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A Top-Floor Idyl
A Top-Floor Idyl

Chapter VII

Chapter 7 of A Top-Floor Idyl is here in full — 256 sentences across 52 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By George Van Schaick • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for A Top-Floor Idyl
Context Illustration Reading 1/51 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE OTHER WOMAN As we were speaking, Frances came to my room and I advanced a chair for her.
"Thanks," she said, "I am not at all tired, Mr. Cole."
"Yet I beg that you will sit down for a moment," I asked her.
"I shall take the piano-stool and you ladies will give me the delightful feeling of receiving a pleasant visit.
I shall do my best to entertain two callers charitable enough to penetrate a sere and yellow bachelor's quarters.
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 Top-Floor Idyl

Chapter VII

Chapter 7 of A Top-Floor Idyl is here in full — 256 sentences across 52 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/51 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE OTHER WOMAN As we were speaking, Frances came to my room and I advanced a chair for her.
/ðə ˈʌðər ˈwʊmən æz wiː wɜːr ˈspiːkɪŋ ˈfrænsɪs keɪm tuː maɪ ruːm ənd aɪ ədˈvænst ə tʃer fɔːr hɜːr/
Line 2
"Thanks," she said, "I am not at all tired, Mr. Cole."
/θæŋks ʃiː sed aɪ æm nɑːt æt ɔːl ˈtaɪərd ˈmɪstər koʊl/
Line 3
"Yet I beg that you will sit down for a moment," I asked her.
/jet aɪ beɡ ðæt juː wɪl sɪt daʊn fɔːr ə ˈmoʊmənt aɪ æskt hɜːr/
Line 4
"I shall take the piano-stool and you ladies will give me the delightful feeling of receiving a pleasant visit.
Line 5
I shall do my best to entertain two callers charitable enough to penetrate a sere and yellow bachelor's quarters.
/aɪ ʃæl duː maɪ best tuː ˌentərˈteɪn tuː ˈkɔːlərz ˈtʃærətəbəl ɪˈnʌf tuː ˈpenətreɪt ə sɪr ənd ˈjeloʊ ˈbætʃələrz ˈkwɔːrtərz/

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.

bachelor's noun US /ˈbætʃələrz/

possessive form of “bachelor” — a man who has never been married

From this reading “I shall do my best to entertain two callers charitable enough to penetrate a sere and yellow bachelor's quarters.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
callers noun US /ˈkɔːlərz/

plural of “caller” — a social or business visitor

From this reading “I shall do my best to entertain two callers charitable enough to penetrate a sere and yellow bachelor's quarters.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
charitable adjective US /ˈtʃærətəbəl/

relating to or characterized by charity

From this reading “I shall do my best to entertain two callers charitable enough to penetrate a sere and yellow bachelor's quarters.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Cole noun US /koʊl/

a hardy cabbage with coarse curly leaves that do not form a head

From this reading “"Thanks," she said, "I am not at all tired, Mr. Cole."”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
entertain verb US /ˌentərˈteɪn/

provide entertainment for

From this reading “I shall do my best to entertain two callers charitable enough to penetrate a sere and yellow bachelor's quarters.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Frances noun US /ˈfrænsɪs/

plural of “france” — a republic in western Europe; the largest country wholly in Europe

From this reading “THE OTHER WOMAN As we were speaking, Frances came to my room and I advanced a chair for her.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
penetrate verb US /ˈpenətreɪt/

pass into or through, often by overcoming resistance

From this reading “I shall do my best to entertain two callers charitable enough to penetrate a sere and yellow bachelor's quarters.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sere adjective US /sɪr/

(used especially of vegetation) having lost all moisture

From this reading “I shall do my best to entertain two callers charitable enough to penetrate a sere and yellow bachelor's quarters.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Word partnerships in these lines

English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.

Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.

sit down verb + adjective

take a seat

In this reading “"Yet I beg that you will sit down for a moment," I asked her.”

40,697 times in 225,867 chapters
for a moment preposition + article + noun counted as “for … moment”

temporarily

In this reading “"Yet I beg that you will sit down for a moment," I asked her.”

130,343 times in 225,867 chapters
OTHER WOMAN adjective + noun

In this reading “THE OTHER WOMAN As we were speaking, Frances came to my room and I advanced a chair for her.”

10,529 times in 225,867 chapters

All words in this reading · 62

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 THE OTHER WOMAN As we were speaking, Frances came to my room and I advanced a chair for her.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
advancedadjectiveUS /ədˈvænst/

farther along in physical or mental development

From this reading THE OTHER WOMAN As we were speaking, Frances came to my room and I advanced a chair for her.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading "Thanks," she said, "I am not at all tired, Mr. Cole."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading "Thanks," she said, "I am not at all tired, Mr. Cole."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading THE OTHER WOMAN As we were speaking, Frances came to my room and I advanced a chair for her.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
AsconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading THE OTHER WOMAN As we were speaking, Frances came to my room and I advanced a chair for her.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
askedverbUS /æskt/

past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading "Yet I beg that you will sit down for a moment," I asked her.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading "Thanks," she said, "I am not at all tired, Mr. Cole."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
bachelor'snounUS /ˈbætʃələrz/

possessive form of “bachelor” — a man who has never been married

From this reading I shall do my best to entertain two callers charitable enough to penetrate a sere and yellow bachelor's quarters.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
begverbUS /beɡ/

call upon in supplication; entreat

From this reading "Yet I beg that you will sit down for a moment," I asked her.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
bestnounUS /best/

the supreme effort one can make

From this reading I shall do my best to entertain two callers charitable enough to penetrate a sere and yellow bachelor's quarters.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
callersnounUS /ˈkɔːlərz/

plural of “caller” — a social or business visitor

From this reading I shall do my best to entertain two callers charitable enough to penetrate a sere and yellow bachelor's quarters.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading THE OTHER WOMAN As we were speaking, Frances came to my room and I advanced a chair for her.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
chairnounUS /tʃer/

a seat for one person, with a support for the back

From this reading THE OTHER WOMAN As we were speaking, Frances came to my room and I advanced a chair for her.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
charitableadjectiveUS /ˈtʃærətəbəl/

relating to or characterized by charity

From this reading I shall do my best to entertain two callers charitable enough to penetrate a sere and yellow bachelor's quarters.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ColenounUS /koʊl/

a hardy cabbage with coarse curly leaves that do not form a head

From this reading "Thanks," she said, "I am not at all tired, Mr. Cole."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
delightfuladjectiveUS /dɪˈlaɪtfəl/

greatly pleasing or entertaining

From this reading "I shall take the piano-stool and you ladies will give me the delightful feeling of receiving a pleasant visit.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading I shall do my best to entertain two callers charitable enough to penetrate a sere and yellow bachelor's quarters.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading "Yet I beg that you will sit down for a moment," I asked her.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
enoughnounUS /ɪˈnʌf/

an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose

From this reading I shall do my best to entertain two callers charitable enough to penetrate a sere and yellow bachelor's quarters.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
entertainverbUS /ˌentərˈteɪn/

provide entertainment for

From this reading I shall do my best to entertain two callers charitable enough to penetrate a sere and yellow bachelor's quarters.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
feelingnounUS /ˈfiːlɪŋ/

the experiencing of affective and emotional states

From this reading "I shall take the piano-stool and you ladies will give me the delightful feeling of receiving a pleasant visit.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading THE OTHER WOMAN As we were speaking, Frances came to my room and I advanced a chair for her.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
FrancesnounUS /ˈfrænsɪs/

plural of “france” — a republic in western Europe; the largest country wholly in Europe

From this reading THE OTHER WOMAN As we were speaking, Frances came to my room and I advanced a chair for her.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
giveverbUS /ɡɪv/

cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading "I shall take the piano-stool and you ladies will give me the delightful feeling of receiving a pleasant visit.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading THE OTHER WOMAN As we were speaking, Frances came to my room and I advanced a chair for her.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading THE OTHER WOMAN As we were speaking, Frances came to my room and I advanced a chair for her.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ladiesnounUS /ˈleɪdiz/

plural of “lady” — a polite name for any woman

From this reading "I shall take the piano-stool and you ladies will give me the delightful feeling of receiving a pleasant visit.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading "I shall take the piano-stool and you ladies will give me the delightful feeling of receiving a pleasant visit.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
momentnounUS /ˈmoʊmənt/

a particular point in time

From this reading "Yet I beg that you will sit down for a moment," I asked her.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading "Thanks," she said, "I am not at all tired, Mr. Cole."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading THE OTHER WOMAN As we were speaking, Frances came to my room and I advanced a chair for her.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading "Thanks," she said, "I am not at all tired, Mr. Cole."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading "I shall take the piano-stool and you ladies will give me the delightful feeling of receiving a pleasant visit.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
OTHERadjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading THE OTHER WOMAN As we were speaking, Frances came to my room and I advanced a chair for her.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
penetrateverbUS /ˈpenətreɪt/

pass into or through, often by overcoming resistance

From this reading I shall do my best to entertain two callers charitable enough to penetrate a sere and yellow bachelor's quarters.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
piano-stool

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

From this reading "I shall take the piano-stool and you ladies will give me the delightful feeling of receiving a pleasant visit.

Pending verification
pleasantadjectiveUS /ˈplezənt/

affording pleasure; being in harmony with your taste or likings

From this reading "I shall take the piano-stool and you ladies will give me the delightful feeling of receiving a pleasant visit.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
quartersnounUS /ˈkwɔːrtərz/

housing available for people to live in

From this reading I shall do my best to entertain two callers charitable enough to penetrate a sere and yellow bachelor's quarters.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
receivingverbUS /rəˈsiːvɪŋ/

-ing form of “receive” — get something; come into possession of

From this reading "I shall take the piano-stool and you ladies will give me the delightful feeling of receiving a pleasant visit.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
roomnounUS /ruːm/

an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling

From this reading THE OTHER WOMAN As we were speaking, Frances came to my room and I advanced a chair for her.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "Thanks," she said, "I am not at all tired, Mr. Cole."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sereadjectiveUS /sɪr/

(used especially of vegetation) having lost all moisture

From this reading I shall do my best to entertain two callers charitable enough to penetrate a sere and yellow bachelor's quarters.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
shallmodal verbUS /ʃæl/

used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest

From this reading "I shall take the piano-stool and you ladies will give me the delightful feeling of receiving a pleasant visit.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading "Thanks," she said, "I am not at all tired, Mr. Cole."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
sitverbUS /sɪt/

be seated

From this reading "Yet I beg that you will sit down for a moment," I asked her.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
speakingnounUS /ˈspiːkɪŋ/

the utterance of intelligible speech

From this reading THE OTHER WOMAN As we were speaking, Frances came to my room and I advanced a chair for her.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
takeverbUS /teɪk/

carry out

From this reading "I shall take the piano-stool and you ladies will give me the delightful feeling of receiving a pleasant visit.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ThanksnounUS /θæŋks/

an acknowledgment of appreciation

From this reading "Thanks," she said, "I am not at all tired, Mr. Cole."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading "Yet I beg that you will sit down for a moment," I asked her.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE OTHER WOMAN As we were speaking, Frances came to my room and I advanced a chair for her.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
tiredadjectiveUS /ˈtaɪərd/

depleted of strength or energy

From this reading "Thanks," she said, "I am not at all tired, Mr. Cole."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading THE OTHER WOMAN As we were speaking, Frances came to my room and I advanced a chair for her.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
twonounUS /tuː/

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

From this reading I shall do my best to entertain two callers charitable enough to penetrate a sere and yellow bachelor's quarters.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
visitverbUS /ˈvɪzɪt/

go to see a place, as for entertainment

From this reading "I shall take the piano-stool and you ladies will give me the delightful feeling of receiving a pleasant visit.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading THE OTHER WOMAN As we were speaking, Frances came to my room and I advanced a chair for her.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading THE OTHER WOMAN As we were speaking, Frances came to my room and I advanced a chair for her.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading "Yet I beg that you will sit down for a moment," I asked her.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
WOMANnounUS /ˈwʊmən/

an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading THE OTHER WOMAN As we were speaking, Frances came to my room and I advanced a chair for her.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
yellowadjectiveUS /ˈjeloʊ/

of the color intermediate between green and orange in the color spectrum; of something resembling the color of an egg yolk

From this reading I shall do my best to entertain two callers charitable enough to penetrate a sere and yellow bachelor's quarters.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
YetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading "Yet I beg that you will sit down for a moment," I asked her.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "Yet I beg that you will sit down for a moment," I asked her.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 7 of A Top-Floor Idyl by George Van Schaick holds 256 sentences, grouped into 52 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 7 of A Top-Floor Idyl contain?

Chapter 7 holds 256 sentences of A Top-Floor Idyl, unabridged, divided into 52 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 7 of A Top-Floor Idyl by George Van Schaick exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 256 sentences, grouped into 52 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 7 of A Top-Floor Idyl?

Work through the 52 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 52 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 7 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 7 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 Top-Floor Idyl

Common questions about reading A Top-Floor Idyl by George Van Schaick on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A Top-Floor Idyl?

Yes. All 5186 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #33218 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A Top-Floor Idyl is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #33218, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A Top-Floor Idyl take to read?

About 432 minutes of reading across 1038 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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  3. Listen and tap

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

Vocabulary met early in A Top-Floor Idyl

Words and structures a reader meets early in A Top-Floor Idyl, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Smiled
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Top-Floor Idyl; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Friend
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Top-Floor Idyl; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Gordon
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Top-Floor Idyl; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Distinguished
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Top-Floor Idyl; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.