Chapter XII · Will She Keep Her Promises?

higher than, or over, something

From this reading “Did you look on the shelf above your bed, where you laid it after opening and reading it?” asked Hattie, very quietly, but with her dark eyes fixed on the ashen face of the old vixen.

later than; following

From this reading “Did you look on the shelf above your bed, where you laid it after opening and reading it?” asked Hattie, very quietly, but with her dark eyes fixed on the ashen face of the old vixen.

anew

From this reading “And I’ve dragged my poor old bones all the way up these dreadful stairs again to tell you so.”

(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 “And I’ve dragged my poor old bones all the way up these dreadful stairs again to tell you so.”

(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but

From this reading “What?” almost screamed Miss Scrimp.

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

From this reading “And I’ve dragged my poor old bones all the way up these dreadful stairs again to tell you so.”

anemic looking from illness or emotion

From this reading “Did you look on the shelf above your bed, where you laid it after opening and reading it?” asked Hattie, very quietly, but with her dark eyes fixed on the ashen face of the old vixen.

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

From this reading “Did you look on the shelf above your bed, where you laid it after opening and reading it?” asked Hattie, very quietly, but with her dark eyes fixed on the ashen face of the old vixen.

a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep

From this reading “Did you look on the shelf above your bed, where you laid it after opening and reading it?” asked Hattie, very quietly, but with her dark eyes fixed on the ashen face of the old vixen.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading I must have been mistaken,” whined Miss Scrimp.

(used in the plural) a percussion instrument consisting of a pair of hollow pieces of wood or bone (usually held between the thumb and fingers) that are made to click together (as by Spanish dancers) in rhythm with the dance

From this reading “And I’ve dragged my poor old bones all the way up these dreadful stairs again to tell you so.”

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading “Did you look on the shelf above your bed, where you laid it after opening and reading it?” asked Hattie, very quietly, but with her dark eyes fixed on the ashen face of the old vixen.

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

From this reading “I couldn’t find the letter nowhere, Miss Hattie.

absence of light or illumination

From this reading “Did you look on the shelf above your bed, where you laid it after opening and reading it?” asked Hattie, very quietly, but with her dark eyes fixed on the ashen face of the old vixen.

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading “Did you look on the shelf above your bed, where you laid it after opening and reading it?” asked Hattie, very quietly, but with her dark eyes fixed on the ashen face of the old vixen.

inflected form of “drag” — pull, as against a resistance

From this reading “And I’ve dragged my poor old bones all the way up these dreadful stairs again to tell you so.”

causing fear or dread or terror

From this reading “And I’ve dragged my poor old bones all the way up these dreadful stairs again to tell you so.”

opinion or judgment

From this reading “Did you look on the shelf above your bed, where you laid it after opening and reading it?” asked Hattie, very quietly, but with her dark eyes fixed on the ashen face of the old vixen.

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading “Did you look on the shelf above your bed, where you laid it after opening and reading it?” asked Hattie, very quietly, but with her dark eyes fixed on the ashen face of the old vixen.

come upon, as if by accident; meet with

From this reading “I couldn’t find the letter nowhere, Miss Hattie.

(of a number) having a fixed and unchanging value

From this reading “Did you look on the shelf above your bed, where you laid it after opening and reading it?” asked Hattie, very quietly, but with her dark eyes fixed on the ashen face of the old vixen.

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

From this reading “I couldn’t find the letter nowhere, Miss Hattie.

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading I must have been mistaken,” whined Miss Scrimp.

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

From this reading “Did you look on the shelf above your bed, where you laid it after opening and reading it?” asked Hattie, very quietly, but with her dark eyes fixed on the ashen face of the old vixen.

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

From this reading “I couldn’t find the letter nowhere, Miss Hattie.

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

From this reading “And I’ve dragged my poor old bones all the way up these dreadful stairs again to tell you so.”

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading “Did you look on the shelf above your bed, where you laid it after opening and reading it?” asked Hattie, very quietly, but with her dark eyes fixed on the ashen face of the old vixen.

set down according to a plan

From this reading “Did you look on the shelf above your bed, where you laid it after opening and reading it?” asked Hattie, very quietly, but with her dark eyes fixed on the ashen face of the old vixen.

a written message addressed to a person or organization

From this reading “I couldn’t find the letter nowhere, Miss Hattie.

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading “Did you look on the shelf above your bed, where you laid it after opening and reading it?” asked Hattie, very quietly, but with her dark eyes fixed on the ashen face of the old vixen.

fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind

From this reading “I couldn’t find the letter nowhere, Miss Hattie.

wrong in e.g. opinion or judgment

From this reading I must have been mistaken,” whined Miss Scrimp.

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading I must have been mistaken,” whined Miss Scrimp.

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading “And I’ve dragged my poor old bones all the way up these dreadful stairs again to tell you so.”

an insignificant place

From this reading “I couldn’t find the letter nowhere, Miss Hattie.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading “Did you look on the shelf above your bed, where you laid it after opening and reading it?” asked Hattie, very quietly, but with her dark eyes fixed on the ashen face of the old vixen.

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading “And I’ve dragged my poor old bones all the way up these dreadful stairs again to tell you so.”

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading “Did you look on the shelf above your bed, where you laid it after opening and reading it?” asked Hattie, very quietly, but with her dark eyes fixed on the ashen face of the old vixen.

an open or empty space in or between things

From this reading “Did you look on the shelf above your bed, where you laid it after opening and reading it?” asked Hattie, very quietly, but with her dark eyes fixed on the ashen face of the old vixen.

deserving or inciting pity

From this reading “And I’ve dragged my poor old bones all the way up these dreadful stairs again to tell you so.”

with low volume

From this reading “Did you look on the shelf above your bed, where you laid it after opening and reading it?” asked Hattie, very quietly, but with her dark eyes fixed on the ashen face of the old vixen.

the cognitive process of understanding a written linguistic message

From this reading “Did you look on the shelf above your bed, where you laid it after opening and reading it?” asked Hattie, very quietly, but with her dark eyes fixed on the ashen face of the old vixen.

past form of “scream” — utter a sudden loud cry

From this reading “What?” almost screamed Miss Scrimp.

subsist on a meager allowance

From this reading I must have been mistaken,” whined Miss Scrimp.

A flat horizontal plane used to hold books or scrolls in a library.

From this reading “Did you look on the shelf above your bed, where you laid it after opening and reading it?” asked Hattie, very quietly, but with her dark eyes fixed on the ashen face of the old vixen.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading “And I’ve dragged my poor old bones all the way up these dreadful stairs again to tell you so.”

a flight of stairs or a flight of steps

From this reading “And I’ve dragged my poor old bones all the way up these dreadful stairs again to tell you so.”

express in words

From this reading “And I’ve dragged my poor old bones all the way up these dreadful stairs again to tell you so.”

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

From this reading “I couldn’t find the letter nowhere, Miss Hattie.

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading “And I’ve dragged my poor old bones all the way up these dreadful stairs again to tell you so.”

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

From this reading “And I’ve dragged my poor old bones all the way up these dreadful stairs again to tell you so.”

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading “And I’ve dragged my poor old bones all the way up these dreadful stairs again to tell you so.”

precisely as stated

From this reading “Did you look on the shelf above your bed, where you laid it after opening and reading it?” asked Hattie, very quietly, but with her dark eyes fixed on the ashen face of the old vixen.

a malicious woman with a fierce temper

From this reading “Did you look on the shelf above your bed, where you laid it after opening and reading it?” asked Hattie, very quietly, but with her dark eyes fixed on the ashen face of the old vixen.

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading “And I’ve dragged my poor old bones all the way up these dreadful stairs again to tell you so.”

used to ask for information about something

From this reading “What?” almost screamed Miss Scrimp.

in or at the place that

From this reading “Did you look on the shelf above your bed, where you laid it after opening and reading it?” asked Hattie, very quietly, but with her dark eyes fixed on the ashen face of the old vixen.

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

From this reading I must have been mistaken,” whined Miss Scrimp.

in the company of; together with

From this reading “Did you look on the shelf above your bed, where you laid it after opening and reading it?” asked Hattie, very quietly, but with her dark eyes fixed on the ashen face of the old vixen.

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “And I’ve dragged my poor old bones all the way up these dreadful stairs again to tell you so.”

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “Did you look on the shelf above your bed, where you laid it after opening and reading it?” asked Hattie, very quietly, but with her dark eyes fixed on the ashen face of the old vixen.