see in the moonlight was a young colorless face, large side eyes and light blond hair. Her manner was quiet and self-controlled. What sort of woman she was? And why she was out so late alone? I could not guess. But, there was nothing evil about her. Indeed, a kind of sad innocence seemed to come from her. “Did you hear me?” she said quietly and rapidly.
“Yes,” I replied, “that’s the road. Please, excused me, I was rather surprised by your sudden appearance.”
“You don’t suspect me doing anything wrong, do you?”
“No, no, seeing you so suddenly gave me a shock. That’s all.”
“I heard you coming,” she said, “and hid behind those trees to see what sort of man you were before I rest speaking. May I trust you?” Her eyes searched my face anxiously. Her loneliness and helplessness was so obvious that I felt great sympathy for her.
“Tell me how I can help you.” I said, “And if I can, I will.”
“Oh, thank you! Thank you! You are very kind.” her voice trembled as she spoke, “I don’t know London at all. Can I get a cab or a carriage this time of night? Could you show me where to get one? And will you promise not to interfere with me? I have a friend in London, who will be glad to receive me. I want nothing else. Would you promise?” she looked nervously up and down the road and back at me. How could I refuse? Her fear and confusion were painful to see. “Will you promise?” she repeated.
“Yes!”
We set off together towards the center of London. It was like a dream, walking along that familiar road with so strange and so mysterious companion at my side.
“Do you know any man of the rank of the baronet?” she asked suddenly.
There was a note of suspicion in a strange question. When I said I knew no baronets, she seemed relieved. I questioned her further, and she murmured that she had been cruelly used by a baronet she would not name. She told me she came from Hampshire and asked if I lived in London. I explained that I did, but I was leaving for Cumberland the next day. “Cumberland,” she repeated softly, “Ah, I wish I was going there, too. I was once happy in Cumberland, in Limmeridge village. I’d like to see Limmeridge house again.”
“Limmeridge house?” I stopped, amazed.
“What’s wrong?” she asked anxiously, “Did you hear anybody calling after us?”
“No, no, it’s just that I heard the name of Limmeridge house very recently. Do you know somebody there?”
“I did once,” she said, “but Mrs. Fairlie is dead, and her husband is dead, and the little girl maybe married and gone away.”
Perhaps she would have told me more, but just that moment we saw a cab. I stopped it and she quickly got in. “Please,” I said, “let me see you safely to your friend’s house.”
“No, no,” she cried, “I’m quite safe, and you must let me go. Remember your promise, but thank you, oh, thank you.” she caught my hand in hers, kissed it and pushed it away.”
The cab disappeared into the shadows on the road, and the woman in white had gone. The minutes later I was still on the same road, thinking uneasily but the whole adventure when I heard wheels behind me. An open carriage with two men in it passed me, then stopped when they saw a policeman walking further down the street. “Officer,” one of the men cried, “have you seen a woman pass this way? A woman in white clothes”
“No, Sir, why? What’s she done?”
“Done! She has escaped from an asylum.”
Asylum? But the woman had not seemed mad to me, nervous and a little strange perhaps, but not mad. What had I done? Had I helped a woman wrongly in prison to escape? Or had I failed to protect a sick person who might come to harm? These disturbing thoughts kept me awake all night after I had got back to my rooms. Until at last it was time to leave London and set out for Cumberland.
My traveling instructions directed me to Karnal, and then to change trains for Limmeridge. However because of a long delay, I missed my connection and did not get to Limmeridge till past ten. A servant in rather a bad temple was waiting for me at the station with a carriage. When I arrived at the Limmeridge House, everyone had gone to bed. I was shown to my room, and when I at last put out the candle, I thought myself. “What shall I see in my dreams tonight? The woman in white, or the unknown inhabitants of this Cumberland House?
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■ 2 In search of Mr Hyde
  After dinner that evening Mr Utterson went into his office and unlocked a cupboard. He took out an envelope.It contained the will of Doctor Henry Jekyll,and was writtenin the doctor's own handwriting.
  'If I die,or if I disappear for more than three months,'thewill began,'I wish to leave everything I own to my dearfriend Edward Hyde.'
  This will had both worried and annoyed Mr Utterson. To alawyer it was an unusual and dangerous kind of will. It wasbad enough when Edward Hyde was only an unknown name,but now that the lawyer knew something about Hyde, the willworried him more than ever. It had seemed like madness before;now it began to seem shameful. With a heavy heart MrUtterson replaced the envelope in the cupboard,put on hiscoat and went to see his old friend Doctor Lanyon.
  Doctor Lanyon was enjoying his after-dinner coffee.'Comein,old friend!' he cried. The two men had known each othersince their school days.They sat for several minutes,drinkingcoffee and talking companionably of this and that. At last MrUtterson mentioned the thoughts that were worrying him.
  'I suppose,Lanyon,'he said,'that you and I are HenryJekyll's oldest friends?'
  'I suppose so,'said Doctor Lanyon,'but I don't often seehim now.'
  'Really?' said Mr Utterson in surprise.'I thought you andhe were interested in the same things.'
  'We were at one time,'said Doctor Lanyon.'But morethan ten years ago Henry Jekyll became too—well,imaginativefor me. He developed some strange,wild, unscientific ideas. Itold him so,and I've seen very little of him since then.'
  Mr Utterson looked at his friend's red, angry face.'Only adisagreement about some scientific question,'he thought.'It's nothing worse than that.' Calmly he continued,'Didyou ever meet a friend of Jekyll's a man called Hyde?'
  'Hyde?'repeated Lanyon.'No, never.'
  Soon the lawyer said goodnight and went home to bed,where he lay awake for a long time thinking about Enfield's description of Hyde,and Doctor Jekyll's will.When at last hefell asleep,he was troubled by dreams. In his mind's eye hesaw a faceless man marching over the child's body.Then hesaw his old friend Jekyll in bed,while the same faceless figurestood over him.The facelessness of that figure worried himdeeply.
  'Very well,Mr Hyde,'said the lawyer to himself,'I willfind you,and I will see your face for myself.'
  During the next few weeks Mr Utterson spent many hoursin the narrow street where Enfield had seen Hyde.He waitedpatiently near the mysterious door, hoping for a sight of MrHyde—and one dry, clear winter night he was successful.The street was empty and silent and small sounds carried along way.The lawyer heard footsteps. He stepped back intothe shadows and waited.A short figure turned the corner andwalked towards the mysterious door. Although Mr Uttersoncould not see his face, he felt a strong, almost violent, dislikefor the stranger.
  Mr Utterson stepped forward and touched him on the shoulder.'Mr Hyde?'
  'Yes,that's my name,'said the stranger coolly.' What doyou want?'
  'I see that you're going in.I'm an old friend of DoctorJekyll's.My name is Utterson.You must have heard myname—may I come in with you?'
  'Doctor Jekyll is not at home,'replied Mr Hyde.'How didyou know me?'he added sharply.
  'First let me see your face,'replied the lawyer.
  Mr Hyde hesitated for a moment, then he stood under thestreet light and the lawyer saw his face.'Thank you,' saidMr Utterson.'Now I shall know you again. It may beuseful.'
  'Yes,'said Mr Hyde,'it may indeed be useful.Here,too,is my address.You may need it one day.'He gave the lawyerhis address,which was in a poor part of London.
  'Good God!'thought the lawyer,'does Hyde know aboutJekyll's will?Is that what he's thinking of?'But he saidnothing.
  'And now,'said Mr Hyde,'How did you know me?'
  'You were described to me.'
  'Who did that?'
  'I know people who know you.'
  'Who?' asked Mr Hyde sharply.
  'Doctor Jekyll,for example,'said the lawyer.
  'He never told you!'cried Mr Hyde in sudden anger.'Don't lie to me!'And before the lawyer could answer, heturned the key in the lock and disappeared into the house.
  Mr Utterson stared at the closed door.'Why do I dislikehim so much?'he said to himself.'Enfield was right—thereis something evil about the man.Poor Henry Jekyll,I'm worried about you. Your new friend will mean trouble for you.'
  Round the corner from the narrow street there was a squareof handsome old houses.One of these was Doctor.Jekyll's house,and Mr Utterson knocked at the front door. The servant answered and told him that Doctor Jekyll was not athome.
  'I saw Mr Hyde go in by the laboratory door in the street atthe back of the house, said the lawyer.
  'That's right,Mr Utterson,'replied the servant. 'MrHyde has his own key, and comes and goes when he likes. Wehave orders from Doctor Jekyll to obey him.'
  Mr Utterson walked home more worried than ever.
  A fortnight later Doctor Jekyll gave a dinner party for a fewold friends.Mr Utterson was among them and he remained after the others had left.
  'I've been wanting to speak to you for some time,Jekyll,'said the lawyer,'about your will.'
  Doctor Jekyll was a tall, well-made man of fifty with asmooth, kindly face.'My poor friend,'he said,'you doworry unnecessarily, you know. Like poor Lanyon when Itold him about my new ideas.“Imaginative rubbish”he calledthem… I'm very disappointed in Lanyon.'
  But the lawyer did not want to talk about Doctor Lanyon.'You know I've never agreed with your will,'he continued.'You've told me often enough,'said his friend sharply.
  'Well,I've learnt something about your friend Hyde,'continued the lawyer.
  The colour of the doctor's handsome face changed from pinkto greyish-white.'I don't want to hear any more,'he said.'You don't understand. I'm in a very difficult,painful situation.
  'Tell me everything,'said Mr Utterson,'and I'll do mybest to help you.'
  'You're very kind,but this is a private matter.I'll tell youone thing—I can get rid of Mr Hyde any time I want. Youmust understand,however, that I take a great interest in poorHyde.I know you've seen him—he told me, and I'm afraidhe wasn't very polite to you. But I really do care about him.And if anything happens to me,I want you to promise tomake sure that he inherits my money.'
  'I cannot pretend that I shall ever like him,' said thelawyer.
  'I'm not asking you to like him,'said his friend.'I onlyask you to help him,when I'm gone.'
  'I promise,'said Mr Utterson sadly.

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