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Madame Midas
Madame Midas

Chapter XIV

Cover illustration for Madame Midas
Context Illustration Reading 1/22 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
A MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE Madame Midas, as may be easily guessed, did not pass a very pleasant night after the encounter with Villiers.
Her head was very painful with the blow he had given her, and added to this she was certain she had killed him.
Though she hated the man who had ruined her life, and who had tried to rob her, still she did not care about becoming his murderess, and the thought was madness to her.
Not that she was afraid of punishment, for she had only acted in self-defence, and Villiers, not she, was the aggressor.
Meanwhile she waited to hear if the body had been found, for ill news travels fast; and as everyone knew Villiers was her husband, she was satisfied that when the corpse was found she would be the first to be told about it.
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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.

Madame Midas

Chapter XIV

Reading 1/22 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
A MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE Madame Midas, as may be easily guessed, did not pass a very pleasant night after the encounter with Villiers.
Line 2
Her head was very painful with the blow he had given her, and added to this she was certain she had killed him.
Line 3
Though she hated the man who had ruined her life, and who had tried to rob her, still she did not care about becoming his murderess, and the thought was madness to her.
Line 4
Not that she was afraid of punishment, for she had only acted in self-defence, and Villiers, not she, was the aggressor.
Line 5
Meanwhile she waited to hear if the body had been found, for ill news travels fast; and as everyone knew Villiers was her husband, she was satisfied that when the corpse was found she would be the first to be told about it.

Learner Dictionary

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

About preposition US /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading “Though she hated the man who had ruined her life, and who had tried to rob her, still she did not care about becoming his murderess, and the thought was madness to her.”

Added noun US /added/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Her head was very painful with the blow he had given her, and added to this she was certain she had killed him.”

After preposition US /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading “A MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE Madame Midas, as may be easily guessed, did not pass a very pleasant night after the encounter with Villiers.”

Been auxiliary verb US /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading “Meanwhile she waited to hear if the body had been found, for ill news travels fast; and as everyone knew Villiers was her husband, she was satisfied that when the corpse was found she would be the first to be told about it.”

Body noun US /body/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Meanwhile she waited to hear if the body had been found, for ill news travels fast; and as everyone knew Villiers was her husband, she was satisfied that when the corpse was found she would be the first to be told about it.”

Everyone pronoun US /ˈevriwʌn/

every person

From this reading “Meanwhile she waited to hear if the body had been found, for ill news travels fast; and as everyone knew Villiers was her husband, she was satisfied that when the corpse was found she would be the first to be told about it.”

First noun US /first/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Meanwhile she waited to hear if the body had been found, for ill news travels fast; and as everyone knew Villiers was her husband, she was satisfied that when the corpse was found she would be the first to be told about it.”

Found noun US /found/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Meanwhile she waited to hear if the body had been found, for ill news travels fast; and as everyone knew Villiers was her husband, she was satisfied that when the corpse was found she would be the first to be told about it.”

Hear noun US /hear/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Meanwhile she waited to hear if the body had been found, for ill news travels fast; and as everyone knew Villiers was her husband, she was satisfied that when the corpse was found she would be the first to be told about it.”

Life noun US /life/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Though she hated the man who had ruined her life, and who had tried to rob her, still she did not care about becoming his murderess, and the thought was madness to her.”

May modal verb US /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading “A MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE Madame Midas, as may be easily guessed, did not pass a very pleasant night after the encounter with Villiers.”

Meanwhile noun US /ˈmeanwhile/

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

From this reading “Meanwhile she waited to hear if the body had been found, for ill news travels fast; and as everyone knew Villiers was her husband, she was satisfied that when the corpse was found she would be the first to be told about it.”

MYSTERIOUS adjective US /mɪˈstɪriəs/

difficult to explain or understand

From this reading “A MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE Madame Midas, as may be easily guessed, did not pass a very pleasant night after the encounter with Villiers.”

Pleasant noun US /pleasant/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “A MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE Madame Midas, as may be easily guessed, did not pass a very pleasant night after the encounter with Villiers.”

Still noun US /still/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Though she hated the man who had ruined her life, and who had tried to rob her, still she did not care about becoming his murderess, and the thought was madness to her.”

Though conjunction US /ðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading “Though she hated the man who had ruined her life, and who had tried to rob her, still she did not care about becoming his murderess, and the thought was madness to her.”

Thought noun US /thought/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Though she hated the man who had ruined her life, and who had tried to rob her, still she did not care about becoming his murderess, and the thought was madness to her.”

Told noun US /told/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Meanwhile she waited to hear if the body had been found, for ill news travels fast; and as everyone knew Villiers was her husband, she was satisfied that when the corpse was found she would be the first to be told about it.”

Would modal verb US /wʊd/

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

From this reading “Meanwhile she waited to hear if the body had been found, for ill news travels fast; and as everyone knew Villiers was her husband, she was satisfied that when the corpse was found she would be the first to be told about it.”

All words in this reading · 84

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 A MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE Madame Midas, as may be easily guessed, did not pass a very pleasant night after the encounter with Villiers.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading Though she hated the man who had ruined her life, and who had tried to rob her, still she did not care about becoming his murderess, and the thought was madness to her.

acted

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

From this reading Not that she was afraid of punishment, for she had only acted in self-defence, and Villiers, not she, was the aggressor.

addednounUS /added/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Her head was very painful with the blow he had given her, and added to this she was certain she had killed him.

afraid

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

From this reading Not that she was afraid of punishment, for she had only acted in self-defence, and Villiers, not she, was the aggressor.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading A MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE Madame Midas, as may be easily guessed, did not pass a very pleasant night after the encounter with Villiers.

aggressor

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

From this reading Not that she was afraid of punishment, for she had only acted in self-defence, and Villiers, not she, was the aggressor.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Her head was very painful with the blow he had given her, and added to this she was certain she had killed him.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading A MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE Madame Midas, as may be easily guessed, did not pass a very pleasant night after the encounter with Villiers.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading A MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE Madame Midas, as may be easily guessed, did not pass a very pleasant night after the encounter with Villiers.

becoming

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

From this reading Though she hated the man who had ruined her life, and who had tried to rob her, still she did not care about becoming his murderess, and the thought was madness to her.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Meanwhile she waited to hear if the body had been found, for ill news travels fast; and as everyone knew Villiers was her husband, she was satisfied that when the corpse was found she would be the first to be told about it.

blow

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

From this reading Her head was very painful with the blow he had given her, and added to this she was certain she had killed him.

bodynounUS /body/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Meanwhile she waited to hear if the body had been found, for ill news travels fast; and as everyone knew Villiers was her husband, she was satisfied that when the corpse was found she would be the first to be told about it.

care

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

From this reading Though she hated the man who had ruined her life, and who had tried to rob her, still she did not care about becoming his murderess, and the thought was madness to her.

certain

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

From this reading Her head was very painful with the blow he had given her, and added to this she was certain she had killed him.

corpse

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

From this reading Meanwhile she waited to hear if the body had been found, for ill news travels fast; and as everyone knew Villiers was her husband, she was satisfied that when the corpse was found she would be the first to be told about it.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

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

From this reading A MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE Madame Midas, as may be easily guessed, did not pass a very pleasant night after the encounter with Villiers.

DISAPPEARANCE

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

From this reading A MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE Madame Midas, as may be easily guessed, did not pass a very pleasant night after the encounter with Villiers.

easily

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

From this reading A MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE Madame Midas, as may be easily guessed, did not pass a very pleasant night after the encounter with Villiers.

encounter

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

From this reading A MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE Madame Midas, as may be easily guessed, did not pass a very pleasant night after the encounter with Villiers.

everyonepronounUS /ˈevriwʌn/

every person

From this reading Meanwhile she waited to hear if the body had been found, for ill news travels fast; and as everyone knew Villiers was her husband, she was satisfied that when the corpse was found she would be the first to be told about it.

fast

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

From this reading Meanwhile she waited to hear if the body had been found, for ill news travels fast; and as everyone knew Villiers was her husband, she was satisfied that when the corpse was found she would be the first to be told about it.

firstnounUS /first/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Meanwhile she waited to hear if the body had been found, for ill news travels fast; and as everyone knew Villiers was her husband, she was satisfied that when the corpse was found she would be the first to be told about it.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Not that she was afraid of punishment, for she had only acted in self-defence, and Villiers, not she, was the aggressor.

foundnounUS /found/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Meanwhile she waited to hear if the body had been found, for ill news travels fast; and as everyone knew Villiers was her husband, she was satisfied that when the corpse was found she would be the first to be told about it.

given

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

From this reading Her head was very painful with the blow he had given her, and added to this she was certain she had killed him.

guessed

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

From this reading A MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE Madame Midas, as may be easily guessed, did not pass a very pleasant night after the encounter with Villiers.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Her head was very painful with the blow he had given her, and added to this she was certain she had killed him.

hated

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

From this reading Though she hated the man who had ruined her life, and who had tried to rob her, still she did not care about becoming his murderess, and the thought was madness to her.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Her head was very painful with the blow he had given her, and added to this she was certain she had killed him.

head

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

From this reading Her head was very painful with the blow he had given her, and added to this she was certain she had killed him.

hearnounUS /hear/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Meanwhile she waited to hear if the body had been found, for ill news travels fast; and as everyone knew Villiers was her husband, she was satisfied that when the corpse was found she would be the first to be told about it.

HerdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading Her head was very painful with the blow he had given her, and added to this she was certain she had killed him.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Her head was very painful with the blow he had given her, and added to this she was certain she had killed him.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Though she hated the man who had ruined her life, and who had tried to rob her, still she did not care about becoming his murderess, and the thought was madness to her.

husband

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

From this reading Meanwhile she waited to hear if the body had been found, for ill news travels fast; and as everyone knew Villiers was her husband, she was satisfied that when the corpse was found she would be the first to be told about it.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading Meanwhile she waited to hear if the body had been found, for ill news travels fast; and as everyone knew Villiers was her husband, she was satisfied that when the corpse was found she would be the first to be told about it.

ill

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

From this reading Meanwhile she waited to hear if the body had been found, for ill news travels fast; and as everyone knew Villiers was her husband, she was satisfied that when the corpse was found she would be the first to be told about it.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Not that she was afraid of punishment, for she had only acted in self-defence, and Villiers, not she, was the aggressor.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Meanwhile she waited to hear if the body had been found, for ill news travels fast; and as everyone knew Villiers was her husband, she was satisfied that when the corpse was found she would be the first to be told about it.

killed

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

From this reading Her head was very painful with the blow he had given her, and added to this she was certain she had killed him.

knew

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

From this reading Meanwhile she waited to hear if the body had been found, for ill news travels fast; and as everyone knew Villiers was her husband, she was satisfied that when the corpse was found she would be the first to be told about it.

lifenounUS /life/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Though she hated the man who had ruined her life, and who had tried to rob her, still she did not care about becoming his murderess, and the thought was madness to her.

Madame

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

From this reading A MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE Madame Midas, as may be easily guessed, did not pass a very pleasant night after the encounter with Villiers.

madness

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

From this reading Though she hated the man who had ruined her life, and who had tried to rob her, still she did not care about becoming his murderess, and the thought was madness to her.

man

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

From this reading Though she hated the man who had ruined her life, and who had tried to rob her, still she did not care about becoming his murderess, and the thought was madness to her.

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading A MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE Madame Midas, as may be easily guessed, did not pass a very pleasant night after the encounter with Villiers.

MeanwhilenounUS /ˈmeanwhile/

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

From this reading Meanwhile she waited to hear if the body had been found, for ill news travels fast; and as everyone knew Villiers was her husband, she was satisfied that when the corpse was found she would be the first to be told about it.

Midas

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

From this reading A MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE Madame Midas, as may be easily guessed, did not pass a very pleasant night after the encounter with Villiers.

murderess

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

From this reading Though she hated the man who had ruined her life, and who had tried to rob her, still she did not care about becoming his murderess, and the thought was madness to her.

MYSTERIOUSadjectiveUS /mɪˈstɪriəs/

difficult to explain or understand

From this reading A MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE Madame Midas, as may be easily guessed, did not pass a very pleasant night after the encounter with Villiers.

news

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

From this reading Meanwhile she waited to hear if the body had been found, for ill news travels fast; and as everyone knew Villiers was her husband, she was satisfied that when the corpse was found she would be the first to be told about it.

night

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

From this reading A MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE Madame Midas, as may be easily guessed, did not pass a very pleasant night after the encounter with Villiers.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading A MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE Madame Midas, as may be easily guessed, did not pass a very pleasant night after the encounter with Villiers.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Not that she was afraid of punishment, for she had only acted in self-defence, and Villiers, not she, was the aggressor.

only

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

From this reading Not that she was afraid of punishment, for she had only acted in self-defence, and Villiers, not she, was the aggressor.

painful

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

From this reading Her head was very painful with the blow he had given her, and added to this she was certain she had killed him.

pass

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

From this reading A MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE Madame Midas, as may be easily guessed, did not pass a very pleasant night after the encounter with Villiers.

pleasantnounUS /pleasant/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading A MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE Madame Midas, as may be easily guessed, did not pass a very pleasant night after the encounter with Villiers.

punishment

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

From this reading Not that she was afraid of punishment, for she had only acted in self-defence, and Villiers, not she, was the aggressor.

rob

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

From this reading Though she hated the man who had ruined her life, and who had tried to rob her, still she did not care about becoming his murderess, and the thought was madness to her.

ruined

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

From this reading Though she hated the man who had ruined her life, and who had tried to rob her, still she did not care about becoming his murderess, and the thought was madness to her.

satisfied

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

From this reading Meanwhile she waited to hear if the body had been found, for ill news travels fast; and as everyone knew Villiers was her husband, she was satisfied that when the corpse was found she would be the first to be told about it.

self-defence

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

From this reading Not that she was afraid of punishment, for she had only acted in self-defence, and Villiers, not she, was the aggressor.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading Her head was very painful with the blow he had given her, and added to this she was certain she had killed him.

stillnounUS /still/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Though she hated the man who had ruined her life, and who had tried to rob her, still she did not care about becoming his murderess, and the thought was madness to her.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Not that she was afraid of punishment, for she had only acted in self-defence, and Villiers, not she, was the aggressor.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading A MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE Madame Midas, as may be easily guessed, did not pass a very pleasant night after the encounter with Villiers.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading Her head was very painful with the blow he had given her, and added to this she was certain she had killed him.

ThoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading Though she hated the man who had ruined her life, and who had tried to rob her, still she did not care about becoming his murderess, and the thought was madness to her.

thoughtnounUS /thought/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Though she hated the man who had ruined her life, and who had tried to rob her, still she did not care about becoming his murderess, and the thought was madness to her.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Her head was very painful with the blow he had given her, and added to this she was certain she had killed him.

toldnounUS /told/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Meanwhile she waited to hear if the body had been found, for ill news travels fast; and as everyone knew Villiers was her husband, she was satisfied that when the corpse was found she would be the first to be told about it.

travels

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

From this reading Meanwhile she waited to hear if the body had been found, for ill news travels fast; and as everyone knew Villiers was her husband, she was satisfied that when the corpse was found she would be the first to be told about it.

tried

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

From this reading Though she hated the man who had ruined her life, and who had tried to rob her, still she did not care about becoming his murderess, and the thought was madness to her.

very

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

From this reading A MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE Madame Midas, as may be easily guessed, did not pass a very pleasant night after the encounter with Villiers.

Villiers

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

From this reading A MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE Madame Midas, as may be easily guessed, did not pass a very pleasant night after the encounter with Villiers.

waited

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

From this reading Meanwhile she waited to hear if the body had been found, for ill news travels fast; and as everyone knew Villiers was her husband, she was satisfied that when the corpse was found she would be the first to be told about it.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Her head was very painful with the blow he had given her, and added to this she was certain she had killed him.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading Meanwhile she waited to hear if the body had been found, for ill news travels fast; and as everyone knew Villiers was her husband, she was satisfied that when the corpse was found she would be the first to be told about it.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading Though she hated the man who had ruined her life, and who had tried to rob her, still she did not care about becoming his murderess, and the thought was madness to her.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading A MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE Madame Midas, as may be easily guessed, did not pass a very pleasant night after the encounter with Villiers.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading Meanwhile she waited to hear if the body had been found, for ill news travels fast; and as everyone knew Villiers was her husband, she was satisfied that when the corpse was found she would be the first to be told about it.