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Monsieur Cherami
Monsieur Cherami

Chapter XII

Chapter 12 of Monsieur Cherami is here in full — 398 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Monsieur Cherami
Context Illustration Reading 1/79 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Fanny was in her boudoir, trying on some morning caps, and leaving her mirror from time to time to go to look at the last bulletin from the Bourse, which was on her toilet table, when her maid appeared and told her that a gentleman desired to speak to her.
"A gentleman!
What gentleman?
Do you know him?
Did he give his name?"
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.

Monsieur Cherami

Chapter XII

Chapter 12 of Monsieur Cherami is here in full — 398 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/79 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Fanny was in her boudoir, trying on some morning caps, and leaving her mirror from time to time to go to look at the last bulletin from the Bourse, which was on her toilet table, when her maid appeared and told her that a gentleman desired to speak to her.
/ˈfæni wɑːz ɪn hɜːr ˈbuːdɔɪr ˈtraɪɪŋ ɑːn sʌm ˈmɔːrnɪŋ kæps ənd ˈliːvɪŋ hɜːr ˈmɪrər frʌm taɪm tuː taɪm tuː ɡoʊ tuː lʊk æt ðə læst ˈbʊlɪtən frʌm ðə bɔːrs wɪtʃ wɑːz ɑːn hɜːr ˈtɔɪlət ˈteɪbəl wen hɜːr meɪd əˈpɪrd ənd toʊld hɜːr ðæt ə ˈdʒentəlmən dɪˈzaɪərd tuː spiːk tuː hɜːr/
Line 2
"A gentleman!
/ə ˈdʒentəlmən/
Line 3
What gentleman?
/wʌt ˈdʒentəlmən/
Line 4
Do you know him?
/duː juː noʊ hɪm/
Line 5
Did he give his name?"
/dɪd hiː ɡɪv hɪz neɪm/

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.

boudoir noun US /ˈbuːdɔɪr/

a lady's bedroom or private sitting room

From this reading “Fanny was in her boudoir, trying on some morning caps, and leaving her mirror from time to time to go to look at the last bulletin from the Bourse, which was on her toilet table, when her maid appeared and told her that a gentleman desired to speak to her.”

Bourse noun US /bɔːrs/

the stock exchange in Paris

From this reading “Fanny was in her boudoir, trying on some morning caps, and leaving her mirror from time to time to go to look at the last bulletin from the Bourse, which was on her toilet table, when her maid appeared and told her that a gentleman desired to speak to her.”

bulletin noun US /ˈbʊlɪtən/

a brief report (especially an official statement issued for immediate publication or broadcast)

From this reading “Fanny was in her boudoir, trying on some morning caps, and leaving her mirror from time to time to go to look at the last bulletin from the Bourse, which was on her toilet table, when her maid appeared and told her that a gentleman desired to speak to her.”

caps noun US /kæps/

plural of “cap” — a tight-fitting headdress

From this reading “Fanny was in her boudoir, trying on some morning caps, and leaving her mirror from time to time to go to look at the last bulletin from the Bourse, which was on her toilet table, when her maid appeared and told her that a gentleman desired to speak to her.”

desired adjective US /dɪˈzaɪərd/

wanted intensely

From this reading “Fanny was in her boudoir, trying on some morning caps, and leaving her mirror from time to time to go to look at the last bulletin from the Bourse, which was on her toilet table, when her maid appeared and told her that a gentleman desired to speak to her.”

Fanny noun US /ˈfæni/

the fleshy part of the human body that you sit on

From this reading “Fanny was in her boudoir, trying on some morning caps, and leaving her mirror from time to time to go to look at the last bulletin from the Bourse, which was on her toilet table, when her maid appeared and told her that a gentleman desired to speak to her.”

mirror noun US /ˈmɪrər/

polished surface that forms images by reflecting light

From this reading “Fanny was in her boudoir, trying on some morning caps, and leaving her mirror from time to time to go to look at the last bulletin from the Bourse, which was on her toilet table, when her maid appeared and told her that a gentleman desired to speak to her.”

toilet noun US /ˈtɔɪlət/

a room or building equipped with one or more toilets

From this reading “Fanny was in her boudoir, trying on some morning caps, and leaving her mirror from time to time to go to look at the last bulletin from the Bourse, which was on her toilet table, when her maid appeared and told her that a gentleman desired to speak to her.”

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.

toilet table noun + noun

low table with mirror or mirrors where one sits while dressing or applying makeup

In this reading “Fanny was in her boudoir, trying on some morning caps, and leaving her mirror from time to time to go to look at the last bulletin from the Bourse, which was on her toilet table, when her maid appeared and told her that a gentleman desired to speak to her.”

look at verb + particle

take into consideration for exemplifying purposes

In this reading “Fanny was in her boudoir, trying on some morning caps, and leaving her mirror from time to time to go to look at the last bulletin from the Bourse, which was on her toilet table, when her maid appeared and told her that a gentleman desired to speak to her.”

from time preposition + noun

In this reading “Fanny was in her boudoir, trying on some morning caps, and leaving her mirror from time to time to go to look at the last bulletin from the Bourse, which was on her toilet table, when her maid appeared and told her that a gentleman desired to speak to her.”

All words in this reading · 45

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 Fanny was in her boudoir, trying on some morning caps, and leaving her mirror from time to time to go to look at the last bulletin from the Bourse, which was on her toilet table, when her maid appeared and told her that a gentleman desired to speak to her.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Fanny was in her boudoir, trying on some morning caps, and leaving her mirror from time to time to go to look at the last bulletin from the Bourse, which was on her toilet table, when her maid appeared and told her that a gentleman desired to speak to her.

appearedverbUS /əˈpɪrd/

past form of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading Fanny was in her boudoir, trying on some morning caps, and leaving her mirror from time to time to go to look at the last bulletin from the Bourse, which was on her toilet table, when her maid appeared and told her that a gentleman desired to speak to her.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Fanny was in her boudoir, trying on some morning caps, and leaving her mirror from time to time to go to look at the last bulletin from the Bourse, which was on her toilet table, when her maid appeared and told her that a gentleman desired to speak to her.

boudoirnounUS /ˈbuːdɔɪr/

a lady's bedroom or private sitting room

From this reading Fanny was in her boudoir, trying on some morning caps, and leaving her mirror from time to time to go to look at the last bulletin from the Bourse, which was on her toilet table, when her maid appeared and told her that a gentleman desired to speak to her.

BoursenounUS /bɔːrs/

the stock exchange in Paris

From this reading Fanny was in her boudoir, trying on some morning caps, and leaving her mirror from time to time to go to look at the last bulletin from the Bourse, which was on her toilet table, when her maid appeared and told her that a gentleman desired to speak to her.

bulletinnounUS /ˈbʊlɪtən/

a brief report (especially an official statement issued for immediate publication or broadcast)

From this reading Fanny was in her boudoir, trying on some morning caps, and leaving her mirror from time to time to go to look at the last bulletin from the Bourse, which was on her toilet table, when her maid appeared and told her that a gentleman desired to speak to her.

capsnounUS /kæps/

plural of “cap” — a tight-fitting headdress

From this reading Fanny was in her boudoir, trying on some morning caps, and leaving her mirror from time to time to go to look at the last bulletin from the Bourse, which was on her toilet table, when her maid appeared and told her that a gentleman desired to speak to her.

desiredadjectiveUS /dɪˈzaɪərd/

wanted intensely

From this reading Fanny was in her boudoir, trying on some morning caps, and leaving her mirror from time to time to go to look at the last bulletin from the Bourse, which was on her toilet table, when her maid appeared and told her that a gentleman desired to speak to her.

Didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

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

From this reading Did he give his name?"

Doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading Do you know him?

FannynounUS /ˈfæni/

the fleshy part of the human body that you sit on

From this reading Fanny was in her boudoir, trying on some morning caps, and leaving her mirror from time to time to go to look at the last bulletin from the Bourse, which was on her toilet table, when her maid appeared and told her that a gentleman desired to speak to her.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Fanny was in her boudoir, trying on some morning caps, and leaving her mirror from time to time to go to look at the last bulletin from the Bourse, which was on her toilet table, when her maid appeared and told her that a gentleman desired to speak to her.

gentlemannounUS /ˈdʒentəlmən/

a man of refinement

From this reading Fanny was in her boudoir, trying on some morning caps, and leaving her mirror from time to time to go to look at the last bulletin from the Bourse, which was on her toilet table, when her maid appeared and told her that a gentleman desired to speak to her.

giveverbUS /ɡɪv/

cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading Did he give his name?"

goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading Fanny was in her boudoir, trying on some morning caps, and leaving her mirror from time to time to go to look at the last bulletin from the Bourse, which was on her toilet table, when her maid appeared and told her that a gentleman desired to speak to her.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Did he give his name?"

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading Fanny was in her boudoir, trying on some morning caps, and leaving her mirror from time to time to go to look at the last bulletin from the Bourse, which was on her toilet table, when her maid appeared and told her that a gentleman desired to speak to her.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading Do you know him?

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Did he give his name?"

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Fanny was in her boudoir, trying on some morning caps, and leaving her mirror from time to time to go to look at the last bulletin from the Bourse, which was on her toilet table, when her maid appeared and told her that a gentleman desired to speak to her.

knowverbUS /noʊ/

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

From this reading Do you know him?

lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading Fanny was in her boudoir, trying on some morning caps, and leaving her mirror from time to time to go to look at the last bulletin from the Bourse, which was on her toilet table, when her maid appeared and told her that a gentleman desired to speak to her.

leavingnounUS /ˈliːvɪŋ/

the act of departing

From this reading Fanny was in her boudoir, trying on some morning caps, and leaving her mirror from time to time to go to look at the last bulletin from the Bourse, which was on her toilet table, when her maid appeared and told her that a gentleman desired to speak to her.

lookverbUS /lʊk/

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading Fanny was in her boudoir, trying on some morning caps, and leaving her mirror from time to time to go to look at the last bulletin from the Bourse, which was on her toilet table, when her maid appeared and told her that a gentleman desired to speak to her.

maidnounUS /meɪd/

a female domestic

From this reading Fanny was in her boudoir, trying on some morning caps, and leaving her mirror from time to time to go to look at the last bulletin from the Bourse, which was on her toilet table, when her maid appeared and told her that a gentleman desired to speak to her.

mirrornounUS /ˈmɪrər/

polished surface that forms images by reflecting light

From this reading Fanny was in her boudoir, trying on some morning caps, and leaving her mirror from time to time to go to look at the last bulletin from the Bourse, which was on her toilet table, when her maid appeared and told her that a gentleman desired to speak to her.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading Fanny was in her boudoir, trying on some morning caps, and leaving her mirror from time to time to go to look at the last bulletin from the Bourse, which was on her toilet table, when her maid appeared and told her that a gentleman desired to speak to her.

nameverbUS /neɪm/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading Did he give his name?"

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Fanny was in her boudoir, trying on some morning caps, and leaving her mirror from time to time to go to look at the last bulletin from the Bourse, which was on her toilet table, when her maid appeared and told her that a gentleman desired to speak to her.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading Fanny was in her boudoir, trying on some morning caps, and leaving her mirror from time to time to go to look at the last bulletin from the Bourse, which was on her toilet table, when her maid appeared and told her that a gentleman desired to speak to her.

speakverbUS /spiːk/

express in speech

From this reading Fanny was in her boudoir, trying on some morning caps, and leaving her mirror from time to time to go to look at the last bulletin from the Bourse, which was on her toilet table, when her maid appeared and told her that a gentleman desired to speak to her.

tablenounUS /ˈteɪbəl/

a set of data arranged in rows and columns

From this reading Fanny was in her boudoir, trying on some morning caps, and leaving her mirror from time to time to go to look at the last bulletin from the Bourse, which was on her toilet table, when her maid appeared and told her that a gentleman desired to speak to her.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Fanny was in her boudoir, trying on some morning caps, and leaving her mirror from time to time to go to look at the last bulletin from the Bourse, which was on her toilet table, when her maid appeared and told her that a gentleman desired to speak to her.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Fanny was in her boudoir, trying on some morning caps, and leaving her mirror from time to time to go to look at the last bulletin from the Bourse, which was on her toilet table, when her maid appeared and told her that a gentleman desired to speak to her.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading Fanny was in her boudoir, trying on some morning caps, and leaving her mirror from time to time to go to look at the last bulletin from the Bourse, which was on her toilet table, when her maid appeared and told her that a gentleman desired to speak to her.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Fanny was in her boudoir, trying on some morning caps, and leaving her mirror from time to time to go to look at the last bulletin from the Bourse, which was on her toilet table, when her maid appeared and told her that a gentleman desired to speak to her.

toiletnounUS /ˈtɔɪlət/

a room or building equipped with one or more toilets

From this reading Fanny was in her boudoir, trying on some morning caps, and leaving her mirror from time to time to go to look at the last bulletin from the Bourse, which was on her toilet table, when her maid appeared and told her that a gentleman desired to speak to her.

toldverbUS /toʊld/

inflected form of “tell” — express in words

From this reading Fanny was in her boudoir, trying on some morning caps, and leaving her mirror from time to time to go to look at the last bulletin from the Bourse, which was on her toilet table, when her maid appeared and told her that a gentleman desired to speak to her.

tryingadjectiveUS /ˈtraɪɪŋ/

hard to endure

From this reading Fanny was in her boudoir, trying on some morning caps, and leaving her mirror from time to time to go to look at the last bulletin from the Bourse, which was on her toilet table, when her maid appeared and told her that a gentleman desired to speak to her.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Fanny was in her boudoir, trying on some morning caps, and leaving her mirror from time to time to go to look at the last bulletin from the Bourse, which was on her toilet table, when her maid appeared and told her that a gentleman desired to speak to her.

WhatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading What gentleman?

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading Fanny was in her boudoir, trying on some morning caps, and leaving her mirror from time to time to go to look at the last bulletin from the Bourse, which was on her toilet table, when her maid appeared and told her that a gentleman desired to speak to her.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading Fanny was in her boudoir, trying on some morning caps, and leaving her mirror from time to time to go to look at the last bulletin from the Bourse, which was on her toilet table, when her maid appeared and told her that a gentleman desired to speak to her.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Do you know him?

Chapter 12 of Monsieur Cherami by Paul de Kock holds 398 sentences, grouped into 80 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 12 of Monsieur Cherami contain?

Chapter 12 holds 398 sentences of Monsieur Cherami, unabridged, divided into 80 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 12 of Monsieur Cherami by Paul de Kock exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 398 sentences, grouped into 80 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 12 of Monsieur Cherami?

Work through the 80 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 80 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 12 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 12 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 Monsieur Cherami

Common questions about reading Monsieur Cherami by Paul de Kock on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Monsieur Cherami?

Yes. All 8269 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #34338 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Monsieur Cherami is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #34338, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Monsieur Cherami take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1654 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Monsieur Cherami section by section

How to work through Monsieur Cherami section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 20 chapters of Monsieur Cherami 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 Monsieur Cherami

Words and structures a reader meets early in Monsieur Cherami, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Office
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Monsieur Cherami; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Question
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Monsieur Cherami; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Stood
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Monsieur Cherami; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Porte
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Monsieur Cherami; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.