Tales from the Operas

Chapter XV

Chapter 15 of Tales from the Operas is here in full — 108 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By George Frederick [Editor] Pardon • Curated US English Learning Edition

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English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

The stranger looked curiously about the haunted room, when shown to it by Liza.

There was the white-curtained bed standing near the window; the door-windows open to admit the cool night air; and beyond, the garden, and the unused rickety bridge.

He looked out through the open window, and then returning where Liza was standing, began talking gaily to her.

Liza not feeling gratified by his former conduct, answered rather pertly, and told him that the villagers had discovered who he was--Count Rodolpho; and further intimated that they were coming to pay their respects to their young lord.

The “young lord” said he cared naught for the whole village, while so pretty a woman was by his side.

Narrator

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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.

Chapter XV Reading 1/21

Tales from the Operas George Frederick [Editor] Pardon

Chapter XV

Chapter 15 of Tales from the Operas is here in full — 108 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

The stranger looked curiously about the haunted room, when shown to it by Liza. There was the white-curtained bed standing near the window; the door-windows open to admit the cool night air; and beyond, the garden, and the unused rickety bridge. He looked out through the open window, and then returning where Liza was standing, began talking gaily to her. Liza not feeling gratified by his former conduct, answered rather pertly, and told him that the villagers had discovered who he was--Count Rodolpho; and further intimated that they were coming to pay their respects to their young lord. The “young lord” said he cared naught for the whole village, while so pretty a woman was by his side.

Tales from the Operas

Chapter XV

Chapter 15 of Tales from the Operas is here in full — 108 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/21 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

The stranger looked curiously about the haunted room, when shown to it by Liza.

/ðə ˈstreɪndʒər lʊkt ˈkjʊriəsli əˈbaʊt ðə ˈhɔːntɪd ruːm wen ʃoʊn tuː ɪt baɪ ˈliːzə/

Line 2

There was the white-curtained bed standing near the window; the door-windows open to admit the cool night air; and beyond, the garden, and the unused rickety bridge.

Line 3

He looked out through the open window, and then returning where Liza was standing, began talking gaily to her.

/hiː lʊkt aʊt θruː ðə ˈoʊ.pən ˈwɪndoʊ ənd ðen rɪˈtɜːrnɪŋ wer ˈliːzə wɑːz ˈstændɪŋ bɪˈɡæn ˈtɔːkɪŋ ˈɡeɪli tuː hɜːr/

Line 4

Line 5

The “young lord” said he cared naught for the whole village, while so pretty a woman was by his side.

/ðə jʌŋ lɔːrd sed hiː kerd nɔːt fɔːr ðə hoʊl ˈvɪlədʒ waɪl soʊ ˈprɪti ə ˈwʊmən wɑːz baɪ hɪz saɪd/

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.

gaily adverb US /ˈɡeɪli/

in a gay manner

From this reading “He looked out through the open window, and then returning where Liza was standing, began talking gaily to her.”

gratified adjective US /ˈɡrætəfaɪd/

having received what was desired

From this reading “Liza not feeling gratified by his former conduct, answered rather pertly, and told him that the villagers had discovered who he was--Count Rodolpho; and further intimated that they were coming to pay their respects to their young lord.”

intimated verb US /ˈɪntəmeɪtɪd/

past form of “intimate” — give to understand

Liza noun US /ˈliːzə/

similar to the striped mullet and takes its place in the Caribbean region

From this reading “The stranger looked curiously about the haunted room, when shown to it by Liza.”

naught noun US /nɔːt/

a quantity of no importance

From this reading “The “young lord” said he cared naught for the whole village, while so pretty a woman was by his side.”

rickety adjective US /ˈrɪkəti/

inclined to shake as from weakness or defect

From this reading “There was the white-curtained bed standing near the window; the door-windows open to admit the cool night air; and beyond, the garden, and the unused rickety bridge.”

unused adjective US /əˈnjuːzd/

not yet used or soiled

From this reading “There was the white-curtained bed standing near the window; the door-windows open to admit the cool night air; and beyond, the garden, and the unused rickety bridge.”

villagers noun US /ˈvɪlɪdʒərz/

plural of “villager” — one who has lived in a village most of their life

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.

open window verb + noun

In this reading “He looked out through the open window, and then returning where Liza was standing, began talking gaily to her.”

looked curiously verb + particle counted as “look curiously”

In this reading “The stranger looked curiously about the haunted room, when shown to it by Liza.”

whole village adjective + noun

In this reading “The “young lord” said he cared naught for the whole village, while so pretty a woman was by his side.”

began talking verb + noun counted as “begin talking”

In this reading “He looked out through the open window, and then returning where Liza was standing, began talking gaily to her.”

haunted room adjective + noun

In this reading “The stranger looked curiously about the haunted room, when shown to it by Liza.”

night air noun + noun

In this reading “There was the white-curtained bed standing near the window; the door-windows open to admit the cool night air; and beyond, the garden, and the unused rickety bridge.”

looked out verb + adjective counted as “look out”

be vigilant, be on the lookout or be careful

In this reading “He looked out through the open window, and then returning where Liza was standing, began talking gaily to her.”

young lord adjective + noun

In this reading “Liza not feeling gratified by his former conduct, answered rather pertly, and told him that the villagers had discovered who he was--Count Rodolpho; and further intimated that they were coming to pay their respects to their young lord.”

All words in this reading · 82

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 “young lord” said he cared naught for the whole village, while so pretty a woman was by his side.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading The stranger looked curiously about the haunted room, when shown to it by Liza.

admitverbUS /ədˈmɪt/

declare to be true or admit the existence or reality or truth of

From this reading There was the white-curtained bed standing near the window; the door-windows open to admit the cool night air; and beyond, the garden, and the unused rickety bridge.

airnounUS /er/

a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of

From this reading There was the white-curtained bed standing near the window; the door-windows open to admit the cool night air; and beyond, the garden, and the unused rickety bridge.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading There was the white-curtained bed standing near the window; the door-windows open to admit the cool night air; and beyond, the garden, and the unused rickety bridge.

answeredverbUS /ˈænsərd/

past form of “answer” — react verbally

From this reading Liza not feeling gratified by his former conduct, answered rather pertly, and told him that the villagers had discovered who he was--Count Rodolpho; and further intimated that they were coming to pay their respects to their young lord.

bednounUS /bed/

a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep

From this reading There was the white-curtained bed standing near the window; the door-windows open to admit the cool night air; and beyond, the garden, and the unused rickety bridge.

beganverbUS /bɪˈɡæn/

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

From this reading He looked out through the open window, and then returning where Liza was standing, began talking gaily to her.

beyondprepositionUS /bɪˈɑːnd/

on the far side of; further than

From this reading There was the white-curtained bed standing near the window; the door-windows open to admit the cool night air; and beyond, the garden, and the unused rickety bridge.

bridgenounUS /brɪdʒ/

a structure that allows people or vehicles to cross an obstacle such as a river or canal or railway etc.

From this reading There was the white-curtained bed standing near the window; the door-windows open to admit the cool night air; and beyond, the garden, and the unused rickety bridge.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading The stranger looked curiously about the haunted room, when shown to it by Liza.

caredverbUS /kerd/

past form of “care” — feel concern or interest

From this reading The “young lord” said he cared naught for the whole village, while so pretty a woman was by his side.

comingnounUS /ˈkʌmɪŋ/

the act of drawing spatially closer to something

conductverbUS /ˈkɑːndəkt/

direct the course of; manage or control

cooladjectiveUS /kuːl/

neither warm nor very cold; giving relief from heat

From this reading There was the white-curtained bed standing near the window; the door-windows open to admit the cool night air; and beyond, the garden, and the unused rickety bridge.

CountverbUS /kaʊnt/

determine the number or amount of

curiouslyadverbUS /ˈkjʊriəsli/

in a manner differing from the usual or expected

From this reading The stranger looked curiously about the haunted room, when shown to it by Liza.

discoveredadjectiveUS /dɪˈskʌvərd/

discovered or determined by scientific observation

door-windows

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

From this reading There was the white-curtained bed standing near the window; the door-windows open to admit the cool night air; and beyond, the garden, and the unused rickety bridge.

feelingnounUS /ˈfiːlɪŋ/

the experiencing of affective and emotional states

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading The “young lord” said he cared naught for the whole village, while so pretty a woman was by his side.

formeradjectiveUS /ˈfɔːrmər/

referring to the first of two things or persons mentioned (or the earlier one or ones of several)

furtheradverbUS /ˈfɜːrðər/

to or at a greater extent or degree or a more advanced stage (“further” is used more often than “farther” in this abstract sense)

gailyadverbUS /ˈɡeɪli/

in a gay manner

From this reading He looked out through the open window, and then returning where Liza was standing, began talking gaily to her.

gardennounUS /ˈɡɑːrdən/

a plot of ground where plants are cultivated

From this reading There was the white-curtained bed standing near the window; the door-windows open to admit the cool night air; and beyond, the garden, and the unused rickety bridge.

gratifiedadjectiveUS /ˈɡrætəfaɪd/

having received what was desired

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

hauntedadjectiveUS /ˈhɔːntɪd/

having or showing excessive or compulsive concern with something

From this reading The stranger looked curiously about the haunted room, when shown to it by Liza.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He looked out through the open window, and then returning where Liza was standing, began talking gaily to her.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading He looked out through the open window, and then returning where Liza was standing, began talking gaily to her.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

intimatedverbUS /ˈɪntəmeɪtɪd/

past form of “intimate” — give to understand

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading The stranger looked curiously about the haunted room, when shown to it by Liza.

LizanounUS /ˈliːzə/

similar to the striped mullet and takes its place in the Caribbean region

From this reading The stranger looked curiously about the haunted room, when shown to it by Liza.

lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading The stranger looked curiously about the haunted room, when shown to it by Liza.

lordnounUS /lɔːrd/

terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God

naughtnounUS /nɔːt/

a quantity of no importance

From this reading The “young lord” said he cared naught for the whole village, while so pretty a woman was by his side.

nearadverbUS /nɪr/

near in time or place or relationship

From this reading There was the white-curtained bed standing near the window; the door-windows open to admit the cool night air; and beyond, the garden, and the unused rickety bridge.

nightnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading There was the white-curtained bed standing near the window; the door-windows open to admit the cool night air; and beyond, the garden, and the unused rickety bridge.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

openverbUS /ˈoʊ.pən/

To move from a closed position.

From this reading There was the white-curtained bed standing near the window; the door-windows open to admit the cool night air; and beyond, the garden, and the unused rickety bridge.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading He looked out through the open window, and then returning where Liza was standing, began talking gaily to her.

payverbUS /peɪ/

give money, usually in exchange for goods or services

pertlyadverb

in an impudent or impertinent manner

prettyadjectiveUS /ˈprɪti/

pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing

From this reading The “young lord” said he cared naught for the whole village, while so pretty a woman was by his side.

ratheradverbUS /ˈræðər/

on the contrary

respectsnounUS /rɪˈspekts/

(often used with “pay”) a formal expression of esteem

returningadjectiveUS /rɪˈtɜːrnɪŋ/

tending to return to an earlier state

From this reading He looked out through the open window, and then returning where Liza was standing, began talking gaily to her.

ricketyadjectiveUS /ˈrɪkəti/

inclined to shake as from weakness or defect

From this reading There was the white-curtained bed standing near the window; the door-windows open to admit the cool night air; and beyond, the garden, and the unused rickety bridge.

Rodolpho

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

roomnounUS /ruːm/

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

From this reading The stranger looked curiously about the haunted room, when shown to it by Liza.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading The “young lord” said he cared naught for the whole village, while so pretty a woman was by his side.

shownverbUS /ʃoʊn/

inflected form of “show” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience

From this reading The stranger looked curiously about the haunted room, when shown to it by Liza.

sidenounUS /saɪd/

a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location

From this reading The “young lord” said he cared naught for the whole village, while so pretty a woman was by his side.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading The “young lord” said he cared naught for the whole village, while so pretty a woman was by his side.

standingadjectiveUS /ˈstændɪŋ/

having a supporting base

From this reading There was the white-curtained bed standing near the window; the door-windows open to admit the cool night air; and beyond, the garden, and the unused rickety bridge.

strangernounUS /ˈstreɪndʒər/

anyone who does not belong in the environment in which they are found

From this reading The stranger looked curiously about the haunted room, when shown to it by Liza.

talkingnounUS /ˈtɔːkɪŋ/

an exchange of ideas via conversation

From this reading He looked out through the open window, and then returning where Liza was standing, began talking gaily to her.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The stranger looked curiously about the haunted room, when shown to it by Liza.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading He looked out through the open window, and then returning where Liza was standing, began talking gaily to her.

ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading There was the white-curtained bed standing near the window; the door-windows open to admit the cool night air; and beyond, the garden, and the unused rickety bridge.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading He looked out through the open window, and then returning where Liza was standing, began talking gaily to her.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The stranger looked curiously about the haunted room, when shown to it by Liza.

toldverbUS /toʊld/

inflected form of “tell” — express in words

unusedadjectiveUS /əˈnjuːzd/

not yet used or soiled

From this reading There was the white-curtained bed standing near the window; the door-windows open to admit the cool night air; and beyond, the garden, and the unused rickety bridge.

villagenounUS /ˈvɪlədʒ/

a community of people smaller than a town

From this reading The “young lord” said he cared naught for the whole village, while so pretty a woman was by his side.

villagersnounUS /ˈvɪlɪdʒərz/

plural of “villager” — one who has lived in a village most of their life

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading There was the white-curtained bed standing near the window; the door-windows open to admit the cool night air; and beyond, the garden, and the unused rickety bridge.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading The stranger looked curiously about the haunted room, when shown to it by Liza.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading He looked out through the open window, and then returning where Liza was standing, began talking gaily to her.

whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading The “young lord” said he cared naught for the whole village, while so pretty a woman was by his side.

white-curtained

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

From this reading There was the white-curtained bed standing near the window; the door-windows open to admit the cool night air; and beyond, the garden, and the unused rickety bridge.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

wholeadjectiveUS /hoʊl/

including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete

From this reading The “young lord” said he cared naught for the whole village, while so pretty a woman was by his side.

windownounUS /ˈwɪndoʊ/

a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air

From this reading There was the white-curtained bed standing near the window; the door-windows open to admit the cool night air; and beyond, the garden, and the unused rickety bridge.

womannounUS /ˈwʊmən/

an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading The “young lord” said he cared naught for the whole village, while so pretty a woman was by his side.

youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

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

Chapter 15 of Tales from the Operas by George Frederick [Editor] Pardon holds 108 sentences, grouped into 22 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 15 of Tales from the Operas contain?

Chapter 15 holds 108 sentences of Tales from the Operas, unabridged, divided into 22 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 15 of Tales from the Operas by George Frederick [Editor] Pardon exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 108 sentences, grouped into 22 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 15 of Tales from the Operas?

Work through the 22 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 22 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.

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Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 15 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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Project Gutenberg eBook #57605, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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Vocabulary met early in Tales from the Operas

Words and structures a reader meets early in Tales from the Operas, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Tales: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tales from the Operas; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Operas: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tales from the Operas; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
George: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tales from the Operas; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Frederick: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Tales from the Operas; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter XV

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