melancholy

adj, sad

knots:

Noun,natural marks in wood

surreptitiously:

advb, secretly

flourished:

verb,shook up and down

savor:

noun,

taste or smell

flaws:

Noun，mistakes

stumbling:

verb，walking unsteadily

brittle:

adj,easily broken

choicest:

Noun,best

distorted:

verb,unnatural looking

shrill:

adj,very high and unpleasant

scorn:

Noun,lack of respect