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In the Quarter
In the Quarter

Chapter XVII · Chapter 17

Chapter 17 of In the Quarter is here in full — 160 sentences across 32 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/32 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Paris lay sparkling under a cold, clear sky.
The brilliant streets lay coiled along the Seine and stretched glittering from bank to bank, from boulevard to boulevard; cafés, brasseries, concert halls and theaters in the yellow blaze of gas and the white and violet of electricity.
It was not late, but people who entered the lobby of the Theater Fauvette turned away before the placard Standing room only.”
Somewhere in the city a bell sounded the hour, and with the last stroke the drop curtain fell on the first act of La Belle Hélène.”
It fell amidst a whirlwind of applause, in which the orchestra led.
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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.

In the Quarter

Chapter XVII · Chapter 17

Chapter 17 of In the Quarter is here in full — 160 sentences across 32 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/32 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Paris lay sparkling under a cold, clear sky.
/ˈperɪs leɪ ˈspɑːrklɪŋ ˈʌndər ə koʊld klɪr skaɪ/
Line 2
The brilliant streets lay coiled along the Seine and stretched glittering from bank to bank, from boulevard to boulevard; cafés, brasseries, concert halls and theaters in the yellow blaze of gas and the white and violet of electricity.
Line 3
It was not late, but people who entered the lobby of the Theater Fauvette turned away before the placardStanding room only.”
Line 4
Somewhere in the city a bell sounded the hour, and with the last stroke the drop curtain fell on the first act ofLa Belle Hélène.”
Line 5
It fell amidst a whirlwind of applause, in which the orchestra led.
/ɪt fel əˈmɪdst ə ˈwɜːrlwɪnd ʌv əˈplɔːz ɪn wɪtʃ ðə ˈɔːrkəstrə led/

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.

coiled adjective US /kɔɪld/

curled or wound (especially in concentric rings or spirals)

From this reading “The brilliant streets lay coiled along the Seine and stretched glittering from bank to bank, from boulevard to boulevard; cafés, brasseries, concert halls and theaters in the yellow blaze of gas and the white and violet of electricity.”

electricity noun US /ɪˌlekˈtrɪsəti/

a physical phenomenon associated with stationary or moving electrons and protons

From this reading “The brilliant streets lay coiled along the Seine and stretched glittering from bank to bank, from boulevard to boulevard; cafés, brasseries, concert halls and theaters in the yellow blaze of gas and the white and violet of electricity.”

lobby noun US /ˈlɑːbi/

a large entrance or reception room or area

From this reading “It was not late, but people who entered the lobby of the Theater Fauvette turned away before the placard “Standing room only.””

placard verb US /ˈplækərd/

post in a public place

From this reading “It was not late, but people who entered the lobby of the Theater Fauvette turned away before the placard “Standing room only.””

Seine noun US /seɪn/

a French river that flows through the heart of Paris and then northward into the English Channel

From this reading “The brilliant streets lay coiled along the Seine and stretched glittering from bank to bank, from boulevard to boulevard; cafés, brasseries, concert halls and theaters in the yellow blaze of gas and the white and violet of electricity.”

Theater noun US /ˈθiːətər/

a building where theatrical performances or motion-picture shows can be presented

From this reading “It was not late, but people who entered the lobby of the Theater Fauvette turned away before the placard “Standing room only.””

theaters noun US /ˈθiːətərz/

plural of “theater” — a building where theatrical performances or motion-picture shows can be presented

From this reading “The brilliant streets lay coiled along the Seine and stretched glittering from bank to bank, from boulevard to boulevard; cafés, brasseries, concert halls and theaters in the yellow blaze of gas and the white and violet of electricity.”

whirlwind noun US /ˈwɜːrlwɪnd/

a more or less vertical column of air whirling around itself as it moves over the surface of the Earth

From this reading “It fell amidst a whirlwind of applause, in which the orchestra led.”

All words in this reading · 75

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 Paris lay sparkling under a cold, clear sky.

actverbUS /ækt/

perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)

From this reading Somewhere in the city a bell sounded the hour, and with the last stroke the drop curtain fell on the first act of “La Belle Hélène.”

alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/

following the length of something from one end toward the other

From this reading The brilliant streets lay coiled along the Seine and stretched glittering from bank to bank, from boulevard to boulevard; cafés, brasseries, concert halls and theaters in the yellow blaze of gas and the white and violet of electricity.

amidstprepositionUS /əˈmɪdst/

in the middle of; surrounded by

From this reading It fell amidst a whirlwind of applause, in which the orchestra led.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The brilliant streets lay coiled along the Seine and stretched glittering from bank to bank, from boulevard to boulevard; cafés, brasseries, concert halls and theaters in the yellow blaze of gas and the white and violet of electricity.

applausenounUS /əˈplɔːz/

a demonstration of approval by clapping the hands together

From this reading It fell amidst a whirlwind of applause, in which the orchestra led.

awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/

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

From this reading It was not late, but people who entered the lobby of the Theater Fauvette turned away before the placard “Standing room only.”

banknounUS /bæŋk/

sloping land (especially the slope beside a body of water)

From this reading The brilliant streets lay coiled along the Seine and stretched glittering from bank to bank, from boulevard to boulevard; cafés, brasseries, concert halls and theaters in the yellow blaze of gas and the white and violet of electricity.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading It was not late, but people who entered the lobby of the Theater Fauvette turned away before the placard “Standing room only.”

bellnounUS /bel/

a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck

From this reading Somewhere in the city a bell sounded the hour, and with the last stroke the drop curtain fell on the first act of “La Belle Hélène.”

BellenounUS /bel/

a young woman who is the most charming and beautiful of several rivals

From this reading Somewhere in the city a bell sounded the hour, and with the last stroke the drop curtain fell on the first act of “La Belle Hélène.”

blazenounUS /bleɪz/

a strong flame that burns brightly

From this reading The brilliant streets lay coiled along the Seine and stretched glittering from bank to bank, from boulevard to boulevard; cafés, brasseries, concert halls and theaters in the yellow blaze of gas and the white and violet of electricity.

boulevardnounUS /ˈbʊləvɑːrd/

a wide street or thoroughfare

From this reading The brilliant streets lay coiled along the Seine and stretched glittering from bank to bank, from boulevard to boulevard; cafés, brasseries, concert halls and theaters in the yellow blaze of gas and the white and violet of electricity.

brasseries

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

From this reading The brilliant streets lay coiled along the Seine and stretched glittering from bank to bank, from boulevard to boulevard; cafés, brasseries, concert halls and theaters in the yellow blaze of gas and the white and violet of electricity.

brilliantadjectiveUS /ˈbrɪljənt/

of surpassing excellence

From this reading The brilliant streets lay coiled along the Seine and stretched glittering from bank to bank, from boulevard to boulevard; cafés, brasseries, concert halls and theaters in the yellow blaze of gas and the white and violet of electricity.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading It was not late, but people who entered the lobby of the Theater Fauvette turned away before the placard “Standing room only.”

cafés

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

From this reading The brilliant streets lay coiled along the Seine and stretched glittering from bank to bank, from boulevard to boulevard; cafés, brasseries, concert halls and theaters in the yellow blaze of gas and the white and violet of electricity.

citynounUS /ˈsɪti/

a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts

From this reading Somewhere in the city a bell sounded the hour, and with the last stroke the drop curtain fell on the first act of “La Belle Hélène.”

clearverbUS /klɪr/

rid of obstructions

From this reading Paris lay sparkling under a cold, clear sky.

coiledadjectiveUS /kɔɪld/

curled or wound (especially in concentric rings or spirals)

From this reading The brilliant streets lay coiled along the Seine and stretched glittering from bank to bank, from boulevard to boulevard; cafés, brasseries, concert halls and theaters in the yellow blaze of gas and the white and violet of electricity.

coldadjectiveUS /koʊld/

having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration

From this reading Paris lay sparkling under a cold, clear sky.

concertnounUS /ˈkɑːnsərt/

a performance of music by players or singers not involving theatrical staging

From this reading The brilliant streets lay coiled along the Seine and stretched glittering from bank to bank, from boulevard to boulevard; cafés, brasseries, concert halls and theaters in the yellow blaze of gas and the white and violet of electricity.

curtainnounUS /ˈkɜːrtən/

hanging cloth used as a blind (especially for a window)

From this reading Somewhere in the city a bell sounded the hour, and with the last stroke the drop curtain fell on the first act of “La Belle Hélène.”

dropverbUS /drɑːp/

let fall to the ground

From this reading Somewhere in the city a bell sounded the hour, and with the last stroke the drop curtain fell on the first act of “La Belle Hélène.”

electricitynounUS /ɪˌlekˈtrɪsəti/

a physical phenomenon associated with stationary or moving electrons and protons

From this reading The brilliant streets lay coiled along the Seine and stretched glittering from bank to bank, from boulevard to boulevard; cafés, brasseries, concert halls and theaters in the yellow blaze of gas and the white and violet of electricity.

enteredverbUS /ˈentərd/

past form of “enter” — to come or go into

From this reading It was not late, but people who entered the lobby of the Theater Fauvette turned away before the placard “Standing room only.”

Fauvette

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

From this reading It was not late, but people who entered the lobby of the Theater Fauvette turned away before the placard “Standing room only.”

fellverbUS /fel/

cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow

From this reading Somewhere in the city a bell sounded the hour, and with the last stroke the drop curtain fell on the first act of “La Belle Hélène.”

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading Somewhere in the city a bell sounded the hour, and with the last stroke the drop curtain fell on the first act of “La Belle Hélène.”

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading The brilliant streets lay coiled along the Seine and stretched glittering from bank to bank, from boulevard to boulevard; cafés, brasseries, concert halls and theaters in the yellow blaze of gas and the white and violet of electricity.

gasnounUS /ɡæs/

the state of matter distinguished from the solid and liquid states by: relatively low density and viscosity

From this reading The brilliant streets lay coiled along the Seine and stretched glittering from bank to bank, from boulevard to boulevard; cafés, brasseries, concert halls and theaters in the yellow blaze of gas and the white and violet of electricity.

glitteringadjectiveUS /ˈɡlɪtərɪŋ/

having brief brilliant points or flashes of light

From this reading The brilliant streets lay coiled along the Seine and stretched glittering from bank to bank, from boulevard to boulevard; cafés, brasseries, concert halls and theaters in the yellow blaze of gas and the white and violet of electricity.

hallsnounUS /hɔːlz/

plural of “hall” — an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open

From this reading The brilliant streets lay coiled along the Seine and stretched glittering from bank to bank, from boulevard to boulevard; cafés, brasseries, concert halls and theaters in the yellow blaze of gas and the white and violet of electricity.

hournounUS /ˈaʊər/

a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day

From this reading Somewhere in the city a bell sounded the hour, and with the last stroke the drop curtain fell on the first act of “La Belle Hélène.”

Hélène

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

From this reading Somewhere in the city a bell sounded the hour, and with the last stroke the drop curtain fell on the first act of “La Belle Hélène.”

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The brilliant streets lay coiled along the Seine and stretched glittering from bank to bank, from boulevard to boulevard; cafés, brasseries, concert halls and theaters in the yellow blaze of gas and the white and violet of electricity.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was not late, but people who entered the lobby of the Theater Fauvette turned away before the placard “Standing room only.”

LanounUS /lɑː/

a white soft metallic element that tarnishes readily; occurs in rare earth minerals and is usually classified as a rare earth

From this reading Somewhere in the city a bell sounded the hour, and with the last stroke the drop curtain fell on the first act of “La Belle Hélène.”

lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading Somewhere in the city a bell sounded the hour, and with the last stroke the drop curtain fell on the first act of “La Belle Hélène.”

lateadjectiveUS /leɪt/

being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time

From this reading It was not late, but people who entered the lobby of the Theater Fauvette turned away before the placard “Standing room only.”

layverbUS /leɪ/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading Paris lay sparkling under a cold, clear sky.

lednounUS /led/

diode such that light emitted at a p-n junction is proportional to the bias current; color depends on the material used

From this reading It fell amidst a whirlwind of applause, in which the orchestra led.

lobbynounUS /ˈlɑːbi/

a large entrance or reception room or area

From this reading It was not late, but people who entered the lobby of the Theater Fauvette turned away before the placard “Standing room only.”

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading It was not late, but people who entered the lobby of the Theater Fauvette turned away before the placard “Standing room only.”

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The brilliant streets lay coiled along the Seine and stretched glittering from bank to bank, from boulevard to boulevard; cafés, brasseries, concert halls and theaters in the yellow blaze of gas and the white and violet of electricity.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Somewhere in the city a bell sounded the hour, and with the last stroke the drop curtain fell on the first act of “La Belle Hélène.”

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading It was not late, but people who entered the lobby of the Theater Fauvette turned away before the placard “Standing room only.”

orchestranounUS /ˈɔːrkəstrə/

a musical organization consisting of a group of instrumentalists including string players

From this reading It fell amidst a whirlwind of applause, in which the orchestra led.

ParisnounUS /ˈperɪs/

the capital and largest city of France; and international center of culture and commerce

From this reading Paris lay sparkling under a cold, clear sky.

peoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading It was not late, but people who entered the lobby of the Theater Fauvette turned away before the placard “Standing room only.”

placardverbUS /ˈplækərd/

post in a public place

From this reading It was not late, but people who entered the lobby of the Theater Fauvette turned away before the placard “Standing room only.”

roomnounUS /ruːm/

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

From this reading It was not late, but people who entered the lobby of the Theater Fauvette turned away before the placard “Standing room only.”

SeinenounUS /seɪn/

a French river that flows through the heart of Paris and then northward into the English Channel

From this reading The brilliant streets lay coiled along the Seine and stretched glittering from bank to bank, from boulevard to boulevard; cafés, brasseries, concert halls and theaters in the yellow blaze of gas and the white and violet of electricity.

skynounUS /skaɪ/

the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth

From this reading Paris lay sparkling under a cold, clear sky.

SomewhereadverbUS /ˈsʌmwer/

in or at or to some place

From this reading Somewhere in the city a bell sounded the hour, and with the last stroke the drop curtain fell on the first act of “La Belle Hélène.”

soundedverbUS /ˈsaʊndɪd/

past form of “sound” — appear in a certain way

From this reading Somewhere in the city a bell sounded the hour, and with the last stroke the drop curtain fell on the first act of “La Belle Hélène.”

sparklingadjectiveUS /ˈspɑːrklɪŋ/

shining with brilliant points of light like stars

From this reading Paris lay sparkling under a cold, clear sky.

StandingadjectiveUS /ˈstændɪŋ/

having a supporting base

From this reading It was not late, but people who entered the lobby of the Theater Fauvette turned away before the placard “Standing room only.”

streetsnounUS /striːts/

plural of “street” — a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings

From this reading The brilliant streets lay coiled along the Seine and stretched glittering from bank to bank, from boulevard to boulevard; cafés, brasseries, concert halls and theaters in the yellow blaze of gas and the white and violet of electricity.

stretchedadjectiveUS /stretʃt/

(of muscles) relieved of stiffness by stretching

From this reading The brilliant streets lay coiled along the Seine and stretched glittering from bank to bank, from boulevard to boulevard; cafés, brasseries, concert halls and theaters in the yellow blaze of gas and the white and violet of electricity.

strokenounUS /stroʊk/

(sports) the act of swinging or striking at a ball with a club or racket or bat or cue or hand

From this reading Somewhere in the city a bell sounded the hour, and with the last stroke the drop curtain fell on the first act of “La Belle Hélène.”

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The brilliant streets lay coiled along the Seine and stretched glittering from bank to bank, from boulevard to boulevard; cafés, brasseries, concert halls and theaters in the yellow blaze of gas and the white and violet of electricity.

TheaternounUS /ˈθiːətər/

a building where theatrical performances or motion-picture shows can be presented

From this reading It was not late, but people who entered the lobby of the Theater Fauvette turned away before the placard “Standing room only.”

theatersnounUS /ˈθiːətərz/

plural of “theater” — a building where theatrical performances or motion-picture shows can be presented

From this reading The brilliant streets lay coiled along the Seine and stretched glittering from bank to bank, from boulevard to boulevard; cafés, brasseries, concert halls and theaters in the yellow blaze of gas and the white and violet of electricity.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The brilliant streets lay coiled along the Seine and stretched glittering from bank to bank, from boulevard to boulevard; cafés, brasseries, concert halls and theaters in the yellow blaze of gas and the white and violet of electricity.

turnedadjectiveUS /tɜːrnd/

moved around an axis or center

From this reading It was not late, but people who entered the lobby of the Theater Fauvette turned away before the placard “Standing room only.”

underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading Paris lay sparkling under a cold, clear sky.

violetnounUS /ˈvaɪəlɪt/

any of numerous low-growing violas with small flowers

From this reading The brilliant streets lay coiled along the Seine and stretched glittering from bank to bank, from boulevard to boulevard; cafés, brasseries, concert halls and theaters in the yellow blaze of gas and the white and violet of electricity.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading It was not late, but people who entered the lobby of the Theater Fauvette turned away before the placard “Standing room only.”

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading It fell amidst a whirlwind of applause, in which the orchestra led.

whirlwindnounUS /ˈwɜːrlwɪnd/

a more or less vertical column of air whirling around itself as it moves over the surface of the Earth

From this reading It fell amidst a whirlwind of applause, in which the orchestra led.

whitenounUS /waɪt/

a Caucasian

From this reading The brilliant streets lay coiled along the Seine and stretched glittering from bank to bank, from boulevard to boulevard; cafés, brasseries, concert halls and theaters in the yellow blaze of gas and the white and violet of electricity.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading It was not late, but people who entered the lobby of the Theater Fauvette turned away before the placard “Standing room only.”

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Somewhere in the city a bell sounded the hour, and with the last stroke the drop curtain fell on the first act of “La Belle Hélène.”

yellowadjectiveUS /ˈjeloʊ/

of the color intermediate between green and orange in the color spectrum; of something resembling the color of an egg yolk

From this reading The brilliant streets lay coiled along the Seine and stretched glittering from bank to bank, from boulevard to boulevard; cafés, brasseries, concert halls and theaters in the yellow blaze of gas and the white and violet of electricity.

Chapter 17 of In the Quarter by Robert W. (Robert William) Chambers holds 160 sentences, grouped into 32 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, 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 17 of In the Quarter contain?

Chapter 17 holds 160 sentences of In the Quarter, unabridged, divided into 32 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 17 of In the Quarter by Robert W. (Robert William) Chambers exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 160 sentences, grouped into 32 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 17 of In the Quarter?

Work through the 32 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 32 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.

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Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 17 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.

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Vocabulary met early in In the Quarter

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Chapter 1
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Chapter 2
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Chapter 3
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