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Parlous Times: A Novel of Modern Diplomacy
Parlous Times: A Novel of Modern Diplomacy

Chapter XXV

Chapter 25 of Parlous Times: A Novel of Modern Diplomacy is here in full — 167 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By David Dwight Wells • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for Parlous Times: A Novel of Modern Diplomacy
Context Illustration Reading 1/33 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE RUSTLE OF A SKIRT "You graceless young dog!" cried Kent-Lauriston, falling upon Stanley in a half-feigned, half-real burst of anger, as he entered the smoking-room after his encounter with Belle.
"Do you know you've caused me to refuse invitations by the score, and dragged me down to this God-forsaken place, at the most impossible season of the year, on false pretences?"
"False pretences!
How so?"
"Why?
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.

Parlous Times: A Novel of Modern Diplomacy

Chapter XXV

Chapter 25 of Parlous Times: A Novel of Modern Diplomacy is here in full — 167 sentences across 34 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/33 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE RUSTLE OF A SKIRT "You graceless young dog!" cried Kent-Lauriston, falling upon Stanley in a half-feigned, half-real burst of anger, as he entered the smoking-room after his encounter with Belle.
Line 2
"Do you know you've caused me to refuse invitations by the score, and dragged me down to this God-forsaken place, at the most impossible season of the year, on false pretences?"
Line 3
"False pretences!
Line 4
How so?"
Line 5
"Why?
/waɪ/

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.

Belle noun US /bel/

a young woman who is the most charming and beautiful of several rivals

From this reading “THE RUSTLE OF A SKIRT "You graceless young dog!" cried Kent-Lauriston, falling upon Stanley in a half-feigned, half-real burst of anger, as he entered the smoking-room after his encounter with Belle.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
encounter verb US /ɪnˈkaʊntər/

come together

From this reading “THE RUSTLE OF A SKIRT "You graceless young dog!" cried Kent-Lauriston, falling upon Stanley in a half-feigned, half-real burst of anger, as he entered the smoking-room after his encounter with Belle.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
graceless adjective US /ˈɡreɪsləs/

lacking graciousness

From this reading “THE RUSTLE OF A SKIRT "You graceless young dog!" cried Kent-Lauriston, falling upon Stanley in a half-feigned, half-real burst of anger, as he entered the smoking-room after his encounter with Belle.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
invitations noun US /ˌɪnvɪˈteɪʃənz/

plural of “invitation” — a request (spoken or written) to participate or be present or take part in something

From this reading “"Do you know you've caused me to refuse invitations by the score, and dragged me down to this God-forsaken place, at the most impossible season of the year, on false pretences?"”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
rustle verb US /ˈrʌsəl/

make a dry crackling sound

From this reading “THE RUSTLE OF A SKIRT "You graceless young dog!" cried Kent-Lauriston, falling upon Stanley in a half-feigned, half-real burst of anger, as he entered the smoking-room after his encounter with Belle.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
score noun US /skɔːr/

a number or letter indicating quality (especially of a student's performance)

From this reading “"Do you know you've caused me to refuse invitations by the score, and dragged me down to this God-forsaken place, at the most impossible season of the year, on false pretences?"”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
skirt noun US /skɜːrt/

cloth covering that forms the part of a garment below the waist

From this reading “THE RUSTLE OF A SKIRT "You graceless young dog!" cried Kent-Lauriston, falling upon Stanley in a half-feigned, half-real burst of anger, as he entered the smoking-room after his encounter with Belle.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Stanley noun US /ˈstænli/

United States inventor who built a steam-powered automobile (1849-1918)

From this reading “THE RUSTLE OF A SKIRT "You graceless young dog!" cried Kent-Lauriston, falling upon Stanley in a half-feigned, half-real burst of anger, as he entered the smoking-room after his encounter with Belle.”

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.

RUSTLE OF verb + particle

In this reading “THE RUSTLE OF A SKIRT "You graceless young dog!" cried Kent-Lauriston, falling upon Stanley in a half-feigned, half-real burst of anger, as he entered the smoking-room after his encounter with Belle.”

3,324 times in 426,211 chapters
encounter with verb + particle

In this reading “THE RUSTLE OF A SKIRT "You graceless young dog!" cried Kent-Lauriston, falling upon Stanley in a half-feigned, half-real burst of anger, as he entered the smoking-room after his encounter with Belle.”

3,854 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 55

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 THE RUSTLE OF A SKIRT "You graceless young dog!" cried Kent-Lauriston, falling upon Stanley in a half-feigned, half-real burst of anger, as he entered the smoking-room after his encounter with Belle.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading THE RUSTLE OF A SKIRT "You graceless young dog!" cried Kent-Lauriston, falling upon Stanley in a half-feigned, half-real burst of anger, as he entered the smoking-room after his encounter with Belle.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading "Do you know you've caused me to refuse invitations by the score, and dragged me down to this God-forsaken place, at the most impossible season of the year, on false pretences?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
angernounUS /ˈæŋɡər/

a strong emotion; a feeling that is oriented toward some real or supposed grievance

From this reading THE RUSTLE OF A SKIRT "You graceless young dog!" cried Kent-Lauriston, falling upon Stanley in a half-feigned, half-real burst of anger, as he entered the smoking-room after his encounter with Belle.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading THE RUSTLE OF A SKIRT "You graceless young dog!" cried Kent-Lauriston, falling upon Stanley in a half-feigned, half-real burst of anger, as he entered the smoking-room after his encounter with Belle.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading "Do you know you've caused me to refuse invitations by the score, and dragged me down to this God-forsaken place, at the most impossible season of the year, on false pretences?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
BellenounUS /bel/

a young woman who is the most charming and beautiful of several rivals

From this reading THE RUSTLE OF A SKIRT "You graceless young dog!" cried Kent-Lauriston, falling upon Stanley in a half-feigned, half-real burst of anger, as he entered the smoking-room after his encounter with Belle.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
burstverbUS /bɜːrst/

come open suddenly and violently, as if from internal pressure

From this reading THE RUSTLE OF A SKIRT "You graceless young dog!" cried Kent-Lauriston, falling upon Stanley in a half-feigned, half-real burst of anger, as he entered the smoking-room after his encounter with Belle.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading "Do you know you've caused me to refuse invitations by the score, and dragged me down to this God-forsaken place, at the most impossible season of the year, on false pretences?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
causedverbUS /kɑːzd/

past form of “cause” — give rise to; cause to happen or occur, not always intentionally

From this reading "Do you know you've caused me to refuse invitations by the score, and dragged me down to this God-forsaken place, at the most impossible season of the year, on false pretences?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
criedverbUS /kraɪd/

inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry

From this reading THE RUSTLE OF A SKIRT "You graceless young dog!" cried Kent-Lauriston, falling upon Stanley in a half-feigned, half-real burst of anger, as he entered the smoking-room after his encounter with Belle.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading "Do you know you've caused me to refuse invitations by the score, and dragged me down to this God-forsaken place, at the most impossible season of the year, on false pretences?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
dognounUS /dɔːɡ/

a member of the genus Canis (probably descended from the common wolf) that has been domesticated by man since prehistoric times; occurs in many breeds

From this reading THE RUSTLE OF A SKIRT "You graceless young dog!" cried Kent-Lauriston, falling upon Stanley in a half-feigned, half-real burst of anger, as he entered the smoking-room after his encounter with Belle.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading "Do you know you've caused me to refuse invitations by the score, and dragged me down to this God-forsaken place, at the most impossible season of the year, on false pretences?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
draggedverbUS /dræɡd/

inflected form of “drag” — pull, as against a resistance

From this reading "Do you know you've caused me to refuse invitations by the score, and dragged me down to this God-forsaken place, at the most impossible season of the year, on false pretences?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
encounterverbUS /ɪnˈkaʊntər/

come together

From this reading THE RUSTLE OF A SKIRT "You graceless young dog!" cried Kent-Lauriston, falling upon Stanley in a half-feigned, half-real burst of anger, as he entered the smoking-room after his encounter with Belle.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
enteredverbUS /ˈentərd/

past form of “enter” — to come or go into

From this reading THE RUSTLE OF A SKIRT "You graceless young dog!" cried Kent-Lauriston, falling upon Stanley in a half-feigned, half-real burst of anger, as he entered the smoking-room after his encounter with Belle.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fallingadjectiveUS /ˈfɑːlɪŋ/

decreasing in amount or degree

From this reading THE RUSTLE OF A SKIRT "You graceless young dog!" cried Kent-Lauriston, falling upon Stanley in a half-feigned, half-real burst of anger, as he entered the smoking-room after his encounter with Belle.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
falseadjectiveUS /fɔːls/

not in accordance with the fact or reality or actuality

From this reading "Do you know you've caused me to refuse invitations by the score, and dragged me down to this God-forsaken place, at the most impossible season of the year, on false pretences?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
God-forsaken

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

From this reading "Do you know you've caused me to refuse invitations by the score, and dragged me down to this God-forsaken place, at the most impossible season of the year, on false pretences?"

Pending verification
gracelessadjectiveUS /ˈɡreɪsləs/

lacking graciousness

From this reading THE RUSTLE OF A SKIRT "You graceless young dog!" cried Kent-Lauriston, falling upon Stanley in a half-feigned, half-real burst of anger, as he entered the smoking-room after his encounter with Belle.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
half-feigned

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

From this reading THE RUSTLE OF A SKIRT "You graceless young dog!" cried Kent-Lauriston, falling upon Stanley in a half-feigned, half-real burst of anger, as he entered the smoking-room after his encounter with Belle.

Pending verification
half-real

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

From this reading THE RUSTLE OF A SKIRT "You graceless young dog!" cried Kent-Lauriston, falling upon Stanley in a half-feigned, half-real burst of anger, as he entered the smoking-room after his encounter with Belle.

Pending verification
hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading THE RUSTLE OF A SKIRT "You graceless young dog!" cried Kent-Lauriston, falling upon Stanley in a half-feigned, half-real burst of anger, as he entered the smoking-room after his encounter with Belle.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading THE RUSTLE OF A SKIRT "You graceless young dog!" cried Kent-Lauriston, falling upon Stanley in a half-feigned, half-real burst of anger, as he entered the smoking-room after his encounter with Belle.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
How

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

From this reading How so?"

Pending verification
impossibleadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈpɑːsəbəl/

not capable of occurring or being accomplished or dealt with

From this reading "Do you know you've caused me to refuse invitations by the score, and dragged me down to this God-forsaken place, at the most impossible season of the year, on false pretences?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading THE RUSTLE OF A SKIRT "You graceless young dog!" cried Kent-Lauriston, falling upon Stanley in a half-feigned, half-real burst of anger, as he entered the smoking-room after his encounter with Belle.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
invitationsnounUS /ˌɪnvɪˈteɪʃənz/

plural of “invitation” — a request (spoken or written) to participate or be present or take part in something

From this reading "Do you know you've caused me to refuse invitations by the score, and dragged me down to this God-forsaken place, at the most impossible season of the year, on false pretences?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Kent-Lauriston

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

From this reading THE RUSTLE OF A SKIRT "You graceless young dog!" cried Kent-Lauriston, falling upon Stanley in a half-feigned, half-real burst of anger, as he entered the smoking-room after his encounter with Belle.

Pending verification
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 you've caused me to refuse invitations by the score, and dragged me down to this God-forsaken place, at the most impossible season of the year, on false pretences?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading "Do you know you've caused me to refuse invitations by the score, and dragged me down to this God-forsaken place, at the most impossible season of the year, on false pretences?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
mostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading "Do you know you've caused me to refuse invitations by the score, and dragged me down to this God-forsaken place, at the most impossible season of the year, on false pretences?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE RUSTLE OF A SKIRT "You graceless young dog!" cried Kent-Lauriston, falling upon Stanley in a half-feigned, half-real burst of anger, as he entered the smoking-room after his encounter with Belle.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading "Do you know you've caused me to refuse invitations by the score, and dragged me down to this God-forsaken place, at the most impossible season of the year, on false pretences?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
placenounUS /pleɪs/

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading "Do you know you've caused me to refuse invitations by the score, and dragged me down to this God-forsaken place, at the most impossible season of the year, on false pretences?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
pretences

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

From this reading "Do you know you've caused me to refuse invitations by the score, and dragged me down to this God-forsaken place, at the most impossible season of the year, on false pretences?"

Pending verification
refuseverbUS /rəˈfjuːz/

show unwillingness towards

From this reading "Do you know you've caused me to refuse invitations by the score, and dragged me down to this God-forsaken place, at the most impossible season of the year, on false pretences?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
RUSTLEverbUS /ˈrʌsəl/

make a dry crackling sound

From this reading THE RUSTLE OF A SKIRT "You graceless young dog!" cried Kent-Lauriston, falling upon Stanley in a half-feigned, half-real burst of anger, as he entered the smoking-room after his encounter with Belle.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
scorenounUS /skɔːr/

a number or letter indicating quality (especially of a student's performance)

From this reading "Do you know you've caused me to refuse invitations by the score, and dragged me down to this God-forsaken place, at the most impossible season of the year, on false pretences?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
seasonnounUS /ˈsiːzən/

a period of the year marked by special events or activities in some field

From this reading "Do you know you've caused me to refuse invitations by the score, and dragged me down to this God-forsaken place, at the most impossible season of the year, on false pretences?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SKIRTnounUS /skɜːrt/

cloth covering that forms the part of a garment below the waist

From this reading THE RUSTLE OF A SKIRT "You graceless young dog!" cried Kent-Lauriston, falling upon Stanley in a half-feigned, half-real burst of anger, as he entered the smoking-room after his encounter with Belle.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
smoking-room

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

From this reading THE RUSTLE OF A SKIRT "You graceless young dog!" cried Kent-Lauriston, falling upon Stanley in a half-feigned, half-real burst of anger, as he entered the smoking-room after his encounter with Belle.

Pending verification
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading How so?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
StanleynounUS /ˈstænli/

United States inventor who built a steam-powered automobile (1849-1918)

From this reading THE RUSTLE OF A SKIRT "You graceless young dog!" cried Kent-Lauriston, falling upon Stanley in a half-feigned, half-real burst of anger, as he entered the smoking-room after his encounter with Belle.

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 THE RUSTLE OF A SKIRT "You graceless young dog!" cried Kent-Lauriston, falling upon Stanley in a half-feigned, half-real burst of anger, as he entered the smoking-room after his encounter with Belle.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading "Do you know you've caused me to refuse invitations by the score, and dragged me down to this God-forsaken place, at the most impossible season of the year, on false pretences?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading "Do you know you've caused me to refuse invitations by the score, and dragged me down to this God-forsaken place, at the most impossible season of the year, on false pretences?"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading THE RUSTLE OF A SKIRT "You graceless young dog!" cried Kent-Lauriston, falling upon Stanley in a half-feigned, half-real burst of anger, as he entered the smoking-room after his encounter with Belle.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
WhynounUS /waɪ/

the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”

From this reading "Why?

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading THE RUSTLE OF A SKIRT "You graceless young dog!" cried Kent-Lauriston, falling upon Stanley in a half-feigned, half-real burst of anger, as he entered the smoking-room after his encounter with Belle.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
yearnounUS /jɪr/

a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days

From this reading "Do you know you've caused me to refuse invitations by the score, and dragged me down to this God-forsaken place, at the most impossible season of the year, on false pretences?"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading THE RUSTLE OF A SKIRT "You graceless young dog!" cried Kent-Lauriston, falling upon Stanley in a half-feigned, half-real burst of anger, as he entered the smoking-room after his encounter with Belle.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
you've

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

From this reading "Do you know you've caused me to refuse invitations by the score, and dragged me down to this God-forsaken place, at the most impossible season of the year, on false pretences?"

Pending verification
youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading THE RUSTLE OF A SKIRT "You graceless young dog!" cried Kent-Lauriston, falling upon Stanley in a half-feigned, half-real burst of anger, as he entered the smoking-room after his encounter with Belle.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 25 of Parlous Times: A Novel of Modern Diplomacy by David Dwight Wells holds 167 sentences, grouped into 34 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 25 of Parlous Times: A Novel of Modern Diplomacy contain?

Chapter 25 holds 167 sentences of Parlous Times: A Novel of Modern Diplomacy, unabridged, divided into 34 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 25 of Parlous Times: A Novel of Modern Diplomacy by David Dwight Wells exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 167 sentences, grouped into 34 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 25 of Parlous Times: A Novel of Modern Diplomacy?

Work through the 34 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 34 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 25 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 25 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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Common questions about reading Parlous Times: A Novel of Modern Diplomacy by David Dwight Wells on this page, its source edition and its audio.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #34925, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 506 minutes of reading across 1216 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in Parlous Times: A Novel of Modern Diplomacy

Words and structures a reader meets early in Parlous Times: A Novel of Modern Diplomacy, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Halfway
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Parlous Times: A Novel of Modern Diplomacy; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
House
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Parlous Times: A Novel of Modern Diplomacy; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Hough
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Parlous Times: A Novel of Modern Diplomacy; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Parlous
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Parlous Times: A Novel of Modern Diplomacy; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.