PROLOGUE
London, 1855 Alice Kingsleigh started awake. Her heart was pounding The toom around her was dark. The only glimmers of light slipped under the door from the lamps in the hall outside.
Shed had the dream again. It was the same every time.
The tiny nine-year-old pushed back her heavy bedcovers . She shivered as her bare feet hit the cold wooden floor. Sounds echoed from downstairs- the strong, comforting voice of her father and the answering guffaws” of his friends in the study.
序
伦敦,1855年,爱丽丝·金斯利从梦中醒来。
她的心怦怦直跳。房间里一片漆黑，外面大厅里的吊灯散发出的微弱光亮从门底下溜了进来。
她又做梦了,每次都是同样的梦。
爱丽丝，这个九岁的小女孩推开厚实的被褥走下床。光着的脚丫碰到冰冷的木地板时，她忍不住哆嗦了一下。楼下书房里回荡着谈笑声--父亲洪亮舒服的声音,还有朋友们随声附和的笑声。
1 bedcover n. 床罩,床上用品 2 guffaw n.大笑,狂笑,粗野的笑声