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Piping Hot! (Pot-Bouille)
Piping Hot! (Pot-Bouille)

Chapter V

Chapter 5 of Piping Hot! (Pot-Bouille) is here in full — 431 sentences across 87 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Piping Hot! (Pot-Bouille)
Context Illustration Reading 1/86 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
AS early as the morrow, Octave commenced to occupy himself about Valérie.
He studied her habits, and ascertained the hour when he would have a chance of meeting her on the stairs; and he arranged matters so that he could frequently go up to his room, taking advantage of his coming home to lunch at the Campardons’, and leaving “The Ladies’ Paradise” for a few minutes under some pretext or other.
He soon noticed that, every day towards two o’clock, the young woman, who took her child to the Tuileries gardens, passed along the Rue Gaillon.
Then he would stand at the door, wait till she came, and greet her with one of his handsome shopman’s smiles.
At each of their meetings, Valérie politely inclined her head and passed on; but he perceived her dark glance to be full of passionate fire; he found encouragement in her ravaged complexion and in the supple swing of her gait.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Piping Hot! (Pot-Bouille)

Chapter V

Chapter 5 of Piping Hot! (Pot-Bouille) is here in full — 431 sentences across 87 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/86 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
AS early as the morrow, Octave commenced to occupy himself about Valérie.
Line 2
He studied her habits, and ascertained the hour when he would have a chance of meeting her on the stairs; and he arranged matters so that he could frequently go up to his room, taking advantage of his coming home to lunch at the Campardons’, and leaving “The Ladies’ Paradise” for a few minutes under some pretext or other.
Line 3
He soon noticed that, every day towards two o’clock, the young woman, who took her child to the Tuileries gardens, passed along the Rue Gaillon.
Line 4
Then he would stand at the door, wait till she came, and greet her with one of his handsome shopman’s smiles.
Line 5
At each of their meetings, Valérie politely inclined her head and passed on; but he perceived her dark glance to be full of passionate fire; he found encouragement in her ravaged complexion and in the supple swing of her gait.

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.

ascertained adjective US /ˌæsərˈteɪnd/

discovered or determined by scientific observation

From this reading “He studied her habits, and ascertained the hour when he would have a chance of meeting her on the stairs; and he arranged matters so that he could frequently go up to his room, taking advantage of his coming home to lunch at the Campardons’, and leaving “The Ladies’ Paradise” for a few minutes under some pretext or other.”

encouragement noun US /enˈkɜːrɪdʒmənt/

the expression of approval and support

From this reading “At each of their meetings, Valérie politely inclined her head and passed on; but he perceived her dark glance to be full of passionate fire; he found encouragement in her ravaged complexion and in the supple swing of her gait.”

gait noun US /ɡeɪt/

the rate of moving (especially walking or running)

From this reading “At each of their meetings, Valérie politely inclined her head and passed on; but he perceived her dark glance to be full of passionate fire; he found encouragement in her ravaged complexion and in the supple swing of her gait.”

meetings noun US /ˈmiːtɪŋz/

plural of “meeting” — a formally arranged gathering

From this reading “At each of their meetings, Valérie politely inclined her head and passed on; but he perceived her dark glance to be full of passionate fire; he found encouragement in her ravaged complexion and in the supple swing of her gait.”

Octave noun US /ˈɑːktɪv/

a feast day and the seven days following it

From this reading “AS early as the morrow, Octave commenced to occupy himself about Valérie.”

pretext noun US /ˈpriːtekst/

something serving to conceal plans; a fictitious reason that is concocted in order to conceal the real reason

From this reading “He studied her habits, and ascertained the hour when he would have a chance of meeting her on the stairs; and he arranged matters so that he could frequently go up to his room, taking advantage of his coming home to lunch at the Campardons’, and leaving “The Ladies’ Paradise” for a few minutes under some pretext or other.”

ravaged adjective US /ˈrævɪdʒd/

having been robbed and destroyed by force and violence

From this reading “At each of their meetings, Valérie politely inclined her head and passed on; but he perceived her dark glance to be full of passionate fire; he found encouragement in her ravaged complexion and in the supple swing of her gait.”

supple adjective US /ˈsʌpəl/

gracefully thin and bending and moving with ease

From this reading “At each of their meetings, Valérie politely inclined her head and passed on; but he perceived her dark glance to be full of passionate fire; he found encouragement in her ravaged complexion and in the supple swing of her gait.”

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.

few minutes adjective + noun

In this reading “He studied her habits, and ascertained the hour when he would have a chance of meeting her on the stairs; and he arranged matters so that he could frequently go up to his room, taking advantage of his coming home to lunch at the Campardons’, and leaving “The Ladies’ Paradise” for a few minutes under some pretext or other.”

wait till verb + particle

In this reading “Then he would stand at the door, wait till she came, and greet her with one of his handsome shopman’s smiles.”

taking advantage noun + noun

In this reading “He studied her habits, and ascertained the hour when he would have a chance of meeting her on the stairs; and he arranged matters so that he could frequently go up to his room, taking advantage of his coming home to lunch at the Campardons’, and leaving “The Ladies’ Paradise” for a few minutes under some pretext or other.”

young woman adjective + noun

a young female

In this reading “He soon noticed that, every day towards two o’clock, the young woman, who took her child to the Tuileries gardens, passed along the Rue Gaillon.”

some pretext adjective + noun

In this reading “He studied her habits, and ascertained the hour when he would have a chance of meeting her on the stairs; and he arranged matters so that he could frequently go up to his room, taking advantage of his coming home to lunch at the Campardons’, and leaving “The Ladies’ Paradise” for a few minutes under some pretext or other.”

coming home noun + noun

In this reading “He studied her habits, and ascertained the hour when he would have a chance of meeting her on the stairs; and he arranged matters so that he could frequently go up to his room, taking advantage of his coming home to lunch at the Campardons’, and leaving “The Ladies’ Paradise” for a few minutes under some pretext or other.”

passed along verb + particle counted as “pass along”

transmit information

In this reading “He soon noticed that, every day towards two o’clock, the young woman, who took her child to the Tuileries gardens, passed along the Rue Gaillon.”

on the stairs preposition + article + noun counted as “on … stairs”

In this reading “He studied her habits, and ascertained the hour when he would have a chance of meeting her on the stairs; and he arranged matters so that he could frequently go up to his room, taking advantage of his coming home to lunch at the Campardons’, and leaving “The Ladies’ Paradise” for a few minutes under some pretext or other.”

All words in this reading · 108

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 He studied her habits, and ascertained the hour when he would have a chance of meeting her on the stairs; and he arranged matters so that he could frequently go up to his room, taking advantage of his coming home to lunch at the Campardons’, and leaving “The Ladies’ Paradise” for a few minutes under some pretext or other.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading AS early as the morrow, Octave commenced to occupy himself about Valérie.

advantagenounUS /ædˈvæntɪdʒ/

the quality of having a superior or more favorable position

From this reading He studied her habits, and ascertained the hour when he would have a chance of meeting her on the stairs; and he arranged matters so that he could frequently go up to his room, taking advantage of his coming home to lunch at the Campardons’, and leaving “The Ladies’ Paradise” for a few minutes under some pretext or other.

alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/

following the length of something from one end toward the other

From this reading He soon noticed that, every day towards two o’clock, the young woman, who took her child to the Tuileries gardens, passed along the Rue Gaillon.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading He studied her habits, and ascertained the hour when he would have a chance of meeting her on the stairs; and he arranged matters so that he could frequently go up to his room, taking advantage of his coming home to lunch at the Campardons’, and leaving “The Ladies’ Paradise” for a few minutes under some pretext or other.

arrangedadjectiveUS /ərˈeɪndʒd/

disposed or placed in a particular kind of order

From this reading He studied her habits, and ascertained the hour when he would have a chance of meeting her on the stairs; and he arranged matters so that he could frequently go up to his room, taking advantage of his coming home to lunch at the Campardons’, and leaving “The Ladies’ Paradise” for a few minutes under some pretext or other.

ASconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading AS early as the morrow, Octave commenced to occupy himself about Valérie.

ascertainedadjectiveUS /ˌæsərˈteɪnd/

discovered or determined by scientific observation

From this reading He studied her habits, and ascertained the hour when he would have a chance of meeting her on the stairs; and he arranged matters so that he could frequently go up to his room, taking advantage of his coming home to lunch at the Campardons’, and leaving “The Ladies’ Paradise” for a few minutes under some pretext or other.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading He studied her habits, and ascertained the hour when he would have a chance of meeting her on the stairs; and he arranged matters so that he could frequently go up to his room, taking advantage of his coming home to lunch at the Campardons’, and leaving “The Ladies’ Paradise” for a few minutes under some pretext or other.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading At each of their meetings, Valérie politely inclined her head and passed on; but he perceived her dark glance to be full of passionate fire; he found encouragement in her ravaged complexion and in the supple swing of her gait.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading At each of their meetings, Valérie politely inclined her head and passed on; but he perceived her dark glance to be full of passionate fire; he found encouragement in her ravaged complexion and in the supple swing of her gait.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading Then he would stand at the door, wait till she came, and greet her with one of his handsome shopman’s smiles.

Campardons

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

From this reading He studied her habits, and ascertained the hour when he would have a chance of meeting her on the stairs; and he arranged matters so that he could frequently go up to his room, taking advantage of his coming home to lunch at the Campardons’, and leaving “The Ladies’ Paradise” for a few minutes under some pretext or other.

chancenounUS /tʃæns/

a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances

From this reading He studied her habits, and ascertained the hour when he would have a chance of meeting her on the stairs; and he arranged matters so that he could frequently go up to his room, taking advantage of his coming home to lunch at the Campardons’, and leaving “The Ladies’ Paradise” for a few minutes under some pretext or other.

childnounUS /tʃaɪld/

a young person of either sex

From this reading He soon noticed that, every day towards two o’clock, the young woman, who took her child to the Tuileries gardens, passed along the Rue Gaillon.

comingnounUS /ˈkʌmɪŋ/

the act of drawing spatially closer to something

From this reading He studied her habits, and ascertained the hour when he would have a chance of meeting her on the stairs; and he arranged matters so that he could frequently go up to his room, taking advantage of his coming home to lunch at the Campardons’, and leaving “The Ladies’ Paradise” for a few minutes under some pretext or other.

commencedverbUS /kəˈmenst/

past form of “commence” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading AS early as the morrow, Octave commenced to occupy himself about Valérie.

complexionnounUS /kəmˈplekʃən/

the coloring of a person's face

From this reading At each of their meetings, Valérie politely inclined her head and passed on; but he perceived her dark glance to be full of passionate fire; he found encouragement in her ravaged complexion and in the supple swing of her gait.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading He studied her habits, and ascertained the hour when he would have a chance of meeting her on the stairs; and he arranged matters so that he could frequently go up to his room, taking advantage of his coming home to lunch at the Campardons’, and leaving “The Ladies’ Paradise” for a few minutes under some pretext or other.

darknounUS /dɑːrk/

absence of light or illumination

From this reading At each of their meetings, Valérie politely inclined her head and passed on; but he perceived her dark glance to be full of passionate fire; he found encouragement in her ravaged complexion and in the supple swing of her gait.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading He soon noticed that, every day towards two o’clock, the young woman, who took her child to the Tuileries gardens, passed along the Rue Gaillon.

doornounUS /dɔːr/

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

From this reading Then he would stand at the door, wait till she came, and greet her with one of his handsome shopman’s smiles.

eachdeterminerUS /iːtʃ/

every one of two or more people or things, taken separately

From this reading At each of their meetings, Valérie politely inclined her head and passed on; but he perceived her dark glance to be full of passionate fire; he found encouragement in her ravaged complexion and in the supple swing of her gait.

earlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/

at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time

From this reading AS early as the morrow, Octave commenced to occupy himself about Valérie.

encouragementnounUS /enˈkɜːrɪdʒmənt/

the expression of approval and support

From this reading At each of their meetings, Valérie politely inclined her head and passed on; but he perceived her dark glance to be full of passionate fire; he found encouragement in her ravaged complexion and in the supple swing of her gait.

everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading He soon noticed that, every day towards two o’clock, the young woman, who took her child to the Tuileries gardens, passed along the Rue Gaillon.

fewadjectiveUS /fjuː/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number

From this reading He studied her habits, and ascertained the hour when he would have a chance of meeting her on the stairs; and he arranged matters so that he could frequently go up to his room, taking advantage of his coming home to lunch at the Campardons’, and leaving “The Ladies’ Paradise” for a few minutes under some pretext or other.

fireverbUS /ˈfaɪər/

start firing a weapon

From this reading At each of their meetings, Valérie politely inclined her head and passed on; but he perceived her dark glance to be full of passionate fire; he found encouragement in her ravaged complexion and in the supple swing of her gait.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading He studied her habits, and ascertained the hour when he would have a chance of meeting her on the stairs; and he arranged matters so that he could frequently go up to his room, taking advantage of his coming home to lunch at the Campardons’, and leaving “The Ladies’ Paradise” for a few minutes under some pretext or other.

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading At each of their meetings, Valérie politely inclined her head and passed on; but he perceived her dark glance to be full of passionate fire; he found encouragement in her ravaged complexion and in the supple swing of her gait.

frequentlyadverbUS /ˈfriːkwəntli/

many times at short intervals

From this reading He studied her habits, and ascertained the hour when he would have a chance of meeting her on the stairs; and he arranged matters so that he could frequently go up to his room, taking advantage of his coming home to lunch at the Campardons’, and leaving “The Ladies’ Paradise” for a few minutes under some pretext or other.

fulladjectiveUS /fʊl/

containing as much or as many as is possible or normal

From this reading At each of their meetings, Valérie politely inclined her head and passed on; but he perceived her dark glance to be full of passionate fire; he found encouragement in her ravaged complexion and in the supple swing of her gait.

Gaillon

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

From this reading He soon noticed that, every day towards two o’clock, the young woman, who took her child to the Tuileries gardens, passed along the Rue Gaillon.

gaitnounUS /ɡeɪt/

the rate of moving (especially walking or running)

From this reading At each of their meetings, Valérie politely inclined her head and passed on; but he perceived her dark glance to be full of passionate fire; he found encouragement in her ravaged complexion and in the supple swing of her gait.

gardensnounUS /ˈɡɑːrdənz/

plural of “garden” — a plot of ground where plants are cultivated

From this reading He soon noticed that, every day towards two o’clock, the young woman, who took her child to the Tuileries gardens, passed along the Rue Gaillon.

glanceverbUS /ɡlæns/

throw a glance at; take a brief look at

From this reading At each of their meetings, Valérie politely inclined her head and passed on; but he perceived her dark glance to be full of passionate fire; he found encouragement in her ravaged complexion and in the supple swing of her gait.

goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

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

From this reading He studied her habits, and ascertained the hour when he would have a chance of meeting her on the stairs; and he arranged matters so that he could frequently go up to his room, taking advantage of his coming home to lunch at the Campardons’, and leaving “The Ladies’ Paradise” for a few minutes under some pretext or other.

greetverbUS /ɡriːt/

express greetings upon meeting someone

From this reading Then he would stand at the door, wait till she came, and greet her with one of his handsome shopman’s smiles.

habitsnounUS /ˈhæbəts/

plural of “habit” — an established custom

From this reading He studied her habits, and ascertained the hour when he would have a chance of meeting her on the stairs; and he arranged matters so that he could frequently go up to his room, taking advantage of his coming home to lunch at the Campardons’, and leaving “The Ladies’ Paradise” for a few minutes under some pretext or other.

handsomeadjectiveUS /ˈhænsəm/

pleasing in appearance especially by reason of conformity to ideals of form and proportion

From this reading Then he would stand at the door, wait till she came, and greet her with one of his handsome shopman’s smiles.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading He studied her habits, and ascertained the hour when he would have a chance of meeting her on the stairs; and he arranged matters so that he could frequently go up to his room, taking advantage of his coming home to lunch at the Campardons’, and leaving “The Ladies’ Paradise” for a few minutes under some pretext or other.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He studied her habits, and ascertained the hour when he would have a chance of meeting her on the stairs; and he arranged matters so that he could frequently go up to his room, taking advantage of his coming home to lunch at the Campardons’, and leaving “The Ladies’ Paradise” for a few minutes under some pretext or other.

headnounUS /hed/

the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading At each of their meetings, Valérie politely inclined her head and passed on; but he perceived her dark glance to be full of passionate fire; he found encouragement in her ravaged complexion and in the supple swing of her gait.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading He studied her habits, and ascertained the hour when he would have a chance of meeting her on the stairs; and he arranged matters so that he could frequently go up to his room, taking advantage of his coming home to lunch at the Campardons’, and leaving “The Ladies’ Paradise” for a few minutes under some pretext or other.

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading AS early as the morrow, Octave commenced to occupy himself about Valérie.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading He studied her habits, and ascertained the hour when he would have a chance of meeting her on the stairs; and he arranged matters so that he could frequently go up to his room, taking advantage of his coming home to lunch at the Campardons’, and leaving “The Ladies’ Paradise” for a few minutes under some pretext or other.

homenounUS /hoʊm/

where you live at a particular time

From this reading He studied her habits, and ascertained the hour when he would have a chance of meeting her on the stairs; and he arranged matters so that he could frequently go up to his room, taking advantage of his coming home to lunch at the Campardons’, and leaving “The Ladies’ Paradise” for a few minutes under some pretext or other.

hournounUS /ˈaʊər/

a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day

From this reading He studied her habits, and ascertained the hour when he would have a chance of meeting her on the stairs; and he arranged matters so that he could frequently go up to his room, taking advantage of his coming home to lunch at the Campardons’, and leaving “The Ladies’ Paradise” for a few minutes under some pretext or other.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading At each of their meetings, Valérie politely inclined her head and passed on; but he perceived her dark glance to be full of passionate fire; he found encouragement in her ravaged complexion and in the supple swing of her gait.

inclinedadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈklaɪnd/

(often followed by “to”) having a preference, disposition, or tendency

From this reading At each of their meetings, Valérie politely inclined her head and passed on; but he perceived her dark glance to be full of passionate fire; he found encouragement in her ravaged complexion and in the supple swing of her gait.

LadiesnounUS /ˈleɪdiz/

plural of “lady” — a polite name for any woman

From this reading He studied her habits, and ascertained the hour when he would have a chance of meeting her on the stairs; and he arranged matters so that he could frequently go up to his room, taking advantage of his coming home to lunch at the Campardons’, and leaving “The Ladies’ Paradise” for a few minutes under some pretext or other.

leavingnounUS /ˈliːvɪŋ/

the act of departing

From this reading He studied her habits, and ascertained the hour when he would have a chance of meeting her on the stairs; and he arranged matters so that he could frequently go up to his room, taking advantage of his coming home to lunch at the Campardons’, and leaving “The Ladies’ Paradise” for a few minutes under some pretext or other.

lunchverbUS /lʌntʃ/

take the midday meal

From this reading He studied her habits, and ascertained the hour when he would have a chance of meeting her on the stairs; and he arranged matters so that he could frequently go up to his room, taking advantage of his coming home to lunch at the Campardons’, and leaving “The Ladies’ Paradise” for a few minutes under some pretext or other.

mattersnounUS /ˈmætərz/

plural of “matter” — a vaguely specified concern

From this reading He studied her habits, and ascertained the hour when he would have a chance of meeting her on the stairs; and he arranged matters so that he could frequently go up to his room, taking advantage of his coming home to lunch at the Campardons’, and leaving “The Ladies’ Paradise” for a few minutes under some pretext or other.

meetingnounUS /ˈmiːtɪŋ/

a formally arranged gathering

From this reading He studied her habits, and ascertained the hour when he would have a chance of meeting her on the stairs; and he arranged matters so that he could frequently go up to his room, taking advantage of his coming home to lunch at the Campardons’, and leaving “The Ladies’ Paradise” for a few minutes under some pretext or other.

meetingsnounUS /ˈmiːtɪŋz/

plural of “meeting” — a formally arranged gathering

From this reading At each of their meetings, Valérie politely inclined her head and passed on; but he perceived her dark glance to be full of passionate fire; he found encouragement in her ravaged complexion and in the supple swing of her gait.

minutesnounUS /ˈmɪnəts/

a written account of what transpired at a meeting

From this reading He studied her habits, and ascertained the hour when he would have a chance of meeting her on the stairs; and he arranged matters so that he could frequently go up to his room, taking advantage of his coming home to lunch at the Campardons’, and leaving “The Ladies’ Paradise” for a few minutes under some pretext or other.

morrownounUS /ˈmɑːroʊ/

the next day

From this reading AS early as the morrow, Octave commenced to occupy himself about Valérie.

noticedadjectiveUS /ˈnoʊtəst/

being perceived or observed

From this reading He soon noticed that, every day towards two o’clock, the young woman, who took her child to the Tuileries gardens, passed along the Rue Gaillon.

o'clockadverbUS /əˈklɑːk/

according to the clock

From this reading He soon noticed that, every day towards two o’clock, the young woman, who took her child to the Tuileries gardens, passed along the Rue Gaillon.

occupyverbUS /ˈɑːkjəpaɪ/

keep busy with

From this reading AS early as the morrow, Octave commenced to occupy himself about Valérie.

OctavenounUS /ˈɑːktɪv/

a feast day and the seven days following it

From this reading AS early as the morrow, Octave commenced to occupy himself about Valérie.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading He studied her habits, and ascertained the hour when he would have a chance of meeting her on the stairs; and he arranged matters so that he could frequently go up to his room, taking advantage of his coming home to lunch at the Campardons’, and leaving “The Ladies’ Paradise” for a few minutes under some pretext or other.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading He studied her habits, and ascertained the hour when he would have a chance of meeting her on the stairs; and he arranged matters so that he could frequently go up to his room, taking advantage of his coming home to lunch at the Campardons’, and leaving “The Ladies’ Paradise” for a few minutes under some pretext or other.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Then he would stand at the door, wait till she came, and greet her with one of his handsome shopman’s smiles.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading He studied her habits, and ascertained the hour when he would have a chance of meeting her on the stairs; and he arranged matters so that he could frequently go up to his room, taking advantage of his coming home to lunch at the Campardons’, and leaving “The Ladies’ Paradise” for a few minutes under some pretext or other.

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading He studied her habits, and ascertained the hour when he would have a chance of meeting her on the stairs; and he arranged matters so that he could frequently go up to his room, taking advantage of his coming home to lunch at the Campardons’, and leaving “The Ladies’ Paradise” for a few minutes under some pretext or other.

ParadisenounUS /ˈperədaɪs/

any place of complete bliss and delight and peace

From this reading He studied her habits, and ascertained the hour when he would have a chance of meeting her on the stairs; and he arranged matters so that he could frequently go up to his room, taking advantage of his coming home to lunch at the Campardons’, and leaving “The Ladies’ Paradise” for a few minutes under some pretext or other.

passedverbUS /pæst/

past form of “pass” — go across or through

From this reading He soon noticed that, every day towards two o’clock, the young woman, who took her child to the Tuileries gardens, passed along the Rue Gaillon.

passionateadjectiveUS /ˈpæʃənət/

having or expressing strong emotions

From this reading At each of their meetings, Valérie politely inclined her head and passed on; but he perceived her dark glance to be full of passionate fire; he found encouragement in her ravaged complexion and in the supple swing of her gait.

perceivedadjectiveUS /pərˈsiːvd/

detected by instinct or inference rather than by recognized perceptual cues

From this reading At each of their meetings, Valérie politely inclined her head and passed on; but he perceived her dark glance to be full of passionate fire; he found encouragement in her ravaged complexion and in the supple swing of her gait.

politelyadverbUS /pəˈlaɪtli/

in a polite manner

From this reading At each of their meetings, Valérie politely inclined her head and passed on; but he perceived her dark glance to be full of passionate fire; he found encouragement in her ravaged complexion and in the supple swing of her gait.

pretextnounUS /ˈpriːtekst/

something serving to conceal plans; a fictitious reason that is concocted in order to conceal the real reason

From this reading He studied her habits, and ascertained the hour when he would have a chance of meeting her on the stairs; and he arranged matters so that he could frequently go up to his room, taking advantage of his coming home to lunch at the Campardons’, and leaving “The Ladies’ Paradise” for a few minutes under some pretext or other.

ravagedadjectiveUS /ˈrævɪdʒd/

having been robbed and destroyed by force and violence

From this reading At each of their meetings, Valérie politely inclined her head and passed on; but he perceived her dark glance to be full of passionate fire; he found encouragement in her ravaged complexion and in the supple swing of her gait.

roomnounUS /ruːm/

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

From this reading He studied her habits, and ascertained the hour when he would have a chance of meeting her on the stairs; and he arranged matters so that he could frequently go up to his room, taking advantage of his coming home to lunch at the Campardons’, and leaving “The Ladies’ Paradise” for a few minutes under some pretext or other.

RuenounUS /ruː/

European strong-scented perennial herb with grey-green bitter-tasting leaves; an irritant similar to poison ivy

From this reading He soon noticed that, every day towards two o’clock, the young woman, who took her child to the Tuileries gardens, passed along the Rue Gaillon.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading Then he would stand at the door, wait till she came, and greet her with one of his handsome shopman’s smiles.

shopman's

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

From this reading Then he would stand at the door, wait till she came, and greet her with one of his handsome shopman’s smiles.

smilesnounUS /smaɪlz/

plural of “smile” — a facial expression characterized by turning up the corners of the mouth; usually shows pleasure or amusement

From this reading Then he would stand at the door, wait till she came, and greet her with one of his handsome shopman’s smiles.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading He studied her habits, and ascertained the hour when he would have a chance of meeting her on the stairs; and he arranged matters so that he could frequently go up to his room, taking advantage of his coming home to lunch at the Campardons’, and leaving “The Ladies’ Paradise” for a few minutes under some pretext or other.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

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

From this reading He studied her habits, and ascertained the hour when he would have a chance of meeting her on the stairs; and he arranged matters so that he could frequently go up to his room, taking advantage of his coming home to lunch at the Campardons’, and leaving “The Ladies’ Paradise” for a few minutes under some pretext or other.

soonadverbUS /suːn/

in the near future

From this reading He soon noticed that, every day towards two o’clock, the young woman, who took her child to the Tuileries gardens, passed along the Rue Gaillon.

stairsnounUS /sterz/

a flight of stairs or a flight of steps

From this reading He studied her habits, and ascertained the hour when he would have a chance of meeting her on the stairs; and he arranged matters so that he could frequently go up to his room, taking advantage of his coming home to lunch at the Campardons’, and leaving “The Ladies’ Paradise” for a few minutes under some pretext or other.

standverbUS /stænd/

be standing; be upright

From this reading Then he would stand at the door, wait till she came, and greet her with one of his handsome shopman’s smiles.

studiedadjectiveUS /ˈstʌdid/

produced or marked by conscious design or premeditation

From this reading He studied her habits, and ascertained the hour when he would have a chance of meeting her on the stairs; and he arranged matters so that he could frequently go up to his room, taking advantage of his coming home to lunch at the Campardons’, and leaving “The Ladies’ Paradise” for a few minutes under some pretext or other.

suppleadjectiveUS /ˈsʌpəl/

gracefully thin and bending and moving with ease

From this reading At each of their meetings, Valérie politely inclined her head and passed on; but he perceived her dark glance to be full of passionate fire; he found encouragement in her ravaged complexion and in the supple swing of her gait.

swingverbUS /swɪŋ/

move in a curve or arc, usually with the intent of hitting

From this reading At each of their meetings, Valérie politely inclined her head and passed on; but he perceived her dark glance to be full of passionate fire; he found encouragement in her ravaged complexion and in the supple swing of her gait.

takingnounUS /ˈteɪkɪŋ/

the act of someone who picks up or takes something

From this reading He studied her habits, and ascertained the hour when he would have a chance of meeting her on the stairs; and he arranged matters so that he could frequently go up to his room, taking advantage of his coming home to lunch at the Campardons’, and leaving “The Ladies’ Paradise” for a few minutes under some pretext or other.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading He studied her habits, and ascertained the hour when he would have a chance of meeting her on the stairs; and he arranged matters so that he could frequently go up to his room, taking advantage of his coming home to lunch at the Campardons’, and leaving “The Ladies’ Paradise” for a few minutes under some pretext or other.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading AS early as the morrow, Octave commenced to occupy himself about Valérie.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading At each of their meetings, Valérie politely inclined her head and passed on; but he perceived her dark glance to be full of passionate fire; he found encouragement in her ravaged complexion and in the supple swing of her gait.

ThenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Then he would stand at the door, wait till she came, and greet her with one of his handsome shopman’s smiles.

tillprepositionUS /tɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading Then he would stand at the door, wait till she came, and greet her with one of his handsome shopman’s smiles.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading AS early as the morrow, Octave commenced to occupy himself about Valérie.

tookverbUS /tʊk/

inflected form of “take” — carry out

From this reading He soon noticed that, every day towards two o’clock, the young woman, who took her child to the Tuileries gardens, passed along the Rue Gaillon.

towardsprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrdz/

in the direction of

From this reading He soon noticed that, every day towards two o’clock, the young woman, who took her child to the Tuileries gardens, passed along the Rue Gaillon.

Tuileriesnoun

palace and royal residence built for Catherine de Medicis in 1564 and burned down in 1871; all that remains today are the formal gardens

From this reading He soon noticed that, every day towards two o’clock, the young woman, who took her child to the Tuileries gardens, passed along the Rue Gaillon.

twonounUS /tuː/

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

From this reading He soon noticed that, every day towards two o’clock, the young woman, who took her child to the Tuileries gardens, passed along the Rue Gaillon.

underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading He studied her habits, and ascertained the hour when he would have a chance of meeting her on the stairs; and he arranged matters so that he could frequently go up to his room, taking advantage of his coming home to lunch at the Campardons’, and leaving “The Ladies’ Paradise” for a few minutes under some pretext or other.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

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

From this reading He studied her habits, and ascertained the hour when he would have a chance of meeting her on the stairs; and he arranged matters so that he could frequently go up to his room, taking advantage of his coming home to lunch at the Campardons’, and leaving “The Ladies’ Paradise” for a few minutes under some pretext or other.

Valérie

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

From this reading AS early as the morrow, Octave commenced to occupy himself about Valérie.

waitverbUS /weɪt/

stay in one place and anticipate or expect something

From this reading Then he would stand at the door, wait till she came, and greet her with one of his handsome shopman’s smiles.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading He studied her habits, and ascertained the hour when he would have a chance of meeting her on the stairs; and he arranged matters so that he could frequently go up to his room, taking advantage of his coming home to lunch at the Campardons’, and leaving “The Ladies’ Paradise” for a few minutes under some pretext or other.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading He soon noticed that, every day towards two o’clock, the young woman, who took her child to the Tuileries gardens, passed along the Rue Gaillon.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Then he would stand at the door, wait till she came, and greet her with one of his handsome shopman’s smiles.

womannounUS /ˈwʊmən/

an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading He soon noticed that, every day towards two o’clock, the young woman, who took her child to the Tuileries gardens, passed along the Rue Gaillon.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading He studied her habits, and ascertained the hour when he would have a chance of meeting her on the stairs; and he arranged matters so that he could frequently go up to his room, taking advantage of his coming home to lunch at the Campardons’, and leaving “The Ladies’ Paradise” for a few minutes under some pretext or other.

youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

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

From this reading He soon noticed that, every day towards two o’clock, the young woman, who took her child to the Tuileries gardens, passed along the Rue Gaillon.

Chapter 5 of Piping Hot! (Pot-Bouille) by Émile Zola holds 431 sentences, grouped into 87 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 5 of Piping Hot! (Pot-Bouille) contain?

Chapter 5 holds 431 sentences of Piping Hot! (Pot-Bouille), unabridged, divided into 87 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 5 of Piping Hot! (Pot-Bouille) by Émile Zola exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 431 sentences, grouped into 87 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 5 of Piping Hot! (Pot-Bouille)?

Work through the 87 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 87 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 5 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 5 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 Piping Hot! (Pot-Bouille)

Common questions about reading Piping Hot! (Pot-Bouille) by Émile Zola on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Piping Hot! (Pot-Bouille)?

Yes. All 8317 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #54686 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Piping Hot! (Pot-Bouille) is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #54686, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Piping Hot! (Pot-Bouille) take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1664 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Piping Hot! (Pot-Bouille) section by section

How to work through Piping Hot! (Pot-Bouille) section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 19 chapters of Piping Hot! (Pot-Bouille) to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Piping Hot! (Pot-Bouille)

Words and structures a reader meets early in Piping Hot! (Pot-Bouille), each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Piping
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Piping Hot! (Pot-Bouille); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Translated
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Piping Hot! (Pot-Bouille); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
French
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Piping Hot! (Pot-Bouille); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Edition
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Piping Hot! (Pot-Bouille); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.