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Halcyone
Halcyone

Chapter XXIV

Cover illustration for Halcyone
Context Illustration Reading 1/26 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Grieving is such a satisfactory and dramatic thing when you can fling yourself down upon the ground and cry aloud and tear your hair.
But if some great blow must be borne without a sign, then indeed it wrings the heart and saps the forces of life.
When Halcyone got to her room, the housemaids were there beginning to make her bed--so it was no refuge for her--and she was obliged to go down again.
The big drawing-rooms would be untenanted at this moment, so she turned the handle of the door and crept in there.
The modern brightly gilt Louis XVI furniture glared at her, but she sank into a big chair thankful to find any support.
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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 XXIV

Reading 1/26 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Grieving is such a satisfactory and dramatic thing when you can fling yourself down upon the ground and cry aloud and tear your hair.
Line 2
But if some great blow must be borne without a sign, then indeed it wrings the heart and saps the forces of life.
Line 3
When Halcyone got to her room, the housemaids were there beginning to make her bed--so it was no refuge for her--and she was obliged to go down again.
Line 4
The big drawing-rooms would be untenanted at this moment, so she turned the handle of the door and crept in there.
Line 5
The modern brightly gilt Louis XVI furniture glared at her, but she sank into a big chair thankful to find any support.

Learner Dictionary

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

Again noun US /again/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “When Halcyone got to her room, the housemaids were there beginning to make her bed--so it was no refuge for her--and she was obliged to go down again.”

Beginning noun US /ˈbeginning/

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

From this reading “When Halcyone got to her room, the housemaids were there beginning to make her bed--so it was no refuge for her--and she was obliged to go down again.”

Great noun US /great/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “But if some great blow must be borne without a sign, then indeed it wrings the heart and saps the forces of life.”

Life noun US /life/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “But if some great blow must be borne without a sign, then indeed it wrings the heart and saps the forces of life.”

Make noun US /make/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “When Halcyone got to her room, the housemaids were there beginning to make her bed--so it was no refuge for her--and she was obliged to go down again.”

Must modal verb US /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading “But if some great blow must be borne without a sign, then indeed it wrings the heart and saps the forces of life.”

Support verb US /səˈpɔːrt/

to provide what someone needs in order to live

From this reading “The modern brightly gilt Louis XVI furniture glared at her, but she sank into a big chair thankful to find any support.”

Thing noun US /thing/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Grieving is such a satisfactory and dramatic thing when you can fling yourself down upon the ground and cry aloud and tear your hair.”

Upon preposition US /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading “Grieving is such a satisfactory and dramatic thing when you can fling yourself down upon the ground and cry aloud and tear your hair.”

Without preposition US /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading “But if some great blow must be borne without a sign, then indeed it wrings the heart and saps the forces of life.”

Would modal verb US /wʊd/

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

From this reading “The big drawing-rooms would be untenanted at this moment, so she turned the handle of the door and crept in there.”

Yourself pronoun US /jərˈself/

used when the person spoken to is also the object of the action

From this reading “Grieving is such a satisfactory and dramatic thing when you can fling yourself down upon the ground and cry aloud and tear your hair.”

All words in this reading · 87

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 Grieving is such a satisfactory and dramatic thing when you can fling yourself down upon the ground and cry aloud and tear your hair.

againnounUS /again/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading When Halcyone got to her room, the housemaids were there beginning to make her bed--so it was no refuge for her--and she was obliged to go down again.

aloud

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

From this reading Grieving is such a satisfactory and dramatic thing when you can fling yourself down upon the ground and cry aloud and tear your hair.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Grieving is such a satisfactory and dramatic thing when you can fling yourself down upon the ground and cry aloud and tear your hair.

any

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

From this reading The modern brightly gilt Louis XVI furniture glared at her, but she sank into a big chair thankful to find any support.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading The big drawing-rooms would be untenanted at this moment, so she turned the handle of the door and crept in there.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading But if some great blow must be borne without a sign, then indeed it wrings the heart and saps the forces of life.

bed

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

From this reading When Halcyone got to her room, the housemaids were there beginning to make her bed--so it was no refuge for her--and she was obliged to go down again.

beginningnounUS /ˈbeginning/

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

From this reading When Halcyone got to her room, the housemaids were there beginning to make her bed--so it was no refuge for her--and she was obliged to go down again.

big

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

From this reading The big drawing-rooms would be untenanted at this moment, so she turned the handle of the door and crept in there.

blow

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

From this reading But if some great blow must be borne without a sign, then indeed it wrings the heart and saps the forces of life.

borne

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

From this reading But if some great blow must be borne without a sign, then indeed it wrings the heart and saps the forces of life.

brightly

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

From this reading The modern brightly gilt Louis XVI furniture glared at her, but she sank into a big chair thankful to find any support.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But if some great blow must be borne without a sign, then indeed it wrings the heart and saps the forces of life.

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading Grieving is such a satisfactory and dramatic thing when you can fling yourself down upon the ground and cry aloud and tear your hair.

chair

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

From this reading The modern brightly gilt Louis XVI furniture glared at her, but she sank into a big chair thankful to find any support.

crept

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

From this reading The big drawing-rooms would be untenanted at this moment, so she turned the handle of the door and crept in there.

cry

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

From this reading Grieving is such a satisfactory and dramatic thing when you can fling yourself down upon the ground and cry aloud and tear your hair.

door

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

From this reading The big drawing-rooms would be untenanted at this moment, so she turned the handle of the door and crept in there.

down

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

From this reading Grieving is such a satisfactory and dramatic thing when you can fling yourself down upon the ground and cry aloud and tear your hair.

dramatic

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

From this reading Grieving is such a satisfactory and dramatic thing when you can fling yourself down upon the ground and cry aloud and tear your hair.

drawing-rooms

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

From this reading The big drawing-rooms would be untenanted at this moment, so she turned the handle of the door and crept in there.

find

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

From this reading The modern brightly gilt Louis XVI furniture glared at her, but she sank into a big chair thankful to find any support.

fling

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

From this reading Grieving is such a satisfactory and dramatic thing when you can fling yourself down upon the ground and cry aloud and tear your hair.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading When Halcyone got to her room, the housemaids were there beginning to make her bed--so it was no refuge for her--and she was obliged to go down again.

forces

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

From this reading But if some great blow must be borne without a sign, then indeed it wrings the heart and saps the forces of life.

furniture

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

From this reading The modern brightly gilt Louis XVI furniture glared at her, but she sank into a big chair thankful to find any support.

gilt

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

From this reading The modern brightly gilt Louis XVI furniture glared at her, but she sank into a big chair thankful to find any support.

glared

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

From this reading The modern brightly gilt Louis XVI furniture glared at her, but she sank into a big chair thankful to find any support.

go

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

From this reading When Halcyone got to her room, the housemaids were there beginning to make her bed--so it was no refuge for her--and she was obliged to go down again.

got

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

From this reading When Halcyone got to her room, the housemaids were there beginning to make her bed--so it was no refuge for her--and she was obliged to go down again.

greatnounUS /great/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading But if some great blow must be borne without a sign, then indeed it wrings the heart and saps the forces of life.

Grieving

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

From this reading Grieving is such a satisfactory and dramatic thing when you can fling yourself down upon the ground and cry aloud and tear your hair.

ground

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

From this reading Grieving is such a satisfactory and dramatic thing when you can fling yourself down upon the ground and cry aloud and tear your hair.

hair

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

From this reading Grieving is such a satisfactory and dramatic thing when you can fling yourself down upon the ground and cry aloud and tear your hair.

Halcyone

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

From this reading When Halcyone got to her room, the housemaids were there beginning to make her bed--so it was no refuge for her--and she was obliged to go down again.

handle

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

From this reading The big drawing-rooms would be untenanted at this moment, so she turned the handle of the door and crept in there.

heart

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

From this reading But if some great blow must be borne without a sign, then indeed it wrings the heart and saps the forces of life.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading When Halcyone got to her room, the housemaids were there beginning to make her bed--so it was no refuge for her--and she was obliged to go down again.

housemaids

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

From this reading When Halcyone got to her room, the housemaids were there beginning to make her bed--so it was no refuge for her--and she was obliged to go down again.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading But if some great blow must be borne without a sign, then indeed it wrings the heart and saps the forces of life.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The big drawing-rooms would be untenanted at this moment, so she turned the handle of the door and crept in there.

indeed

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

From this reading But if some great blow must be borne without a sign, then indeed it wrings the heart and saps the forces of life.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading The modern brightly gilt Louis XVI furniture glared at her, but she sank into a big chair thankful to find any support.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading Grieving is such a satisfactory and dramatic thing when you can fling yourself down upon the ground and cry aloud and tear your hair.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading But if some great blow must be borne without a sign, then indeed it wrings the heart and saps the forces of life.

lifenounUS /life/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading But if some great blow must be borne without a sign, then indeed it wrings the heart and saps the forces of life.

Louis

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

From this reading The modern brightly gilt Louis XVI furniture glared at her, but she sank into a big chair thankful to find any support.

makenounUS /make/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading When Halcyone got to her room, the housemaids were there beginning to make her bed--so it was no refuge for her--and she was obliged to go down again.

modern

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

From this reading The modern brightly gilt Louis XVI furniture glared at her, but she sank into a big chair thankful to find any support.

moment

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

From this reading The big drawing-rooms would be untenanted at this moment, so she turned the handle of the door and crept in there.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading But if some great blow must be borne without a sign, then indeed it wrings the heart and saps the forces of life.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading When Halcyone got to her room, the housemaids were there beginning to make her bed--so it was no refuge for her--and she was obliged to go down again.

obliged

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

From this reading When Halcyone got to her room, the housemaids were there beginning to make her bed--so it was no refuge for her--and she was obliged to go down again.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading But if some great blow must be borne without a sign, then indeed it wrings the heart and saps the forces of life.

refuge

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

From this reading When Halcyone got to her room, the housemaids were there beginning to make her bed--so it was no refuge for her--and she was obliged to go down again.

room

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

From this reading When Halcyone got to her room, the housemaids were there beginning to make her bed--so it was no refuge for her--and she was obliged to go down again.

sank

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

From this reading The modern brightly gilt Louis XVI furniture glared at her, but she sank into a big chair thankful to find any support.

saps

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

From this reading But if some great blow must be borne without a sign, then indeed it wrings the heart and saps the forces of life.

satisfactory

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

From this reading Grieving is such a satisfactory and dramatic thing when you can fling yourself down upon the ground and cry aloud and tear your hair.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading When Halcyone got to her room, the housemaids were there beginning to make her bed--so it was no refuge for her--and she was obliged to go down again.

sign

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

From this reading But if some great blow must be borne without a sign, then indeed it wrings the heart and saps the forces of life.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading When Halcyone got to her room, the housemaids were there beginning to make her bed--so it was no refuge for her--and she was obliged to go down again.

some

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

From this reading But if some great blow must be borne without a sign, then indeed it wrings the heart and saps the forces of life.

suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading Grieving is such a satisfactory and dramatic thing when you can fling yourself down upon the ground and cry aloud and tear your hair.

supportverbUS /səˈpɔːrt/

to provide what someone needs in order to live

From this reading The modern brightly gilt Louis XVI furniture glared at her, but she sank into a big chair thankful to find any support.

tear

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

From this reading Grieving is such a satisfactory and dramatic thing when you can fling yourself down upon the ground and cry aloud and tear your hair.

thankful

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

From this reading The modern brightly gilt Louis XVI furniture glared at her, but she sank into a big chair thankful to find any support.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Grieving is such a satisfactory and dramatic thing when you can fling yourself down upon the ground and cry aloud and tear your hair.

then

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

From this reading But if some great blow must be borne without a sign, then indeed it wrings the heart and saps the forces of life.

there

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

From this reading When Halcyone got to her room, the housemaids were there beginning to make her bed--so it was no refuge for her--and she was obliged to go down again.

thingnounUS /thing/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Grieving is such a satisfactory and dramatic thing when you can fling yourself down upon the ground and cry aloud and tear your hair.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading The big drawing-rooms would be untenanted at this moment, so she turned the handle of the door and crept in there.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading When Halcyone got to her room, the housemaids were there beginning to make her bed--so it was no refuge for her--and she was obliged to go down again.

turned

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

From this reading The big drawing-rooms would be untenanted at this moment, so she turned the handle of the door and crept in there.

untenanted

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

From this reading The big drawing-rooms would be untenanted at this moment, so she turned the handle of the door and crept in there.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading Grieving is such a satisfactory and dramatic thing when you can fling yourself down upon the ground and cry aloud and tear your hair.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading When Halcyone got to her room, the housemaids were there beginning to make her bed--so it was no refuge for her--and she was obliged to go down again.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading When Halcyone got to her room, the housemaids were there beginning to make her bed--so it was no refuge for her--and she was obliged to go down again.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading Grieving is such a satisfactory and dramatic thing when you can fling yourself down upon the ground and cry aloud and tear your hair.

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading But if some great blow must be borne without a sign, then indeed it wrings the heart and saps the forces of life.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading The big drawing-rooms would be untenanted at this moment, so she turned the handle of the door and crept in there.

wrings

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

From this reading But if some great blow must be borne without a sign, then indeed it wrings the heart and saps the forces of life.

XVI

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

From this reading The modern brightly gilt Louis XVI furniture glared at her, but she sank into a big chair thankful to find any support.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Grieving is such a satisfactory and dramatic thing when you can fling yourself down upon the ground and cry aloud and tear your hair.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Grieving is such a satisfactory and dramatic thing when you can fling yourself down upon the ground and cry aloud and tear your hair.

yourselfpronounUS /jərˈself/

used when the person spoken to is also the object of the action

From this reading Grieving is such a satisfactory and dramatic thing when you can fling yourself down upon the ground and cry aloud and tear your hair.