New York: Its Upper Ten and Lower Million

Chapter XVII

Chapter 17 of New York: Its Upper Ten and Lower Million is here in full — 192 sentences across 39 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By George Lippard • Curated US English Learning Edition

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THE DEN OF MADAM RESIMER.

Yonder, in the still winter night, THE TEMPLE stands, all dark and sullen without, but bright with festal lights within.

Stand here in the dark, and you will see the guests of the temple come,--now one by one,--now two by two,--sometimes in parties of four,--and all are carefully cloaked and masked.

They come noiselessly along the dark street: they glide stealthily up the steps, and beneath the arch of the gloomy door.

A gentle knock,--the door is slightly opened,--a password is whispered,--and one by one, and two by two, and sometimes in parties of four, the guests of THE TEMPLE glide over its threshold, and pass like shadows from the sight.

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Chapter XVII Reading 1/38

New York: Its Upper Ten and Lower Million George Lippard

Chapter XVII

Chapter 17 of New York: Its Upper Ten and Lower Million is here in full — 192 sentences across 39 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

THE DEN OF MADAM RESIMER. Yonder, in the still winter night, THE TEMPLE stands, all dark and sullen without, but bright with festal lights within. Stand here in the dark, and you will see the guests of the temple come,--now one by one,--now two by two,--sometimes in parties of four,--and all are carefully cloaked and masked. They come noiselessly along the dark street: they glide stealthily up the steps, and beneath the arch of the gloomy door. A gentle knock,--the door is slightly opened,--a password is whispered,--and one by one, and two by two, and sometimes in parties of four, the guests of THE TEMPLE glide over its threshold, and pass like shadows from the sight.

New York: Its Upper Ten and Lower Million

Chapter XVII

Chapter 17 of New York: Its Upper Ten and Lower Million is here in full — 192 sentences across 39 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/38 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

THE DEN OF MADAM RESIMER.

Line 2

Yonder, in the still winter night, THE TEMPLE stands, all dark and sullen without, but bright with festal lights within.

Line 3

Stand here in the dark, and you will see the guests of the temple come,--now one by one,--now two by two,--sometimes in parties of four,--and all are carefully cloaked and masked.

Line 4

They come noiselessly along the dark street: they glide stealthily up the steps, and beneath the arch of the gloomy door.

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.

arch noun US /ɑːrtʃ/

a curved shape in the vertical plane that spans an opening

From this reading “They come noiselessly along the dark street: they glide stealthily up the steps, and beneath the arch of the gloomy door.”

cloaked adjective US /kloʊkt/

having its true character concealed with the intent of misleading

From this reading “Stand here in the dark, and you will see the guests of the temple come,--now one by one,--now two by two,--sometimes in parties of four,--and all are carefully cloaked and masked.”

den noun US /den/

the habitation of wild animals

From this reading “THE DEN OF MADAM RESIMER.”

glide verb US /ɡlaɪd/

move smoothly and effortlessly

From this reading “They come noiselessly along the dark street: they glide stealthily up the steps, and beneath the arch of the gloomy door.”

masked adjective US /mæskt/

having its true character concealed with the intent of misleading

password noun US /ˈpæswɜːrd/

a secret word or phrase known only to a restricted group

From this reading “A gentle knock,--the door is slightly opened,--a password is whispered,--and one by one, and two by two, and sometimes in parties of four, the guests of THE TEMPLE glide over its threshold, and pass like shadows from the sight.”

sullen adjective US /ˈsʌlən/

showing a brooding ill humor

From this reading “Yonder, in the still winter night, THE TEMPLE stands, all dark and sullen without, but bright with festal lights within.”

threshold noun US /ˈθreʃoʊld/

the starting point for a new state or experience

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.

beneath the arch preposition + article + noun counted as “beneath … arch”

In this reading “They come noiselessly along the dark street: they glide stealthily up the steps, and beneath the arch of the gloomy door.”

glide over verb + particle

In this reading “A gentle knock,--the door is slightly opened,--a password is whispered,--and one by one, and two by two, and sometimes in parties of four, the guests of THE TEMPLE glide over its threshold, and pass like shadows from the sight.”

winter night noun + noun

In this reading “Yonder, in the still winter night, THE TEMPLE stands, all dark and sullen without, but bright with festal lights within.”

Stand here verb + particle

In this reading “Stand here in the dark, and you will see the guests of the temple come,--now one by one,--now two by two,--sometimes in parties of four,--and all are carefully cloaked and masked.”

dark street noun + noun

In this reading “They come noiselessly along the dark street: they glide stealthily up the steps, and beneath the arch of the gloomy door.”

in the dark preposition + article + noun counted as “in … dark”

by two preposition + noun

All words in this reading · 69

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 gentle knock,--the door is slightly opened,--a password is whispered,--and one by one, and two by two, and sometimes in parties of four, the guests of THE TEMPLE glide over its threshold, and pass like shadows from the sight.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading Yonder, in the still winter night, THE TEMPLE stands, all dark and sullen without, but bright with festal lights within.

alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/

following the length of something from one end toward the other

From this reading They come noiselessly along the dark street: they glide stealthily up the steps, and beneath the arch of the gloomy door.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Yonder, in the still winter night, THE TEMPLE stands, all dark and sullen without, but bright with festal lights within.

archnounUS /ɑːrtʃ/

a curved shape in the vertical plane that spans an opening

From this reading They come noiselessly along the dark street: they glide stealthily up the steps, and beneath the arch of the gloomy door.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading Stand here in the dark, and you will see the guests of the temple come,--now one by one,--now two by two,--sometimes in parties of four,--and all are carefully cloaked and masked.

beneathprepositionUS /bɪˈniːθ/

Directly under; in or to a lower position than.

From this reading They come noiselessly along the dark street: they glide stealthily up the steps, and beneath the arch of the gloomy door.

brightadjectiveUS /braɪt/

emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts

From this reading Yonder, in the still winter night, THE TEMPLE stands, all dark and sullen without, but bright with festal lights within.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Yonder, in the still winter night, THE TEMPLE stands, all dark and sullen without, but bright with festal lights within.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Stand here in the dark, and you will see the guests of the temple come,--now one by one,--now two by two,--sometimes in parties of four,--and all are carefully cloaked and masked.

carefullyadverbUS /ˈkerfəli/

taking care or paying attention

From this reading Stand here in the dark, and you will see the guests of the temple come,--now one by one,--now two by two,--sometimes in parties of four,--and all are carefully cloaked and masked.

cloakedadjectiveUS /kloʊkt/

having its true character concealed with the intent of misleading

From this reading Stand here in the dark, and you will see the guests of the temple come,--now one by one,--now two by two,--sometimes in parties of four,--and all are carefully cloaked and masked.

comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading Stand here in the dark, and you will see the guests of the temple come,--now one by one,--now two by two,--sometimes in parties of four,--and all are carefully cloaked and masked.

darknounUS /dɑːrk/

absence of light or illumination

From this reading Yonder, in the still winter night, THE TEMPLE stands, all dark and sullen without, but bright with festal lights within.

DENnounUS /den/

the habitation of wild animals

From this reading THE DEN OF MADAM RESIMER.

doornounUS /dɔːr/

a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle

From this reading They come noiselessly along the dark street: they glide stealthily up the steps, and beneath the arch of the gloomy door.

festaladjective

offering fun and gaiety

From this reading Yonder, in the still winter night, THE TEMPLE stands, all dark and sullen without, but bright with festal lights within.

fournounUS /fɔːr/

the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one

From this reading Stand here in the dark, and you will see the guests of the temple come,--now one by one,--now two by two,--sometimes in parties of four,--and all are carefully cloaked and masked.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

gentleadjectiveUS /ˈdʒentəl/

soft and mild; not harsh or stern or severe

glideverbUS /ɡlaɪd/

move smoothly and effortlessly

From this reading They come noiselessly along the dark street: they glide stealthily up the steps, and beneath the arch of the gloomy door.

gloomyadjectiveUS /ˈɡluːmi/

depressingly dark

From this reading They come noiselessly along the dark street: they glide stealthily up the steps, and beneath the arch of the gloomy door.

guestsnounUS /ɡests/

plural of “guest” — a visitor to whom hospitality is extended

From this reading Stand here in the dark, and you will see the guests of the temple come,--now one by one,--now two by two,--sometimes in parties of four,--and all are carefully cloaked and masked.

hereadverbUS /hiːr/

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading Stand here in the dark, and you will see the guests of the temple come,--now one by one,--now two by two,--sometimes in parties of four,--and all are carefully cloaked and masked.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Yonder, in the still winter night, THE TEMPLE stands, all dark and sullen without, but bright with festal lights within.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

knockverbUS /nɑːk/

deliver a sharp blow or push

lightsnounUS /laɪts/

plural of “light” — (physics) electromagnetic radiation that can produce a visual sensation

From this reading Yonder, in the still winter night, THE TEMPLE stands, all dark and sullen without, but bright with festal lights within.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

MADAMnounUS /ˈmædəm/

a woman of refinement

From this reading THE DEN OF MADAM RESIMER.

maskedadjectiveUS /mæskt/

having its true character concealed with the intent of misleading

From this reading Stand here in the dark, and you will see the guests of the temple come,--now one by one,--now two by two,--sometimes in parties of four,--and all are carefully cloaked and masked.

nightnounUS /naɪt/

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

From this reading Yonder, in the still winter night, THE TEMPLE stands, all dark and sullen without, but bright with festal lights within.

noiselesslyadverb

without a sound

From this reading They come noiselessly along the dark street: they glide stealthily up the steps, and beneath the arch of the gloomy door.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading Stand here in the dark, and you will see the guests of the temple come,--now one by one,--now two by two,--sometimes in parties of four,--and all are carefully cloaked and masked.

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE DEN OF MADAM RESIMER.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Stand here in the dark, and you will see the guests of the temple come,--now one by one,--now two by two,--sometimes in parties of four,--and all are carefully cloaked and masked.

openedadjectiveUS /ˈoʊpənd/

used of mouth or eyes

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

partiesnounUS /ˈpɑːrtiz/

plural of “party” — an organization to gain political power

From this reading Stand here in the dark, and you will see the guests of the temple come,--now one by one,--now two by two,--sometimes in parties of four,--and all are carefully cloaked and masked.

passverbUS /pæs/

go across or through

passwordnounUS /ˈpæswɜːrd/

a secret word or phrase known only to a restricted group

RESIMER

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

From this reading THE DEN OF MADAM RESIMER.

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading Stand here in the dark, and you will see the guests of the temple come,--now one by one,--now two by two,--sometimes in parties of four,--and all are carefully cloaked and masked.

shadowsnounUS /ˈʃædoʊz/

plural of “shadow” — shade within clear boundaries

sightnounUS /saɪt/

an instance of visual perception

slightlyadverbUS /ˈslaɪtli/

to a small degree or extent

sometimesadverbUS /səmˈtaɪmz/

on certain occasions or in certain cases but not always

From this reading Stand here in the dark, and you will see the guests of the temple come,--now one by one,--now two by two,--sometimes in parties of four,--and all are carefully cloaked and masked.

StandverbUS /stænd/

be standing; be upright

From this reading Stand here in the dark, and you will see the guests of the temple come,--now one by one,--now two by two,--sometimes in parties of four,--and all are carefully cloaked and masked.

standsnounUS /stændz/

plural of “stand” — a support or foundation

From this reading Yonder, in the still winter night, THE TEMPLE stands, all dark and sullen without, but bright with festal lights within.

stealthilyadverb

in a stealthy manner

From this reading They come noiselessly along the dark street: they glide stealthily up the steps, and beneath the arch of the gloomy door.

stepsnounUS /steps/

a flight of stairs or a flight of steps

From this reading They come noiselessly along the dark street: they glide stealthily up the steps, and beneath the arch of the gloomy door.

stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading Yonder, in the still winter night, THE TEMPLE stands, all dark and sullen without, but bright with festal lights within.

streetnounUS /striːt/

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

From this reading They come noiselessly along the dark street: they glide stealthily up the steps, and beneath the arch of the gloomy door.

sullenadjectiveUS /ˈsʌlən/

showing a brooding ill humor

From this reading Yonder, in the still winter night, THE TEMPLE stands, all dark and sullen without, but bright with festal lights within.

TEMPLEnounUS /ˈtempəl/

place of worship consisting of an edifice for the worship of a deity

From this reading Yonder, in the still winter night, THE TEMPLE stands, all dark and sullen without, but bright with festal lights within.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE DEN OF MADAM RESIMER.

TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading They come noiselessly along the dark street: they glide stealthily up the steps, and beneath the arch of the gloomy door.

thresholdnounUS /ˈθreʃoʊld/

the starting point for a new state or experience

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading Stand here in the dark, and you will see the guests of the temple come,--now one by one,--now two by two,--sometimes in parties of four,--and all are carefully cloaked and masked.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading They come noiselessly along the dark street: they glide stealthily up the steps, and beneath the arch of the gloomy door.

whisperedadjectiveUS /ˈwɪspərd/

spoken in soft hushed tones without vibrations of the vocal cords

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading Stand here in the dark, and you will see the guests of the temple come,--now one by one,--now two by two,--sometimes in parties of four,--and all are carefully cloaked and masked.

winternounUS /ˈwɪntər/

the coldest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox

From this reading Yonder, in the still winter night, THE TEMPLE stands, all dark and sullen without, but bright with festal lights within.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Yonder, in the still winter night, THE TEMPLE stands, all dark and sullen without, but bright with festal lights within.

withinprepositionUS /wɪˈðɪn/

inside; before a period of time has passed

From this reading Yonder, in the still winter night, THE TEMPLE stands, all dark and sullen without, but bright with festal lights within.

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading Yonder, in the still winter night, THE TEMPLE stands, all dark and sullen without, but bright with festal lights within.

YonderadjectiveUS /ˈjɑːndər/

distant but within sight (“yon” is dialectal)

From this reading Yonder, in the still winter night, THE TEMPLE stands, all dark and sullen without, but bright with festal lights within.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Stand here in the dark, and you will see the guests of the temple come,--now one by one,--now two by two,--sometimes in parties of four,--and all are carefully cloaked and masked.

Chapter 17 of New York: Its Upper Ten and Lower Million by George Lippard holds 192 sentences, grouped into 39 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 17 of New York: Its Upper Ten and Lower Million contain?

Chapter 17 holds 192 sentences of New York: Its Upper Ten and Lower Million, unabridged, divided into 39 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 17 of New York: Its Upper Ten and Lower Million by George Lippard exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 192 sentences, grouped into 39 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 17 of New York: Its Upper Ten and Lower Million?

Work through the 39 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 39 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.

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Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 17 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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Project Gutenberg eBook #57785, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 600 minutes of reading across 2010 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in New York: Its Upper Ten and Lower Million

Words and structures a reader meets early in New York: Its Upper Ten and Lower Million, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Upper: A word that appears in the opening chapter of New York: Its Upper Ten and Lower Million; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Lower: A word that appears in the opening chapter of New York: Its Upper Ten and Lower Million; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Million: A word that appears in the opening chapter of New York: Its Upper Ten and Lower Million; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
George: A word that appears in the opening chapter of New York: Its Upper Ten and Lower Million; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter XVII

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