Lord Tony's Wife

Chapter XVI

Chapter 16 of Lord Tony's Wife is here in full — 170 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Emmuska Orczy, Baroness Orczy • Curated US English Learning Edition

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

THE RAT MORT I The guide had stepped out of the house into the street, Yvonne following closely on his heels.

The night was very dark and the narrow little Carrefour de la Poissonnerie very sparsely lighted.

Somewhere overhead on the right, something groaned and creaked persistently in the wind.

A little further on a street lanthorn was swinging aloft, throwing a small circle of dim, yellowish light on the unpaved street below.

By its fitful glimmer Yvonne could vaguely perceive the tall figure of her guide as he stepped out with noiseless yet firm tread, his shoulder brushing against the side of the nearest house as he kept closely within the shadow of its high wall.

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Chapter XVI Reading 1/34

Lord Tony's Wife Emmuska Orczy, Baroness Orczy

Chapter XVI

Chapter 16 of Lord Tony's Wife is here in full — 170 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

THE RAT MORT I The guide had stepped out of the house into the street, Yvonne following closely on his heels. The night was very dark and the narrow little Carrefour de la Poissonnerie very sparsely lighted. Somewhere overhead on the right, something groaned and creaked persistently in the wind. A little further on a street lanthorn was swinging aloft, throwing a small circle of dim, yellowish light on the unpaved street below. By its fitful glimmer Yvonne could vaguely perceive the tall figure of her guide as he stepped out with noiseless yet firm tread, his shoulder brushing against the side of the nearest house as he kept closely within the shadow of its high wall.

Lord Tony's Wife

Chapter XVI

Chapter 16 of Lord Tony's Wife is here in full — 170 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/34 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

THE RAT MORT I The guide had stepped out of the house into the street, Yvonne following closely on his heels.

Line 2

The night was very dark and the narrow little Carrefour de la Poissonnerie very sparsely lighted.

Line 3

Somewhere overhead on the right, something groaned and creaked persistently in the wind.

/ˈsʌmwer ˈoʊvərˈhed ɑːn ðə raɪt ˈsʌmθɪŋ ɡroʊnd ənd kriːkt pərˈsɪstəntli ɪn ðə waɪnd/

Line 4

A little further on a street lanthorn was swinging aloft, throwing a small circle of dim, yellowish light on the unpaved street below.

Line 5

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.

brushing noun US /ˈbrʌʃɪŋ/

the act of brushing your teeth

From this reading “By its fitful glimmer Yvonne could vaguely perceive the tall figure of her guide as he stepped out with noiseless yet firm tread, his shoulder brushing against the side of the nearest house as he kept closely within the shadow of its high wall.”

creaked verb US /kriːkt/

past form of “creak” — make a high-pitched, screeching noise

From this reading “Somewhere overhead on the right, something groaned and creaked persistently in the wind.”

fitful adjective US /ˈfɪtfəl/

occurring in spells and often abruptly

glimmer noun US /ˈɡlɪmər/

a flash of light (especially reflected light)

persistently adverb US /pərˈsɪstəntli/

in a persistent manner

From this reading “Somewhere overhead on the right, something groaned and creaked persistently in the wind.”

sparsely adverb US /ˈspɑːrsli/

in a sparse way

From this reading “The night was very dark and the narrow little Carrefour de la Poissonnerie very sparsely lighted.”

unpaved adjective US /ʌpeɪvd/

not having a paved surface

From this reading “A little further on a street lanthorn was swinging aloft, throwing a small circle of dim, yellowish light on the unpaved street below.”

yellowish adjective US /ˈjeloʊɪʃ/

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

From this reading “A little further on a street lanthorn was swinging aloft, throwing a small circle of dim, yellowish light on the unpaved street below.”

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.

de la noun + noun

In this reading “The night was very dark and the narrow little Carrefour de la Poissonnerie very sparsely lighted.”

tall figure adjective + noun

In this reading “By its fitful glimmer Yvonne could vaguely perceive the tall figure of her guide as he stepped out with noiseless yet firm tread, his shoulder brushing against the side of the nearest house as he kept closely within the shadow of its high wall.”

high wall adjective + noun

small circle adjective + noun

In this reading “A little further on a street lanthorn was swinging aloft, throwing a small circle of dim, yellowish light on the unpaved street below.”

into the street preposition + article + noun counted as “into … street”

In this reading “THE RAT MORT I The guide had stepped out of the house into the street, Yvonne following closely on his heels.”

within the shadow preposition + article + noun counted as “within … shadow”

very dark adjective + noun

In this reading “The night was very dark and the narrow little Carrefour de la Poissonnerie very sparsely lighted.”

against the side preposition + article + noun counted as “against … side”

All words in this reading · 80

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 A little further on a street lanthorn was swinging aloft, throwing a small circle of dim, yellowish light on the unpaved street below.

againstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/

touching and pressing; in opposition to

From this reading By its fitful glimmer Yvonne could vaguely perceive the tall figure of her guide as he stepped out with noiseless yet firm tread, his shoulder brushing against the side of the nearest house as he kept closely within the shadow of its high wall.

aloftadverbUS /əˈlɔːft/

at or on or to the masthead or upper rigging of a ship

From this reading A little further on a street lanthorn was swinging aloft, throwing a small circle of dim, yellowish light on the unpaved street below.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The night was very dark and the narrow little Carrefour de la Poissonnerie very sparsely lighted.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

belowprepositionUS /bɪˈloʊ/

at or to a lower level than something

From this reading A little further on a street lanthorn was swinging aloft, throwing a small circle of dim, yellowish light on the unpaved street below.

brushingnounUS /ˈbrʌʃɪŋ/

the act of brushing your teeth

ByprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

Carrefournoun

a junction where one street or road crosses another

From this reading The night was very dark and the narrow little Carrefour de la Poissonnerie very sparsely lighted.

circlenounUS /ˈsɜːrkəl/

ellipse in which the two axes are of equal length; a plane curve generated by one point moving at a constant distance from a fixed point

From this reading A little further on a street lanthorn was swinging aloft, throwing a small circle of dim, yellowish light on the unpaved street below.

closelyadverbUS /ˈkloʊsli/

in a close relation or position in time or space

From this reading THE RAT MORT I The guide had stepped out of the house into the street, Yvonne following closely on his heels.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

creakedverbUS /kriːkt/

past form of “creak” — make a high-pitched, screeching noise

From this reading Somewhere overhead on the right, something groaned and creaked persistently in the wind.

darknounUS /dɑːrk/

absence of light or illumination

From this reading The night was very dark and the narrow little Carrefour de la Poissonnerie very sparsely lighted.

denounUS /diː/

a Mid-Atlantic state; one of the original 13 colonies

From this reading The night was very dark and the narrow little Carrefour de la Poissonnerie very sparsely lighted.

dimadjectiveUS /dɪm/

lacking in light; not bright or harsh

From this reading A little further on a street lanthorn was swinging aloft, throwing a small circle of dim, yellowish light on the unpaved street below.

figurenounUS /ˈfɪɡjər/

a diagram or picture illustrating textual material

firmadjectiveUS /fɜːrm/

marked by firm determination or resolution; not shakable

fitfuladjectiveUS /ˈfɪtfəl/

occurring in spells and often abruptly

followingadjectiveUS /ˈfɑːloʊɪŋ/

about to be mentioned or specified

From this reading THE RAT MORT I The guide had stepped out of the house into the street, Yvonne following closely on his heels.

furtheradverbUS /ˈfɜːrðər/

to or at a greater extent or degree or a more advanced stage (“further” is used more often than “farther” in this abstract sense)

From this reading A little further on a street lanthorn was swinging aloft, throwing a small circle of dim, yellowish light on the unpaved street below.

glimmernounUS /ˈɡlɪmər/

a flash of light (especially reflected light)

groanedverbUS /ɡroʊnd/

past form of “groan” — indicate pain, discomfort, or displeasure

From this reading Somewhere overhead on the right, something groaned and creaked persistently in the wind.

guidenounUS /ɡaɪd/

someone employed to conduct others

From this reading THE RAT MORT I The guide had stepped out of the house into the street, Yvonne following closely on his heels.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading THE RAT MORT I The guide had stepped out of the house into the street, Yvonne following closely on his heels.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

heelsnounUS /hiːlz/

plural of “heel” — the bottom of a shoe or boot; the back part of a shoe or boot that touches the ground and provides elevation

From this reading THE RAT MORT I The guide had stepped out of the house into the street, Yvonne following closely on his heels.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

highadjectiveUS /haɪ/

greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading THE RAT MORT I The guide had stepped out of the house into the street, Yvonne following closely on his heels.

housenounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading THE RAT MORT I The guide had stepped out of the house into the street, Yvonne following closely on his heels.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading THE RAT MORT I The guide had stepped out of the house into the street, Yvonne following closely on his heels.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Somewhere overhead on the right, something groaned and creaked persistently in the wind.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading THE RAT MORT I The guide had stepped out of the house into the street, Yvonne following closely on his heels.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

keptadjectiveUS /kept/

(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded

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 The night was very dark and the narrow little Carrefour de la Poissonnerie very sparsely lighted.

lanthorn

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

From this reading A little further on a street lanthorn was swinging aloft, throwing a small circle of dim, yellowish light on the unpaved street below.

lightadjectiveUS /laɪt/

of comparatively little physical weight or density

From this reading A little further on a street lanthorn was swinging aloft, throwing a small circle of dim, yellowish light on the unpaved street below.

lightedadjectiveUS /ˈlaɪtəd/

set afire or burning

From this reading The night was very dark and the narrow little Carrefour de la Poissonnerie very sparsely lighted.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading The night was very dark and the narrow little Carrefour de la Poissonnerie very sparsely lighted.

MORT

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

From this reading THE RAT MORT I The guide had stepped out of the house into the street, Yvonne following closely on his heels.

narrowverbUS /ˈneroʊ/

make or become more narrow or restricted

From this reading The night was very dark and the narrow little Carrefour de la Poissonnerie very sparsely lighted.

nearestadverbUS /ˈnɪrəst/

(superlative of “near” or “close”) within the shortest distance

nightnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading The night was very dark and the narrow little Carrefour de la Poissonnerie very sparsely lighted.

noiselessadjective

making no sound

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE RAT MORT I The guide had stepped out of the house into the street, Yvonne following closely on his heels.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading THE RAT MORT I The guide had stepped out of the house into the street, Yvonne following closely on his heels.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading THE RAT MORT I The guide had stepped out of the house into the street, Yvonne following closely on his heels.

overheadadverbUS /ˈoʊvərˈhed/

above your head; in the sky

From this reading Somewhere overhead on the right, something groaned and creaked persistently in the wind.

perceiveverbUS /pərˈsiːv/

to become aware of through the senses

persistentlyadverbUS /pərˈsɪstəntli/

in a persistent manner

From this reading Somewhere overhead on the right, something groaned and creaked persistently in the wind.

Poissonnerie

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

From this reading The night was very dark and the narrow little Carrefour de la Poissonnerie very sparsely lighted.

RATnounUS /ræt/

any of various long-tailed rodents similar to but larger than a mouse

From this reading THE RAT MORT I The guide had stepped out of the house into the street, Yvonne following closely on his heels.

rightadverbUS /raɪt/

precisely, exactly

From this reading Somewhere overhead on the right, something groaned and creaked persistently in the wind.

shadownounUS /ˈʃæd.oʊ/

A dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.

shoulderverbUS /ˈʃoʊldər/

lift onto one's shoulders

sidenounUS /saɪd/

a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location

smalladjectiveUS /smɔːl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading A little further on a street lanthorn was swinging aloft, throwing a small circle of dim, yellowish light on the unpaved street below.

somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

From this reading Somewhere overhead on the right, something groaned and creaked persistently in the wind.

SomewhereadverbUS /ˈsʌmwer/

in or at or to some place

From this reading Somewhere overhead on the right, something groaned and creaked persistently in the wind.

sparselyadverbUS /ˈspɑːrsli/

in a sparse way

From this reading The night was very dark and the narrow little Carrefour de la Poissonnerie very sparsely lighted.

steppedverbUS /stept/

inflected form of “step” — shift or move by taking a step

From this reading THE RAT MORT I The guide had stepped out of the house into the street, Yvonne following closely on his heels.

streetnounUS /striːt/

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

From this reading THE RAT MORT I The guide had stepped out of the house into the street, Yvonne following closely on his heels.

swingingnounUS /ˈswɪŋɪŋ/

changing location by moving back and forth

From this reading A little further on a street lanthorn was swinging aloft, throwing a small circle of dim, yellowish light on the unpaved street below.

talladjectiveUS /tɔːl/

great in vertical dimension; high in stature

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE RAT MORT I The guide had stepped out of the house into the street, Yvonne following closely on his heels.

throwingverbUS /ˈθroʊɪŋ/

-ing form of “throw” — propel through the air

From this reading A little further on a street lanthorn was swinging aloft, throwing a small circle of dim, yellowish light on the unpaved street below.

treadverbUS /tred/

put down or press the foot, place the foot

unpavedadjectiveUS /ʌpeɪvd/

not having a paved surface

From this reading A little further on a street lanthorn was swinging aloft, throwing a small circle of dim, yellowish light on the unpaved street below.

vaguelyadverbUS /ˈveɪɡli/

in a vague way

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading The night was very dark and the narrow little Carrefour de la Poissonnerie very sparsely lighted.

wallnounUS /wɔːl/

an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The night was very dark and the narrow little Carrefour de la Poissonnerie very sparsely lighted.

windnounUS /waɪnd/

air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure

From this reading Somewhere overhead on the right, something groaned and creaked persistently in the wind.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

withinprepositionUS /wɪˈðɪn/

inside; before a period of time has passed

yellowishadjectiveUS /ˈjeloʊɪʃ/

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

From this reading A little further on a street lanthorn was swinging aloft, throwing a small circle of dim, yellowish light on the unpaved street below.

yetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

Yvonne

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

From this reading THE RAT MORT I The guide had stepped out of the house into the street, Yvonne following closely on his heels.

Chapter 16 of Lord Tony's Wife by Emmuska Orczy, Baroness Orczy holds 170 sentences, grouped into 34 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 16 of Lord Tony's Wife contain?

Chapter 16 holds 170 sentences of Lord Tony's Wife, unabridged, divided into 34 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 16 of Lord Tony's Wife by Emmuska Orczy, Baroness Orczy exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 170 sentences, grouped into 34 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 16 of Lord Tony's Wife?

Work through the 34 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 34 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 16 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 16 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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Yes. All 4560 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #35117 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #35117, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 380 minutes of reading across 912 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Chapter XVI

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