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Kings-at-Arms
Kings-at-Arms

Chapter III

Chapter 3 of Kings-at-Arms is here in full — 287 sentences across 58 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Kings-at-Arms
Context Illustration Reading 1/57 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
“You think that I have any influence with your King?” asked Madame von Falkenberg.
Her directness did not displease Count Piper; he saw that she was more experienced than he had thought and wise enough to be simple.
“I know you have,” he replied, then added: “His Majesty has never looked twice at any other woman.”
“His Majesty is only eighteen,” said Viktoria; her large dilated eyes looked searchingly at the shrewd, withered face of the minister.
“What do you know of me?” she asked.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Kings-at-Arms

Chapter III

Chapter 3 of Kings-at-Arms is here in full — 287 sentences across 58 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/57 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
“You think that I have any influence with your King?” asked Madame von Falkenberg.
Line 2
Her directness did not displease Count Piper; he saw that she was more experienced than he had thought and wise enough to be simple.
/hɜːr dərˈektnəs dɪd nɑːt dɪˈspliːz kaʊnt ˈpaɪpər hiː sɔː ðæt ʃiː wɑːz mɔːr ɪkˈspɪriənst ðæn hiː hæd θɔːt ənd waɪz ɪˈnʌf tuː biː ˈsɪmpəl/
Line 3
“I know you have,” he replied, then added: “His Majesty has never looked twice at any other woman.”
/aɪ noʊ juː hæv hiː rɪˈplaɪd ðen ˈædəd hɪz ˈmædʒəsti hæz ˈnevər lʊkt twaɪs æt ˈeni ˈʌðər ˈwʊmən/
Line 4
“His Majesty is only eighteen,” said Viktoria; her large dilated eyes looked searchingly at the shrewd, withered face of the minister.
Line 5
“What do you know of me?” she asked.
/wʌt duː juː noʊ ʌv miː ʃiː æskt/

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.

dilated verb US /ˌdaɪˈleɪtɪd/

past form of “dilate” — become wider

From this reading ““His Majesty is only eighteen,” said Viktoria; her large dilated eyes looked searchingly at the shrewd, withered face of the minister.”

directness noun US /dərˈektnəs/

trueness of course toward a goal

From this reading “Her directness did not displease Count Piper; he saw that she was more experienced than he had thought and wise enough to be simple.”

displease verb US /dɪˈspliːz/

give displeasure to

From this reading “Her directness did not displease Count Piper; he saw that she was more experienced than he had thought and wise enough to be simple.”

eighteen adjective US /eɪˈtiːn/

being one more than seventeen

From this reading ““His Majesty is only eighteen,” said Viktoria; her large dilated eyes looked searchingly at the shrewd, withered face of the minister.”

experienced adjective US /ɪkˈspɪriənst/

having experience; having knowledge or skill from observation or participation

From this reading “Her directness did not displease Count Piper; he saw that she was more experienced than he had thought and wise enough to be simple.”

Piper noun US /ˈpaɪpər/

someone who plays the bagpipe

From this reading “Her directness did not displease Count Piper; he saw that she was more experienced than he had thought and wise enough to be simple.”

shrewd adjective US /ʃruːd/

marked by practical hardheaded intelligence

From this reading ““His Majesty is only eighteen,” said Viktoria; her large dilated eyes looked searchingly at the shrewd, withered face of the minister.”

withered adjective US /ˈwɪðərd/

lean and wrinkled by shrinkage as from age or illness

From this reading ““His Majesty is only eighteen,” said Viktoria; her large dilated eyes looked searchingly at the shrewd, withered face of the minister.”

Word partnerships in these lines

English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.

Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.

looked searchingly verb + particle counted as “look searchingly”

In this reading ““His Majesty is only eighteen,” said Viktoria; her large dilated eyes looked searchingly at the shrewd, withered face of the minister.”

dilated eyes verb + noun counted as “dilate eyes”

In this reading ““His Majesty is only eighteen,” said Viktoria; her large dilated eyes looked searchingly at the shrewd, withered face of the minister.”

wise enough adjective + noun

In this reading “Her directness did not displease Count Piper; he saw that she was more experienced than he had thought and wise enough to be simple.”

withered face adjective + noun

In this reading ““His Majesty is only eighteen,” said Viktoria; her large dilated eyes looked searchingly at the shrewd, withered face of the minister.”

only eighteen adverb + adjective

In this reading ““His Majesty is only eighteen,” said Viktoria; her large dilated eyes looked searchingly at the shrewd, withered face of the minister.”

other woman adjective + noun

In this reading ““I know you have,” he replied, then added: “His Majesty has never looked twice at any other woman.””

All words in this reading · 67

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.

addedverbUS /ˈædəd/

past form of “add” — make an addition (to); join or combine or unite with others; increase the quality, quantity, size or scope of

From this reading “I know you have,” he replied, then added: “His Majesty has never looked twice at any other woman.”

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Her directness did not displease Count Piper; he saw that she was more experienced than he had thought and wise enough to be simple.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading “You think that I have any influence with your King?” asked Madame von Falkenberg.

askedverbUS /æskt/

past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading “You think that I have any influence with your King?” asked Madame von Falkenberg.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading “I know you have,” he replied, then added: “His Majesty has never looked twice at any other woman.”

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading Her directness did not displease Count Piper; he saw that she was more experienced than he had thought and wise enough to be simple.

CountverbUS /kaʊnt/

determine the number or amount of

From this reading Her directness did not displease Count Piper; he saw that she was more experienced than he had thought and wise enough to be simple.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

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

From this reading Her directness did not displease Count Piper; he saw that she was more experienced than he had thought and wise enough to be simple.

dilatedverbUS /ˌdaɪˈleɪtɪd/

past form of “dilate” — become wider

From this reading “His Majesty is only eighteen,” said Viktoria; her large dilated eyes looked searchingly at the shrewd, withered face of the minister.

directnessnounUS /dərˈektnəs/

trueness of course toward a goal

From this reading Her directness did not displease Count Piper; he saw that she was more experienced than he had thought and wise enough to be simple.

displeaseverbUS /dɪˈspliːz/

give displeasure to

From this reading Her directness did not displease Count Piper; he saw that she was more experienced than he had thought and wise enough to be simple.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading “What do you know of me?” she asked.

eighteenadjectiveUS /eɪˈtiːn/

being one more than seventeen

From this reading “His Majesty is only eighteen,” said Viktoria; her large dilated eyes looked searchingly at the shrewd, withered face of the minister.

enoughnounUS /ɪˈnʌf/

an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose

From this reading Her directness did not displease Count Piper; he saw that she was more experienced than he had thought and wise enough to be simple.

experiencedadjectiveUS /ɪkˈspɪriənst/

having experience; having knowledge or skill from observation or participation

From this reading Her directness did not displease Count Piper; he saw that she was more experienced than he had thought and wise enough to be simple.

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading “His Majesty is only eighteen,” said Viktoria; her large dilated eyes looked searchingly at the shrewd, withered face of the minister.

facenounUS /feɪs/

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading “His Majesty is only eighteen,” said Viktoria; her large dilated eyes looked searchingly at the shrewd, withered face of the minister.

Falkenberg

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

From this reading “You think that I have any influence with your King?” asked Madame von Falkenberg.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Her directness did not displease Count Piper; he saw that she was more experienced than he had thought and wise enough to be simple.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading “I know you have,” he replied, then added: “His Majesty has never looked twice at any other woman.”

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “You think that I have any influence with your King?” asked Madame von Falkenberg.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Her directness did not displease Count Piper; he saw that she was more experienced than he had thought and wise enough to be simple.

HerdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading Her directness did not displease Count Piper; he saw that she was more experienced than he had thought and wise enough to be simple.

HisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading “I know you have,” he replied, then added: “His Majesty has never looked twice at any other woman.”

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading “You think that I have any influence with your King?” asked Madame von Falkenberg.

influencenounUS /ˈɪnfluːəns/

a power to affect persons or events especially power based on prestige etc

From this reading “You think that I have any influence with your King?” asked Madame von Falkenberg.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading “His Majesty is only eighteen,” said Viktoria; her large dilated eyes looked searchingly at the shrewd, withered face of the minister.

KingnounUS /kɪŋ/

a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom

From this reading “You think that I have any influence with your King?” asked Madame von Falkenberg.

knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading “I know you have,” he replied, then added: “His Majesty has never looked twice at any other woman.”

largeadjectiveUS /lɑːrdʒ/

above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading “His Majesty is only eighteen,” said Viktoria; her large dilated eyes looked searchingly at the shrewd, withered face of the minister.

lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading “I know you have,” he replied, then added: “His Majesty has never looked twice at any other woman.”

MadamenounUS /ˈmædəm/

title used for a married Frenchwoman

From this reading “You think that I have any influence with your King?” asked Madame von Falkenberg.

MajestynounUS /ˈmædʒəsti/

impressiveness in scale or proportion

From this reading “I know you have,” he replied, then added: “His Majesty has never looked twice at any other woman.”

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading “What do you know of me?” she asked.

ministernounUS /ˈmɪnəstər/

a person authorized to conduct religious worship

From this reading “His Majesty is only eighteen,” said Viktoria; her large dilated eyes looked searchingly at the shrewd, withered face of the minister.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading Her directness did not displease Count Piper; he saw that she was more experienced than he had thought and wise enough to be simple.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading “I know you have,” he replied, then added: “His Majesty has never looked twice at any other woman.”

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Her directness did not displease Count Piper; he saw that she was more experienced than he had thought and wise enough to be simple.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading “His Majesty is only eighteen,” said Viktoria; her large dilated eyes looked searchingly at the shrewd, withered face of the minister.

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading “His Majesty is only eighteen,” said Viktoria; her large dilated eyes looked searchingly at the shrewd, withered face of the minister.

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading “I know you have,” he replied, then added: “His Majesty has never looked twice at any other woman.”

PipernounUS /ˈpaɪpər/

someone who plays the bagpipe

From this reading Her directness did not displease Count Piper; he saw that she was more experienced than he had thought and wise enough to be simple.

repliedverbUS /rɪˈplaɪd/

inflected form of “reply” — react verbally

From this reading “I know you have,” he replied, then added: “His Majesty has never looked twice at any other woman.”

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading “His Majesty is only eighteen,” said Viktoria; her large dilated eyes looked searchingly at the shrewd, withered face of the minister.

sawverbUS /sɔː/

cut with a saw

From this reading Her directness did not displease Count Piper; he saw that she was more experienced than he had thought and wise enough to be simple.

searchinglyadverb

in a searching manner

From this reading “His Majesty is only eighteen,” said Viktoria; her large dilated eyes looked searchingly at the shrewd, withered face of the minister.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading Her directness did not displease Count Piper; he saw that she was more experienced than he had thought and wise enough to be simple.

shrewdadjectiveUS /ʃruːd/

marked by practical hardheaded intelligence

From this reading “His Majesty is only eighteen,” said Viktoria; her large dilated eyes looked searchingly at the shrewd, withered face of the minister.

simpleadjectiveUS /ˈsɪmpəl/

having few parts; not complex or complicated or involved

From this reading Her directness did not displease Count Piper; he saw that she was more experienced than he had thought and wise enough to be simple.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading Her directness did not displease Count Piper; he saw that she was more experienced than he had thought and wise enough to be simple.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading “You think that I have any influence with your King?” asked Madame von Falkenberg.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading “His Majesty is only eighteen,” said Viktoria; her large dilated eyes looked searchingly at the shrewd, withered face of the minister.

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading “I know you have,” he replied, then added: “His Majesty has never looked twice at any other woman.”

thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading “You think that I have any influence with your King?” asked Madame von Falkenberg.

thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading Her directness did not displease Count Piper; he saw that she was more experienced than he had thought and wise enough to be simple.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Her directness did not displease Count Piper; he saw that she was more experienced than he had thought and wise enough to be simple.

twiceadverbUS /twaɪs/

two times

From this reading “I know you have,” he replied, then added: “His Majesty has never looked twice at any other woman.”

Viktoria

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

From this reading “His Majesty is only eighteen,” said Viktoria; her large dilated eyes looked searchingly at the shrewd, withered face of the minister.

von

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

From this reading “You think that I have any influence with your King?” asked Madame von Falkenberg.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Her directness did not displease Count Piper; he saw that she was more experienced than he had thought and wise enough to be simple.

WhatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading “What do you know of me?” she asked.

wiseadjectiveUS /waɪz/

having or prompted by wisdom or discernment

From this reading Her directness did not displease Count Piper; he saw that she was more experienced than he had thought and wise enough to be simple.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading “You think that I have any influence with your King?” asked Madame von Falkenberg.

witheredadjectiveUS /ˈwɪðərd/

lean and wrinkled by shrinkage as from age or illness

From this reading “His Majesty is only eighteen,” said Viktoria; her large dilated eyes looked searchingly at the shrewd, withered face of the minister.

womannounUS /ˈwʊmən/

an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading “I know you have,” he replied, then added: “His Majesty has never looked twice at any other woman.”

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “You think that I have any influence with your King?” asked Madame von Falkenberg.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “You think that I have any influence with your King?” asked Madame von Falkenberg.

Chapter 3 of Kings-at-Arms by Marjorie Bowen holds 287 sentences, grouped into 58 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 3 of Kings-at-Arms contain?

Chapter 3 holds 287 sentences of Kings-at-Arms, unabridged, divided into 58 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 3 of Kings-at-Arms by Marjorie Bowen exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 287 sentences, grouped into 58 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 3 of Kings-at-Arms?

Work through the 58 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 58 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 3 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 3 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 Kings-at-Arms

Common questions about reading Kings-at-Arms by Marjorie Bowen on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Kings-at-Arms?

Yes. All 4057 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #55272 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Kings-at-Arms is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #55272, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Kings-at-Arms take to read?

About 338 minutes of reading across 812 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Kings-at-Arms section by section

How to work through Kings-at-Arms section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 33 chapters of Kings-at-Arms to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Kings-at-Arms

Words and structures a reader meets early in Kings-at-Arms, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Haughty
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Kings-at-Arms; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Fierce
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Kings-at-Arms; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Natural
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Kings-at-Arms; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Character
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Kings-at-Arms; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.