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Frederick the Great and His Family
Frederick the Great and His Family

Chapter XXX · Chapter 30

Chapter 30 of Frederick the Great and His Family is here in full — 324 sentences across 65 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Frederick the Great and His Family
Context Illustration Reading 1/64 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
This time Marietta did not call him back; she did not gaze after him from the window, as she was accustomed to do; she stood, pale as death, in the middle of the room, with panting breath, with flashing eyes; motionless, but with eager and expectant mien, as if listening to something afar off.
To what was Marietta listening?
Perhaps to the echo of his step in the silent, isolated street; perhaps to the memories which, like croaking birds of death, hovered over her head, as if to lacerate and destroy even her dead happiness; perhaps she listened to those whispering voices which resounded in her breast and accused Ranuzi of faithlessness and treachery.
And was he, then, really guilty?
Had he committed a crime worthy of death?
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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.

Frederick the Great and His Family

Chapter XXX · Chapter 30

Chapter 30 of Frederick the Great and His Family is here in full — 324 sentences across 65 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/64 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
This time Marietta did not call him back; she did not gaze after him from the window, as she was accustomed to do; she stood, pale as death, in the middle of the room, with panting breath, with flashing eyes; motionless, but with eager and expectant mien, as if listening to something afar off.
Line 2
To what was Marietta listening?
Line 3
Perhaps to the echo of his step in the silent, isolated street; perhaps to the memories which, like croaking birds of death, hovered over her head, as if to lacerate and destroy even her dead happiness; perhaps she listened to those whispering voices which resounded in her breast and accused Ranuzi of faithlessness and treachery.
Line 4
And was he, then, really guilty?
/ənd wɑːz hiː ðen ˈrɪli ˈɡɪlti/
Line 5
Had he committed a crime worthy of death?
/hæd hiː kəˈmɪtɪd ə kraɪm ˈwɜːr.ði ʌv deθ/

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.

afar adverb US /əˈfɑːr/

(old-fashioned) at or from or to a great distance; far

From this reading “This time Marietta did not call him back; she did not gaze after him from the window, as she was accustomed to do; she stood, pale as death, in the middle of the room, with panting breath, with flashing eyes; motionless, but with eager and expectant mien, as if listening to something afar off.”

croaking noun US /ˈkroʊkɪŋ/

a harsh hoarse utterance (as of a frog)

From this reading “Perhaps to the echo of his step in the silent, isolated street; perhaps to the memories which, like croaking birds of death, hovered over her head, as if to lacerate and destroy even her dead happiness; perhaps she listened to those whispering voices which resounded in her breast and accused Ranuzi of faithlessness and treachery.”

expectant adjective US /ɪkˈspektənt/

marked by eager anticipation

From this reading “This time Marietta did not call him back; she did not gaze after him from the window, as she was accustomed to do; she stood, pale as death, in the middle of the room, with panting breath, with flashing eyes; motionless, but with eager and expectant mien, as if listening to something afar off.”

hovered verb US /ˈhʌvərd/

past form of “hover” — be undecided about something; waver between conflicting positions or courses of action

From this reading “Perhaps to the echo of his step in the silent, isolated street; perhaps to the memories which, like croaking birds of death, hovered over her head, as if to lacerate and destroy even her dead happiness; perhaps she listened to those whispering voices which resounded in her breast and accused Ranuzi of faithlessness and treachery.”

isolated adjective US /ˈaɪsəleɪtəd/

not close together in time

From this reading “Perhaps to the echo of his step in the silent, isolated street; perhaps to the memories which, like croaking birds of death, hovered over her head, as if to lacerate and destroy even her dead happiness; perhaps she listened to those whispering voices which resounded in her breast and accused Ranuzi of faithlessness and treachery.”

lacerate verb US /ˈlæsəreɪt/

cut or tear irregularly

From this reading “Perhaps to the echo of his step in the silent, isolated street; perhaps to the memories which, like croaking birds of death, hovered over her head, as if to lacerate and destroy even her dead happiness; perhaps she listened to those whispering voices which resounded in her breast and accused Ranuzi of faithlessness and treachery.”

mien noun US /miːn/

dignified manner or conduct

From this reading “This time Marietta did not call him back; she did not gaze after him from the window, as she was accustomed to do; she stood, pale as death, in the middle of the room, with panting breath, with flashing eyes; motionless, but with eager and expectant mien, as if listening to something afar off.”

treachery noun US /ˈtretʃ.ər.i/

Betrayal of trust; deceptive action or disloyalty against a host or ally.

From this reading “Perhaps to the echo of his step in the silent, isolated street; perhaps to the memories which, like croaking birds of death, hovered over her head, as if to lacerate and destroy even her dead happiness; perhaps she listened to those whispering voices which resounded in her breast and accused Ranuzi of faithlessness and treachery.”

All words in this reading · 83

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 Had he committed a crime worthy of death?

accusednounUS /əˈkjuːzd/

a defendant in a criminal proceeding

From this reading Perhaps to the echo of his step in the silent, isolated street; perhaps to the memories which, like croaking birds of death, hovered over her head, as if to lacerate and destroy even her dead happiness; perhaps she listened to those whispering voices which resounded in her breast and accused Ranuzi of faithlessness and treachery.

accustomedadjectiveUS /əˈkʌstəmd/

commonly used or practiced; usual

From this reading This time Marietta did not call him back; she did not gaze after him from the window, as she was accustomed to do; she stood, pale as death, in the middle of the room, with panting breath, with flashing eyes; motionless, but with eager and expectant mien, as if listening to something afar off.

afaradverbUS /əˈfɑːr/

(old-fashioned) at or from or to a great distance; far

From this reading This time Marietta did not call him back; she did not gaze after him from the window, as she was accustomed to do; she stood, pale as death, in the middle of the room, with panting breath, with flashing eyes; motionless, but with eager and expectant mien, as if listening to something afar off.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading This time Marietta did not call him back; she did not gaze after him from the window, as she was accustomed to do; she stood, pale as death, in the middle of the room, with panting breath, with flashing eyes; motionless, but with eager and expectant mien, as if listening to something afar off.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading This time Marietta did not call him back; she did not gaze after him from the window, as she was accustomed to do; she stood, pale as death, in the middle of the room, with panting breath, with flashing eyes; motionless, but with eager and expectant mien, as if listening to something afar off.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading This time Marietta did not call him back; she did not gaze after him from the window, as she was accustomed to do; she stood, pale as death, in the middle of the room, with panting breath, with flashing eyes; motionless, but with eager and expectant mien, as if listening to something afar off.

backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading This time Marietta did not call him back; she did not gaze after him from the window, as she was accustomed to do; she stood, pale as death, in the middle of the room, with panting breath, with flashing eyes; motionless, but with eager and expectant mien, as if listening to something afar off.

birdsnounUS /bɜːrdz/

plural of “bird” — warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings

From this reading Perhaps to the echo of his step in the silent, isolated street; perhaps to the memories which, like croaking birds of death, hovered over her head, as if to lacerate and destroy even her dead happiness; perhaps she listened to those whispering voices which resounded in her breast and accused Ranuzi of faithlessness and treachery.

breastnounUS /brest/

the front of the trunk from the neck to the abdomen

From this reading Perhaps to the echo of his step in the silent, isolated street; perhaps to the memories which, like croaking birds of death, hovered over her head, as if to lacerate and destroy even her dead happiness; perhaps she listened to those whispering voices which resounded in her breast and accused Ranuzi of faithlessness and treachery.

breathnounUS /breθ/

the process of taking in and expelling air during breathing

From this reading This time Marietta did not call him back; she did not gaze after him from the window, as she was accustomed to do; she stood, pale as death, in the middle of the room, with panting breath, with flashing eyes; motionless, but with eager and expectant mien, as if listening to something afar off.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading This time Marietta did not call him back; she did not gaze after him from the window, as she was accustomed to do; she stood, pale as death, in the middle of the room, with panting breath, with flashing eyes; motionless, but with eager and expectant mien, as if listening to something afar off.

callverbUS /kɔːl/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading This time Marietta did not call him back; she did not gaze after him from the window, as she was accustomed to do; she stood, pale as death, in the middle of the room, with panting breath, with flashing eyes; motionless, but with eager and expectant mien, as if listening to something afar off.

committedadjectiveUS /kəˈmɪtɪd/

bound or obligated, as under a pledge to a particular cause, action, or attitude

From this reading Had he committed a crime worthy of death?

crimenounUS /kraɪm/

(criminal law) an act punishable by law; usually considered an evil act

From this reading Had he committed a crime worthy of death?

croakingnounUS /ˈkroʊkɪŋ/

a harsh hoarse utterance (as of a frog)

From this reading Perhaps to the echo of his step in the silent, isolated street; perhaps to the memories which, like croaking birds of death, hovered over her head, as if to lacerate and destroy even her dead happiness; perhaps she listened to those whispering voices which resounded in her breast and accused Ranuzi of faithlessness and treachery.

deadadjectiveUS /ded/

no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life

From this reading Perhaps to the echo of his step in the silent, isolated street; perhaps to the memories which, like croaking birds of death, hovered over her head, as if to lacerate and destroy even her dead happiness; perhaps she listened to those whispering voices which resounded in her breast and accused Ranuzi of faithlessness and treachery.

deathnounUS /deθ/

the event of dying or departure from life

From this reading This time Marietta did not call him back; she did not gaze after him from the window, as she was accustomed to do; she stood, pale as death, in the middle of the room, with panting breath, with flashing eyes; motionless, but with eager and expectant mien, as if listening to something afar off.

destroyverbUS /dɪˈstrɔɪ/

do away with, cause the destruction or undoing of

From this reading Perhaps to the echo of his step in the silent, isolated street; perhaps to the memories which, like croaking birds of death, hovered over her head, as if to lacerate and destroy even her dead happiness; perhaps she listened to those whispering voices which resounded in her breast and accused Ranuzi of faithlessness and treachery.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

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

From this reading This time Marietta did not call him back; she did not gaze after him from the window, as she was accustomed to do; she stood, pale as death, in the middle of the room, with panting breath, with flashing eyes; motionless, but with eager and expectant mien, as if listening to something afar off.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading This time Marietta did not call him back; she did not gaze after him from the window, as she was accustomed to do; she stood, pale as death, in the middle of the room, with panting breath, with flashing eyes; motionless, but with eager and expectant mien, as if listening to something afar off.

eageradjectiveUS /ˈiːɡər/

having or showing keen interest or intense desire or impatient expectancy

From this reading This time Marietta did not call him back; she did not gaze after him from the window, as she was accustomed to do; she stood, pale as death, in the middle of the room, with panting breath, with flashing eyes; motionless, but with eager and expectant mien, as if listening to something afar off.

echoverbUS /ˈekoʊ/

to say again or imitate

From this reading Perhaps to the echo of his step in the silent, isolated street; perhaps to the memories which, like croaking birds of death, hovered over her head, as if to lacerate and destroy even her dead happiness; perhaps she listened to those whispering voices which resounded in her breast and accused Ranuzi of faithlessness and treachery.

evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading Perhaps to the echo of his step in the silent, isolated street; perhaps to the memories which, like croaking birds of death, hovered over her head, as if to lacerate and destroy even her dead happiness; perhaps she listened to those whispering voices which resounded in her breast and accused Ranuzi of faithlessness and treachery.

expectantadjectiveUS /ɪkˈspektənt/

marked by eager anticipation

From this reading This time Marietta did not call him back; she did not gaze after him from the window, as she was accustomed to do; she stood, pale as death, in the middle of the room, with panting breath, with flashing eyes; motionless, but with eager and expectant mien, as if listening to something afar off.

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading This time Marietta did not call him back; she did not gaze after him from the window, as she was accustomed to do; she stood, pale as death, in the middle of the room, with panting breath, with flashing eyes; motionless, but with eager and expectant mien, as if listening to something afar off.

faithlessnessnoun

unfaithfulness by virtue of being unreliable or treacherous

From this reading Perhaps to the echo of his step in the silent, isolated street; perhaps to the memories which, like croaking birds of death, hovered over her head, as if to lacerate and destroy even her dead happiness; perhaps she listened to those whispering voices which resounded in her breast and accused Ranuzi of faithlessness and treachery.

flashingnounUS /ˈflæʃɪŋ/

a short vivid experience

From this reading This time Marietta did not call him back; she did not gaze after him from the window, as she was accustomed to do; she stood, pale as death, in the middle of the room, with panting breath, with flashing eyes; motionless, but with eager and expectant mien, as if listening to something afar off.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading This time Marietta did not call him back; she did not gaze after him from the window, as she was accustomed to do; she stood, pale as death, in the middle of the room, with panting breath, with flashing eyes; motionless, but with eager and expectant mien, as if listening to something afar off.

gazenounUS /ɡeɪz/

a long fixed look

From this reading This time Marietta did not call him back; she did not gaze after him from the window, as she was accustomed to do; she stood, pale as death, in the middle of the room, with panting breath, with flashing eyes; motionless, but with eager and expectant mien, as if listening to something afar off.

guiltyadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪlti/

responsible for or chargeable with a reprehensible act

From this reading And was he, then, really guilty?

Hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Had he committed a crime worthy of death?

happinessnounUS /ˈhæpinəs/

state of well-being characterized by emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy

From this reading Perhaps to the echo of his step in the silent, isolated street; perhaps to the memories which, like croaking birds of death, hovered over her head, as if to lacerate and destroy even her dead happiness; perhaps she listened to those whispering voices which resounded in her breast and accused Ranuzi of faithlessness and treachery.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading And was he, then, really guilty?

headnounUS /hed/

the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading Perhaps to the echo of his step in the silent, isolated street; perhaps to the memories which, like croaking birds of death, hovered over her head, as if to lacerate and destroy even her dead happiness; perhaps she listened to those whispering voices which resounded in her breast and accused Ranuzi of faithlessness and treachery.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading Perhaps to the echo of his step in the silent, isolated street; perhaps to the memories which, like croaking birds of death, hovered over her head, as if to lacerate and destroy even her dead happiness; perhaps she listened to those whispering voices which resounded in her breast and accused Ranuzi of faithlessness and treachery.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading This time Marietta did not call him back; she did not gaze after him from the window, as she was accustomed to do; she stood, pale as death, in the middle of the room, with panting breath, with flashing eyes; motionless, but with eager and expectant mien, as if listening to something afar off.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Perhaps to the echo of his step in the silent, isolated street; perhaps to the memories which, like croaking birds of death, hovered over her head, as if to lacerate and destroy even her dead happiness; perhaps she listened to those whispering voices which resounded in her breast and accused Ranuzi of faithlessness and treachery.

hoveredverbUS /ˈhʌvərd/

past form of “hover” — be undecided about something; waver between conflicting positions or courses of action

From this reading Perhaps to the echo of his step in the silent, isolated street; perhaps to the memories which, like croaking birds of death, hovered over her head, as if to lacerate and destroy even her dead happiness; perhaps she listened to those whispering voices which resounded in her breast and accused Ranuzi of faithlessness and treachery.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading This time Marietta did not call him back; she did not gaze after him from the window, as she was accustomed to do; she stood, pale as death, in the middle of the room, with panting breath, with flashing eyes; motionless, but with eager and expectant mien, as if listening to something afar off.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading This time Marietta did not call him back; she did not gaze after him from the window, as she was accustomed to do; she stood, pale as death, in the middle of the room, with panting breath, with flashing eyes; motionless, but with eager and expectant mien, as if listening to something afar off.

isolatedadjectiveUS /ˈaɪsəleɪtəd/

not close together in time

From this reading Perhaps to the echo of his step in the silent, isolated street; perhaps to the memories which, like croaking birds of death, hovered over her head, as if to lacerate and destroy even her dead happiness; perhaps she listened to those whispering voices which resounded in her breast and accused Ranuzi of faithlessness and treachery.

lacerateverbUS /ˈlæsəreɪt/

cut or tear irregularly

From this reading Perhaps to the echo of his step in the silent, isolated street; perhaps to the memories which, like croaking birds of death, hovered over her head, as if to lacerate and destroy even her dead happiness; perhaps she listened to those whispering voices which resounded in her breast and accused Ranuzi of faithlessness and treachery.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading Perhaps to the echo of his step in the silent, isolated street; perhaps to the memories which, like croaking birds of death, hovered over her head, as if to lacerate and destroy even her dead happiness; perhaps she listened to those whispering voices which resounded in her breast and accused Ranuzi of faithlessness and treachery.

listenedverbUS /ˈlɪsənd/

past form of “listen” — hear with intention

From this reading Perhaps to the echo of his step in the silent, isolated street; perhaps to the memories which, like croaking birds of death, hovered over her head, as if to lacerate and destroy even her dead happiness; perhaps she listened to those whispering voices which resounded in her breast and accused Ranuzi of faithlessness and treachery.

listeningnounUS /ˈlɪsənɪŋ/

the act of hearing attentively

From this reading This time Marietta did not call him back; she did not gaze after him from the window, as she was accustomed to do; she stood, pale as death, in the middle of the room, with panting breath, with flashing eyes; motionless, but with eager and expectant mien, as if listening to something afar off.

Marietta

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

From this reading This time Marietta did not call him back; she did not gaze after him from the window, as she was accustomed to do; she stood, pale as death, in the middle of the room, with panting breath, with flashing eyes; motionless, but with eager and expectant mien, as if listening to something afar off.

memoriesnounUS /ˈmɛm.ə.riz/

Recollections of past events.

From this reading Perhaps to the echo of his step in the silent, isolated street; perhaps to the memories which, like croaking birds of death, hovered over her head, as if to lacerate and destroy even her dead happiness; perhaps she listened to those whispering voices which resounded in her breast and accused Ranuzi of faithlessness and treachery.

middlenounUS /ˈmɪdəl/

an area that is approximately central within some larger region

From this reading This time Marietta did not call him back; she did not gaze after him from the window, as she was accustomed to do; she stood, pale as death, in the middle of the room, with panting breath, with flashing eyes; motionless, but with eager and expectant mien, as if listening to something afar off.

miennounUS /miːn/

dignified manner or conduct

From this reading This time Marietta did not call him back; she did not gaze after him from the window, as she was accustomed to do; she stood, pale as death, in the middle of the room, with panting breath, with flashing eyes; motionless, but with eager and expectant mien, as if listening to something afar off.

motionlessadjectiveUS /ˈmoʊʃənləs/

not in physical motion

From this reading This time Marietta did not call him back; she did not gaze after him from the window, as she was accustomed to do; she stood, pale as death, in the middle of the room, with panting breath, with flashing eyes; motionless, but with eager and expectant mien, as if listening to something afar off.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading This time Marietta did not call him back; she did not gaze after him from the window, as she was accustomed to do; she stood, pale as death, in the middle of the room, with panting breath, with flashing eyes; motionless, but with eager and expectant mien, as if listening to something afar off.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading This time Marietta did not call him back; she did not gaze after him from the window, as she was accustomed to do; she stood, pale as death, in the middle of the room, with panting breath, with flashing eyes; motionless, but with eager and expectant mien, as if listening to something afar off.

offadverbUS /ɔːf/

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

From this reading This time Marietta did not call him back; she did not gaze after him from the window, as she was accustomed to do; she stood, pale as death, in the middle of the room, with panting breath, with flashing eyes; motionless, but with eager and expectant mien, as if listening to something afar off.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading Perhaps to the echo of his step in the silent, isolated street; perhaps to the memories which, like croaking birds of death, hovered over her head, as if to lacerate and destroy even her dead happiness; perhaps she listened to those whispering voices which resounded in her breast and accused Ranuzi of faithlessness and treachery.

paleadjectiveUS /peɪl/

very light colored; highly diluted with white

From this reading This time Marietta did not call him back; she did not gaze after him from the window, as she was accustomed to do; she stood, pale as death, in the middle of the room, with panting breath, with flashing eyes; motionless, but with eager and expectant mien, as if listening to something afar off.

pantingnounUS /ˈpæntɪŋ/

breathing heavily (as after exertion)

From this reading This time Marietta did not call him back; she did not gaze after him from the window, as she was accustomed to do; she stood, pale as death, in the middle of the room, with panting breath, with flashing eyes; motionless, but with eager and expectant mien, as if listening to something afar off.

PerhapsadverbUS /pərˈhæps/

by chance

From this reading Perhaps to the echo of his step in the silent, isolated street; perhaps to the memories which, like croaking birds of death, hovered over her head, as if to lacerate and destroy even her dead happiness; perhaps she listened to those whispering voices which resounded in her breast and accused Ranuzi of faithlessness and treachery.

Ranuzi

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

From this reading Perhaps to the echo of his step in the silent, isolated street; perhaps to the memories which, like croaking birds of death, hovered over her head, as if to lacerate and destroy even her dead happiness; perhaps she listened to those whispering voices which resounded in her breast and accused Ranuzi of faithlessness and treachery.

reallyadverbUS /ˈrɪli/

in accordance with truth or fact or reality

From this reading And was he, then, really guilty?

resounded

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

From this reading Perhaps to the echo of his step in the silent, isolated street; perhaps to the memories which, like croaking birds of death, hovered over her head, as if to lacerate and destroy even her dead happiness; perhaps she listened to those whispering voices which resounded in her breast and accused Ranuzi of faithlessness and treachery.

roomnounUS /ruːm/

an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling

From this reading This time Marietta did not call him back; she did not gaze after him from the window, as she was accustomed to do; she stood, pale as death, in the middle of the room, with panting breath, with flashing eyes; motionless, but with eager and expectant mien, as if listening to something afar off.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading This time Marietta did not call him back; she did not gaze after him from the window, as she was accustomed to do; she stood, pale as death, in the middle of the room, with panting breath, with flashing eyes; motionless, but with eager and expectant mien, as if listening to something afar off.

silentadjectiveUS /ˈsaɪlənt/

marked by absence of sound

From this reading Perhaps to the echo of his step in the silent, isolated street; perhaps to the memories which, like croaking birds of death, hovered over her head, as if to lacerate and destroy even her dead happiness; perhaps she listened to those whispering voices which resounded in her breast and accused Ranuzi of faithlessness and treachery.

somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

From this reading This time Marietta did not call him back; she did not gaze after him from the window, as she was accustomed to do; she stood, pale as death, in the middle of the room, with panting breath, with flashing eyes; motionless, but with eager and expectant mien, as if listening to something afar off.

stepnounUS /step/

any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal

From this reading Perhaps to the echo of his step in the silent, isolated street; perhaps to the memories which, like croaking birds of death, hovered over her head, as if to lacerate and destroy even her dead happiness; perhaps she listened to those whispering voices which resounded in her breast and accused Ranuzi of faithlessness and treachery.

stoodverbUS /stʊd/

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading This time Marietta did not call him back; she did not gaze after him from the window, as she was accustomed to do; she stood, pale as death, in the middle of the room, with panting breath, with flashing eyes; motionless, but with eager and expectant mien, as if listening to something afar off.

streetnounUS /striːt/

a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings

From this reading Perhaps to the echo of his step in the silent, isolated street; perhaps to the memories which, like croaking birds of death, hovered over her head, as if to lacerate and destroy even her dead happiness; perhaps she listened to those whispering voices which resounded in her breast and accused Ranuzi of faithlessness and treachery.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading This time Marietta did not call him back; she did not gaze after him from the window, as she was accustomed to do; she stood, pale as death, in the middle of the room, with panting breath, with flashing eyes; motionless, but with eager and expectant mien, as if listening to something afar off.

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading And was he, then, really guilty?

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading This time Marietta did not call him back; she did not gaze after him from the window, as she was accustomed to do; she stood, pale as death, in the middle of the room, with panting breath, with flashing eyes; motionless, but with eager and expectant mien, as if listening to something afar off.

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading Perhaps to the echo of his step in the silent, isolated street; perhaps to the memories which, like croaking birds of death, hovered over her head, as if to lacerate and destroy even her dead happiness; perhaps she listened to those whispering voices which resounded in her breast and accused Ranuzi of faithlessness and treachery.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading This time Marietta did not call him back; she did not gaze after him from the window, as she was accustomed to do; she stood, pale as death, in the middle of the room, with panting breath, with flashing eyes; motionless, but with eager and expectant mien, as if listening to something afar off.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading This time Marietta did not call him back; she did not gaze after him from the window, as she was accustomed to do; she stood, pale as death, in the middle of the room, with panting breath, with flashing eyes; motionless, but with eager and expectant mien, as if listening to something afar off.

treacherynounUS /ˈtretʃ.ər.i/

Betrayal of trust; deceptive action or disloyalty against a host or ally.

From this reading Perhaps to the echo of his step in the silent, isolated street; perhaps to the memories which, like croaking birds of death, hovered over her head, as if to lacerate and destroy even her dead happiness; perhaps she listened to those whispering voices which resounded in her breast and accused Ranuzi of faithlessness and treachery.

voicesnounUS /ˈvɔɪsəz/

plural of “voice” — the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech

From this reading Perhaps to the echo of his step in the silent, isolated street; perhaps to the memories which, like croaking birds of death, hovered over her head, as if to lacerate and destroy even her dead happiness; perhaps she listened to those whispering voices which resounded in her breast and accused Ranuzi of faithlessness and treachery.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading This time Marietta did not call him back; she did not gaze after him from the window, as she was accustomed to do; she stood, pale as death, in the middle of the room, with panting breath, with flashing eyes; motionless, but with eager and expectant mien, as if listening to something afar off.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading To what was Marietta listening?

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading Perhaps to the echo of his step in the silent, isolated street; perhaps to the memories which, like croaking birds of death, hovered over her head, as if to lacerate and destroy even her dead happiness; perhaps she listened to those whispering voices which resounded in her breast and accused Ranuzi of faithlessness and treachery.

whisperingnounUS /ˈwɪspərɪŋ/

a light noise, like the noise of silk clothing or leaves blowing in the wind

From this reading Perhaps to the echo of his step in the silent, isolated street; perhaps to the memories which, like croaking birds of death, hovered over her head, as if to lacerate and destroy even her dead happiness; perhaps she listened to those whispering voices which resounded in her breast and accused Ranuzi of faithlessness and treachery.

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 This time Marietta did not call him back; she did not gaze after him from the window, as she was accustomed to do; she stood, pale as death, in the middle of the room, with panting breath, with flashing eyes; motionless, but with eager and expectant mien, as if listening to something afar off.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading This time Marietta did not call him back; she did not gaze after him from the window, as she was accustomed to do; she stood, pale as death, in the middle of the room, with panting breath, with flashing eyes; motionless, but with eager and expectant mien, as if listening to something afar off.

worthyadjectiveUS /ˈwɜːr.ði/

Having or showing the qualities or abilities that merit recognition in character or magic.

From this reading Had he committed a crime worthy of death?

Chapter 30 of Frederick the Great and His Family by L. (Luise) Mühlbach holds 324 sentences, grouped into 65 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 30 of Frederick the Great and His Family contain?

Chapter 30 holds 324 sentences of Frederick the Great and His Family, unabridged, divided into 65 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 30 of Frederick the Great and His Family by L. (Luise) Mühlbach exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 324 sentences, grouped into 65 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 30 of Frederick the Great and His Family?

Work through the 65 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 65 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 30 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 30 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 Frederick the Great and His Family

Common questions about reading Frederick the Great and His Family by L. (Luise) Mühlbach on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Frederick the Great and His Family?

Yes. All 13908 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #3537 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Frederick the Great and His Family is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #3537, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Frederick the Great and His Family take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 2782 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Frederick the Great and His Family section by section

How to work through Frederick the Great and His Family section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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Vocabulary met early in Frederick the Great and His Family

Words and structures a reader meets early in Frederick the Great and His Family, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Prince
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Frederick the Great and His Family; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Henry
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Frederick the Great and His Family; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Quiet
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Frederick the Great and His Family; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Motionless
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Frederick the Great and His Family; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.