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Halcyone
Halcyone

Chapter III

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Context Illustration Reading 1/17 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
In her heart of hearts Miss Roberta felt fluttered as she walked across the empty hall to the Italian parlor behind her sterner sister, to receive their guest.
He would come in the afternoon, Halcyone had said.
That meant about three o'clock, and it behooved ladies expecting a gentleman to be at ease at some pretty fancy work when he should be announced.
The village was two miles beyond the lime lodge gates, and for the last eight years rheumatism in the knee had made the walk there out of the question for poor Miss Roberta--so even the sight of a man and a stranger was an unusual thing!
She had not attempted conversation with anyone but Mr. Miller, the curate, for over eleven years.
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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.

Halcyone

Chapter III

Reading 1/17 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
In her heart of hearts Miss Roberta felt fluttered as she walked across the empty hall to the Italian parlor behind her sterner sister, to receive their guest.
Line 2
He would come in the afternoon, Halcyone had said.
Line 3
That meant about three o'clock, and it behooved ladies expecting a gentleman to be at ease at some pretty fancy work when he should be announced.
Line 4
The village was two miles beyond the lime lodge gates, and for the last eight years rheumatism in the knee had made the walk there out of the question for poor Miss Roberta--so even the sight of a man and a stranger was an unusual thing!
Line 5
She had not attempted conversation with anyone but Mr. Miller, the curate, for over eleven years.

Learner Dictionary

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

About preposition US /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading “That meant about three o'clock, and it behooved ladies expecting a gentleman to be at ease at some pretty fancy work when he should be announced.”

Across preposition US /əˈkrɔːs/

from one side of something to the other

From this reading “In her heart of hearts Miss Roberta felt fluttered as she walked across the empty hall to the Italian parlor behind her sterner sister, to receive their guest.”

Afternoon noun US /ˈafternoon/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading “He would come in the afternoon, Halcyone had said.”

Anyone pronoun US /ˈeniwʌn/

any person at all

From this reading “She had not attempted conversation with anyone but Mr. Miller, the curate, for over eleven years.”

Behind preposition US /bɪˈhaɪnd/

at or toward the back of something

From this reading “In her heart of hearts Miss Roberta felt fluttered as she walked across the empty hall to the Italian parlor behind her sterner sister, to receive their guest.”

Beyond preposition US /bɪˈɑːnd/

on the far side of; further than

From this reading “The village was two miles beyond the lime lodge gates, and for the last eight years rheumatism in the knee had made the walk there out of the question for poor Miss Roberta--so even the sight of a man and a stranger was an unusual thing!”

Come noun US /come/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “He would come in the afternoon, Halcyone had said.”

Even noun US /even/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The village was two miles beyond the lime lodge gates, and for the last eight years rheumatism in the knee had made the walk there out of the question for poor Miss Roberta--so even the sight of a man and a stranger was an unusual thing!”

Expecting verb US /ɪkˈspektɪŋ/

thinking that somebody or something will arrive

From this reading “That meant about three o'clock, and it behooved ladies expecting a gentleman to be at ease at some pretty fancy work when he should be announced.”

Gentleman noun US /ˈgentleman/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading “That meant about three o'clock, and it behooved ladies expecting a gentleman to be at ease at some pretty fancy work when he should be announced.”

Last noun US /last/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The village was two miles beyond the lime lodge gates, and for the last eight years rheumatism in the knee had made the walk there out of the question for poor Miss Roberta--so even the sight of a man and a stranger was an unusual thing!”

Over preposition US /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading “She had not attempted conversation with anyone but Mr. Miller, the curate, for over eleven years.”

Parlor noun US /ˈpɑːrlər/

an old-fashioned sitting room

From this reading “In her heart of hearts Miss Roberta felt fluttered as she walked across the empty hall to the Italian parlor behind her sterner sister, to receive their guest.”

Poor noun US /poor/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The village was two miles beyond the lime lodge gates, and for the last eight years rheumatism in the knee had made the walk there out of the question for poor Miss Roberta--so even the sight of a man and a stranger was an unusual thing!”

Question noun US /ˈquestion/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading “The village was two miles beyond the lime lodge gates, and for the last eight years rheumatism in the knee had made the walk there out of the question for poor Miss Roberta--so even the sight of a man and a stranger was an unusual thing!”

Thing noun US /thing/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The village was two miles beyond the lime lodge gates, and for the last eight years rheumatism in the knee had made the walk there out of the question for poor Miss Roberta--so even the sight of a man and a stranger was an unusual thing!”

Would modal verb US /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading “He would come in the afternoon, Halcyone had said.”

All words in this reading · 93

Every word is available to listen to. Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading That meant about three o'clock, and it behooved ladies expecting a gentleman to be at ease at some pretty fancy work when he should be announced.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading That meant about three o'clock, and it behooved ladies expecting a gentleman to be at ease at some pretty fancy work when he should be announced.

acrossprepositionUS /əˈkrɔːs/

from one side of something to the other

From this reading In her heart of hearts Miss Roberta felt fluttered as she walked across the empty hall to the Italian parlor behind her sterner sister, to receive their guest.

afternoonnounUS /ˈafternoon/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading He would come in the afternoon, Halcyone had said.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading The village was two miles beyond the lime lodge gates, and for the last eight years rheumatism in the knee had made the walk there out of the question for poor Miss Roberta--so even the sight of a man and a stranger was an unusual thing!

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading That meant about three o'clock, and it behooved ladies expecting a gentleman to be at ease at some pretty fancy work when he should be announced.

announced

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

From this reading That meant about three o'clock, and it behooved ladies expecting a gentleman to be at ease at some pretty fancy work when he should be announced.

anyonepronounUS /ˈeniwʌn/

any person at all

From this reading She had not attempted conversation with anyone but Mr. Miller, the curate, for over eleven years.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading In her heart of hearts Miss Roberta felt fluttered as she walked across the empty hall to the Italian parlor behind her sterner sister, to receive their guest.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading That meant about three o'clock, and it behooved ladies expecting a gentleman to be at ease at some pretty fancy work when he should be announced.

attempted

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

From this reading She had not attempted conversation with anyone but Mr. Miller, the curate, for over eleven years.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading That meant about three o'clock, and it behooved ladies expecting a gentleman to be at ease at some pretty fancy work when he should be announced.

behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/

at or toward the back of something

From this reading In her heart of hearts Miss Roberta felt fluttered as she walked across the empty hall to the Italian parlor behind her sterner sister, to receive their guest.

behooved

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

From this reading That meant about three o'clock, and it behooved ladies expecting a gentleman to be at ease at some pretty fancy work when he should be announced.

beyondprepositionUS /bɪˈɑːnd/

on the far side of; further than

From this reading The village was two miles beyond the lime lodge gates, and for the last eight years rheumatism in the knee had made the walk there out of the question for poor Miss Roberta--so even the sight of a man and a stranger was an unusual thing!

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading She had not attempted conversation with anyone but Mr. Miller, the curate, for over eleven years.

comenounUS /come/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading He would come in the afternoon, Halcyone had said.

conversation

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

From this reading She had not attempted conversation with anyone but Mr. Miller, the curate, for over eleven years.

curate

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

From this reading She had not attempted conversation with anyone but Mr. Miller, the curate, for over eleven years.

ease

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

From this reading That meant about three o'clock, and it behooved ladies expecting a gentleman to be at ease at some pretty fancy work when he should be announced.

eight

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

From this reading The village was two miles beyond the lime lodge gates, and for the last eight years rheumatism in the knee had made the walk there out of the question for poor Miss Roberta--so even the sight of a man and a stranger was an unusual thing!

eleven

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

From this reading She had not attempted conversation with anyone but Mr. Miller, the curate, for over eleven years.

empty

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

From this reading In her heart of hearts Miss Roberta felt fluttered as she walked across the empty hall to the Italian parlor behind her sterner sister, to receive their guest.

evennounUS /even/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The village was two miles beyond the lime lodge gates, and for the last eight years rheumatism in the knee had made the walk there out of the question for poor Miss Roberta--so even the sight of a man and a stranger was an unusual thing!

expectingverbUS /ɪkˈspektɪŋ/

thinking that somebody or something will arrive

From this reading That meant about three o'clock, and it behooved ladies expecting a gentleman to be at ease at some pretty fancy work when he should be announced.

fancy

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

From this reading That meant about three o'clock, and it behooved ladies expecting a gentleman to be at ease at some pretty fancy work when he should be announced.

felt

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

From this reading In her heart of hearts Miss Roberta felt fluttered as she walked across the empty hall to the Italian parlor behind her sterner sister, to receive their guest.

fluttered

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

From this reading In her heart of hearts Miss Roberta felt fluttered as she walked across the empty hall to the Italian parlor behind her sterner sister, to receive their guest.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading The village was two miles beyond the lime lodge gates, and for the last eight years rheumatism in the knee had made the walk there out of the question for poor Miss Roberta--so even the sight of a man and a stranger was an unusual thing!

gates

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

From this reading The village was two miles beyond the lime lodge gates, and for the last eight years rheumatism in the knee had made the walk there out of the question for poor Miss Roberta--so even the sight of a man and a stranger was an unusual thing!

gentlemannounUS /ˈgentleman/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading That meant about three o'clock, and it behooved ladies expecting a gentleman to be at ease at some pretty fancy work when he should be announced.

guest

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

From this reading In her heart of hearts Miss Roberta felt fluttered as she walked across the empty hall to the Italian parlor behind her sterner sister, to receive their guest.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading He would come in the afternoon, Halcyone had said.

Halcyone

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

From this reading He would come in the afternoon, Halcyone had said.

hall

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

From this reading In her heart of hearts Miss Roberta felt fluttered as she walked across the empty hall to the Italian parlor behind her sterner sister, to receive their guest.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He would come in the afternoon, Halcyone had said.

heart

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

From this reading In her heart of hearts Miss Roberta felt fluttered as she walked across the empty hall to the Italian parlor behind her sterner sister, to receive their guest.

hearts

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

From this reading In her heart of hearts Miss Roberta felt fluttered as she walked across the empty hall to the Italian parlor behind her sterner sister, to receive their guest.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading In her heart of hearts Miss Roberta felt fluttered as she walked across the empty hall to the Italian parlor behind her sterner sister, to receive their guest.

InprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading In her heart of hearts Miss Roberta felt fluttered as she walked across the empty hall to the Italian parlor behind her sterner sister, to receive their guest.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading That meant about three o'clock, and it behooved ladies expecting a gentleman to be at ease at some pretty fancy work when he should be announced.

Italian

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

From this reading In her heart of hearts Miss Roberta felt fluttered as she walked across the empty hall to the Italian parlor behind her sterner sister, to receive their guest.

knee

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

From this reading The village was two miles beyond the lime lodge gates, and for the last eight years rheumatism in the knee had made the walk there out of the question for poor Miss Roberta--so even the sight of a man and a stranger was an unusual thing!

ladies

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

From this reading That meant about three o'clock, and it behooved ladies expecting a gentleman to be at ease at some pretty fancy work when he should be announced.

lastnounUS /last/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The village was two miles beyond the lime lodge gates, and for the last eight years rheumatism in the knee had made the walk there out of the question for poor Miss Roberta--so even the sight of a man and a stranger was an unusual thing!

lime

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

From this reading The village was two miles beyond the lime lodge gates, and for the last eight years rheumatism in the knee had made the walk there out of the question for poor Miss Roberta--so even the sight of a man and a stranger was an unusual thing!

lodge

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

From this reading The village was two miles beyond the lime lodge gates, and for the last eight years rheumatism in the knee had made the walk there out of the question for poor Miss Roberta--so even the sight of a man and a stranger was an unusual thing!

made

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

From this reading The village was two miles beyond the lime lodge gates, and for the last eight years rheumatism in the knee had made the walk there out of the question for poor Miss Roberta--so even the sight of a man and a stranger was an unusual thing!

man

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

From this reading The village was two miles beyond the lime lodge gates, and for the last eight years rheumatism in the knee had made the walk there out of the question for poor Miss Roberta--so even the sight of a man and a stranger was an unusual thing!

meant

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

From this reading That meant about three o'clock, and it behooved ladies expecting a gentleman to be at ease at some pretty fancy work when he should be announced.

miles

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

From this reading The village was two miles beyond the lime lodge gates, and for the last eight years rheumatism in the knee had made the walk there out of the question for poor Miss Roberta--so even the sight of a man and a stranger was an unusual thing!

Miller

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

From this reading She had not attempted conversation with anyone but Mr. Miller, the curate, for over eleven years.

Miss

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

From this reading In her heart of hearts Miss Roberta felt fluttered as she walked across the empty hall to the Italian parlor behind her sterner sister, to receive their guest.

Mr

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

From this reading She had not attempted conversation with anyone but Mr. Miller, the curate, for over eleven years.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading She had not attempted conversation with anyone but Mr. Miller, the curate, for over eleven years.

o'clock

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

From this reading That meant about three o'clock, and it behooved ladies expecting a gentleman to be at ease at some pretty fancy work when he should be announced.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading In her heart of hearts Miss Roberta felt fluttered as she walked across the empty hall to the Italian parlor behind her sterner sister, to receive their guest.

out

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

From this reading The village was two miles beyond the lime lodge gates, and for the last eight years rheumatism in the knee had made the walk there out of the question for poor Miss Roberta--so even the sight of a man and a stranger was an unusual thing!

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading She had not attempted conversation with anyone but Mr. Miller, the curate, for over eleven years.

parlornounUS /ˈpɑːrlər/

an old-fashioned sitting room

From this reading In her heart of hearts Miss Roberta felt fluttered as she walked across the empty hall to the Italian parlor behind her sterner sister, to receive their guest.

poornounUS /poor/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The village was two miles beyond the lime lodge gates, and for the last eight years rheumatism in the knee had made the walk there out of the question for poor Miss Roberta--so even the sight of a man and a stranger was an unusual thing!

pretty

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

From this reading That meant about three o'clock, and it behooved ladies expecting a gentleman to be at ease at some pretty fancy work when he should be announced.

questionnounUS /ˈquestion/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading The village was two miles beyond the lime lodge gates, and for the last eight years rheumatism in the knee had made the walk there out of the question for poor Miss Roberta--so even the sight of a man and a stranger was an unusual thing!

receive

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

From this reading In her heart of hearts Miss Roberta felt fluttered as she walked across the empty hall to the Italian parlor behind her sterner sister, to receive their guest.

rheumatism

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

From this reading The village was two miles beyond the lime lodge gates, and for the last eight years rheumatism in the knee had made the walk there out of the question for poor Miss Roberta--so even the sight of a man and a stranger was an unusual thing!

Roberta

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

From this reading In her heart of hearts Miss Roberta felt fluttered as she walked across the empty hall to the Italian parlor behind her sterner sister, to receive their guest.

said

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

From this reading He would come in the afternoon, Halcyone had said.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading In her heart of hearts Miss Roberta felt fluttered as she walked across the empty hall to the Italian parlor behind her sterner sister, to receive their guest.

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading That meant about three o'clock, and it behooved ladies expecting a gentleman to be at ease at some pretty fancy work when he should be announced.

sight

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

From this reading The village was two miles beyond the lime lodge gates, and for the last eight years rheumatism in the knee had made the walk there out of the question for poor Miss Roberta--so even the sight of a man and a stranger was an unusual thing!

sister

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

From this reading In her heart of hearts Miss Roberta felt fluttered as she walked across the empty hall to the Italian parlor behind her sterner sister, to receive their guest.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading The village was two miles beyond the lime lodge gates, and for the last eight years rheumatism in the knee had made the walk there out of the question for poor Miss Roberta--so even the sight of a man and a stranger was an unusual thing!

some

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

From this reading That meant about three o'clock, and it behooved ladies expecting a gentleman to be at ease at some pretty fancy work when he should be announced.

sterner

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

From this reading In her heart of hearts Miss Roberta felt fluttered as she walked across the empty hall to the Italian parlor behind her sterner sister, to receive their guest.

stranger

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

From this reading The village was two miles beyond the lime lodge gates, and for the last eight years rheumatism in the knee had made the walk there out of the question for poor Miss Roberta--so even the sight of a man and a stranger was an unusual thing!

ThatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading That meant about three o'clock, and it behooved ladies expecting a gentleman to be at ease at some pretty fancy work when he should be announced.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading In her heart of hearts Miss Roberta felt fluttered as she walked across the empty hall to the Italian parlor behind her sterner sister, to receive their guest.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading In her heart of hearts Miss Roberta felt fluttered as she walked across the empty hall to the Italian parlor behind her sterner sister, to receive their guest.

there

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

From this reading The village was two miles beyond the lime lodge gates, and for the last eight years rheumatism in the knee had made the walk there out of the question for poor Miss Roberta--so even the sight of a man and a stranger was an unusual thing!

thingnounUS /thing/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The village was two miles beyond the lime lodge gates, and for the last eight years rheumatism in the knee had made the walk there out of the question for poor Miss Roberta--so even the sight of a man and a stranger was an unusual thing!

three

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

From this reading That meant about three o'clock, and it behooved ladies expecting a gentleman to be at ease at some pretty fancy work when he should be announced.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading In her heart of hearts Miss Roberta felt fluttered as she walked across the empty hall to the Italian parlor behind her sterner sister, to receive their guest.

two

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

From this reading The village was two miles beyond the lime lodge gates, and for the last eight years rheumatism in the knee had made the walk there out of the question for poor Miss Roberta--so even the sight of a man and a stranger was an unusual thing!

unusual

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

From this reading The village was two miles beyond the lime lodge gates, and for the last eight years rheumatism in the knee had made the walk there out of the question for poor Miss Roberta--so even the sight of a man and a stranger was an unusual thing!

village

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

From this reading The village was two miles beyond the lime lodge gates, and for the last eight years rheumatism in the knee had made the walk there out of the question for poor Miss Roberta--so even the sight of a man and a stranger was an unusual thing!

walk

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

From this reading The village was two miles beyond the lime lodge gates, and for the last eight years rheumatism in the knee had made the walk there out of the question for poor Miss Roberta--so even the sight of a man and a stranger was an unusual thing!

walked

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

From this reading In her heart of hearts Miss Roberta felt fluttered as she walked across the empty hall to the Italian parlor behind her sterner sister, to receive their guest.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The village was two miles beyond the lime lodge gates, and for the last eight years rheumatism in the knee had made the walk there out of the question for poor Miss Roberta--so even the sight of a man and a stranger was an unusual thing!

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading That meant about three o'clock, and it behooved ladies expecting a gentleman to be at ease at some pretty fancy work when he should be announced.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading She had not attempted conversation with anyone but Mr. Miller, the curate, for over eleven years.

work

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

From this reading That meant about three o'clock, and it behooved ladies expecting a gentleman to be at ease at some pretty fancy work when he should be announced.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading He would come in the afternoon, Halcyone had said.

years

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

From this reading The village was two miles beyond the lime lodge gates, and for the last eight years rheumatism in the knee had made the walk there out of the question for poor Miss Roberta--so even the sight of a man and a stranger was an unusual thing!