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Sarah's School Friend
Sarah's School Friend

Chapter XVIII

Cover illustration for Sarah's School Friend
Context Illustration Reading 1/31 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
NANCY PACKS UP.
Poor Mrs Clay lay down on the sofa in the drawing-room and shut her eyes.
Horatia sat beside her, kicking the corner of one of the rich Persian rugs that lay about the drawing-room; not that she was in a bad temper--indeed, Horatia was rarely in a bad temper--but as an outlet to her superfluous energy.
It was pain and grief to Horatia Cunningham to sit still at any time; but this afternoon, when she felt so excited and wanted to hear all about the fire, it was a severe trial to her patience.
Mrs Clay was evidently worn out by the events of the day.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Sarah's School Friend

Chapter XVIII

Reading 1/31 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
NANCY PACKS UP.
Line 2
Poor Mrs Clay lay down on the sofa in the drawing-room and shut her eyes.
Line 3
Horatia sat beside her, kicking the corner of one of the rich Persian rugs that lay about the drawing-room; not that she was in a bad temper--indeed, Horatia was rarely in a bad temper--but as an outlet to her superfluous energy.
Line 4
It was pain and grief to Horatia Cunningham to sit still at any time; but this afternoon, when she felt so excited and wanted to hear all about the fire, it was a severe trial to her patience.
Line 5
Mrs Clay was evidently worn out by the events of the day.

Learner Dictionary

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.

About preposition US /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading “Horatia sat beside her, kicking the corner of one of the rich Persian rugs that lay about the drawing-room; not that she was in a bad temper--indeed, Horatia was rarely in a bad temper--but as an outlet to her superfluous energy.”

Afternoon noun US /ˈafternoon/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading “It was pain and grief to Horatia Cunningham to sit still at any time; but this afternoon, when she felt so excited and wanted to hear all about the fire, it was a severe trial to her patience.”

Beside preposition US /bɪˈsaɪd/

next to; at the side of

From this reading “Horatia sat beside her, kicking the corner of one of the rich Persian rugs that lay about the drawing-room; not that she was in a bad temper--indeed, Horatia was rarely in a bad temper--but as an outlet to her superfluous energy.”

Excited adjective US /ɪkˈsaɪtɪd/

very enthusiastic or eager

From this reading “It was pain and grief to Horatia Cunningham to sit still at any time; but this afternoon, when she felt so excited and wanted to hear all about the fire, it was a severe trial to her patience.”

Hear noun US /hear/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “It was pain and grief to Horatia Cunningham to sit still at any time; but this afternoon, when she felt so excited and wanted to hear all about the fire, it was a severe trial to her patience.”

One pronoun US /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading “Horatia sat beside her, kicking the corner of one of the rich Persian rugs that lay about the drawing-room; not that she was in a bad temper--indeed, Horatia was rarely in a bad temper--but as an outlet to her superfluous energy.”

Poor noun US /poor/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Poor Mrs Clay lay down on the sofa in the drawing-room and shut her eyes.”

Still noun US /still/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “It was pain and grief to Horatia Cunningham to sit still at any time; but this afternoon, when she felt so excited and wanted to hear all about the fire, it was a severe trial to her patience.”

Time noun US /time/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “It was pain and grief to Horatia Cunningham to sit still at any time; but this afternoon, when she felt so excited and wanted to hear all about the fire, it was a severe trial to her patience.”

Worn verb US /wɔːrn/

Damaged or thinned by continuous use.

From this reading “Mrs Clay was evidently worn out by the events of the day.”

All words in this reading · 72

Every word is available to listen to. 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 Horatia sat beside her, kicking the corner of one of the rich Persian rugs that lay about the drawing-room; not that she was in a bad temper--indeed, Horatia was rarely in a bad temper--but as an outlet to her superfluous energy.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading Horatia sat beside her, kicking the corner of one of the rich Persian rugs that lay about the drawing-room; not that she was in a bad temper--indeed, Horatia was rarely in a bad temper--but as an outlet to her superfluous energy.

afternoonnounUS /ˈafternoon/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading It was pain and grief to Horatia Cunningham to sit still at any time; but this afternoon, when she felt so excited and wanted to hear all about the fire, it was a severe trial to her patience.

all

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

From this reading It was pain and grief to Horatia Cunningham to sit still at any time; but this afternoon, when she felt so excited and wanted to hear all about the fire, it was a severe trial to her patience.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading Horatia sat beside her, kicking the corner of one of the rich Persian rugs that lay about the drawing-room; not that she was in a bad temper--indeed, Horatia was rarely in a bad temper--but as an outlet to her superfluous energy.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Poor Mrs Clay lay down on the sofa in the drawing-room and shut her eyes.

any

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

From this reading It was pain and grief to Horatia Cunningham to sit still at any time; but this afternoon, when she felt so excited and wanted to hear all about the fire, it was a severe trial to her patience.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Horatia sat beside her, kicking the corner of one of the rich Persian rugs that lay about the drawing-room; not that she was in a bad temper--indeed, Horatia was rarely in a bad temper--but as an outlet to her superfluous energy.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading It was pain and grief to Horatia Cunningham to sit still at any time; but this afternoon, when she felt so excited and wanted to hear all about the fire, it was a severe trial to her patience.

bad

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

From this reading Horatia sat beside her, kicking the corner of one of the rich Persian rugs that lay about the drawing-room; not that she was in a bad temper--indeed, Horatia was rarely in a bad temper--but as an outlet to her superfluous energy.

besideprepositionUS /bɪˈsaɪd/

next to; at the side of

From this reading Horatia sat beside her, kicking the corner of one of the rich Persian rugs that lay about the drawing-room; not that she was in a bad temper--indeed, Horatia was rarely in a bad temper--but as an outlet to her superfluous energy.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Horatia sat beside her, kicking the corner of one of the rich Persian rugs that lay about the drawing-room; not that she was in a bad temper--indeed, Horatia was rarely in a bad temper--but as an outlet to her superfluous energy.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Mrs Clay was evidently worn out by the events of the day.

Clay

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

From this reading Poor Mrs Clay lay down on the sofa in the drawing-room and shut her eyes.

corner

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

From this reading Horatia sat beside her, kicking the corner of one of the rich Persian rugs that lay about the drawing-room; not that she was in a bad temper--indeed, Horatia was rarely in a bad temper--but as an outlet to her superfluous energy.

Cunningham

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

From this reading It was pain and grief to Horatia Cunningham to sit still at any time; but this afternoon, when she felt so excited and wanted to hear all about the fire, it was a severe trial to her patience.

day

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

From this reading Mrs Clay was evidently worn out by the events of the day.

down

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

From this reading Poor Mrs Clay lay down on the sofa in the drawing-room and shut her eyes.

drawing-room

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

From this reading Poor Mrs Clay lay down on the sofa in the drawing-room and shut her eyes.

energy

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

From this reading Horatia sat beside her, kicking the corner of one of the rich Persian rugs that lay about the drawing-room; not that she was in a bad temper--indeed, Horatia was rarely in a bad temper--but as an outlet to her superfluous energy.

events

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

From this reading Mrs Clay was evidently worn out by the events of the day.

evidently

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

From this reading Mrs Clay was evidently worn out by the events of the day.

excitedadjectiveUS /ɪkˈsaɪtɪd/

very enthusiastic or eager

From this reading It was pain and grief to Horatia Cunningham to sit still at any time; but this afternoon, when she felt so excited and wanted to hear all about the fire, it was a severe trial to her patience.

eyes

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

From this reading Poor Mrs Clay lay down on the sofa in the drawing-room and shut her eyes.

felt

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

From this reading It was pain and grief to Horatia Cunningham to sit still at any time; but this afternoon, when she felt so excited and wanted to hear all about the fire, it was a severe trial to her patience.

fire

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

From this reading It was pain and grief to Horatia Cunningham to sit still at any time; but this afternoon, when she felt so excited and wanted to hear all about the fire, it was a severe trial to her patience.

grief

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

From this reading It was pain and grief to Horatia Cunningham to sit still at any time; but this afternoon, when she felt so excited and wanted to hear all about the fire, it was a severe trial to her patience.

hearnounUS /hear/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading It was pain and grief to Horatia Cunningham to sit still at any time; but this afternoon, when she felt so excited and wanted to hear all about the fire, it was a severe trial to her patience.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading Poor Mrs Clay lay down on the sofa in the drawing-room and shut her eyes.

Horatia

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

From this reading Horatia sat beside her, kicking the corner of one of the rich Persian rugs that lay about the drawing-room; not that she was in a bad temper--indeed, Horatia was rarely in a bad temper--but as an outlet to her superfluous energy.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Poor Mrs Clay lay down on the sofa in the drawing-room and shut her eyes.

indeed

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

From this reading Horatia sat beside her, kicking the corner of one of the rich Persian rugs that lay about the drawing-room; not that she was in a bad temper--indeed, Horatia was rarely in a bad temper--but as an outlet to her superfluous energy.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was pain and grief to Horatia Cunningham to sit still at any time; but this afternoon, when she felt so excited and wanted to hear all about the fire, it was a severe trial to her patience.

kicking

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

From this reading Horatia sat beside her, kicking the corner of one of the rich Persian rugs that lay about the drawing-room; not that she was in a bad temper--indeed, Horatia was rarely in a bad temper--but as an outlet to her superfluous energy.

lay

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

From this reading Poor Mrs Clay lay down on the sofa in the drawing-room and shut her eyes.

Mrs

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

From this reading Poor Mrs Clay lay down on the sofa in the drawing-room and shut her eyes.

NANCY

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

From this reading NANCY PACKS UP.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Horatia sat beside her, kicking the corner of one of the rich Persian rugs that lay about the drawing-room; not that she was in a bad temper--indeed, Horatia was rarely in a bad temper--but as an outlet to her superfluous energy.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Horatia sat beside her, kicking the corner of one of the rich Persian rugs that lay about the drawing-room; not that she was in a bad temper--indeed, Horatia was rarely in a bad temper--but as an outlet to her superfluous energy.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Poor Mrs Clay lay down on the sofa in the drawing-room and shut her eyes.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Horatia sat beside her, kicking the corner of one of the rich Persian rugs that lay about the drawing-room; not that she was in a bad temper--indeed, Horatia was rarely in a bad temper--but as an outlet to her superfluous energy.

out

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

From this reading Mrs Clay was evidently worn out by the events of the day.

outlet

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

From this reading Horatia sat beside her, kicking the corner of one of the rich Persian rugs that lay about the drawing-room; not that she was in a bad temper--indeed, Horatia was rarely in a bad temper--but as an outlet to her superfluous energy.

PACKS

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

From this reading NANCY PACKS UP.

pain

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

From this reading It was pain and grief to Horatia Cunningham to sit still at any time; but this afternoon, when she felt so excited and wanted to hear all about the fire, it was a severe trial to her patience.

patience

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

From this reading It was pain and grief to Horatia Cunningham to sit still at any time; but this afternoon, when she felt so excited and wanted to hear all about the fire, it was a severe trial to her patience.

Persian

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

From this reading Horatia sat beside her, kicking the corner of one of the rich Persian rugs that lay about the drawing-room; not that she was in a bad temper--indeed, Horatia was rarely in a bad temper--but as an outlet to her superfluous energy.

PoornounUS /poor/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Poor Mrs Clay lay down on the sofa in the drawing-room and shut her eyes.

rarely

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

From this reading Horatia sat beside her, kicking the corner of one of the rich Persian rugs that lay about the drawing-room; not that she was in a bad temper--indeed, Horatia was rarely in a bad temper--but as an outlet to her superfluous energy.

rich

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

From this reading Horatia sat beside her, kicking the corner of one of the rich Persian rugs that lay about the drawing-room; not that she was in a bad temper--indeed, Horatia was rarely in a bad temper--but as an outlet to her superfluous energy.

rugs

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

From this reading Horatia sat beside her, kicking the corner of one of the rich Persian rugs that lay about the drawing-room; not that she was in a bad temper--indeed, Horatia was rarely in a bad temper--but as an outlet to her superfluous energy.

sat

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

From this reading Horatia sat beside her, kicking the corner of one of the rich Persian rugs that lay about the drawing-room; not that she was in a bad temper--indeed, Horatia was rarely in a bad temper--but as an outlet to her superfluous energy.

severe

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

From this reading It was pain and grief to Horatia Cunningham to sit still at any time; but this afternoon, when she felt so excited and wanted to hear all about the fire, it was a severe trial to her patience.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading Horatia sat beside her, kicking the corner of one of the rich Persian rugs that lay about the drawing-room; not that she was in a bad temper--indeed, Horatia was rarely in a bad temper--but as an outlet to her superfluous energy.

shut

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

From this reading Poor Mrs Clay lay down on the sofa in the drawing-room and shut her eyes.

sit

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

From this reading It was pain and grief to Horatia Cunningham to sit still at any time; but this afternoon, when she felt so excited and wanted to hear all about the fire, it was a severe trial to her patience.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading It was pain and grief to Horatia Cunningham to sit still at any time; but this afternoon, when she felt so excited and wanted to hear all about the fire, it was a severe trial to her patience.

sofa

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

From this reading Poor Mrs Clay lay down on the sofa in the drawing-room and shut her eyes.

stillnounUS /still/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading It was pain and grief to Horatia Cunningham to sit still at any time; but this afternoon, when she felt so excited and wanted to hear all about the fire, it was a severe trial to her patience.

superfluous

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

From this reading Horatia sat beside her, kicking the corner of one of the rich Persian rugs that lay about the drawing-room; not that she was in a bad temper--indeed, Horatia was rarely in a bad temper--but as an outlet to her superfluous energy.

temper

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

From this reading Horatia sat beside her, kicking the corner of one of the rich Persian rugs that lay about the drawing-room; not that she was in a bad temper--indeed, Horatia was rarely in a bad temper--but as an outlet to her superfluous energy.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Horatia sat beside her, kicking the corner of one of the rich Persian rugs that lay about the drawing-room; not that she was in a bad temper--indeed, Horatia was rarely in a bad temper--but as an outlet to her superfluous energy.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Poor Mrs Clay lay down on the sofa in the drawing-room and shut her eyes.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading It was pain and grief to Horatia Cunningham to sit still at any time; but this afternoon, when she felt so excited and wanted to hear all about the fire, it was a severe trial to her patience.

timenounUS /time/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading It was pain and grief to Horatia Cunningham to sit still at any time; but this afternoon, when she felt so excited and wanted to hear all about the fire, it was a severe trial to her patience.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Horatia sat beside her, kicking the corner of one of the rich Persian rugs that lay about the drawing-room; not that she was in a bad temper--indeed, Horatia was rarely in a bad temper--but as an outlet to her superfluous energy.

trial

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

From this reading It was pain and grief to Horatia Cunningham to sit still at any time; but this afternoon, when she felt so excited and wanted to hear all about the fire, it was a severe trial to her patience.

UP

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

From this reading NANCY PACKS UP.

wanted

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

From this reading It was pain and grief to Horatia Cunningham to sit still at any time; but this afternoon, when she felt so excited and wanted to hear all about the fire, it was a severe trial to her patience.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Horatia sat beside her, kicking the corner of one of the rich Persian rugs that lay about the drawing-room; not that she was in a bad temper--indeed, Horatia was rarely in a bad temper--but as an outlet to her superfluous energy.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading It was pain and grief to Horatia Cunningham to sit still at any time; but this afternoon, when she felt so excited and wanted to hear all about the fire, it was a severe trial to her patience.

wornverbUS /wɔːrn/

Damaged or thinned by continuous use.

From this reading Mrs Clay was evidently worn out by the events of the day.