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Droll Stories — Volume 2
Droll Stories — Volume 2

Chapter XIV · Chapter 14

Chapter 14 of Droll Stories — Volume 2 is here in full — 109 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/21 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Then by us has it been said to the accused that she then held to be true the statements of the good Sire Harduin and of the innkeeper Tortebras.
By her who speaks has it been replied, that she recognised as evidence the greater part, and also as malicious, calumnious, and imbecile certain portions.
Then by us has the accused been required to declare if she had had pleasure and carnal commerce with all the men, nobles, citizens, and others as set forth in the plaints and declarations of the inhabitants.
To which her who speaks has it been answered with great effrontery: "Pleasure, yes!
Commerce, I do not know."
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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.

Droll Stories — Volume 2

Chapter XIV · Chapter 14

Chapter 14 of Droll Stories — Volume 2 is here in full — 109 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/21 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Then by us has it been said to the accused that she then held to be true the statements of the good Sire Harduin and of the innkeeper Tortebras.
Line 2
By her who speaks has it been replied, that she recognised as evidence the greater part, and also as malicious, calumnious, and imbecile certain portions.
Line 3
Then by us has the accused been required to declare if she had had pleasure and carnal commerce with all the men, nobles, citizens, and others as set forth in the plaints and declarations of the inhabitants.
Line 4
To which her who speaks has it been answered with great effrontery: "Pleasure, yes!
/tuː wɪtʃ hɜːr huː spiːks hæz ɪt bɪn ˈænsərd wɪð ɡreɪt ɪˈfrʌntəri ˈpleʒər jes/
Line 5
Commerce, I do not know."
/ˈkɑːmərs aɪ duː nɑːt noʊ/

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.

carnal adjective US /ˈkɑːrnəl/

marked by the appetites and passions of the body

From this reading “Then by us has the accused been required to declare if she had had pleasure and carnal commerce with all the men, nobles, citizens, and others as set forth in the plaints and declarations of the inhabitants.”

declarations noun US /ˌdeklərˈeɪʃənz/

plural of “declaration” — a statement that is emphatic and explicit (spoken or written)

From this reading “Then by us has the accused been required to declare if she had had pleasure and carnal commerce with all the men, nobles, citizens, and others as set forth in the plaints and declarations of the inhabitants.”

effrontery noun US /ɪˈfrʌntəri/

audacious (even arrogant) behavior that you have no right to

From this reading “To which her who speaks has it been answered with great effrontery: "Pleasure, yes!”

imbecile noun US /ˈɪmbəsəl/

a person of subnormal intelligence

From this reading “By her who speaks has it been replied, that she recognised as evidence the greater part, and also as malicious, calumnious, and imbecile certain portions.”

innkeeper noun US /ˈɪnkiːpər/

the owner or manager of an inn

From this reading “Then by us has it been said to the accused that she then held to be true the statements of the good Sire Harduin and of the innkeeper Tortebras.”

malicious adjective US /məˈlɪʃəs/

having the nature of or resulting from malice

From this reading “By her who speaks has it been replied, that she recognised as evidence the greater part, and also as malicious, calumnious, and imbecile certain portions.”

portions noun US /ˈpɔːrʃənz/

plural of “portion” — something determined in relation to something that includes it

From this reading “By her who speaks has it been replied, that she recognised as evidence the greater part, and also as malicious, calumnious, and imbecile certain portions.”

statements noun US /ˈsteɪtmənts/

plural of “statement” — a message that is stated or declared; a communication (oral or written) setting forth particulars or facts etc

From this reading “Then by us has it been said to the accused that she then held to be true the statements of the good Sire Harduin and of the innkeeper Tortebras.”

All words in this reading · 66

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.

accusednounUS /əˈkjuːzd/

a defendant in a criminal proceeding

From this reading Then by us has it been said to the accused that she then held to be true the statements of the good Sire Harduin and of the innkeeper Tortebras.

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 Then by us has the accused been required to declare if she had had pleasure and carnal commerce with all the men, nobles, citizens, and others as set forth in the plaints and declarations of the inhabitants.

alsoadverbUS /ˈɔːlsoʊ/

in addition

From this reading By her who speaks has it been replied, that she recognised as evidence the greater part, and also as malicious, calumnious, and imbecile certain portions.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Then by us has it been said to the accused that she then held to be true the statements of the good Sire Harduin and of the innkeeper Tortebras.

answeredverbUS /ˈænsərd/

past form of “answer” — react verbally

From this reading To which her who speaks has it been answered with great effrontery: "Pleasure, yes!

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading By her who speaks has it been replied, that she recognised as evidence the greater part, and also as malicious, calumnious, and imbecile certain portions.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading Then by us has it been said to the accused that she then held to be true the statements of the good Sire Harduin and of the innkeeper Tortebras.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Then by us has it been said to the accused that she then held to be true the statements of the good Sire Harduin and of the innkeeper Tortebras.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Then by us has it been said to the accused that she then held to be true the statements of the good Sire Harduin and of the innkeeper Tortebras.

calumniousadjective

(used of statements) harmful and often untrue; tending to discredit or malign

From this reading By her who speaks has it been replied, that she recognised as evidence the greater part, and also as malicious, calumnious, and imbecile certain portions.

carnaladjectiveUS /ˈkɑːrnəl/

marked by the appetites and passions of the body

From this reading Then by us has the accused been required to declare if she had had pleasure and carnal commerce with all the men, nobles, citizens, and others as set forth in the plaints and declarations of the inhabitants.

certainadjectiveUS /ˈsɜːrtən/

definite but not specified or identified

From this reading By her who speaks has it been replied, that she recognised as evidence the greater part, and also as malicious, calumnious, and imbecile certain portions.

citizensnounUS /ˈsɪtəzənz/

plural of “citizen” — a native or naturalized member of a state or other political community

From this reading Then by us has the accused been required to declare if she had had pleasure and carnal commerce with all the men, nobles, citizens, and others as set forth in the plaints and declarations of the inhabitants.

commercenounUS /ˈkɑːmərs/

transactions (sales and purchases) having the objective of supplying commodities (goods and services)

From this reading Then by us has the accused been required to declare if she had had pleasure and carnal commerce with all the men, nobles, citizens, and others as set forth in the plaints and declarations of the inhabitants.

declarationsnounUS /ˌdeklərˈeɪʃənz/

plural of “declaration” — a statement that is emphatic and explicit (spoken or written)

From this reading Then by us has the accused been required to declare if she had had pleasure and carnal commerce with all the men, nobles, citizens, and others as set forth in the plaints and declarations of the inhabitants.

declareverbUS /dɪˈkler/

state emphatically and authoritatively

From this reading Then by us has the accused been required to declare if she had had pleasure and carnal commerce with all the men, nobles, citizens, and others as set forth in the plaints and declarations of the inhabitants.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading Commerce, I do not know."

effronterynounUS /ɪˈfrʌntəri/

audacious (even arrogant) behavior that you have no right to

From this reading To which her who speaks has it been answered with great effrontery: "Pleasure, yes!

evidencenounUS /ˈevədəns/

your basis for belief or disbelief; knowledge on which to base belief

From this reading By her who speaks has it been replied, that she recognised as evidence the greater part, and also as malicious, calumnious, and imbecile certain portions.

forthadverbUS /fɔːrθ/

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

From this reading Then by us has the accused been required to declare if she had had pleasure and carnal commerce with all the men, nobles, citizens, and others as set forth in the plaints and declarations of the inhabitants.

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading Then by us has it been said to the accused that she then held to be true the statements of the good Sire Harduin and of the innkeeper Tortebras.

greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading To which her who speaks has it been answered with great effrontery: "Pleasure, yes!

greateradjectiveUS /ˈɡreɪtər/

greater in size or importance or degree

From this reading By her who speaks has it been replied, that she recognised as evidence the greater part, and also as malicious, calumnious, and imbecile certain portions.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Then by us has the accused been required to declare if she had had pleasure and carnal commerce with all the men, nobles, citizens, and others as set forth in the plaints and declarations of the inhabitants.

Harduin

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

From this reading Then by us has it been said to the accused that she then held to be true the statements of the good Sire Harduin and of the innkeeper Tortebras.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading Then by us has it been said to the accused that she then held to be true the statements of the good Sire Harduin and of the innkeeper Tortebras.

heldadjectiveUS /held/

occupied or in the control of; often used in combination

From this reading Then by us has it been said to the accused that she then held to be true the statements of the good Sire Harduin and of the innkeeper Tortebras.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading By her who speaks has it been replied, that she recognised as evidence the greater part, and also as malicious, calumnious, and imbecile certain portions.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading Commerce, I do not know."

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading Then by us has the accused been required to declare if she had had pleasure and carnal commerce with all the men, nobles, citizens, and others as set forth in the plaints and declarations of the inhabitants.

imbecilenounUS /ˈɪmbəsəl/

a person of subnormal intelligence

From this reading By her who speaks has it been replied, that she recognised as evidence the greater part, and also as malicious, calumnious, and imbecile certain portions.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Then by us has the accused been required to declare if she had had pleasure and carnal commerce with all the men, nobles, citizens, and others as set forth in the plaints and declarations of the inhabitants.

inhabitantsnounUS /ɪnˈhæbətənts/

plural of “inhabitant” — a person who inhabits a particular place

From this reading Then by us has the accused been required to declare if she had had pleasure and carnal commerce with all the men, nobles, citizens, and others as set forth in the plaints and declarations of the inhabitants.

innkeepernounUS /ˈɪnkiːpər/

the owner or manager of an inn

From this reading Then by us has it been said to the accused that she then held to be true the statements of the good Sire Harduin and of the innkeeper Tortebras.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Then by us has it been said to the accused that she then held to be true the statements of the good Sire Harduin and of the innkeeper Tortebras.

knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading Commerce, I do not know."

maliciousadjectiveUS /məˈlɪʃəs/

having the nature of or resulting from malice

From this reading By her who speaks has it been replied, that she recognised as evidence the greater part, and also as malicious, calumnious, and imbecile certain portions.

mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading Then by us has the accused been required to declare if she had had pleasure and carnal commerce with all the men, nobles, citizens, and others as set forth in the plaints and declarations of the inhabitants.

noblesnounUS /ˈnoʊbəlz/

plural of “noble” — a titled peer of the realm

From this reading Then by us has the accused been required to declare if she had had pleasure and carnal commerce with all the men, nobles, citizens, and others as set forth in the plaints and declarations of the inhabitants.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Commerce, I do not know."

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Then by us has it been said to the accused that she then held to be true the statements of the good Sire Harduin and of the innkeeper Tortebras.

others

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

From this reading Then by us has the accused been required to declare if she had had pleasure and carnal commerce with all the men, nobles, citizens, and others as set forth in the plaints and declarations of the inhabitants.

partnounUS /pɑːrt/

something determined in relation to something that includes it

From this reading By her who speaks has it been replied, that she recognised as evidence the greater part, and also as malicious, calumnious, and imbecile certain portions.

plaints

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

From this reading Then by us has the accused been required to declare if she had had pleasure and carnal commerce with all the men, nobles, citizens, and others as set forth in the plaints and declarations of the inhabitants.

pleasurenounUS /ˈpleʒər/

a fundamental feeling that is hard to define but that people desire to experience

From this reading Then by us has the accused been required to declare if she had had pleasure and carnal commerce with all the men, nobles, citizens, and others as set forth in the plaints and declarations of the inhabitants.

portionsnounUS /ˈpɔːrʃənz/

plural of “portion” — something determined in relation to something that includes it

From this reading By her who speaks has it been replied, that she recognised as evidence the greater part, and also as malicious, calumnious, and imbecile certain portions.

recognisedadjectiveUS /ˈrekəɡnaɪzd/

provided with a secure reputation

From this reading By her who speaks has it been replied, that she recognised as evidence the greater part, and also as malicious, calumnious, and imbecile certain portions.

repliedverbUS /rɪˈplaɪd/

inflected form of “reply” — react verbally

From this reading By her who speaks has it been replied, that she recognised as evidence the greater part, and also as malicious, calumnious, and imbecile certain portions.

requiredadjectiveUS /riˈkwaɪərd/

necessary for relief or supply

From this reading Then by us has the accused been required to declare if she had had pleasure and carnal commerce with all the men, nobles, citizens, and others as set forth in the plaints and declarations of the inhabitants.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading Then by us has it been said to the accused that she then held to be true the statements of the good Sire Harduin and of the innkeeper Tortebras.

setverbUS /set/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading Then by us has the accused been required to declare if she had had pleasure and carnal commerce with all the men, nobles, citizens, and others as set forth in the plaints and declarations of the inhabitants.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading Then by us has it been said to the accused that she then held to be true the statements of the good Sire Harduin and of the innkeeper Tortebras.

SireverbUS /ˈsaɪər/

make (offspring) by reproduction

From this reading Then by us has it been said to the accused that she then held to be true the statements of the good Sire Harduin and of the innkeeper Tortebras.

speaksverbUS /spiːks/

third-person singular of “speak” — express in speech

From this reading By her who speaks has it been replied, that she recognised as evidence the greater part, and also as malicious, calumnious, and imbecile certain portions.

statementsnounUS /ˈsteɪtmənts/

plural of “statement” — a message that is stated or declared; a communication (oral or written) setting forth particulars or facts etc

From this reading Then by us has it been said to the accused that she then held to be true the statements of the good Sire Harduin and of the innkeeper Tortebras.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Then by us has it been said to the accused that she then held to be true the statements of the good Sire Harduin and of the innkeeper Tortebras.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Then by us has it been said to the accused that she then held to be true the statements of the good Sire Harduin and of the innkeeper Tortebras.

ThenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Then by us has it been said to the accused that she then held to be true the statements of the good Sire Harduin and of the innkeeper Tortebras.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Then by us has it been said to the accused that she then held to be true the statements of the good Sire Harduin and of the innkeeper Tortebras.

Tortebras

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

From this reading Then by us has it been said to the accused that she then held to be true the statements of the good Sire Harduin and of the innkeeper Tortebras.

trueadjectiveUS /truː/

consistent with fact or reality; not false

From this reading Then by us has it been said to the accused that she then held to be true the statements of the good Sire Harduin and of the innkeeper Tortebras.

uspronounUS /ʌs/

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Then by us has it been said to the accused that she then held to be true the statements of the good Sire Harduin and of the innkeeper Tortebras.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading To which her who speaks has it been answered with great effrontery: "Pleasure, yes!

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading By her who speaks has it been replied, that she recognised as evidence the greater part, and also as malicious, calumnious, and imbecile certain portions.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Then by us has the accused been required to declare if she had had pleasure and carnal commerce with all the men, nobles, citizens, and others as set forth in the plaints and declarations of the inhabitants.

yesnounUS /jes/

an affirmative

From this reading To which her who speaks has it been answered with great effrontery: "Pleasure, yes!

Chapter 14 of Droll Stories — Volume 2 by Honoré de Balzac holds 109 sentences, grouped into 22 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 14 of Droll Stories — Volume 2 contain?

Chapter 14 holds 109 sentences of Droll Stories — Volume 2, unabridged, divided into 22 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 14 of Droll Stories — Volume 2 by Honoré de Balzac exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 109 sentences, grouped into 22 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 14 of Droll Stories — Volume 2?

Work through the 22 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 22 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 14 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 14 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 Droll Stories — Volume 2

Common questions about reading Droll Stories — Volume 2 by Honoré de Balzac on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Droll Stories — Volume 2?

Yes. All 1763 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2318 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Droll Stories — Volume 2 is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #2318, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Droll Stories — Volume 2 take to read?

About 146 minutes of reading across 353 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Droll Stories — Volume 2 section by section

How to work through Droll Stories — Volume 2 section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 16 chapters of Droll Stories — Volume 2 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 Droll Stories — Volume 2

Words and structures a reader meets early in Droll Stories — Volume 2, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Certain
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Droll Stories — Volume 2; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Persons
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Droll Stories — Volume 2; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Reproached
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Droll Stories — Volume 2; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Droll Stories — Volume 2; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.