Chapter I · Chapter 1

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading And at once, without surprise at the awful emotion of the girl, which he attributed solely to the interest she felt for him,--him Gismondo Pulei, he went on,--“I did not get them direct, but through a respectable signor with long mustaches, and a red ribbon at his buttonhole, who, having received a letter from my dear pupil, has deigned to come to my room, and read it to me.”

later than; following

From this reading Six weeks after having enlisted, his pupil had been promoted corporal, then sergeant, then lieutenant.

(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 He had fought in all the battles of the army of the Loire without receiving a scratch.

(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but

From this reading The worthy maestro had not forgotten a single word of that letter; and it was almost literally that he repeated it.

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

From this reading And at once, without surprise at the awful emotion of the girl, which he attributed solely to the interest she felt for him,--him Gismondo Pulei, he went on,--“I did not get them direct, but through a respectable signor with long mustaches, and a red ribbon at his buttonhole, who, having received a letter from my dear pupil, has deigned to come to my room, and read it to me.”

a permanent organization of the military land forces of a nation or state

From this reading He had fought in all the battles of the army of the Loire without receiving a scratch.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading And at once, without surprise at the awful emotion of the girl, which he attributed solely to the interest she felt for him,--him Gismondo Pulei, he went on,--“I did not get them direct, but through a respectable signor with long mustaches, and a red ribbon at his buttonhole, who, having received a letter from my dear pupil, has deigned to come to my room, and read it to me.”

past form of “attribute” — attribute or credit to

From this reading And at once, without surprise at the awful emotion of the girl, which he attributed solely to the interest she felt for him,--him Gismondo Pulei, he went on,--“I did not get them direct, but through a respectable signor with long mustaches, and a red ribbon at his buttonhole, who, having received a letter from my dear pupil, has deigned to come to my room, and read it to me.”

exceptionally bad or displeasing

From this reading And at once, without surprise at the awful emotion of the girl, which he attributed solely to the interest she felt for him,--him Gismondo Pulei, he went on,--“I did not get them direct, but through a respectable signor with long mustaches, and a red ribbon at his buttonhole, who, having received a letter from my dear pupil, has deigned to come to my room, and read it to me.”

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading But at the battle of the Maus, whilst leading back his men, who were giving way, he had been shot twice, full in the breast.

a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war

From this reading But at the battle of the Maus, whilst leading back his men, who were giving way, he had been shot twice, full in the breast.

plural of “battle” — a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war

From this reading He had fought in all the battles of the army of the Loire without receiving a scratch.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Six weeks after having enlisted, his pupil had been promoted corporal, then sergeant, then lieutenant.

the front of the trunk from the neck to the abdomen

From this reading But at the battle of the Maus, whilst leading back his men, who were giving way, he had been shot twice, full in the breast.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading And at once, without surprise at the awful emotion of the girl, which he attributed solely to the interest she felt for him,--him Gismondo Pulei, he went on,--“I did not get them direct, but through a respectable signor with long mustaches, and a red ribbon at his buttonhole, who, having received a letter from my dear pupil, has deigned to come to my room, and read it to me.”

a hole through which buttons are pushed

From this reading And at once, without surprise at the awful emotion of the girl, which he attributed solely to the interest she felt for him,--him Gismondo Pulei, he went on,--“I did not get them direct, but through a respectable signor with long mustaches, and a red ribbon at his buttonhole, who, having received a letter from my dear pupil, has deigned to come to my room, and read it to me.”

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

From this reading And at once, without surprise at the awful emotion of the girl, which he attributed solely to the interest she felt for him,--him Gismondo Pulei, he went on,--“I did not get them direct, but through a respectable signor with long mustaches, and a red ribbon at his buttonhole, who, having received a letter from my dear pupil, has deigned to come to my room, and read it to me.”

a noncommissioned officer in the Army or Air Force or Marines

From this reading Six weeks after having enlisted, his pupil had been promoted corporal, then sergeant, then lieutenant.

dearly loved

From this reading And at once, without surprise at the awful emotion of the girl, which he attributed solely to the interest she felt for him,--him Gismondo Pulei, he went on,--“I did not get them direct, but through a respectable signor with long mustaches, and a red ribbon at his buttonhole, who, having received a letter from my dear pupil, has deigned to come to my room, and read it to me.”

past form of “deign” — do something that one considers to be below one's dignity

From this reading And at once, without surprise at the awful emotion of the girl, which he attributed solely to the interest she felt for him,--him Gismondo Pulei, he went on,--“I did not get them direct, but through a respectable signor with long mustaches, and a red ribbon at his buttonhole, who, having received a letter from my dear pupil, has deigned to come to my room, and read it to me.”

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

From this reading And at once, without surprise at the awful emotion of the girl, which he attributed solely to the interest she felt for him,--him Gismondo Pulei, he went on,--“I did not get them direct, but through a respectable signor with long mustaches, and a red ribbon at his buttonhole, who, having received a letter from my dear pupil, has deigned to come to my room, and read it to me.”

command with authority

From this reading And at once, without surprise at the awful emotion of the girl, which he attributed solely to the interest she felt for him,--him Gismondo Pulei, he went on,--“I did not get them direct, but through a respectable signor with long mustaches, and a red ribbon at his buttonhole, who, having received a letter from my dear pupil, has deigned to come to my room, and read it to me.”

any strong feeling

From this reading And at once, without surprise at the awful emotion of the girl, which he attributed solely to the interest she felt for him,--him Gismondo Pulei, he went on,--“I did not get them direct, but through a respectable signor with long mustaches, and a red ribbon at his buttonhole, who, having received a letter from my dear pupil, has deigned to come to my room, and read it to me.”

past form of “enlist” — join the military

From this reading Six weeks after having enlisted, his pupil had been promoted corporal, then sergeant, then lieutenant.

mat together and make felt-like

From this reading And at once, without surprise at the awful emotion of the girl, which he attributed solely to the interest she felt for him,--him Gismondo Pulei, he went on,--“I did not get them direct, but through a respectable signor with long mustaches, and a red ribbon at his buttonhole, who, having received a letter from my dear pupil, has deigned to come to my room, and read it to me.”

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading And at once, without surprise at the awful emotion of the girl, which he attributed solely to the interest she felt for him,--him Gismondo Pulei, he went on,--“I did not get them direct, but through a respectable signor with long mustaches, and a red ribbon at his buttonhole, who, having received a letter from my dear pupil, has deigned to come to my room, and read it to me.”

Not remembered; lapsed from memory.

From this reading The worthy maestro had not forgotten a single word of that letter; and it was almost literally that he repeated it.

inflected form of “fight” — be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight

From this reading He had fought in all the battles of the army of the Loire without receiving a scratch.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading And at once, without surprise at the awful emotion of the girl, which he attributed solely to the interest she felt for him,--him Gismondo Pulei, he went on,--“I did not get them direct, but through a respectable signor with long mustaches, and a red ribbon at his buttonhole, who, having received a letter from my dear pupil, has deigned to come to my room, and read it to me.”

containing as much or as many as is possible or normal

From this reading But at the battle of the Maus, whilst leading back his men, who were giving way, he had been shot twice, full in the breast.

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading And at once, without surprise at the awful emotion of the girl, which he attributed solely to the interest she felt for him,--him Gismondo Pulei, he went on,--“I did not get them direct, but through a respectable signor with long mustaches, and a red ribbon at his buttonhole, who, having received a letter from my dear pupil, has deigned to come to my room, and read it to me.”

a young female

From this reading And at once, without surprise at the awful emotion of the girl, which he attributed solely to the interest she felt for him,--him Gismondo Pulei, he went on,--“I did not get them direct, but through a respectable signor with long mustaches, and a red ribbon at his buttonhole, who, having received a letter from my dear pupil, has deigned to come to my room, and read it to me.”

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

From this reading And at once, without surprise at the awful emotion of the girl, which he attributed solely to the interest she felt for him,--him Gismondo Pulei, he went on,--“I did not get them direct, but through a respectable signor with long mustaches, and a red ribbon at his buttonhole, who, having received a letter from my dear pupil, has deigned to come to my room, and read it to me.”

the act of giving

From this reading But at the battle of the Maus, whilst leading back his men, who were giving way, he had been shot twice, full in the breast.

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

From this reading The worthy maestro had not forgotten a single word of that letter; and it was almost literally that he repeated it.

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

From this reading And at once, without surprise at the awful emotion of the girl, which he attributed solely to the interest she felt for him,--him Gismondo Pulei, he went on,--“I did not get them direct, but through a respectable signor with long mustaches, and a red ribbon at his buttonhole, who, having received a letter from my dear pupil, has deigned to come to my room, and read it to me.”

the -ing form of “have”

From this reading And at once, without surprise at the awful emotion of the girl, which he attributed solely to the interest she felt for him,--him Gismondo Pulei, he went on,--“I did not get them direct, but through a respectable signor with long mustaches, and a red ribbon at his buttonhole, who, having received a letter from my dear pupil, has deigned to come to my room, and read it to me.”

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

From this reading And at once, without surprise at the awful emotion of the girl, which he attributed solely to the interest she felt for him,--him Gismondo Pulei, he went on,--“I did not get them direct, but through a respectable signor with long mustaches, and a red ribbon at his buttonhole, who, having received a letter from my dear pupil, has deigned to come to my room, and read it to me.”

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

From this reading And at once, without surprise at the awful emotion of the girl, which he attributed solely to the interest she felt for him,--him Gismondo Pulei, he went on,--“I did not get them direct, but through a respectable signor with long mustaches, and a red ribbon at his buttonhole, who, having received a letter from my dear pupil, has deigned to come to my room, and read it to me.”

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

From this reading And at once, without surprise at the awful emotion of the girl, which he attributed solely to the interest she felt for him,--him Gismondo Pulei, he went on,--“I did not get them direct, but through a respectable signor with long mustaches, and a red ribbon at his buttonhole, who, having received a letter from my dear pupil, has deigned to come to my room, and read it to me.”

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

From this reading And at once, without surprise at the awful emotion of the girl, which he attributed solely to the interest she felt for him,--him Gismondo Pulei, he went on,--“I did not get them direct, but through a respectable signor with long mustaches, and a red ribbon at his buttonhole, who, having received a letter from my dear pupil, has deigned to come to my room, and read it to me.”

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

From this reading He had fought in all the battles of the army of the Loire without receiving a scratch.

a sense of concern with and curiosity about someone or something

From this reading And at once, without surprise at the awful emotion of the girl, which he attributed solely to the interest she felt for him,--him Gismondo Pulei, he went on,--“I did not get them direct, but through a respectable signor with long mustaches, and a red ribbon at his buttonhole, who, having received a letter from my dear pupil, has deigned to come to my room, and read it to me.”

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading And at once, without surprise at the awful emotion of the girl, which he attributed solely to the interest she felt for him,--him Gismondo Pulei, he went on,--“I did not get them direct, but through a respectable signor with long mustaches, and a red ribbon at his buttonhole, who, having received a letter from my dear pupil, has deigned to come to my room, and read it to me.”

indicating the most important performer or role

From this reading But at the battle of the Maus, whilst leading back his men, who were giving way, he had been shot twice, full in the breast.

a written message addressed to a person or organization

From this reading And at once, without surprise at the awful emotion of the girl, which he attributed solely to the interest she felt for him,--him Gismondo Pulei, he went on,--“I did not get them direct, but through a respectable signor with long mustaches, and a red ribbon at his buttonhole, who, having received a letter from my dear pupil, has deigned to come to my room, and read it to me.”

a commissioned military officer

From this reading Six weeks after having enlisted, his pupil had been promoted corporal, then sergeant, then lieutenant.

in a literal sense

From this reading The worthy maestro had not forgotten a single word of that letter; and it was almost literally that he repeated it.

the longest French river; rises in the Massif Central and flows north and west to the Atlantic Ocean

From this reading He had fought in all the battles of the army of the Loire without receiving a scratch.

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading And at once, without surprise at the awful emotion of the girl, which he attributed solely to the interest she felt for him,--him Gismondo Pulei, he went on,--“I did not get them direct, but through a respectable signor with long mustaches, and a red ribbon at his buttonhole, who, having received a letter from my dear pupil, has deigned to come to my room, and read it to me.”

an artist of consummate skill

From this reading The worthy maestro had not forgotten a single word of that letter; and it was almost literally that he repeated it.

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

From this reading But at the battle of the Maus, whilst leading back his men, who were giving way, he had been shot twice, full in the breast.

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading And at once, without surprise at the awful emotion of the girl, which he attributed solely to the interest she felt for him,--him Gismondo Pulei, he went on,--“I did not get them direct, but through a respectable signor with long mustaches, and a red ribbon at his buttonhole, who, having received a letter from my dear pupil, has deigned to come to my room, and read it to me.”

the force of workers available

From this reading But at the battle of the Maus, whilst leading back his men, who were giving way, he had been shot twice, full in the breast.

plural of “mustache” — an unshaved growth of hair on the upper lip

From this reading And at once, without surprise at the awful emotion of the girl, which he attributed solely to the interest she felt for him,--him Gismondo Pulei, he went on,--“I did not get them direct, but through a respectable signor with long mustaches, and a red ribbon at his buttonhole, who, having received a letter from my dear pupil, has deigned to come to my room, and read it to me.”

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading And at once, without surprise at the awful emotion of the girl, which he attributed solely to the interest she felt for him,--him Gismondo Pulei, he went on,--“I did not get them direct, but through a respectable signor with long mustaches, and a red ribbon at his buttonhole, who, having received a letter from my dear pupil, has deigned to come to my room, and read it to me.”

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading And at once, without surprise at the awful emotion of the girl, which he attributed solely to the interest she felt for him,--him Gismondo Pulei, he went on,--“I did not get them direct, but through a respectable signor with long mustaches, and a red ribbon at his buttonhole, who, having received a letter from my dear pupil, has deigned to come to my room, and read it to me.”

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading And at once, without surprise at the awful emotion of the girl, which he attributed solely to the interest she felt for him,--him Gismondo Pulei, he went on,--“I did not get them direct, but through a respectable signor with long mustaches, and a red ribbon at his buttonhole, who, having received a letter from my dear pupil, has deigned to come to my room, and read it to me.”

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading And at once, without surprise at the awful emotion of the girl, which he attributed solely to the interest she felt for him,--him Gismondo Pulei, he went on,--“I did not get them direct, but through a respectable signor with long mustaches, and a red ribbon at his buttonhole, who, having received a letter from my dear pupil, has deigned to come to my room, and read it to me.”

on one occasion

From this reading And at once, without surprise at the awful emotion of the girl, which he attributed solely to the interest she felt for him,--him Gismondo Pulei, he went on,--“I did not get them direct, but through a respectable signor with long mustaches, and a red ribbon at his buttonhole, who, having received a letter from my dear pupil, has deigned to come to my room, and read it to me.”

past form of “promote” — contribute to the progress or growth of

From this reading Six weeks after having enlisted, his pupil had been promoted corporal, then sergeant, then lieutenant.

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

From this reading And at once, without surprise at the awful emotion of the girl, which he attributed solely to the interest she felt for him,--him Gismondo Pulei, he went on,--“I did not get them direct, but through a respectable signor with long mustaches, and a red ribbon at his buttonhole, who, having received a letter from my dear pupil, has deigned to come to my room, and read it to me.”

a learner who is enrolled in an educational institution

From this reading And at once, without surprise at the awful emotion of the girl, which he attributed solely to the interest she felt for him,--him Gismondo Pulei, he went on,--“I did not get them direct, but through a respectable signor with long mustaches, and a red ribbon at his buttonhole, who, having received a letter from my dear pupil, has deigned to come to my room, and read it to me.”

interpret something that is written or printed

From this reading And at once, without surprise at the awful emotion of the girl, which he attributed solely to the interest she felt for him,--him Gismondo Pulei, he went on,--“I did not get them direct, but through a respectable signor with long mustaches, and a red ribbon at his buttonhole, who, having received a letter from my dear pupil, has deigned to come to my room, and read it to me.”

conforming to the established language usage of educated native speakers

From this reading And at once, without surprise at the awful emotion of the girl, which he attributed solely to the interest she felt for him,--him Gismondo Pulei, he went on,--“I did not get them direct, but through a respectable signor with long mustaches, and a red ribbon at his buttonhole, who, having received a letter from my dear pupil, has deigned to come to my room, and read it to me.”

-ing form of “receive” — get something; come into possession of

From this reading He had fought in all the battles of the army of the Loire without receiving a scratch.

red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood

From this reading And at once, without surprise at the awful emotion of the girl, which he attributed solely to the interest she felt for him,--him Gismondo Pulei, he went on,--“I did not get them direct, but through a respectable signor with long mustaches, and a red ribbon at his buttonhole, who, having received a letter from my dear pupil, has deigned to come to my room, and read it to me.”

recurring again and again

From this reading The worthy maestro had not forgotten a single word of that letter; and it was almost literally that he repeated it.

characterized by socially or conventionally acceptable morals

From this reading And at once, without surprise at the awful emotion of the girl, which he attributed solely to the interest she felt for him,--him Gismondo Pulei, he went on,--“I did not get them direct, but through a respectable signor with long mustaches, and a red ribbon at his buttonhole, who, having received a letter from my dear pupil, has deigned to come to my room, and read it to me.”

any long object resembling a thin line

From this reading And at once, without surprise at the awful emotion of the girl, which he attributed solely to the interest she felt for him,--him Gismondo Pulei, he went on,--“I did not get them direct, but through a respectable signor with long mustaches, and a red ribbon at his buttonhole, who, having received a letter from my dear pupil, has deigned to come to my room, and read it to me.”

an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling

From this reading And at once, without surprise at the awful emotion of the girl, which he attributed solely to the interest she felt for him,--him Gismondo Pulei, he went on,--“I did not get them direct, but through a respectable signor with long mustaches, and a red ribbon at his buttonhole, who, having received a letter from my dear pupil, has deigned to come to my room, and read it to me.”

cause friction

From this reading He had fought in all the battles of the army of the Loire without receiving a scratch.

any of several noncommissioned officer ranks in the Army or Air Force or Marines ranking above a corporal

From this reading Six weeks after having enlisted, his pupil had been promoted corporal, then sergeant, then lieutenant.

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

From this reading And at once, without surprise at the awful emotion of the girl, which he attributed solely to the interest she felt for him,--him Gismondo Pulei, he went on,--“I did not get them direct, but through a respectable signor with long mustaches, and a red ribbon at his buttonhole, who, having received a letter from my dear pupil, has deigned to come to my room, and read it to me.”

the act of firing a projectile

From this reading But at the battle of the Maus, whilst leading back his men, who were giving way, he had been shot twice, full in the breast.

used as an Italian courtesy title; can be prefixed to the name or used separately

From this reading And at once, without surprise at the awful emotion of the girl, which he attributed solely to the interest she felt for him,--him Gismondo Pulei, he went on,--“I did not get them direct, but through a respectable signor with long mustaches, and a red ribbon at his buttonhole, who, having received a letter from my dear pupil, has deigned to come to my room, and read it to me.”

being or characteristic of a single thing or person

From this reading The worthy maestro had not forgotten a single word of that letter; and it was almost literally that he repeated it.

the cardinal number that is the sum of five and one

From this reading Six weeks after having enlisted, his pupil had been promoted corporal, then sergeant, then lieutenant.

without any others being included or involved

From this reading And at once, without surprise at the awful emotion of the girl, which he attributed solely to the interest she felt for him,--him Gismondo Pulei, he went on,--“I did not get them direct, but through a respectable signor with long mustaches, and a red ribbon at his buttonhole, who, having received a letter from my dear pupil, has deigned to come to my room, and read it to me.”

the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you

From this reading And at once, without surprise at the awful emotion of the girl, which he attributed solely to the interest she felt for him,--him Gismondo Pulei, he went on,--“I did not get them direct, but through a respectable signor with long mustaches, and a red ribbon at his buttonhole, who, having received a letter from my dear pupil, has deigned to come to my room, and read it to me.”

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The worthy maestro had not forgotten a single word of that letter; and it was almost literally that he repeated it.

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

From this reading And at once, without surprise at the awful emotion of the girl, which he attributed solely to the interest she felt for him,--him Gismondo Pulei, he went on,--“I did not get them direct, but through a respectable signor with long mustaches, and a red ribbon at his buttonhole, who, having received a letter from my dear pupil, has deigned to come to my room, and read it to me.”

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading And at once, without surprise at the awful emotion of the girl, which he attributed solely to the interest she felt for him,--him Gismondo Pulei, he went on,--“I did not get them direct, but through a respectable signor with long mustaches, and a red ribbon at his buttonhole, who, having received a letter from my dear pupil, has deigned to come to my room, and read it to me.”

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Six weeks after having enlisted, his pupil had been promoted corporal, then sergeant, then lieutenant.

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading And at once, without surprise at the awful emotion of the girl, which he attributed solely to the interest she felt for him,--him Gismondo Pulei, he went on,--“I did not get them direct, but through a respectable signor with long mustaches, and a red ribbon at his buttonhole, who, having received a letter from my dear pupil, has deigned to come to my room, and read it to me.”

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

From this reading And at once, without surprise at the awful emotion of the girl, which he attributed solely to the interest she felt for him,--him Gismondo Pulei, he went on,--“I did not get them direct, but through a respectable signor with long mustaches, and a red ribbon at his buttonhole, who, having received a letter from my dear pupil, has deigned to come to my room, and read it to me.”

two times

From this reading But at the battle of the Maus, whilst leading back his men, who were giving way, he had been shot twice, full in the breast.

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

From this reading The worthy maestro had not forgotten a single word of that letter; and it was almost literally that he repeated it.

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading But at the battle of the Maus, whilst leading back his men, who were giving way, he had been shot twice, full in the breast.

plural of “week” — any period of seven consecutive days

From this reading Six weeks after having enlisted, his pupil had been promoted corporal, then sergeant, then lieutenant.

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading And at once, without surprise at the awful emotion of the girl, which he attributed solely to the interest she felt for him,--him Gismondo Pulei, he went on,--“I did not get them direct, but through a respectable signor with long mustaches, and a red ribbon at his buttonhole, who, having received a letter from my dear pupil, has deigned to come to my room, and read it to me.”

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

From this reading But at the battle of the Maus, whilst leading back his men, who were giving way, he had been shot twice, full in the breast.

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

From this reading And at once, without surprise at the awful emotion of the girl, which he attributed solely to the interest she felt for him,--him Gismondo Pulei, he went on,--“I did not get them direct, but through a respectable signor with long mustaches, and a red ribbon at his buttonhole, who, having received a letter from my dear pupil, has deigned to come to my room, and read it to me.”

an old and formal word for “while”

From this reading But at the battle of the Maus, whilst leading back his men, who were giving way, he had been shot twice, full in the breast.

which person or people

From this reading And at once, without surprise at the awful emotion of the girl, which he attributed solely to the interest she felt for him,--him Gismondo Pulei, he went on,--“I did not get them direct, but through a respectable signor with long mustaches, and a red ribbon at his buttonhole, who, having received a letter from my dear pupil, has deigned to come to my room, and read it to me.”

in the company of; together with

From this reading And at once, without surprise at the awful emotion of the girl, which he attributed solely to the interest she felt for him,--him Gismondo Pulei, he went on,--“I did not get them direct, but through a respectable signor with long mustaches, and a red ribbon at his buttonhole, who, having received a letter from my dear pupil, has deigned to come to my room, and read it to me.”

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading And at once, without surprise at the awful emotion of the girl, which he attributed solely to the interest she felt for him,--him Gismondo Pulei, he went on,--“I did not get them direct, but through a respectable signor with long mustaches, and a red ribbon at his buttonhole, who, having received a letter from my dear pupil, has deigned to come to my room, and read it to me.”

a unit of language that native speakers can identify

From this reading The worthy maestro had not forgotten a single word of that letter; and it was almost literally that he repeated it.

Having or showing the qualities or abilities that merit recognition in character or magic.

From this reading The worthy maestro had not forgotten a single word of that letter; and it was almost literally that he repeated it.