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The Abbatial Crosier
The Abbatial Crosier

Chapter III

Chapter 3 of The Abbatial Crosier is here in full — 189 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Eugène Sue • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The Abbatial Crosier
Context Illustration Reading 1/37 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE LAST OF THE MEROVINGIANS.
About a month had elapsed since the departure of Abd-el-Kader and his five sons to meet Charles Martel in battle.
A boy of eleven or twelve years, confined in the convent of St. Saturnine in Anjou, was leaning on his elbows at the sill of a narrow window on the first floor of one of the buildings of the abbey, and looking out upon the fields.
The vaulted room in which the boy was kept was cold, spacious, bare and floored with stone.
In a corner stood a little bed, and on a table a few toys roughly cut out of coarse wood.
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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.

The Abbatial Crosier

Chapter III

Chapter 3 of The Abbatial Crosier is here in full — 189 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/37 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE LAST OF THE MEROVINGIANS.
Line 2
About a month had elapsed since the departure of Abd-el-Kader and his five sons to meet Charles Martel in battle.
Line 3
A boy of eleven or twelve years, confined in the convent of St. Saturnine in Anjou, was leaning on his elbows at the sill of a narrow window on the first floor of one of the buildings of the abbey, and looking out upon the fields.
Line 4
The vaulted room in which the boy was kept was cold, spacious, bare and floored with stone.
/ðə ˈvɔːltɪd ruːm ɪn wɪtʃ ðə bɔɪ wɑːz kept wɑːz koʊld ˈspeɪʃəs ber ənd flɔːrd wɪð stoʊn/
Line 5
In a corner stood a little bed, and on a table a few toys roughly cut out of coarse wood.
/ɪn ə ˈkɔːrnər stʊd ə ˈlɪtəl bed ənd ɑːn ə ˈteɪbəl ə fjuː tɔɪz ˈrʌfli kʌt aʊt ʌv kɔːrs wʊd/

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.

abbey noun US /ˈæbi/

a church associated with a monastery or convent

From this reading “A boy of eleven or twelve years, confined in the convent of St. Saturnine in Anjou, was leaning on his elbows at the sill of a narrow window on the first floor of one of the buildings of the abbey, and looking out upon the fields.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
elapsed adjective US /ɪˈlæpst/

(of time) having passed or slipped by

From this reading “About a month had elapsed since the departure of Abd-el-Kader and his five sons to meet Charles Martel in battle.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
elbows noun US /ˈelboʊz/

plural of “elbow” — hinge joint between the forearm and upper arm and the corresponding joint in the forelimb of a quadruped

From this reading “A boy of eleven or twelve years, confined in the convent of St. Saturnine in Anjou, was leaning on his elbows at the sill of a narrow window on the first floor of one of the buildings of the abbey, and looking out upon the fields.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
floored adjective US /flɔːrd/

provided with a floor

From this reading “The vaulted room in which the boy was kept was cold, spacious, bare and floored with stone.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sill noun US /sɪl/

structural member consisting of a continuous horizontal timber forming the lowest member of a framework or supporting structure

From this reading “A boy of eleven or twelve years, confined in the convent of St. Saturnine in Anjou, was leaning on his elbows at the sill of a narrow window on the first floor of one of the buildings of the abbey, and looking out upon the fields.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
spacious adjective US /ˈspeɪʃəs/

very large in expanse or scope

From this reading “The vaulted room in which the boy was kept was cold, spacious, bare and floored with stone.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
toys noun US /tɔɪz/

plural of “toy” — an artifact designed to be played with

From this reading “In a corner stood a little bed, and on a table a few toys roughly cut out of coarse wood.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
vaulted adjective US /ˈvɔːltɪd/

having a hemispherical vault or dome

From this reading “The vaulted room in which the boy was kept was cold, spacious, bare and floored with stone.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Word partnerships in these lines

English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.

Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.

twelve years noun + noun

In this reading “A boy of eleven or twelve years, confined in the convent of St. Saturnine in Anjou, was leaning on his elbows at the sill of a narrow window on the first floor of one of the buildings of the abbey, and looking out upon the fields.”

5,797 times in 225,867 chapters
vaulted room adjective + noun

In this reading “The vaulted room in which the boy was kept was cold, spacious, bare and floored with stone.”

153 times in 225,867 chapters
on a table preposition + article + noun counted as “on … table”

able to be negotiated or arranged by compromise

In this reading “In a corner stood a little bed, and on a table a few toys roughly cut out of coarse wood.”

39,334 times in 225,867 chapters
first floor adjective + noun

the floor of a building that is at or nearest to the level of the ground around the building

In this reading “A boy of eleven or twelve years, confined in the convent of St. Saturnine in Anjou, was leaning on his elbows at the sill of a narrow window on the first floor of one of the buildings of the abbey, and looking out upon the fields.”

3,591 times in 225,867 chapters
narrow window verb + noun

In this reading “A boy of eleven or twelve years, confined in the convent of St. Saturnine in Anjou, was leaning on his elbows at the sill of a narrow window on the first floor of one of the buildings of the abbey, and looking out upon the fields.”

393 times in 225,867 chapters
cut out verb + adjective

delete or remove

In this reading “In a corner stood a little bed, and on a table a few toys roughly cut out of coarse wood.”

8,934 times in 225,867 chapters
since the departure preposition + article + noun counted as “since … departure”

In this reading “About a month had elapsed since the departure of Abd-el-Kader and his five sons to meet Charles Martel in battle.”

214 times in 225,867 chapters
In a corner preposition + article + noun counted as “in … corner”

In this reading “In a corner stood a little bed, and on a table a few toys roughly cut out of coarse wood.”

24,646 times in 225,867 chapters

All words in this reading · 70

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 About a month had elapsed since the departure of Abd-el-Kader and his five sons to meet Charles Martel in battle.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
abbeynounUS /ˈæbi/

a church associated with a monastery or convent

From this reading A boy of eleven or twelve years, confined in the convent of St. Saturnine in Anjou, was leaning on his elbows at the sill of a narrow window on the first floor of one of the buildings of the abbey, and looking out upon the fields.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Abd-el-Kader

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

From this reading About a month had elapsed since the departure of Abd-el-Kader and his five sons to meet Charles Martel in battle.

Pending verification
AboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading About a month had elapsed since the departure of Abd-el-Kader and his five sons to meet Charles Martel in battle.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading About a month had elapsed since the departure of Abd-el-Kader and his five sons to meet Charles Martel in battle.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Anjounoun

a former province of western France in the Loire valley

From this reading A boy of eleven or twelve years, confined in the convent of St. Saturnine in Anjou, was leaning on his elbows at the sill of a narrow window on the first floor of one of the buildings of the abbey, and looking out upon the fields.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading A boy of eleven or twelve years, confined in the convent of St. Saturnine in Anjou, was leaning on his elbows at the sill of a narrow window on the first floor of one of the buildings of the abbey, and looking out upon the fields.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
bareadjectiveUS /ber/

completely unclothed

From this reading The vaulted room in which the boy was kept was cold, spacious, bare and floored with stone.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
battlenounUS /ˈbætəl/

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

From this reading About a month had elapsed since the departure of Abd-el-Kader and his five sons to meet Charles Martel in battle.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
bednounUS /bed/

a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep

From this reading In a corner stood a little bed, and on a table a few toys roughly cut out of coarse wood.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
boynounUS /bɔɪ/

a youthful male person

From this reading A boy of eleven or twelve years, confined in the convent of St. Saturnine in Anjou, was leaning on his elbows at the sill of a narrow window on the first floor of one of the buildings of the abbey, and looking out upon the fields.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
buildingsnounUS /ˈbɪldɪŋz/

plural of “building” — a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place

From this reading A boy of eleven or twelve years, confined in the convent of St. Saturnine in Anjou, was leaning on his elbows at the sill of a narrow window on the first floor of one of the buildings of the abbey, and looking out upon the fields.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
CharlesnounUS /tʃɑːrlz/

King of France from 1560 to 1574 whose reign was dominated by his mother Catherine de Medicis (1550-1574)

From this reading About a month had elapsed since the departure of Abd-el-Kader and his five sons to meet Charles Martel in battle.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
coarseadjectiveUS /kɔːrs/

of textures that are rough to the touch or substances consisting of relatively large particles

From this reading In a corner stood a little bed, and on a table a few toys roughly cut out of coarse wood.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
coldadjectiveUS /koʊld/

having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration

From this reading The vaulted room in which the boy was kept was cold, spacious, bare and floored with stone.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
confinedadjectiveUS /kənˈfaɪnd/

not invading healthy tissue

From this reading A boy of eleven or twelve years, confined in the convent of St. Saturnine in Anjou, was leaning on his elbows at the sill of a narrow window on the first floor of one of the buildings of the abbey, and looking out upon the fields.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
conventnounUS /ˈkɑːnvənt/

a religious residence especially for nuns

From this reading A boy of eleven or twelve years, confined in the convent of St. Saturnine in Anjou, was leaning on his elbows at the sill of a narrow window on the first floor of one of the buildings of the abbey, and looking out upon the fields.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
cornernounUS /ˈkɔːrnər/

a place off to the side of an area

From this reading In a corner stood a little bed, and on a table a few toys roughly cut out of coarse wood.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
cutverbUS /kʌt/

separate with or as if with an instrument

From this reading In a corner stood a little bed, and on a table a few toys roughly cut out of coarse wood.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
departurenounUS /dɪˈpɑːrtʃər/

the act of departing

From this reading About a month had elapsed since the departure of Abd-el-Kader and his five sons to meet Charles Martel in battle.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
elapsedadjectiveUS /ɪˈlæpst/

(of time) having passed or slipped by

From this reading About a month had elapsed since the departure of Abd-el-Kader and his five sons to meet Charles Martel in battle.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
elbowsnounUS /ˈelboʊz/

plural of “elbow” — hinge joint between the forearm and upper arm and the corresponding joint in the forelimb of a quadruped

From this reading A boy of eleven or twelve years, confined in the convent of St. Saturnine in Anjou, was leaning on his elbows at the sill of a narrow window on the first floor of one of the buildings of the abbey, and looking out upon the fields.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
elevenadjectiveUS /ɪˈlevən/

being one more than ten

From this reading A boy of eleven or twelve years, confined in the convent of St. Saturnine in Anjou, was leaning on his elbows at the sill of a narrow window on the first floor of one of the buildings of the abbey, and looking out upon the fields.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
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 In a corner stood a little bed, and on a table a few toys roughly cut out of coarse wood.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fieldsnounUS /fiːldz/

United States comedian and film actor (1880-1946)

From this reading A boy of eleven or twelve years, confined in the convent of St. Saturnine in Anjou, was leaning on his elbows at the sill of a narrow window on the first floor of one of the buildings of the abbey, and looking out upon the fields.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading A boy of eleven or twelve years, confined in the convent of St. Saturnine in Anjou, was leaning on his elbows at the sill of a narrow window on the first floor of one of the buildings of the abbey, and looking out upon the fields.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fivenounUS /faɪv/

the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one

From this reading About a month had elapsed since the departure of Abd-el-Kader and his five sons to meet Charles Martel in battle.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
floornounUS /flɔːr/

the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)

From this reading A boy of eleven or twelve years, confined in the convent of St. Saturnine in Anjou, was leaning on his elbows at the sill of a narrow window on the first floor of one of the buildings of the abbey, and looking out upon the fields.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
flooredadjectiveUS /flɔːrd/

provided with a floor

From this reading The vaulted room in which the boy was kept was cold, spacious, bare and floored with stone.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading About a month had elapsed since the departure of Abd-el-Kader and his five sons to meet Charles Martel in battle.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading About a month had elapsed since the departure of Abd-el-Kader and his five sons to meet Charles Martel in battle.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading About a month had elapsed since the departure of Abd-el-Kader and his five sons to meet Charles Martel in battle.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
keptadjectiveUS /kept/

(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded

From this reading The vaulted room in which the boy was kept was cold, spacious, bare and floored with stone.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
LASTadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading THE LAST OF THE MEROVINGIANS.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
leaningadjectiveUS /ˈliːnɪŋ/

departing or being caused to depart from the true vertical or horizontal

From this reading A boy of eleven or twelve years, confined in the convent of St. Saturnine in Anjou, was leaning on his elbows at the sill of a narrow window on the first floor of one of the buildings of the abbey, and looking out upon the fields.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading In a corner stood a little bed, and on a table a few toys roughly cut out of coarse wood.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lookingnounUS /ˈlʊkɪŋ/

the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually

From this reading A boy of eleven or twelve years, confined in the convent of St. Saturnine in Anjou, was leaning on his elbows at the sill of a narrow window on the first floor of one of the buildings of the abbey, and looking out upon the fields.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Martel

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

From this reading About a month had elapsed since the departure of Abd-el-Kader and his five sons to meet Charles Martel in battle.

Pending verification
meetverbUS /miːt/

come together

From this reading About a month had elapsed since the departure of Abd-el-Kader and his five sons to meet Charles Martel in battle.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MEROVINGIANS

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

From this reading THE LAST OF THE MEROVINGIANS.

Pending verification
monthnounUS /mʌnθ/

one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year

From this reading About a month had elapsed since the departure of Abd-el-Kader and his five sons to meet Charles Martel in battle.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
narrowverbUS /ˈneroʊ/

make or become more narrow or restricted

From this reading A boy of eleven or twelve years, confined in the convent of St. Saturnine in Anjou, was leaning on his elbows at the sill of a narrow window on the first floor of one of the buildings of the abbey, and looking out upon the fields.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE LAST OF THE MEROVINGIANS.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading A boy of eleven or twelve years, confined in the convent of St. Saturnine in Anjou, was leaning on his elbows at the sill of a narrow window on the first floor of one of the buildings of the abbey, and looking out upon the fields.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading A boy of eleven or twelve years, confined in the convent of St. Saturnine in Anjou, was leaning on his elbows at the sill of a narrow window on the first floor of one of the buildings of the abbey, and looking out upon the fields.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading A boy of eleven or twelve years, confined in the convent of St. Saturnine in Anjou, was leaning on his elbows at the sill of a narrow window on the first floor of one of the buildings of the abbey, and looking out upon the fields.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading A boy of eleven or twelve years, confined in the convent of St. Saturnine in Anjou, was leaning on his elbows at the sill of a narrow window on the first floor of one of the buildings of the abbey, and looking out upon the fields.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
roomnounUS /ruːm/

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

From this reading The vaulted room in which the boy was kept was cold, spacious, bare and floored with stone.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
roughlyadverbUS /ˈrʌfli/

(of quantities) imprecise but fairly close to correct

From this reading In a corner stood a little bed, and on a table a few toys roughly cut out of coarse wood.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Saturnineadjective

bitter or scornful

From this reading A boy of eleven or twelve years, confined in the convent of St. Saturnine in Anjou, was leaning on his elbows at the sill of a narrow window on the first floor of one of the buildings of the abbey, and looking out upon the fields.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sillnounUS /sɪl/

structural member consisting of a continuous horizontal timber forming the lowest member of a framework or supporting structure

From this reading A boy of eleven or twelve years, confined in the convent of St. Saturnine in Anjou, was leaning on his elbows at the sill of a narrow window on the first floor of one of the buildings of the abbey, and looking out upon the fields.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/

from a time in the past until now

From this reading About a month had elapsed since the departure of Abd-el-Kader and his five sons to meet Charles Martel in battle.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
sonsnounUS /sʌnz/

plural of “son” — a male human offspring

From this reading About a month had elapsed since the departure of Abd-el-Kader and his five sons to meet Charles Martel in battle.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
spaciousadjectiveUS /ˈspeɪʃəs/

very large in expanse or scope

From this reading The vaulted room in which the boy was kept was cold, spacious, bare and floored with stone.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
St

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

From this reading A boy of eleven or twelve years, confined in the convent of St. Saturnine in Anjou, was leaning on his elbows at the sill of a narrow window on the first floor of one of the buildings of the abbey, and looking out upon the fields.

Pending verification
stonenounUS /stoʊn/

a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter

From this reading The vaulted room in which the boy was kept was cold, spacious, bare and floored with stone.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
stoodverbUS /stʊd/

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading In a corner stood a little bed, and on a table a few toys roughly cut out of coarse wood.

Velmora curated lexicon
tablenounUS /ˈteɪbəl/

a set of data arranged in rows and columns

From this reading In a corner stood a little bed, and on a table a few toys roughly cut out of coarse wood.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE LAST OF THE MEROVINGIANS.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading About a month had elapsed since the departure of Abd-el-Kader and his five sons to meet Charles Martel in battle.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
toysnounUS /tɔɪz/

plural of “toy” — an artifact designed to be played with

From this reading In a corner stood a little bed, and on a table a few toys roughly cut out of coarse wood.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
twelvenounUS /twelv/

the cardinal number that is the sum of eleven and one

From this reading A boy of eleven or twelve years, confined in the convent of St. Saturnine in Anjou, was leaning on his elbows at the sill of a narrow window on the first floor of one of the buildings of the abbey, and looking out upon the fields.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading A boy of eleven or twelve years, confined in the convent of St. Saturnine in Anjou, was leaning on his elbows at the sill of a narrow window on the first floor of one of the buildings of the abbey, and looking out upon the fields.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
vaultedadjectiveUS /ˈvɔːltɪd/

having a hemispherical vault or dome

From this reading The vaulted room in which the boy was kept was cold, spacious, bare and floored with stone.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading A boy of eleven or twelve years, confined in the convent of St. Saturnine in Anjou, was leaning on his elbows at the sill of a narrow window on the first floor of one of the buildings of the abbey, and looking out upon the fields.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading The vaulted room in which the boy was kept was cold, spacious, bare and floored with stone.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
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 A boy of eleven or twelve years, confined in the convent of St. Saturnine in Anjou, was leaning on his elbows at the sill of a narrow window on the first floor of one of the buildings of the abbey, and looking out upon the fields.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading The vaulted room in which the boy was kept was cold, spacious, bare and floored with stone.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
woodnounUS /wʊd/

the hard fibrous lignified substance under the bark of trees

From this reading In a corner stood a little bed, and on a table a few toys roughly cut out of coarse wood.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
yearsnounUS /jɪrz/

a late time of life

From this reading A boy of eleven or twelve years, confined in the convent of St. Saturnine in Anjou, was leaning on his elbows at the sill of a narrow window on the first floor of one of the buildings of the abbey, and looking out upon the fields.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 3 of The Abbatial Crosier by Eugène Sue holds 189 sentences, grouped into 38 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 3 of The Abbatial Crosier contain?

Chapter 3 holds 189 sentences of The Abbatial Crosier, unabridged, divided into 38 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 3 of The Abbatial Crosier by Eugène Sue exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 189 sentences, grouped into 38 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 3 of The Abbatial Crosier?

Work through the 38 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 38 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 3 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 3 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 The Abbatial Crosier

Common questions about reading The Abbatial Crosier by Eugène Sue on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Abbatial Crosier?

Yes. All 2492 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #33274 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Abbatial Crosier is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #33274, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Abbatial Crosier take to read?

About 207 minutes of reading across 499 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Abbatial Crosier section by section

How to work through The Abbatial Crosier section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 18 chapters of The Abbatial Crosier 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 The Abbatial Crosier

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Abbatial Crosier, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Narbonne
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Abbatial Crosier; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Cruel
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Abbatial Crosier; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Intestine
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Abbatial Crosier; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Between
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Abbatial Crosier; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.