Learn English through classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
A Thorny Path — Volume 08
A Thorny Path — Volume 08

Chapter III · Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of A Thorny Path — Volume 08 is here in full — 288 sentences across 58 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for A Thorny Path — Volume 08
Context Illustration Reading 1/57 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Melissa had wept her fill on the breast of the lady Euryale, who listened to her woes with motherly sympathy, and yet she felt as if a biting frost had broken and destroyed the blossoms which only yesterday had so richly and hopefully decked her young heart.
Diodoros's love had been to her like the fair and sunny summer days that turn the sour, hard fruit into sweet and juicy grapes.
And now the frost had nipped them.
The whole future, and everything round her, now looked gray, colorless, and flat.
Only two thoughts held possession of her mind: on the one hand, that of her betrothed, from whom this visit to the Circus threatened to separate her forever; and on the other, that of her imperial lover, to escape whom she would have flown anywhere, even to the grave.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

A Thorny Path — Volume 08

Chapter III · Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of A Thorny Path — Volume 08 is here in full — 288 sentences across 58 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/57 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Melissa had wept her fill on the breast of the lady Euryale, who listened to her woes with motherly sympathy, and yet she felt as if a biting frost had broken and destroyed the blossoms which only yesterday had so richly and hopefully decked her young heart.
Line 2
Diodoros's love had been to her like the fair and sunny summer days that turn the sour, hard fruit into sweet and juicy grapes.
Line 3
And now the frost had nipped them.
/ənd naʊ ðə frɔːst hæd nɪpt ðem/
Line 4
The whole future, and everything round her, now looked gray, colorless, and flat.
/ðə hoʊl ˈfjuːtʃər ənd ˈevriθɪŋ raʊnd hɜːr naʊ lʊkt ɡreɪ ˈkʌlərləs ənd flæt/
Line 5
Only two thoughts held possession of her mind: on the one hand, that of her betrothed, from whom this visit to the Circus threatened to separate her forever; and on the other, that of her imperial lover, to escape whom she would have flown anywhere, even to the grave.

Learner Dictionary

These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.

colorless adjective US /ˈkʌlərləs/

lacking in variety and interest

From this reading “The whole future, and everything round her, now looked gray, colorless, and flat.”

decked verb US /dekt/

past form of “deck” — be beautiful to look at

From this reading “Melissa had wept her fill on the breast of the lady Euryale, who listened to her woes with motherly sympathy, and yet she felt as if a biting frost had broken and destroyed the blossoms which only yesterday had so richly and hopefully decked her young heart.”

grapes noun US /ɡreɪps/

plural of “grape” — any of various juicy fruit of the genus Vitis with green or purple skins; grow in clusters

From this reading “Diodoros's love had been to her like the fair and sunny summer days that turn the sour, hard fruit into sweet and juicy grapes.”

hopefully adverb US /ˈhoʊpfəli/

with hope; in a hopeful manner

From this reading “Melissa had wept her fill on the breast of the lady Euryale, who listened to her woes with motherly sympathy, and yet she felt as if a biting frost had broken and destroyed the blossoms which only yesterday had so richly and hopefully decked her young heart.”

juicy adjective US /ˈdʒuːsi/

full of juice

From this reading “Diodoros's love had been to her like the fair and sunny summer days that turn the sour, hard fruit into sweet and juicy grapes.”

motherly adjective US /ˈmʌðərli/

befitting a mother; warm and nurturing

From this reading “Melissa had wept her fill on the breast of the lady Euryale, who listened to her woes with motherly sympathy, and yet she felt as if a biting frost had broken and destroyed the blossoms which only yesterday had so richly and hopefully decked her young heart.”

nipped verb US /nɪpt/

inflected form of “nip” — squeeze tightly between the fingers

From this reading “And now the frost had nipped them.”

woes noun US /woʊz/

plural of “woe” — misery resulting from affliction

From this reading “Melissa had wept her fill on the breast of the lady Euryale, who listened to her woes with motherly sympathy, and yet she felt as if a biting frost had broken and destroyed the blossoms which only yesterday had so richly and hopefully decked her young heart.”

All words in this reading · 93

Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.

Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading Melissa had wept her fill on the breast of the lady Euryale, who listened to her woes with motherly sympathy, and yet she felt as if a biting frost had broken and destroyed the blossoms which only yesterday had so richly and hopefully decked her young heart.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading Melissa had wept her fill on the breast of the lady Euryale, who listened to her woes with motherly sympathy, and yet she felt as if a biting frost had broken and destroyed the blossoms which only yesterday had so richly and hopefully decked her young heart.

anywhereadverbUS /ˈeniwer/

at or in or to any place

From this reading Only two thoughts held possession of her mind: on the one hand, that of her betrothed, from whom this visit to the Circus threatened to separate her forever; and on the other, that of her imperial lover, to escape whom she would have flown anywhere, even to the grave.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading Melissa had wept her fill on the breast of the lady Euryale, who listened to her woes with motherly sympathy, and yet she felt as if a biting frost had broken and destroyed the blossoms which only yesterday had so richly and hopefully decked her young heart.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Diodoros's love had been to her like the fair and sunny summer days that turn the sour, hard fruit into sweet and juicy grapes.

betrothedadjective

pledged to be married

From this reading Only two thoughts held possession of her mind: on the one hand, that of her betrothed, from whom this visit to the Circus threatened to separate her forever; and on the other, that of her imperial lover, to escape whom she would have flown anywhere, even to the grave.

bitingadjectiveUS /ˈbaɪtɪŋ/

capable of wounding

From this reading Melissa had wept her fill on the breast of the lady Euryale, who listened to her woes with motherly sympathy, and yet she felt as if a biting frost had broken and destroyed the blossoms which only yesterday had so richly and hopefully decked her young heart.

blossomsnounUS /ˈblɑːsəmz/

plural of “blossom” — reproductive organ of angiosperm plants especially one having showy or colorful parts

From this reading Melissa had wept her fill on the breast of the lady Euryale, who listened to her woes with motherly sympathy, and yet she felt as if a biting frost had broken and destroyed the blossoms which only yesterday had so richly and hopefully decked her young heart.

breastnounUS /brest/

the front of the trunk from the neck to the abdomen

From this reading Melissa had wept her fill on the breast of the lady Euryale, who listened to her woes with motherly sympathy, and yet she felt as if a biting frost had broken and destroyed the blossoms which only yesterday had so richly and hopefully decked her young heart.

brokenadjectiveUS /ˈbroʊkən/

physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split

From this reading Melissa had wept her fill on the breast of the lady Euryale, who listened to her woes with motherly sympathy, and yet she felt as if a biting frost had broken and destroyed the blossoms which only yesterday had so richly and hopefully decked her young heart.

CircusnounUS /ˈsɜːrkəs/

a travelling company of entertainers; including trained animals

From this reading Only two thoughts held possession of her mind: on the one hand, that of her betrothed, from whom this visit to the Circus threatened to separate her forever; and on the other, that of her imperial lover, to escape whom she would have flown anywhere, even to the grave.

colorlessadjectiveUS /ˈkʌlərləs/

lacking in variety and interest

From this reading The whole future, and everything round her, now looked gray, colorless, and flat.

daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading Diodoros's love had been to her like the fair and sunny summer days that turn the sour, hard fruit into sweet and juicy grapes.

deckedverbUS /dekt/

past form of “deck” — be beautiful to look at

From this reading Melissa had wept her fill on the breast of the lady Euryale, who listened to her woes with motherly sympathy, and yet she felt as if a biting frost had broken and destroyed the blossoms which only yesterday had so richly and hopefully decked her young heart.

destroyedadjectiveUS /dɪˈstrɔɪd/

spoiled or ruined or demolished

From this reading Melissa had wept her fill on the breast of the lady Euryale, who listened to her woes with motherly sympathy, and yet she felt as if a biting frost had broken and destroyed the blossoms which only yesterday had so richly and hopefully decked her young heart.

Diodoros's

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Diodoros's love had been to her like the fair and sunny summer days that turn the sour, hard fruit into sweet and juicy grapes.

escapenounUS /ɪˈskeɪp/

the act of escaping physically

From this reading Only two thoughts held possession of her mind: on the one hand, that of her betrothed, from whom this visit to the Circus threatened to separate her forever; and on the other, that of her imperial lover, to escape whom she would have flown anywhere, even to the grave.

Euryalenoun

(Greek mythology) one of the three Gorgons

From this reading Melissa had wept her fill on the breast of the lady Euryale, who listened to her woes with motherly sympathy, and yet she felt as if a biting frost had broken and destroyed the blossoms which only yesterday had so richly and hopefully decked her young heart.

evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading Only two thoughts held possession of her mind: on the one hand, that of her betrothed, from whom this visit to the Circus threatened to separate her forever; and on the other, that of her imperial lover, to escape whom she would have flown anywhere, even to the grave.

everythingpronounUS /ˈevriθɪŋ/

all things; all of a situation

From this reading The whole future, and everything round her, now looked gray, colorless, and flat.

fairadjectiveUS /fer/

free from favoritism or self-interest or bias or deception; conforming with established standards or rules

From this reading Diodoros's love had been to her like the fair and sunny summer days that turn the sour, hard fruit into sweet and juicy grapes.

feltverbUS /felt/

mat together and make felt-like

From this reading Melissa had wept her fill on the breast of the lady Euryale, who listened to her woes with motherly sympathy, and yet she felt as if a biting frost had broken and destroyed the blossoms which only yesterday had so richly and hopefully decked her young heart.

fillverbUS /fɪl/

make full, also in a metaphorical sense

From this reading Melissa had wept her fill on the breast of the lady Euryale, who listened to her woes with motherly sympathy, and yet she felt as if a biting frost had broken and destroyed the blossoms which only yesterday had so richly and hopefully decked her young heart.

flatadjectiveUS /flæt/

having a surface without slope, tilt in which no part is higher or lower than another

From this reading The whole future, and everything round her, now looked gray, colorless, and flat.

flownverbUS /floʊn/

inflected form of “fly” — travel through the air; be airborne

From this reading Only two thoughts held possession of her mind: on the one hand, that of her betrothed, from whom this visit to the Circus threatened to separate her forever; and on the other, that of her imperial lover, to escape whom she would have flown anywhere, even to the grave.

foreveradverbUS /fərˈevər/

for a limitless time

From this reading Only two thoughts held possession of her mind: on the one hand, that of her betrothed, from whom this visit to the Circus threatened to separate her forever; and on the other, that of her imperial lover, to escape whom she would have flown anywhere, even to the grave.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Only two thoughts held possession of her mind: on the one hand, that of her betrothed, from whom this visit to the Circus threatened to separate her forever; and on the other, that of her imperial lover, to escape whom she would have flown anywhere, even to the grave.

frostnounUS /frɔːst/

ice crystals forming a white deposit (especially on objects outside)

From this reading Melissa had wept her fill on the breast of the lady Euryale, who listened to her woes with motherly sympathy, and yet she felt as if a biting frost had broken and destroyed the blossoms which only yesterday had so richly and hopefully decked her young heart.

fruitnounUS /fruːt/

the ripened reproductive body of a seed plant

From this reading Diodoros's love had been to her like the fair and sunny summer days that turn the sour, hard fruit into sweet and juicy grapes.

futureadjectiveUS /ˈfjuːtʃər/

yet to be or coming

From this reading The whole future, and everything round her, now looked gray, colorless, and flat.

grapesnounUS /ɡreɪps/

plural of “grape” — any of various juicy fruit of the genus Vitis with green or purple skins; grow in clusters

From this reading Diodoros's love had been to her like the fair and sunny summer days that turn the sour, hard fruit into sweet and juicy grapes.

gravenounUS /ɡreɪv/

death of a person

From this reading Only two thoughts held possession of her mind: on the one hand, that of her betrothed, from whom this visit to the Circus threatened to separate her forever; and on the other, that of her imperial lover, to escape whom she would have flown anywhere, even to the grave.

graynounUS /ɡreɪ/

a neutral achromatic color midway between white and black

From this reading The whole future, and everything round her, now looked gray, colorless, and flat.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading Melissa had wept her fill on the breast of the lady Euryale, who listened to her woes with motherly sympathy, and yet she felt as if a biting frost had broken and destroyed the blossoms which only yesterday had so richly and hopefully decked her young heart.

handnounUS /hænd/

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading Only two thoughts held possession of her mind: on the one hand, that of her betrothed, from whom this visit to the Circus threatened to separate her forever; and on the other, that of her imperial lover, to escape whom she would have flown anywhere, even to the grave.

hardadjectiveUS /hɑːrd/

not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure

From this reading Diodoros's love had been to her like the fair and sunny summer days that turn the sour, hard fruit into sweet and juicy grapes.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Only two thoughts held possession of her mind: on the one hand, that of her betrothed, from whom this visit to the Circus threatened to separate her forever; and on the other, that of her imperial lover, to escape whom she would have flown anywhere, even to the grave.

heartnounUS /hɑːrt/

the locus of feelings and intuitions

From this reading Melissa had wept her fill on the breast of the lady Euryale, who listened to her woes with motherly sympathy, and yet she felt as if a biting frost had broken and destroyed the blossoms which only yesterday had so richly and hopefully decked her young heart.

heldadjectiveUS /held/

occupied or in the control of; often used in combination

From this reading Only two thoughts held possession of her mind: on the one hand, that of her betrothed, from whom this visit to the Circus threatened to separate her forever; and on the other, that of her imperial lover, to escape whom she would have flown anywhere, even to the grave.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading Melissa had wept her fill on the breast of the lady Euryale, who listened to her woes with motherly sympathy, and yet she felt as if a biting frost had broken and destroyed the blossoms which only yesterday had so richly and hopefully decked her young heart.

hopefullyadverbUS /ˈhoʊpfəli/

with hope; in a hopeful manner

From this reading Melissa had wept her fill on the breast of the lady Euryale, who listened to her woes with motherly sympathy, and yet she felt as if a biting frost had broken and destroyed the blossoms which only yesterday had so richly and hopefully decked her young heart.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading Melissa had wept her fill on the breast of the lady Euryale, who listened to her woes with motherly sympathy, and yet she felt as if a biting frost had broken and destroyed the blossoms which only yesterday had so richly and hopefully decked her young heart.

imperialadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈpɪriəl/

relating to or associated with an empire

From this reading Only two thoughts held possession of her mind: on the one hand, that of her betrothed, from whom this visit to the Circus threatened to separate her forever; and on the other, that of her imperial lover, to escape whom she would have flown anywhere, even to the grave.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading Diodoros's love had been to her like the fair and sunny summer days that turn the sour, hard fruit into sweet and juicy grapes.

juicyadjectiveUS /ˈdʒuːsi/

full of juice

From this reading Diodoros's love had been to her like the fair and sunny summer days that turn the sour, hard fruit into sweet and juicy grapes.

ladynounUS /ˈleɪdi/

a polite name for any woman

From this reading Melissa had wept her fill on the breast of the lady Euryale, who listened to her woes with motherly sympathy, and yet she felt as if a biting frost had broken and destroyed the blossoms which only yesterday had so richly and hopefully decked her young heart.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading Diodoros's love had been to her like the fair and sunny summer days that turn the sour, hard fruit into sweet and juicy grapes.

listenedverbUS /ˈlɪsənd/

past form of “listen” — hear with intention

From this reading Melissa had wept her fill on the breast of the lady Euryale, who listened to her woes with motherly sympathy, and yet she felt as if a biting frost had broken and destroyed the blossoms which only yesterday had so richly and hopefully decked her young heart.

lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading The whole future, and everything round her, now looked gray, colorless, and flat.

lovenounUS /lʌv/

a strong positive emotion of regard and affection

From this reading Diodoros's love had been to her like the fair and sunny summer days that turn the sour, hard fruit into sweet and juicy grapes.

lovernounUS /ˈlʌvər/

a person who loves someone or is loved by someone

From this reading Only two thoughts held possession of her mind: on the one hand, that of her betrothed, from whom this visit to the Circus threatened to separate her forever; and on the other, that of her imperial lover, to escape whom she would have flown anywhere, even to the grave.

MelissanounUS /məˈlɪsə/

a genus of Old World mints of the family Labiatae

From this reading Melissa had wept her fill on the breast of the lady Euryale, who listened to her woes with motherly sympathy, and yet she felt as if a biting frost had broken and destroyed the blossoms which only yesterday had so richly and hopefully decked her young heart.

mindnounUS /maɪnd/

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading Only two thoughts held possession of her mind: on the one hand, that of her betrothed, from whom this visit to the Circus threatened to separate her forever; and on the other, that of her imperial lover, to escape whom she would have flown anywhere, even to the grave.

motherlyadjectiveUS /ˈmʌðərli/

befitting a mother; warm and nurturing

From this reading Melissa had wept her fill on the breast of the lady Euryale, who listened to her woes with motherly sympathy, and yet she felt as if a biting frost had broken and destroyed the blossoms which only yesterday had so richly and hopefully decked her young heart.

nippedverbUS /nɪpt/

inflected form of “nip” — squeeze tightly between the fingers

From this reading And now the frost had nipped them.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading And now the frost had nipped them.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Melissa had wept her fill on the breast of the lady Euryale, who listened to her woes with motherly sympathy, and yet she felt as if a biting frost had broken and destroyed the blossoms which only yesterday had so richly and hopefully decked her young heart.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Melissa had wept her fill on the breast of the lady Euryale, who listened to her woes with motherly sympathy, and yet she felt as if a biting frost had broken and destroyed the blossoms which only yesterday had so richly and hopefully decked her young heart.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Only two thoughts held possession of her mind: on the one hand, that of her betrothed, from whom this visit to the Circus threatened to separate her forever; and on the other, that of her imperial lover, to escape whom she would have flown anywhere, even to the grave.

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading Melissa had wept her fill on the breast of the lady Euryale, who listened to her woes with motherly sympathy, and yet she felt as if a biting frost had broken and destroyed the blossoms which only yesterday had so richly and hopefully decked her young heart.

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading Only two thoughts held possession of her mind: on the one hand, that of her betrothed, from whom this visit to the Circus threatened to separate her forever; and on the other, that of her imperial lover, to escape whom she would have flown anywhere, even to the grave.

possessionnounUS /pəˈzeʃən/

the act of having and controlling property

From this reading Only two thoughts held possession of her mind: on the one hand, that of her betrothed, from whom this visit to the Circus threatened to separate her forever; and on the other, that of her imperial lover, to escape whom she would have flown anywhere, even to the grave.

richlyadverbUS /ˈrɪtʃli/

to an ample degree or in an ample manner

From this reading Melissa had wept her fill on the breast of the lady Euryale, who listened to her woes with motherly sympathy, and yet she felt as if a biting frost had broken and destroyed the blossoms which only yesterday had so richly and hopefully decked her young heart.

roundnounUS /raʊnd/

a charge of ammunition for a single shot

From this reading The whole future, and everything round her, now looked gray, colorless, and flat.

separateverbUS /ˈsepəreɪt/

act as a barrier between; stand between

From this reading Only two thoughts held possession of her mind: on the one hand, that of her betrothed, from whom this visit to the Circus threatened to separate her forever; and on the other, that of her imperial lover, to escape whom she would have flown anywhere, even to the grave.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Melissa had wept her fill on the breast of the lady Euryale, who listened to her woes with motherly sympathy, and yet she felt as if a biting frost had broken and destroyed the blossoms which only yesterday had so richly and hopefully decked her young heart.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Melissa had wept her fill on the breast of the lady Euryale, who listened to her woes with motherly sympathy, and yet she felt as if a biting frost had broken and destroyed the blossoms which only yesterday had so richly and hopefully decked her young heart.

sourverbUS /ˈsaʊər/

go sour or spoil

From this reading Diodoros's love had been to her like the fair and sunny summer days that turn the sour, hard fruit into sweet and juicy grapes.

summernounUS /ˈsʌmər/

the warmest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the summer solstice to the autumnal equinox

From this reading Diodoros's love had been to her like the fair and sunny summer days that turn the sour, hard fruit into sweet and juicy grapes.

sunnyadjectiveUS /ˈsʌni/

bright and pleasant; promoting a feeling of cheer

From this reading Diodoros's love had been to her like the fair and sunny summer days that turn the sour, hard fruit into sweet and juicy grapes.

sweetadjectiveUS /swiːt/

having or denoting the characteristic taste of sugar

From this reading Diodoros's love had been to her like the fair and sunny summer days that turn the sour, hard fruit into sweet and juicy grapes.

sympathynounUS /ˈsɪmpəθi/

an inclination to support or be loyal to or to agree with an opinion

From this reading Melissa had wept her fill on the breast of the lady Euryale, who listened to her woes with motherly sympathy, and yet she felt as if a biting frost had broken and destroyed the blossoms which only yesterday had so richly and hopefully decked her young heart.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Diodoros's love had been to her like the fair and sunny summer days that turn the sour, hard fruit into sweet and juicy grapes.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading Melissa had wept her fill on the breast of the lady Euryale, who listened to her woes with motherly sympathy, and yet she felt as if a biting frost had broken and destroyed the blossoms which only yesterday had so richly and hopefully decked her young heart.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading And now the frost had nipped them.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading Only two thoughts held possession of her mind: on the one hand, that of her betrothed, from whom this visit to the Circus threatened to separate her forever; and on the other, that of her imperial lover, to escape whom she would have flown anywhere, even to the grave.

thoughtsnounUS /θɔːts/

plural of “thought” — the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading Only two thoughts held possession of her mind: on the one hand, that of her betrothed, from whom this visit to the Circus threatened to separate her forever; and on the other, that of her imperial lover, to escape whom she would have flown anywhere, even to the grave.

threatenedadjectiveUS /ˈθretənd/

(of flora or fauna) likely in the near future to become endangered

From this reading Only two thoughts held possession of her mind: on the one hand, that of her betrothed, from whom this visit to the Circus threatened to separate her forever; and on the other, that of her imperial lover, to escape whom she would have flown anywhere, even to the grave.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading Melissa had wept her fill on the breast of the lady Euryale, who listened to her woes with motherly sympathy, and yet she felt as if a biting frost had broken and destroyed the blossoms which only yesterday had so richly and hopefully decked her young heart.

turnverbUS /tɜːrn/

change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense

From this reading Diodoros's love had been to her like the fair and sunny summer days that turn the sour, hard fruit into sweet and juicy grapes.

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading Only two thoughts held possession of her mind: on the one hand, that of her betrothed, from whom this visit to the Circus threatened to separate her forever; and on the other, that of her imperial lover, to escape whom she would have flown anywhere, even to the grave.

visitverbUS /ˈvɪzɪt/

go to see a place, as for entertainment

From this reading Only two thoughts held possession of her mind: on the one hand, that of her betrothed, from whom this visit to the Circus threatened to separate her forever; and on the other, that of her imperial lover, to escape whom she would have flown anywhere, even to the grave.

weptverbUS /wept/

inflected form of “weep” — shed tears because of sadness, rage, or pain

From this reading Melissa had wept her fill on the breast of the lady Euryale, who listened to her woes with motherly sympathy, and yet she felt as if a biting frost had broken and destroyed the blossoms which only yesterday had so richly and hopefully decked her young heart.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading Melissa had wept her fill on the breast of the lady Euryale, who listened to her woes with motherly sympathy, and yet she felt as if a biting frost had broken and destroyed the blossoms which only yesterday had so richly and hopefully decked her young heart.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading Melissa had wept her fill on the breast of the lady Euryale, who listened to her woes with motherly sympathy, and yet she felt as if a biting frost had broken and destroyed the blossoms which only yesterday had so richly and hopefully decked her young heart.

wholeadjectiveUS /hoʊl/

including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete

From this reading The whole future, and everything round her, now looked gray, colorless, and flat.

whompronounUS /huːm/

the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Only two thoughts held possession of her mind: on the one hand, that of her betrothed, from whom this visit to the Circus threatened to separate her forever; and on the other, that of her imperial lover, to escape whom she would have flown anywhere, even to the grave.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Melissa had wept her fill on the breast of the lady Euryale, who listened to her woes with motherly sympathy, and yet she felt as if a biting frost had broken and destroyed the blossoms which only yesterday had so richly and hopefully decked her young heart.

woesnounUS /woʊz/

plural of “woe” — misery resulting from affliction

From this reading Melissa had wept her fill on the breast of the lady Euryale, who listened to her woes with motherly sympathy, and yet she felt as if a biting frost had broken and destroyed the blossoms which only yesterday had so richly and hopefully decked her young heart.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading Only two thoughts held possession of her mind: on the one hand, that of her betrothed, from whom this visit to the Circus threatened to separate her forever; and on the other, that of her imperial lover, to escape whom she would have flown anywhere, even to the grave.

yesterdaynounUS /ˈjestərdeɪ/

the day immediately before today

From this reading Melissa had wept her fill on the breast of the lady Euryale, who listened to her woes with motherly sympathy, and yet she felt as if a biting frost had broken and destroyed the blossoms which only yesterday had so richly and hopefully decked her young heart.

yetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading Melissa had wept her fill on the breast of the lady Euryale, who listened to her woes with motherly sympathy, and yet she felt as if a biting frost had broken and destroyed the blossoms which only yesterday had so richly and hopefully decked her young heart.

youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading Melissa had wept her fill on the breast of the lady Euryale, who listened to her woes with motherly sympathy, and yet she felt as if a biting frost had broken and destroyed the blossoms which only yesterday had so richly and hopefully decked her young heart.

Chapter 3 of A Thorny Path — Volume 08 by Georg Ebers holds 288 sentences, grouped into 58 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 3 of A Thorny Path — Volume 08 contain?

Chapter 3 holds 288 sentences of A Thorny Path — Volume 08, unabridged, divided into 58 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 3 of A Thorny Path — Volume 08 by Georg Ebers exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 288 sentences, grouped into 58 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.

How do I study chapter 3 of A Thorny Path — Volume 08?

Work through the 58 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 58 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.

Can chapter 3 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 3 can be played aloud in United States English.

Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.

Questions about reading A Thorny Path — Volume 08

Common questions about reading A Thorny Path — Volume 08 by Georg Ebers on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A Thorny Path — Volume 08?

Yes. All 908 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #5537 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A Thorny Path — Volume 08 is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #5537, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A Thorny Path — Volume 08 take to read?

About 75 minutes of reading across 182 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read A Thorny Path — Volume 08 section by section

How to work through A Thorny Path — Volume 08 section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 3 chapters of A Thorny Path — Volume 08 to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in A Thorny Path — Volume 08

Words and structures a reader meets early in A Thorny Path — Volume 08, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Slave
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Thorny Path — Volume 08; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Argutis
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Thorny Path — Volume 08; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Waiting
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Thorny Path — Volume 08; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Melissa
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Thorny Path — Volume 08; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.