The Foster women had made a fortress out of duty. Within it, they were ________.
lolled
lounged; drooped
An ancient green-plush sofa ________ alone in the center of the parlor, like yet another mossy fallen log.
cavernous
like a cavern, large and hollow
There was a washstand with the lonely mirror, and opposite an enormous, ________ oak wardrobe.
mirage
an illusion, often of a pool of reflecting water
On the old beamed ceiling of the parlor, streaks of light swam and wavered like a bright ________, reflected through the windows from the sunlit surface of the pond.
peculiar
unusual; bizarre; odd; strange
Winnie would be expected to sleep--all night--in this dirty, strange ________ house.
supremely
perfectly; flawlessly
The man in the yellow suit seemed ________ nice to her now, a kind of savior.
silty
having loose sediment made up of small rocky particles
Tuck dipped the oars into the ________ bottom of the pond in one strong pull.
anguish
distress; suffering
Winnie struggled with the ________ of all these things Tuck told her.
hunched
bowed; stooped; bent
Winnie could only sit ________ and numb, the sound of the water rolling in her ears.
anxiously
worriedly; fearfully
Tuck came to check on Winnie, a little later, to peer down at her ________.
