Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Madelon: A Novel
Madelon: A Novel

Chapter XXV

Cover illustration for Madelon: A Novel
Context Illustration Reading 1/24 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
In the yard was drawn up in state, behind the five white horses, the grand old Gordon coach, which had not been used before since the death of Lot's father.
Lot had insisted upon furnishing the coach and the horses for his cousin's wedding.
The man who stood by the horses' heads looked up at Burr in a dazed way when he came out of the house and spoke to him.
"When my mother is ready you can take her home, Silas," said Burr.
"Then drive over to my cousin's, and put up the coach and the horses."
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Madelon: A Novel

Chapter XXV

Reading 1/24 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
In the yard was drawn up in state, behind the five white horses, the grand old Gordon coach, which had not been used before since the death of Lot's father.
Line 2
Lot had insisted upon furnishing the coach and the horses for his cousin's wedding.
Line 3
The man who stood by the horses' heads looked up at Burr in a dazed way when he came out of the house and spoke to him.
Line 4
"When my mother is ready you can take her home, Silas," said Burr.
Line 5
"Then drive over to my cousin's, and put up the coach and the horses."

Learner Dictionary

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

Been auxiliary verb US /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading “In the yard was drawn up in state, behind the five white horses, the grand old Gordon coach, which had not been used before since the death of Lot's father.”

Before preposition US /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading “In the yard was drawn up in state, behind the five white horses, the grand old Gordon coach, which had not been used before since the death of Lot's father.”

Behind preposition US /bɪˈhaɪnd/

at or toward the back of something

From this reading “In the yard was drawn up in state, behind the five white horses, the grand old Gordon coach, which had not been used before since the death of Lot's father.”

Insisted verb US /ɪnˈsɪstɪd/

demanded something firmly

From this reading “Lot had insisted upon furnishing the coach and the horses for his cousin's wedding.”

Looked noun US /looked/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The man who stood by the horses' heads looked up at Burr in a dazed way when he came out of the house and spoke to him.”

Over preposition US /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading “"Then drive over to my cousin's, and put up the coach and the horses."”

Since preposition US /sɪns/

from a time in the past until now

From this reading “In the yard was drawn up in state, behind the five white horses, the grand old Gordon coach, which had not been used before since the death of Lot's father.”

Stood noun US /stood/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The man who stood by the horses' heads looked up at Burr in a dazed way when he came out of the house and spoke to him.”

Take noun US /take/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “"When my mother is ready you can take her home, Silas," said Burr.”

Upon preposition US /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading “Lot had insisted upon furnishing the coach and the horses for his cousin's wedding.”

All words in this reading · 69

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 The man who stood by the horses' heads looked up at Burr in a dazed way when he came out of the house and spoke to him.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Lot had insisted upon furnishing the coach and the horses for his cousin's wedding.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading The man who stood by the horses' heads looked up at Burr in a dazed way when he came out of the house and spoke to him.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading In the yard was drawn up in state, behind the five white horses, the grand old Gordon coach, which had not been used before since the death of Lot's father.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading In the yard was drawn up in state, behind the five white horses, the grand old Gordon coach, which had not been used before since the death of Lot's father.

behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/

at or toward the back of something

From this reading In the yard was drawn up in state, behind the five white horses, the grand old Gordon coach, which had not been used before since the death of Lot's father.

Burr

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

From this reading The man who stood by the horses' heads looked up at Burr in a dazed way when he came out of the house and spoke to him.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading The man who stood by the horses' heads looked up at Burr in a dazed way when he came out of the house and spoke to him.

came

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

From this reading The man who stood by the horses' heads looked up at Burr in a dazed way when he came out of the house and spoke to him.

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading "When my mother is ready you can take her home, Silas," said Burr.

coach

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

From this reading In the yard was drawn up in state, behind the five white horses, the grand old Gordon coach, which had not been used before since the death of Lot's father.

cousin's

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

From this reading Lot had insisted upon furnishing the coach and the horses for his cousin's wedding.

dazed

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

From this reading The man who stood by the horses' heads looked up at Burr in a dazed way when he came out of the house and spoke to him.

death

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

From this reading In the yard was drawn up in state, behind the five white horses, the grand old Gordon coach, which had not been used before since the death of Lot's father.

drawn

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

From this reading In the yard was drawn up in state, behind the five white horses, the grand old Gordon coach, which had not been used before since the death of Lot's father.

drive

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

From this reading "Then drive over to my cousin's, and put up the coach and the horses."

father

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

From this reading In the yard was drawn up in state, behind the five white horses, the grand old Gordon coach, which had not been used before since the death of Lot's father.

five

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

From this reading In the yard was drawn up in state, behind the five white horses, the grand old Gordon coach, which had not been used before since the death of Lot's father.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Lot had insisted upon furnishing the coach and the horses for his cousin's wedding.

furnishing

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

From this reading Lot had insisted upon furnishing the coach and the horses for his cousin's wedding.

Gordon

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

From this reading In the yard was drawn up in state, behind the five white horses, the grand old Gordon coach, which had not been used before since the death of Lot's father.

grand

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

From this reading In the yard was drawn up in state, behind the five white horses, the grand old Gordon coach, which had not been used before since the death of Lot's father.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading In the yard was drawn up in state, behind the five white horses, the grand old Gordon coach, which had not been used before since the death of Lot's father.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading The man who stood by the horses' heads looked up at Burr in a dazed way when he came out of the house and spoke to him.

heads

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

From this reading The man who stood by the horses' heads looked up at Burr in a dazed way when he came out of the house and spoke to him.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading "When my mother is ready you can take her home, Silas," said Burr.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading The man who stood by the horses' heads looked up at Burr in a dazed way when he came out of the house and spoke to him.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Lot had insisted upon furnishing the coach and the horses for his cousin's wedding.

home

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

From this reading "When my mother is ready you can take her home, Silas," said Burr.

horses

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

From this reading In the yard was drawn up in state, behind the five white horses, the grand old Gordon coach, which had not been used before since the death of Lot's father.

house

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

From this reading The man who stood by the horses' heads looked up at Burr in a dazed way when he came out of the house and spoke to him.

InprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading In the yard was drawn up in state, behind the five white horses, the grand old Gordon coach, which had not been used before since the death of Lot's father.

insistedverbUS /ɪnˈsɪstɪd/

demanded something firmly

From this reading Lot had insisted upon furnishing the coach and the horses for his cousin's wedding.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading "When my mother is ready you can take her home, Silas," said Burr.

lookednounUS /looked/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The man who stood by the horses' heads looked up at Burr in a dazed way when he came out of the house and spoke to him.

Lot

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

From this reading Lot had insisted upon furnishing the coach and the horses for his cousin's wedding.

Lot's

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

From this reading In the yard was drawn up in state, behind the five white horses, the grand old Gordon coach, which had not been used before since the death of Lot's father.

man

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

From this reading The man who stood by the horses' heads looked up at Burr in a dazed way when he came out of the house and spoke to him.

mother

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

From this reading "When my mother is ready you can take her home, Silas," said Burr.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading "When my mother is ready you can take her home, Silas," said Burr.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading In the yard was drawn up in state, behind the five white horses, the grand old Gordon coach, which had not been used before since the death of Lot's father.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading In the yard was drawn up in state, behind the five white horses, the grand old Gordon coach, which had not been used before since the death of Lot's father.

old

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

From this reading In the yard was drawn up in state, behind the five white horses, the grand old Gordon coach, which had not been used before since the death of Lot's father.

out

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

From this reading The man who stood by the horses' heads looked up at Burr in a dazed way when he came out of the house and spoke to him.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading "Then drive over to my cousin's, and put up the coach and the horses."

put

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

From this reading "Then drive over to my cousin's, and put up the coach and the horses."

ready

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

From this reading "When my mother is ready you can take her home, Silas," said Burr.

said

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

From this reading "When my mother is ready you can take her home, Silas," said Burr.

Silas

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

From this reading "When my mother is ready you can take her home, Silas," said Burr.

sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/

from a time in the past until now

From this reading In the yard was drawn up in state, behind the five white horses, the grand old Gordon coach, which had not been used before since the death of Lot's father.

spoke

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

From this reading The man who stood by the horses' heads looked up at Burr in a dazed way when he came out of the house and spoke to him.

state

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

From this reading In the yard was drawn up in state, behind the five white horses, the grand old Gordon coach, which had not been used before since the death of Lot's father.

stoodnounUS /stood/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The man who stood by the horses' heads looked up at Burr in a dazed way when he came out of the house and spoke to him.

takenounUS /take/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading "When my mother is ready you can take her home, Silas," said Burr.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading In the yard was drawn up in state, behind the five white horses, the grand old Gordon coach, which had not been used before since the death of Lot's father.

Then

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

From this reading "Then drive over to my cousin's, and put up the coach and the horses."

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The man who stood by the horses' heads looked up at Burr in a dazed way when he came out of the house and spoke to him.

up

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

From this reading In the yard was drawn up in state, behind the five white horses, the grand old Gordon coach, which had not been used before since the death of Lot's father.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading Lot had insisted upon furnishing the coach and the horses for his cousin's wedding.

used

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

From this reading In the yard was drawn up in state, behind the five white horses, the grand old Gordon coach, which had not been used before since the death of Lot's father.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading In the yard was drawn up in state, behind the five white horses, the grand old Gordon coach, which had not been used before since the death of Lot's father.

way

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

From this reading The man who stood by the horses' heads looked up at Burr in a dazed way when he came out of the house and spoke to him.

wedding

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

From this reading Lot had insisted upon furnishing the coach and the horses for his cousin's wedding.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading The man who stood by the horses' heads looked up at Burr in a dazed way when he came out of the house and spoke to him.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading In the yard was drawn up in state, behind the five white horses, the grand old Gordon coach, which had not been used before since the death of Lot's father.

white

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

From this reading In the yard was drawn up in state, behind the five white horses, the grand old Gordon coach, which had not been used before since the death of Lot's father.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading The man who stood by the horses' heads looked up at Burr in a dazed way when he came out of the house and spoke to him.

yard

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

From this reading In the yard was drawn up in state, behind the five white horses, the grand old Gordon coach, which had not been used before since the death of Lot's father.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "When my mother is ready you can take her home, Silas," said Burr.