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Cobwebs and Cables
Cobwebs and Cables

Chapter XL

Cover illustration for Cobwebs and Cables
Context Illustration Reading 1/8 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
LAST WORDS.
Nothing could have delighted Mr. Clifford so much as a marriage between Jean Merle and Phebe Marlowe.
The thought of it had more than once crossed his mind, but he had not dared to cherish it as a hope.
When Jean Merle told him that night how Phebe had consented to become his wife, the old man's gladness knew no bounds.
"She is as dear to me as my own daughter," he said, in tremulous accents; "and now at last I shall have her under the same roof with me.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Cobwebs and Cables

Chapter XL

Reading 1/8 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
LAST WORDS.
Line 2
Nothing could have delighted Mr. Clifford so much as a marriage between Jean Merle and Phebe Marlowe.
Line 3
The thought of it had more than once crossed his mind, but he had not dared to cherish it as a hope.
Line 4
When Jean Merle told him that night how Phebe had consented to become his wife, the old man's gladness knew no bounds.
Line 5
"She is as dear to me as my own daughter," he said, in tremulous accents; "and now at last I shall have her under the same roof with me.

Learner Dictionary

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

Between preposition US /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading “Nothing could have delighted Mr. Clifford so much as a marriage between Jean Merle and Phebe Marlowe.”

Could modal verb US /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading “Nothing could have delighted Mr. Clifford so much as a marriage between Jean Merle and Phebe Marlowe.”

Have auxiliary verb US /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “Nothing could have delighted Mr. Clifford so much as a marriage between Jean Merle and Phebe Marlowe.”

LAST noun US /last/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “LAST WORDS.”

Mind noun US /mind/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The thought of it had more than once crossed his mind, but he had not dared to cherish it as a hope.”

Nothing pronoun US /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading “Nothing could have delighted Mr. Clifford so much as a marriage between Jean Merle and Phebe Marlowe.”

Once noun US /once/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The thought of it had more than once crossed his mind, but he had not dared to cherish it as a hope.”

Same noun US /same/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “"She is as dear to me as my own daughter," he said, in tremulous accents; "and now at last I shall have her under the same roof with me.”

Shall modal verb US /ʃæl/

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

From this reading “"She is as dear to me as my own daughter," he said, in tremulous accents; "and now at last I shall have her under the same roof with me.”

Thought noun US /thought/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The thought of it had more than once crossed his mind, but he had not dared to cherish it as a hope.”

Told noun US /told/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “When Jean Merle told him that night how Phebe had consented to become his wife, the old man's gladness knew no bounds.”

Under preposition US /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading “"She is as dear to me as my own daughter," he said, in tremulous accents; "and now at last I shall have her under the same roof with me.”

All words in this reading · 72

Every word is available to listen to. 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 Nothing could have delighted Mr. Clifford so much as a marriage between Jean Merle and Phebe Marlowe.

accents

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

From this reading "She is as dear to me as my own daughter," he said, in tremulous accents; "and now at last I shall have her under the same roof with me.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Nothing could have delighted Mr. Clifford so much as a marriage between Jean Merle and Phebe Marlowe.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Nothing could have delighted Mr. Clifford so much as a marriage between Jean Merle and Phebe Marlowe.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading "She is as dear to me as my own daughter," he said, in tremulous accents; "and now at last I shall have her under the same roof with me.

become

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

From this reading When Jean Merle told him that night how Phebe had consented to become his wife, the old man's gladness knew no bounds.

betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading Nothing could have delighted Mr. Clifford so much as a marriage between Jean Merle and Phebe Marlowe.

bounds

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

From this reading When Jean Merle told him that night how Phebe had consented to become his wife, the old man's gladness knew no bounds.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading The thought of it had more than once crossed his mind, but he had not dared to cherish it as a hope.

cherish

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

From this reading The thought of it had more than once crossed his mind, but he had not dared to cherish it as a hope.

Clifford

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

From this reading Nothing could have delighted Mr. Clifford so much as a marriage between Jean Merle and Phebe Marlowe.

consented

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

From this reading When Jean Merle told him that night how Phebe had consented to become his wife, the old man's gladness knew no bounds.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading Nothing could have delighted Mr. Clifford so much as a marriage between Jean Merle and Phebe Marlowe.

crossed

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

From this reading The thought of it had more than once crossed his mind, but he had not dared to cherish it as a hope.

dared

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

From this reading The thought of it had more than once crossed his mind, but he had not dared to cherish it as a hope.

daughter

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

From this reading "She is as dear to me as my own daughter," he said, in tremulous accents; "and now at last I shall have her under the same roof with me.

dear

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

From this reading "She is as dear to me as my own daughter," he said, in tremulous accents; "and now at last I shall have her under the same roof with me.

delighted

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

From this reading Nothing could have delighted Mr. Clifford so much as a marriage between Jean Merle and Phebe Marlowe.

gladness

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

From this reading When Jean Merle told him that night how Phebe had consented to become his wife, the old man's gladness knew no bounds.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading The thought of it had more than once crossed his mind, but he had not dared to cherish it as a hope.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Nothing could have delighted Mr. Clifford so much as a marriage between Jean Merle and Phebe Marlowe.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading The thought of it had more than once crossed his mind, but he had not dared to cherish it as a hope.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading "She is as dear to me as my own daughter," he said, in tremulous accents; "and now at last I shall have her under the same roof with me.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading When Jean Merle told him that night how Phebe had consented to become his wife, the old man's gladness knew no bounds.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading The thought of it had more than once crossed his mind, but he had not dared to cherish it as a hope.

hope

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

From this reading The thought of it had more than once crossed his mind, but he had not dared to cherish it as a hope.

how

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

From this reading When Jean Merle told him that night how Phebe had consented to become his wife, the old man's gladness knew no bounds.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "She is as dear to me as my own daughter," he said, in tremulous accents; "and now at last I shall have her under the same roof with me.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading "She is as dear to me as my own daughter," he said, in tremulous accents; "and now at last I shall have her under the same roof with me.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading "She is as dear to me as my own daughter," he said, in tremulous accents; "and now at last I shall have her under the same roof with me.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading The thought of it had more than once crossed his mind, but he had not dared to cherish it as a hope.

Jean

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

From this reading Nothing could have delighted Mr. Clifford so much as a marriage between Jean Merle and Phebe Marlowe.

knew

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

From this reading When Jean Merle told him that night how Phebe had consented to become his wife, the old man's gladness knew no bounds.

LASTnounUS /last/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading LAST WORDS.

man's

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

From this reading When Jean Merle told him that night how Phebe had consented to become his wife, the old man's gladness knew no bounds.

Marlowe

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

From this reading Nothing could have delighted Mr. Clifford so much as a marriage between Jean Merle and Phebe Marlowe.

marriage

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

From this reading Nothing could have delighted Mr. Clifford so much as a marriage between Jean Merle and Phebe Marlowe.

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading "She is as dear to me as my own daughter," he said, in tremulous accents; "and now at last I shall have her under the same roof with me.

Merle

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

From this reading Nothing could have delighted Mr. Clifford so much as a marriage between Jean Merle and Phebe Marlowe.

mindnounUS /mind/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The thought of it had more than once crossed his mind, but he had not dared to cherish it as a hope.

more

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

From this reading The thought of it had more than once crossed his mind, but he had not dared to cherish it as a hope.

Mr

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

From this reading Nothing could have delighted Mr. Clifford so much as a marriage between Jean Merle and Phebe Marlowe.

much

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

From this reading Nothing could have delighted Mr. Clifford so much as a marriage between Jean Merle and Phebe Marlowe.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading "She is as dear to me as my own daughter," he said, in tremulous accents; "and now at last I shall have her under the same roof with me.

night

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

From this reading When Jean Merle told him that night how Phebe had consented to become his wife, the old man's gladness knew no bounds.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading When Jean Merle told him that night how Phebe had consented to become his wife, the old man's gladness knew no bounds.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading The thought of it had more than once crossed his mind, but he had not dared to cherish it as a hope.

NothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading Nothing could have delighted Mr. Clifford so much as a marriage between Jean Merle and Phebe Marlowe.

now

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

From this reading "She is as dear to me as my own daughter," he said, in tremulous accents; "and now at last I shall have her under the same roof with me.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The thought of it had more than once crossed his mind, but he had not dared to cherish it as a hope.

old

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

From this reading When Jean Merle told him that night how Phebe had consented to become his wife, the old man's gladness knew no bounds.

once

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

From this reading The thought of it had more than once crossed his mind, but he had not dared to cherish it as a hope.

own

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

From this reading "She is as dear to me as my own daughter," he said, in tremulous accents; "and now at last I shall have her under the same roof with me.

Phebe

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

From this reading Nothing could have delighted Mr. Clifford so much as a marriage between Jean Merle and Phebe Marlowe.

roof

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

From this reading "She is as dear to me as my own daughter," he said, in tremulous accents; "and now at last I shall have her under the same roof with me.

said

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

From this reading "She is as dear to me as my own daughter," he said, in tremulous accents; "and now at last I shall have her under the same roof with me.

samenounUS /same/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading "She is as dear to me as my own daughter," he said, in tremulous accents; "and now at last I shall have her under the same roof with me.

shallmodal verbUS /ʃæl/

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

From this reading "She is as dear to me as my own daughter," he said, in tremulous accents; "and now at last I shall have her under the same roof with me.

ShepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading "She is as dear to me as my own daughter," he said, in tremulous accents; "and now at last I shall have her under the same roof with me.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Nothing could have delighted Mr. Clifford so much as a marriage between Jean Merle and Phebe Marlowe.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading The thought of it had more than once crossed his mind, but he had not dared to cherish it as a hope.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading When Jean Merle told him that night how Phebe had consented to become his wife, the old man's gladness knew no bounds.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The thought of it had more than once crossed his mind, but he had not dared to cherish it as a hope.

thoughtnounUS /thought/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The thought of it had more than once crossed his mind, but he had not dared to cherish it as a hope.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The thought of it had more than once crossed his mind, but he had not dared to cherish it as a hope.

toldnounUS /told/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading When Jean Merle told him that night how Phebe had consented to become his wife, the old man's gladness knew no bounds.

tremulous

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

From this reading "She is as dear to me as my own daughter," he said, in tremulous accents; "and now at last I shall have her under the same roof with me.

underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading "She is as dear to me as my own daughter," he said, in tremulous accents; "and now at last I shall have her under the same roof with me.

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading When Jean Merle told him that night how Phebe had consented to become his wife, the old man's gladness knew no bounds.

wife

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

From this reading When Jean Merle told him that night how Phebe had consented to become his wife, the old man's gladness knew no bounds.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading "She is as dear to me as my own daughter," he said, in tremulous accents; "and now at last I shall have her under the same roof with me.

WORDS

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

From this reading LAST WORDS.