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Chapter XVIII
Hearing a footstep on the stairs, she drew herself behind the door, and when the sound passed downstairs she tried to reason with herself. After all, the housemaid would have been merely surprised to find her in the drawing-room at that hour. She could not have guessed why she was there. She ran up the stairs, and when she had closed the door of her room she stood looking at the clock. It was not yet seven, and Herat did not come to her room till half-past nine.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.
later than; following
From this reading “After all, the housemaid would have been merely surprised to find her in the drawing-room at that hour.”
the past participle of “be”
From this reading “After all, the housemaid would have been merely surprised to find her in the drawing-room at that hour.”
at or toward the back of something
From this reading “Hearing a footstep on the stairs, she drew herself behind the door, and when the sound passed downstairs she tried to reason with herself.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “It was not yet seven, and Herat did not come to her room till half-past nine.”
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading “She could not have guessed why she was there.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “Hearing a footstep on the stairs, she drew herself behind the door, and when the sound passed downstairs she tried to reason with herself.”
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “After all, the housemaid would have been merely surprised to find her in the drawing-room at that hour.”
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading “Hearing a footstep on the stairs, she drew herself behind the door, and when the sound passed downstairs she tried to reason with herself.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “Hearing a footstep on the stairs, she drew herself behind the door, and when the sound passed downstairs she tried to reason with herself.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “She ran up the stairs, and when she had closed the door of her room she stood looking at the clock.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “After all, the housemaid would have been merely surprised to find her in the drawing-room at that hour.”
up to a particular time
From this reading “It was not yet seven, and Herat did not come to her room till half-past nine.”
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading “After all, the housemaid would have been merely surprised to find her in the drawing-room at that hour.”
but in spite of that
From this reading “It was not yet seven, and Herat did not come to her room till half-past nine.”
Every word is available to listen to. Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Hearing a footstep on the stairs, she drew herself behind the door, and when the sound passed downstairs she tried to reason with herself.
later than; following
From this reading After all, the housemaid would have been merely surprised to find her in the drawing-room at that hour.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading After all, the housemaid would have been merely surprised to find her in the drawing-room at that hour.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Hearing a footstep on the stairs, she drew herself behind the door, and when the sound passed downstairs she tried to reason with herself.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading After all, the housemaid would have been merely surprised to find her in the drawing-room at that hour.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading After all, the housemaid would have been merely surprised to find her in the drawing-room at that hour.
at or toward the back of something
From this reading Hearing a footstep on the stairs, she drew herself behind the door, and when the sound passed downstairs she tried to reason with herself.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She ran up the stairs, and when she had closed the door of her room she stood looking at the clock.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She ran up the stairs, and when she had closed the door of her room she stood looking at the clock.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading It was not yet seven, and Herat did not come to her room till half-past nine.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading She could not have guessed why she was there.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading It was not yet seven, and Herat did not come to her room till half-past nine.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Hearing a footstep on the stairs, she drew herself behind the door, and when the sound passed downstairs she tried to reason with herself.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Hearing a footstep on the stairs, she drew herself behind the door, and when the sound passed downstairs she tried to reason with herself.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading After all, the housemaid would have been merely surprised to find her in the drawing-room at that hour.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Hearing a footstep on the stairs, she drew herself behind the door, and when the sound passed downstairs she tried to reason with herself.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading After all, the housemaid would have been merely surprised to find her in the drawing-room at that hour.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Hearing a footstep on the stairs, she drew herself behind the door, and when the sound passed downstairs she tried to reason with herself.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She could not have guessed why she was there.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading She ran up the stairs, and when she had closed the door of her room she stood looking at the clock.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was not yet seven, and Herat did not come to her room till half-past nine.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading After all, the housemaid would have been merely surprised to find her in the drawing-room at that hour.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Hearing a footstep on the stairs, she drew herself behind the door, and when the sound passed downstairs she tried to reason with herself.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading After all, the housemaid would have been merely surprised to find her in the drawing-room at that hour.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was not yet seven, and Herat did not come to her room till half-past nine.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading Hearing a footstep on the stairs, she drew herself behind the door, and when the sound passed downstairs she tried to reason with herself.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading After all, the housemaid would have been merely surprised to find her in the drawing-room at that hour.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading After all, the housemaid would have been merely surprised to find her in the drawing-room at that hour.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading After all, the housemaid would have been merely surprised to find her in the drawing-room at that hour.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was not yet seven, and Herat did not come to her room till half-past nine.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She ran up the stairs, and when she had closed the door of her room she stood looking at the clock.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading After all, the housemaid would have been merely surprised to find her in the drawing-room at that hour.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was not yet seven, and Herat did not come to her room till half-past nine.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading She could not have guessed why she was there.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading She ran up the stairs, and when she had closed the door of her room she stood looking at the clock.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Hearing a footstep on the stairs, she drew herself behind the door, and when the sound passed downstairs she tried to reason with herself.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Hearing a footstep on the stairs, she drew herself behind the door, and when the sound passed downstairs she tried to reason with herself.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She ran up the stairs, and when she had closed the door of her room she stood looking at the clock.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Hearing a footstep on the stairs, she drew herself behind the door, and when the sound passed downstairs she tried to reason with herself.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She ran up the stairs, and when she had closed the door of her room she stood looking at the clock.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was not yet seven, and Herat did not come to her room till half-past nine.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Hearing a footstep on the stairs, she drew herself behind the door, and when the sound passed downstairs she tried to reason with herself.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Hearing a footstep on the stairs, she drew herself behind the door, and when the sound passed downstairs she tried to reason with herself.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Hearing a footstep on the stairs, she drew herself behind the door, and when the sound passed downstairs she tried to reason with herself.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading She ran up the stairs, and when she had closed the door of her room she stood looking at the clock.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading After all, the housemaid would have been merely surprised to find her in the drawing-room at that hour.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading After all, the housemaid would have been merely surprised to find her in the drawing-room at that hour.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Hearing a footstep on the stairs, she drew herself behind the door, and when the sound passed downstairs she tried to reason with herself.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She could not have guessed why she was there.
up to a particular time
From this reading It was not yet seven, and Herat did not come to her room till half-past nine.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Hearing a footstep on the stairs, she drew herself behind the door, and when the sound passed downstairs she tried to reason with herself.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Hearing a footstep on the stairs, she drew herself behind the door, and when the sound passed downstairs she tried to reason with herself.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She ran up the stairs, and when she had closed the door of her room she stood looking at the clock.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading She could not have guessed why she was there.
at the time that
From this reading Hearing a footstep on the stairs, she drew herself behind the door, and when the sound passed downstairs she tried to reason with herself.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She could not have guessed why she was there.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Hearing a footstep on the stairs, she drew herself behind the door, and when the sound passed downstairs she tried to reason with herself.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading After all, the housemaid would have been merely surprised to find her in the drawing-room at that hour.
but in spite of that
From this reading It was not yet seven, and Herat did not come to her room till half-past nine.
