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On the red staircase
On the red staircase

Chapter XIII

Chapter 13 of On the red staircase is here in full — 87 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Mary Imlay Taylor • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for On the red staircase
Context Illustration Reading 1/17 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
PRINCE BASIL GALITSYN.
ALTHOUGH the packet was again safe in my possession, I was in some perplexity.
The czarevna’s directions were emphatic.
I was to have delivered it into Prince Galitsyn’s hands on the previous evening, and he was then temporarily at the house of the Boyar Urusof.
Where the prince was now, and what the czarevna’s present wishes in regard to the ill-fated packet, I was at loss to conjecture.
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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.

On the red staircase

Chapter XIII

Chapter 13 of On the red staircase is here in full — 87 sentences across 18 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/17 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
PRINCE BASIL GALITSYN.
Line 2
ALTHOUGH the packet was again safe in my possession, I was in some perplexity.
/ˌɔːlˈðoʊ ðə ˈpækət wɑːz əˈɡen seɪf ɪn maɪ pəˈzeʃən aɪ wɑːz ɪn sʌm pərˈpleksəti/
Line 3
The czarevna’s directions were emphatic.
Line 4
I was to have delivered it into Prince Galitsyn’s hands on the previous evening, and he was then temporarily at the house of the Boyar Urusof.
Line 5
Where the prince was now, and what the czarevna’s present wishes in regard to the ill-fated packet, I was at loss to conjecture.

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.

basil noun US /ˈbæzəl/

any of several Old World tropical aromatic annual or perennial herbs of the genus Ocimum

From this reading “PRINCE BASIL GALITSYN.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
conjecture noun US /kənˈdʒektʃər/

a hypothesis that has been formed by speculating or conjecturing (usually with little hard evidence)

From this reading “Where the prince was now, and what the czarevna’s present wishes in regard to the ill-fated packet, I was at loss to conjecture.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
delivered verb US /dɪˈlɪvərd/

past form of “deliver” — deliver (a speech, oration, or idea)

From this reading “I was to have delivered it into Prince Galitsyn’s hands on the previous evening, and he was then temporarily at the house of the Boyar Urusof.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
directions noun US /dərˈekʃənz/

plural of “direction” — a line leading to a place or point

From this reading “The czarevna’s directions were emphatic.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
emphatic adjective US /emˈfætɪk/

spoken with emphasis

From this reading “The czarevna’s directions were emphatic.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
packet noun US /ˈpækət/

a collection of things wrapped or boxed together

From this reading “ALTHOUGH the packet was again safe in my possession, I was in some perplexity.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
perplexity noun US /pərˈpleksəti/

trouble or confusion resulting from complexity

From this reading “ALTHOUGH the packet was again safe in my possession, I was in some perplexity.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
temporarily adverb US /ˌtempərˈerəli/

for a limited time only; not permanently

From this reading “I was to have delivered it into Prince Galitsyn’s hands on the previous evening, and he was then temporarily at the house of the Boyar Urusof.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

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.

previous evening adjective + noun

In this reading “I was to have delivered it into Prince Galitsyn’s hands on the previous evening, and he was then temporarily at the house of the Boyar Urusof.”

2,777 times in 426,212 chapters
some perplexity adjective + noun

In this reading “ALTHOUGH the packet was again safe in my possession, I was in some perplexity.”

343 times in 426,212 chapters
in regard preposition + noun

In this reading “Where the prince was now, and what the czarevna’s present wishes in regard to the ill-fated packet, I was at loss to conjecture.”

14,369 times in 426,212 chapters

All words in this reading · 47

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.

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading ALTHOUGH the packet was again safe in my possession, I was in some perplexity.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ALTHOUGHconjunctionUS /ˌɔːlˈðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading ALTHOUGH the packet was again safe in my possession, I was in some perplexity.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading I was to have delivered it into Prince Galitsyn’s hands on the previous evening, and he was then temporarily at the house of the Boyar Urusof.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading I was to have delivered it into Prince Galitsyn’s hands on the previous evening, and he was then temporarily at the house of the Boyar Urusof.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
BASILnounUS /ˈbæzəl/

any of several Old World tropical aromatic annual or perennial herbs of the genus Ocimum

From this reading PRINCE BASIL GALITSYN.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Boyar

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

From this reading I was to have delivered it into Prince Galitsyn’s hands on the previous evening, and he was then temporarily at the house of the Boyar Urusof.

Pending verification
conjecturenounUS /kənˈdʒektʃər/

a hypothesis that has been formed by speculating or conjecturing (usually with little hard evidence)

From this reading Where the prince was now, and what the czarevna’s present wishes in regard to the ill-fated packet, I was at loss to conjecture.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
czarevna's

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

From this reading The czarevna’s directions were emphatic.

Pending verification
deliveredverbUS /dɪˈlɪvərd/

past form of “deliver” — deliver (a speech, oration, or idea)

From this reading I was to have delivered it into Prince Galitsyn’s hands on the previous evening, and he was then temporarily at the house of the Boyar Urusof.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
directionsnounUS /dərˈekʃənz/

plural of “direction” — a line leading to a place or point

From this reading The czarevna’s directions were emphatic.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
emphaticadjectiveUS /emˈfætɪk/

spoken with emphasis

From this reading The czarevna’s directions were emphatic.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
eveningnounUS /ˈiːvnɪŋ/

the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)

From this reading I was to have delivered it into Prince Galitsyn’s hands on the previous evening, and he was then temporarily at the house of the Boyar Urusof.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
GALITSYN

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

From this reading PRINCE BASIL GALITSYN.

Pending verification
Galitsyn's

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

From this reading I was to have delivered it into Prince Galitsyn’s hands on the previous evening, and he was then temporarily at the house of the Boyar Urusof.

Pending verification
handsnounUS /hændz/

(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child

From this reading I was to have delivered it into Prince Galitsyn’s hands on the previous evening, and he was then temporarily at the house of the Boyar Urusof.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading I was to have delivered it into Prince Galitsyn’s hands on the previous evening, and he was then temporarily at the house of the Boyar Urusof.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading I was to have delivered it into Prince Galitsyn’s hands on the previous evening, and he was then temporarily at the house of the Boyar Urusof.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
housenounUS /haʊs/

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

From this reading I was to have delivered it into Prince Galitsyn’s hands on the previous evening, and he was then temporarily at the house of the Boyar Urusof.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading ALTHOUGH the packet was again safe in my possession, I was in some perplexity.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ill-fatedadjective

marked by or promising bad fortune

From this reading Where the prince was now, and what the czarevna’s present wishes in regard to the ill-fated packet, I was at loss to conjecture.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading ALTHOUGH the packet was again safe in my possession, I was in some perplexity.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading I was to have delivered it into Prince Galitsyn’s hands on the previous evening, and he was then temporarily at the house of the Boyar Urusof.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading I was to have delivered it into Prince Galitsyn’s hands on the previous evening, and he was then temporarily at the house of the Boyar Urusof.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
lossnounUS /lɔːs/

something that is lost

From this reading Where the prince was now, and what the czarevna’s present wishes in regard to the ill-fated packet, I was at loss to conjecture.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading ALTHOUGH the packet was again safe in my possession, I was in some perplexity.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
nowadverbUS /naʊ/

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

From this reading Where the prince was now, and what the czarevna’s present wishes in regard to the ill-fated packet, I was at loss to conjecture.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading I was to have delivered it into Prince Galitsyn’s hands on the previous evening, and he was then temporarily at the house of the Boyar Urusof.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading I was to have delivered it into Prince Galitsyn’s hands on the previous evening, and he was then temporarily at the house of the Boyar Urusof.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
packetnounUS /ˈpækət/

a collection of things wrapped or boxed together

From this reading ALTHOUGH the packet was again safe in my possession, I was in some perplexity.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
perplexitynounUS /pərˈpleksəti/

trouble or confusion resulting from complexity

From this reading ALTHOUGH the packet was again safe in my possession, I was in some perplexity.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
possessionnounUS /pəˈzeʃən/

the act of having and controlling property

From this reading ALTHOUGH the packet was again safe in my possession, I was in some perplexity.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
presentverbUS /ˈprezənt/

give an exhibition of to an interested audience

From this reading Where the prince was now, and what the czarevna’s present wishes in regard to the ill-fated packet, I was at loss to conjecture.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
previousadjectiveUS /ˈpriːviəs/

just preceding something else in time or order

From this reading I was to have delivered it into Prince Galitsyn’s hands on the previous evening, and he was then temporarily at the house of the Boyar Urusof.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
PRINCEnounUS /prɪns/

a male member of a royal family other than the sovereign (especially the son of a sovereign)

From this reading PRINCE BASIL GALITSYN.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
regardnounUS /rɪˈɡɑːrd/

(usually preceded by “in”) a detail or point

From this reading Where the prince was now, and what the czarevna’s present wishes in regard to the ill-fated packet, I was at loss to conjecture.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
safeadjectiveUS /seɪf/

free from danger or the risk of harm

From this reading ALTHOUGH the packet was again safe in my possession, I was in some perplexity.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

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

From this reading ALTHOUGH the packet was again safe in my possession, I was in some perplexity.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
temporarilyadverbUS /ˌtempərˈerəli/

for a limited time only; not permanently

From this reading I was to have delivered it into Prince Galitsyn’s hands on the previous evening, and he was then temporarily at the house of the Boyar Urusof.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading ALTHOUGH the packet was again safe in my possession, I was in some perplexity.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading I was to have delivered it into Prince Galitsyn’s hands on the previous evening, and he was then temporarily at the house of the Boyar Urusof.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading I was to have delivered it into Prince Galitsyn’s hands on the previous evening, and he was then temporarily at the house of the Boyar Urusof.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Urusof

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

From this reading I was to have delivered it into Prince Galitsyn’s hands on the previous evening, and he was then temporarily at the house of the Boyar Urusof.

Pending verification
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading ALTHOUGH the packet was again safe in my possession, I was in some perplexity.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading The czarevna’s directions were emphatic.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading Where the prince was now, and what the czarevna’s present wishes in regard to the ill-fated packet, I was at loss to conjecture.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
WhereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading Where the prince was now, and what the czarevna’s present wishes in regard to the ill-fated packet, I was at loss to conjecture.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wishesnounUS /ˈwɪʃɪz/

plural of “wish” — a specific feeling of desire

From this reading Where the prince was now, and what the czarevna’s present wishes in regard to the ill-fated packet, I was at loss to conjecture.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 13 of On the red staircase by Mary Imlay Taylor holds 87 sentences, grouped into 18 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 13 of On the red staircase contain?

Chapter 13 holds 87 sentences of On the red staircase, unabridged, divided into 18 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 13 of On the red staircase by Mary Imlay Taylor exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 87 sentences, grouped into 18 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 13 of On the red staircase?

Work through the 18 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 18 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 13 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 13 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 On the red staircase

Common questions about reading On the red staircase by Mary Imlay Taylor on this page, its source edition and its audio.

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

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Vocabulary met early in On the red staircase

Words and structures a reader meets early in On the red staircase, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Chapter 1
One of the 0 chapters of On the red staircase, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 2
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Chapter 3
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