Learn English through classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Dead Souls
Dead Souls

Chapter IX · Chapter 9

Chapter 9 of Dead Souls is here in full — 167 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Dead Souls
Context Illustration Reading 1/33 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Next morning, before the usual hour for paying calls, there tripped from the portals of an orange-coloured wooden house with an attic storey and a row of blue pillars a lady in an elegant plaid cloak.
With her came a footman in a many-caped greatcoat and a polished top hat with a gold band.
Hastily, but gracefully, the lady ascended the steps let down from a koliaska which was standing before the entrance, and as soon as she had done so the footman shut her in, put up the steps again, and, catching hold of the strap behind the vehicle, shouted to the coachman, Right away!”
The reason of all this was that the lady was the possessor of a piece of intelligence that she was burning to communicate to a fellow-creature.
Every moment she kept looking out of the carriage window, and perceiving, with almost speechless vexation, that, as yet, she was but half-way on her journey.
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.

Dead Souls

Chapter IX · Chapter 9

Chapter 9 of Dead Souls is here in full — 167 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/33 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Next morning, before the usual hour for paying calls, there tripped from the portals of an orange-coloured wooden house with an attic storey and a row of blue pillars a lady in an elegant plaid cloak.
Line 2
With her came a footman in a many-caped greatcoat and a polished top hat with a gold band.
Line 3
Hastily, but gracefully, the lady ascended the steps let down from a koliaska which was standing before the entrance, and as soon as she had done so the footman shut her in, put up the steps again, and, catching hold of the strap behind the vehicle, shouted to the coachman, “Right away!”
Line 4
The reason of all this was that the lady was the possessor of a piece of intelligence that she was burning to communicate to a fellow-creature.
Line 5
Every moment she kept looking out of the carriage window, and perceiving, with almost speechless vexation, that, as yet, she was but half-way on her journey.

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.

attic noun US /ˈætɪk/

floor consisting of open space at the top of a house just below roof; often used for storage

From this reading “Next morning, before the usual hour for paying calls, there tripped from the portals of an orange-coloured wooden house with an attic storey and a row of blue pillars a lady in an elegant plaid cloak.”

gracefully adverb US /ˈɡreɪsfəli/

in a graceful manner

From this reading “Hastily, but gracefully, the lady ascended the steps let down from a koliaska which was standing before the entrance, and as soon as she had done so the footman shut her in, put up the steps again, and, catching hold of the strap behind the vehicle, shouted to the coachman, “Right away!””

plaid noun US /plæd/

a cloth having a crisscross design

From this reading “Next morning, before the usual hour for paying calls, there tripped from the portals of an orange-coloured wooden house with an attic storey and a row of blue pillars a lady in an elegant plaid cloak.”

portals noun US /ˈpɔːrtəlz/

plural of “portal” — a grand and imposing entrance (often extended metaphorically)

From this reading “Next morning, before the usual hour for paying calls, there tripped from the portals of an orange-coloured wooden house with an attic storey and a row of blue pillars a lady in an elegant plaid cloak.”

possessor noun US /pəˈzesər/

a person who owns something

From this reading “The reason of all this was that the lady was the possessor of a piece of intelligence that she was burning to communicate to a fellow-creature.”

storey noun US /ˈstɔːri/

a structure consisting of a room or set of rooms at a single position along a vertical scale

From this reading “Next morning, before the usual hour for paying calls, there tripped from the portals of an orange-coloured wooden house with an attic storey and a row of blue pillars a lady in an elegant plaid cloak.”

strap noun US /stræp/

an elongated leather strip (or a strip of similar material) for binding things together or holding something in position

From this reading “Hastily, but gracefully, the lady ascended the steps let down from a koliaska which was standing before the entrance, and as soon as she had done so the footman shut her in, put up the steps again, and, catching hold of the strap behind the vehicle, shouted to the coachman, “Right away!””

tripped verb US /trɪpt/

inflected form of “trip” — miss a step and fall or nearly fall

From this reading “Next morning, before the usual hour for paying calls, there tripped from the portals of an orange-coloured wooden house with an attic storey and a row of blue pillars a lady in an elegant plaid cloak.”

All words in this reading · 98

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 Next morning, before the usual hour for paying calls, there tripped from the portals of an orange-coloured wooden house with an attic storey and a row of blue pillars a lady in an elegant plaid cloak.

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading Hastily, but gracefully, the lady ascended the steps let down from a koliaska which was standing before the entrance, and as soon as she had done so the footman shut her in, put up the steps again, and, catching hold of the strap behind the vehicle, shouted to the coachman, “Right away!”

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 The reason of all this was that the lady was the possessor of a piece of intelligence that she was burning to communicate to a fellow-creature.

almostadverbUS /ˈɔːlmoʊst/

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

From this reading Every moment she kept looking out of the carriage window, and perceiving, with almost speechless vexation, that, as yet, she was but half-way on her journey.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading Next morning, before the usual hour for paying calls, there tripped from the portals of an orange-coloured wooden house with an attic storey and a row of blue pillars a lady in an elegant plaid cloak.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Next morning, before the usual hour for paying calls, there tripped from the portals of an orange-coloured wooden house with an attic storey and a row of blue pillars a lady in an elegant plaid cloak.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Hastily, but gracefully, the lady ascended the steps let down from a koliaska which was standing before the entrance, and as soon as she had done so the footman shut her in, put up the steps again, and, catching hold of the strap behind the vehicle, shouted to the coachman, “Right away!”

ascendedverbUS /əˈsendɪd/

past form of “ascend” — travel up

From this reading Hastily, but gracefully, the lady ascended the steps let down from a koliaska which was standing before the entrance, and as soon as she had done so the footman shut her in, put up the steps again, and, catching hold of the strap behind the vehicle, shouted to the coachman, “Right away!”

atticnounUS /ˈætɪk/

floor consisting of open space at the top of a house just below roof; often used for storage

From this reading Next morning, before the usual hour for paying calls, there tripped from the portals of an orange-coloured wooden house with an attic storey and a row of blue pillars a lady in an elegant plaid cloak.

awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading Hastily, but gracefully, the lady ascended the steps let down from a koliaska which was standing before the entrance, and as soon as she had done so the footman shut her in, put up the steps again, and, catching hold of the strap behind the vehicle, shouted to the coachman, “Right away!”

bandnounUS /bænd/

an unofficial association of people or groups

From this reading With her came a footman in a many-caped greatcoat and a polished top hat with a gold band.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading Next morning, before the usual hour for paying calls, there tripped from the portals of an orange-coloured wooden house with an attic storey and a row of blue pillars a lady in an elegant plaid cloak.

behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/

at or toward the back of something

From this reading Hastily, but gracefully, the lady ascended the steps let down from a koliaska which was standing before the entrance, and as soon as she had done so the footman shut her in, put up the steps again, and, catching hold of the strap behind the vehicle, shouted to the coachman, “Right away!”

blueadjectiveUS /bluː/

of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky

From this reading Next morning, before the usual hour for paying calls, there tripped from the portals of an orange-coloured wooden house with an attic storey and a row of blue pillars a lady in an elegant plaid cloak.

burningnounUS /ˈbɜːrnɪŋ/

the act of burning something

From this reading The reason of all this was that the lady was the possessor of a piece of intelligence that she was burning to communicate to a fellow-creature.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Hastily, but gracefully, the lady ascended the steps let down from a koliaska which was standing before the entrance, and as soon as she had done so the footman shut her in, put up the steps again, and, catching hold of the strap behind the vehicle, shouted to the coachman, “Right away!”

callsnounUS /kɔːlz/

plural of “call” — a telephone connection

From this reading Next morning, before the usual hour for paying calls, there tripped from the portals of an orange-coloured wooden house with an attic storey and a row of blue pillars a lady in an elegant plaid cloak.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

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

From this reading With her came a footman in a many-caped greatcoat and a polished top hat with a gold band.

carriagenounUS /ˈkærɪdʒ/

a railcar where passengers ride

From this reading Every moment she kept looking out of the carriage window, and perceiving, with almost speechless vexation, that, as yet, she was but half-way on her journey.

catchingnounUS /ˈkætʃɪŋ/

(baseball) playing the position of catcher on a baseball team

From this reading Hastily, but gracefully, the lady ascended the steps let down from a koliaska which was standing before the entrance, and as soon as she had done so the footman shut her in, put up the steps again, and, catching hold of the strap behind the vehicle, shouted to the coachman, “Right away!”

cloaknounUS /kloʊk/

anything that covers or conceals

From this reading Next morning, before the usual hour for paying calls, there tripped from the portals of an orange-coloured wooden house with an attic storey and a row of blue pillars a lady in an elegant plaid cloak.

coachmannounUS /ˈkoʊtʃmən/

a man who drives a coach (or carriage)

From this reading Hastily, but gracefully, the lady ascended the steps let down from a koliaska which was standing before the entrance, and as soon as she had done so the footman shut her in, put up the steps again, and, catching hold of the strap behind the vehicle, shouted to the coachman, “Right away!”

communicateverbUS /kəˈmjuːnəkeɪt/

transmit information

From this reading The reason of all this was that the lady was the possessor of a piece of intelligence that she was burning to communicate to a fellow-creature.

doneadjectiveUS /dʌn/

having finished or arrived at completion

From this reading Hastily, but gracefully, the lady ascended the steps let down from a koliaska which was standing before the entrance, and as soon as she had done so the footman shut her in, put up the steps again, and, catching hold of the strap behind the vehicle, shouted to the coachman, “Right away!”

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading Hastily, but gracefully, the lady ascended the steps let down from a koliaska which was standing before the entrance, and as soon as she had done so the footman shut her in, put up the steps again, and, catching hold of the strap behind the vehicle, shouted to the coachman, “Right away!”

elegantadjectiveUS /ˈeləɡənt/

refined and tasteful in appearance or behavior or style

From this reading Next morning, before the usual hour for paying calls, there tripped from the portals of an orange-coloured wooden house with an attic storey and a row of blue pillars a lady in an elegant plaid cloak.

entrancenounUS /ˈentrəns/

something that provides access (to get in or get out)

From this reading Hastily, but gracefully, the lady ascended the steps let down from a koliaska which was standing before the entrance, and as soon as she had done so the footman shut her in, put up the steps again, and, catching hold of the strap behind the vehicle, shouted to the coachman, “Right away!”

EverydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading Every moment she kept looking out of the carriage window, and perceiving, with almost speechless vexation, that, as yet, she was but half-way on her journey.

fellow-creature

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

From this reading The reason of all this was that the lady was the possessor of a piece of intelligence that she was burning to communicate to a fellow-creature.

footmannounUS /ˈfʊtmən/

a man employed as a servant in a large establishment (as a palace) to run errands and do chores

From this reading With her came a footman in a many-caped greatcoat and a polished top hat with a gold band.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Next morning, before the usual hour for paying calls, there tripped from the portals of an orange-coloured wooden house with an attic storey and a row of blue pillars a lady in an elegant plaid cloak.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Next morning, before the usual hour for paying calls, there tripped from the portals of an orange-coloured wooden house with an attic storey and a row of blue pillars a lady in an elegant plaid cloak.

goldnounUS /ɡoʊld/

coins made of gold

From this reading With her came a footman in a many-caped greatcoat and a polished top hat with a gold band.

gracefullyadverbUS /ˈɡreɪsfəli/

in a graceful manner

From this reading Hastily, but gracefully, the lady ascended the steps let down from a koliaska which was standing before the entrance, and as soon as she had done so the footman shut her in, put up the steps again, and, catching hold of the strap behind the vehicle, shouted to the coachman, “Right away!”

greatcoatnoun

a heavy coat worn over clothes in winter

From this reading With her came a footman in a many-caped greatcoat and a polished top hat with a gold band.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Hastily, but gracefully, the lady ascended the steps let down from a koliaska which was standing before the entrance, and as soon as she had done so the footman shut her in, put up the steps again, and, catching hold of the strap behind the vehicle, shouted to the coachman, “Right away!”

half-way

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

From this reading Every moment she kept looking out of the carriage window, and perceiving, with almost speechless vexation, that, as yet, she was but half-way on her journey.

HastilyadverbUS /ˈheɪstəli/

in a hurried or hasty manner

From this reading Hastily, but gracefully, the lady ascended the steps let down from a koliaska which was standing before the entrance, and as soon as she had done so the footman shut her in, put up the steps again, and, catching hold of the strap behind the vehicle, shouted to the coachman, “Right away!”

hatnounUS /hæt/

headdress that protects the head from bad weather; has shaped crown and usually a brim

From this reading With her came a footman in a many-caped greatcoat and a polished top hat with a gold band.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading With her came a footman in a many-caped greatcoat and a polished top hat with a gold band.

holdverbUS /hoʊld/

cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”

From this reading Hastily, but gracefully, the lady ascended the steps let down from a koliaska which was standing before the entrance, and as soon as she had done so the footman shut her in, put up the steps again, and, catching hold of the strap behind the vehicle, shouted to the coachman, “Right away!”

hournounUS /ˈaʊər/

a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day

From this reading Next morning, before the usual hour for paying calls, there tripped from the portals of an orange-coloured wooden house with an attic storey and a row of blue pillars a lady in an elegant plaid cloak.

housenounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading Next morning, before the usual hour for paying calls, there tripped from the portals of an orange-coloured wooden house with an attic storey and a row of blue pillars a lady in an elegant plaid cloak.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Next morning, before the usual hour for paying calls, there tripped from the portals of an orange-coloured wooden house with an attic storey and a row of blue pillars a lady in an elegant plaid cloak.

intelligencenounUS /ˌɪnˈtelədʒəns/

the ability to comprehend; to understand and profit from experience

From this reading The reason of all this was that the lady was the possessor of a piece of intelligence that she was burning to communicate to a fellow-creature.

journeyverbUS /ˈdʒɜːrni/

undertake a journey or trip

From this reading Every moment she kept looking out of the carriage window, and perceiving, with almost speechless vexation, that, as yet, she was but half-way on her journey.

keptadjectiveUS /kept/

(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded

From this reading Every moment she kept looking out of the carriage window, and perceiving, with almost speechless vexation, that, as yet, she was but half-way on her journey.

koliaska

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

From this reading Hastily, but gracefully, the lady ascended the steps let down from a koliaska which was standing before the entrance, and as soon as she had done so the footman shut her in, put up the steps again, and, catching hold of the strap behind the vehicle, shouted to the coachman, “Right away!”

ladynounUS /ˈleɪdi/

a polite name for any woman

From this reading Next morning, before the usual hour for paying calls, there tripped from the portals of an orange-coloured wooden house with an attic storey and a row of blue pillars a lady in an elegant plaid cloak.

letauxiliary verbUS /let/

used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker

From this reading Hastily, but gracefully, the lady ascended the steps let down from a koliaska which was standing before the entrance, and as soon as she had done so the footman shut her in, put up the steps again, and, catching hold of the strap behind the vehicle, shouted to the coachman, “Right away!”

lookingnounUS /ˈlʊkɪŋ/

the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually

From this reading Every moment she kept looking out of the carriage window, and perceiving, with almost speechless vexation, that, as yet, she was but half-way on her journey.

many-caped

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

From this reading With her came a footman in a many-caped greatcoat and a polished top hat with a gold band.

momentnounUS /ˈmoʊmənt/

a particular point in time

From this reading Every moment she kept looking out of the carriage window, and perceiving, with almost speechless vexation, that, as yet, she was but half-way on her journey.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading Next morning, before the usual hour for paying calls, there tripped from the portals of an orange-coloured wooden house with an attic storey and a row of blue pillars a lady in an elegant plaid cloak.

NextadjectiveUS /nekst/

immediately following in time or order

From this reading Next morning, before the usual hour for paying calls, there tripped from the portals of an orange-coloured wooden house with an attic storey and a row of blue pillars a lady in an elegant plaid cloak.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Next morning, before the usual hour for paying calls, there tripped from the portals of an orange-coloured wooden house with an attic storey and a row of blue pillars a lady in an elegant plaid cloak.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Every moment she kept looking out of the carriage window, and perceiving, with almost speechless vexation, that, as yet, she was but half-way on her journey.

orange-colouredadjective

having the color of ripe oranges

From this reading Next morning, before the usual hour for paying calls, there tripped from the portals of an orange-coloured wooden house with an attic storey and a row of blue pillars a lady in an elegant plaid cloak.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading Every moment she kept looking out of the carriage window, and perceiving, with almost speechless vexation, that, as yet, she was but half-way on her journey.

payingadjectiveUS /ˈpeɪɪŋ/

yielding a fair profit

From this reading Next morning, before the usual hour for paying calls, there tripped from the portals of an orange-coloured wooden house with an attic storey and a row of blue pillars a lady in an elegant plaid cloak.

perceivingverbUS /pərˈsiːvɪŋ/

-ing form of “perceive” — to become aware of through the senses

From this reading Every moment she kept looking out of the carriage window, and perceiving, with almost speechless vexation, that, as yet, she was but half-way on her journey.

piecenounUS /piːs/

a separate part of a whole

From this reading The reason of all this was that the lady was the possessor of a piece of intelligence that she was burning to communicate to a fellow-creature.

pillarsnounUS /ˈpɪlərz/

plural of “pillar” — a fundamental principle or practice

From this reading Next morning, before the usual hour for paying calls, there tripped from the portals of an orange-coloured wooden house with an attic storey and a row of blue pillars a lady in an elegant plaid cloak.

plaidnounUS /plæd/

a cloth having a crisscross design

From this reading Next morning, before the usual hour for paying calls, there tripped from the portals of an orange-coloured wooden house with an attic storey and a row of blue pillars a lady in an elegant plaid cloak.

polishedadjectiveUS /ˈpɑːlɪʃt/

perfected or made shiny and smooth

From this reading With her came a footman in a many-caped greatcoat and a polished top hat with a gold band.

portalsnounUS /ˈpɔːrtəlz/

plural of “portal” — a grand and imposing entrance (often extended metaphorically)

From this reading Next morning, before the usual hour for paying calls, there tripped from the portals of an orange-coloured wooden house with an attic storey and a row of blue pillars a lady in an elegant plaid cloak.

possessornounUS /pəˈzesər/

a person who owns something

From this reading The reason of all this was that the lady was the possessor of a piece of intelligence that she was burning to communicate to a fellow-creature.

putverbUS /pʊt/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading Hastily, but gracefully, the lady ascended the steps let down from a koliaska which was standing before the entrance, and as soon as she had done so the footman shut her in, put up the steps again, and, catching hold of the strap behind the vehicle, shouted to the coachman, “Right away!”

reasonnounUS /ˈriːzən/

a rational motive for a belief or action

From this reading The reason of all this was that the lady was the possessor of a piece of intelligence that she was burning to communicate to a fellow-creature.

RightadverbUS /raɪt/

precisely, exactly

From this reading Hastily, but gracefully, the lady ascended the steps let down from a koliaska which was standing before the entrance, and as soon as she had done so the footman shut her in, put up the steps again, and, catching hold of the strap behind the vehicle, shouted to the coachman, “Right away!”

rownounUS /roʊ/

an arrangement of objects or people side by side in a line

From this reading Next morning, before the usual hour for paying calls, there tripped from the portals of an orange-coloured wooden house with an attic storey and a row of blue pillars a lady in an elegant plaid cloak.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading Hastily, but gracefully, the lady ascended the steps let down from a koliaska which was standing before the entrance, and as soon as she had done so the footman shut her in, put up the steps again, and, catching hold of the strap behind the vehicle, shouted to the coachman, “Right away!”

shoutedadjectiveUS /ˈʃaʊtɪd/

in a vehement outcry

From this reading Hastily, but gracefully, the lady ascended the steps let down from a koliaska which was standing before the entrance, and as soon as she had done so the footman shut her in, put up the steps again, and, catching hold of the strap behind the vehicle, shouted to the coachman, “Right away!”

shutverbUS /ʃʌt/

move so that an opening or passage is obstructed; make shut

From this reading Hastily, but gracefully, the lady ascended the steps let down from a koliaska which was standing before the entrance, and as soon as she had done so the footman shut her in, put up the steps again, and, catching hold of the strap behind the vehicle, shouted to the coachman, “Right away!”

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Hastily, but gracefully, the lady ascended the steps let down from a koliaska which was standing before the entrance, and as soon as she had done so the footman shut her in, put up the steps again, and, catching hold of the strap behind the vehicle, shouted to the coachman, “Right away!”

soonadverbUS /suːn/

in the near future

From this reading Hastily, but gracefully, the lady ascended the steps let down from a koliaska which was standing before the entrance, and as soon as she had done so the footman shut her in, put up the steps again, and, catching hold of the strap behind the vehicle, shouted to the coachman, “Right away!”

speechlessadjectiveUS /ˈspiːtʃləs/

temporarily incapable of speaking

From this reading Every moment she kept looking out of the carriage window, and perceiving, with almost speechless vexation, that, as yet, she was but half-way on her journey.

standingadjectiveUS /ˈstændɪŋ/

having a supporting base

From this reading Hastily, but gracefully, the lady ascended the steps let down from a koliaska which was standing before the entrance, and as soon as she had done so the footman shut her in, put up the steps again, and, catching hold of the strap behind the vehicle, shouted to the coachman, “Right away!”

stepsnounUS /steps/

a flight of stairs or a flight of steps

From this reading Hastily, but gracefully, the lady ascended the steps let down from a koliaska which was standing before the entrance, and as soon as she had done so the footman shut her in, put up the steps again, and, catching hold of the strap behind the vehicle, shouted to the coachman, “Right away!”

storeynounUS /ˈstɔːri/

a structure consisting of a room or set of rooms at a single position along a vertical scale

From this reading Next morning, before the usual hour for paying calls, there tripped from the portals of an orange-coloured wooden house with an attic storey and a row of blue pillars a lady in an elegant plaid cloak.

strapnounUS /stræp/

an elongated leather strip (or a strip of similar material) for binding things together or holding something in position

From this reading Hastily, but gracefully, the lady ascended the steps let down from a koliaska which was standing before the entrance, and as soon as she had done so the footman shut her in, put up the steps again, and, catching hold of the strap behind the vehicle, shouted to the coachman, “Right away!”

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The reason of all this was that the lady was the possessor of a piece of intelligence that she was burning to communicate to a fellow-creature.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Next morning, before the usual hour for paying calls, there tripped from the portals of an orange-coloured wooden house with an attic storey and a row of blue pillars a lady in an elegant plaid cloak.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading Next morning, before the usual hour for paying calls, there tripped from the portals of an orange-coloured wooden house with an attic storey and a row of blue pillars a lady in an elegant plaid cloak.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading The reason of all this was that the lady was the possessor of a piece of intelligence that she was burning to communicate to a fellow-creature.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Hastily, but gracefully, the lady ascended the steps let down from a koliaska which was standing before the entrance, and as soon as she had done so the footman shut her in, put up the steps again, and, catching hold of the strap behind the vehicle, shouted to the coachman, “Right away!”

topnounUS /tɑːp/

the upper part of anything

From this reading With her came a footman in a many-caped greatcoat and a polished top hat with a gold band.

trippedverbUS /trɪpt/

inflected form of “trip” — miss a step and fall or nearly fall

From this reading Next morning, before the usual hour for paying calls, there tripped from the portals of an orange-coloured wooden house with an attic storey and a row of blue pillars a lady in an elegant plaid cloak.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

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

From this reading Hastily, but gracefully, the lady ascended the steps let down from a koliaska which was standing before the entrance, and as soon as she had done so the footman shut her in, put up the steps again, and, catching hold of the strap behind the vehicle, shouted to the coachman, “Right away!”

usualadjectiveUS /ˈjuːʒəwəl/

occurring or encountered or experienced or observed frequently or in accordance with regular practice or procedure

From this reading Next morning, before the usual hour for paying calls, there tripped from the portals of an orange-coloured wooden house with an attic storey and a row of blue pillars a lady in an elegant plaid cloak.

vehiclenounUS /ˈviːhɪkəl/

a conveyance that transports people or objects

From this reading Hastily, but gracefully, the lady ascended the steps let down from a koliaska which was standing before the entrance, and as soon as she had done so the footman shut her in, put up the steps again, and, catching hold of the strap behind the vehicle, shouted to the coachman, “Right away!”

vexationnoun

anger produced by some annoying irritation

From this reading Every moment she kept looking out of the carriage window, and perceiving, with almost speechless vexation, that, as yet, she was but half-way on her journey.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Hastily, but gracefully, the lady ascended the steps let down from a koliaska which was standing before the entrance, and as soon as she had done so the footman shut her in, put up the steps again, and, catching hold of the strap behind the vehicle, shouted to the coachman, “Right away!”

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading Hastily, but gracefully, the lady ascended the steps let down from a koliaska which was standing before the entrance, and as soon as she had done so the footman shut her in, put up the steps again, and, catching hold of the strap behind the vehicle, shouted to the coachman, “Right away!”

windownounUS /ˈwɪndoʊ/

a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air

From this reading Every moment she kept looking out of the carriage window, and perceiving, with almost speechless vexation, that, as yet, she was but half-way on her journey.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Next morning, before the usual hour for paying calls, there tripped from the portals of an orange-coloured wooden house with an attic storey and a row of blue pillars a lady in an elegant plaid cloak.

woodenadjectiveUS /ˈwʊdən/

made or consisting of (entirely or in part) or employing wood

From this reading Next morning, before the usual hour for paying calls, there tripped from the portals of an orange-coloured wooden house with an attic storey and a row of blue pillars a lady in an elegant plaid cloak.

yetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading Every moment she kept looking out of the carriage window, and perceiving, with almost speechless vexation, that, as yet, she was but half-way on her journey.

Chapter 9 of Dead Souls by Nikolai Vasilevich Gogol holds 167 sentences, grouped into 34 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 9 of Dead Souls contain?

Chapter 9 holds 167 sentences of Dead Souls, unabridged, divided into 34 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 9 of Dead Souls by Nikolai Vasilevich Gogol exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 167 sentences, grouped into 34 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 9 of Dead Souls?

Work through the 34 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 34 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 9 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 9 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 Dead Souls

Common questions about reading Dead Souls by Nikolai Vasilevich Gogol on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Dead Souls?

Yes. All 6596 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1081 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Dead Souls is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #1081, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Dead Souls take to read?

About 549 minutes of reading across 1320 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Dead Souls section by section

How to work through Dead Souls section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 15 chapters of Dead Souls 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 Dead Souls

Words and structures a reader meets early in Dead Souls, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Provincial
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Dead Souls; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Smart
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Dead Souls; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Britchka--a
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Dead Souls; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Light
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Dead Souls; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.