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The Champdoce Mystery
The Champdoce Mystery

Chapter XIV

Cover illustration for The Champdoce Mystery
Context Illustration Reading 1/23 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
FALSE FRIEND, OLD LOVER.
It was on a Wednesday morning that the Duke de Champdoce, instead of, as usual, going to his own or one of his friends’ clubs to breakfast, took his seat at the table where his wife was partaking of her morning meal.
He was in excellent spirits, gay, and full of pleasant talk, a mood in which his wife had never seen him since their ill-fated marriage.
The Duchess could not understand this sudden change in her husband; it terrified and alarmed her, for she felt that it was the forerunner of some serious event, which would change the current of her life entirely.
Norbert waited until the domestics had completed their duty and retired, and as soon as he was alone with his wife he took her hand and kissed it with an air of gallantry.
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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 Champdoce Mystery

Chapter XIV

Reading 1/23 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
FALSE FRIEND, OLD LOVER.
Line 2
It was on a Wednesday morning that the Duke de Champdoce, instead of, as usual, going to his own or one of his friends’ clubs to breakfast, took his seat at the table where his wife was partaking of her morning meal.
Line 3
He was in excellent spirits, gay, and full of pleasant talk, a mood in which his wife had never seen him since their ill-fated marriage.
Line 4
The Duchess could not understand this sudden change in her husband; it terrified and alarmed her, for she felt that it was the forerunner of some serious event, which would change the current of her life entirely.
Line 5
Norbert waited until the domestics had completed their duty and retired, and as soon as he was alone with his wife he took her hand and kissed it with an air of gallantry.

Learner Dictionary

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

Alone noun US /alone/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Norbert waited until the domestics had completed their duty and retired, and as soon as he was alone with his wife he took her hand and kissed it with an air of gallantry.”

Could modal verb US /kʊd/

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

From this reading “The Duchess could not understand this sudden change in her husband; it terrified and alarmed her, for she felt that it was the forerunner of some serious event, which would change the current of her life entirely.”

Current noun US /ˈcurrent/

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

From this reading “The Duchess could not understand this sudden change in her husband; it terrified and alarmed her, for she felt that it was the forerunner of some serious event, which would change the current of her life entirely.”

Duty noun US /ˈduːti/

a responsibility that must be carried out

From this reading “Norbert waited until the domestics had completed their duty and retired, and as soon as he was alone with his wife he took her hand and kissed it with an air of gallantry.”

Entirely noun US /ˈentirely/

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

From this reading “The Duchess could not understand this sudden change in her husband; it terrified and alarmed her, for she felt that it was the forerunner of some serious event, which would change the current of her life entirely.”

Hand noun US /hand/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Norbert waited until the domestics had completed their duty and retired, and as soon as he was alone with his wife he took her hand and kissed it with an air of gallantry.”

Life noun US /life/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The Duchess could not understand this sudden change in her husband; it terrified and alarmed her, for she felt that it was the forerunner of some serious event, which would change the current of her life entirely.”

Morning noun US /morning/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “It was on a Wednesday morning that the Duke de Champdoce, instead of, as usual, going to his own or one of his friends’ clubs to breakfast, took his seat at the table where his wife was partaking of her morning meal.”

Never noun US /never/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “He was in excellent spirits, gay, and full of pleasant talk, a mood in which his wife had never seen him since their ill-fated marriage.”

One pronoun US /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading “It was on a Wednesday morning that the Duke de Champdoce, instead of, as usual, going to his own or one of his friends’ clubs to breakfast, took his seat at the table where his wife was partaking of her morning meal.”

Pleasant noun US /pleasant/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “He was in excellent spirits, gay, and full of pleasant talk, a mood in which his wife had never seen him since their ill-fated marriage.”

Retired verb US /rɪˈtaɪərd/

went away to a private place

From this reading “Norbert waited until the domestics had completed their duty and retired, and as soon as he was alone with his wife he took her hand and kissed it with an air of gallantry.”

Since preposition US /sɪns/

from a time in the past until now

From this reading “He was in excellent spirits, gay, and full of pleasant talk, a mood in which his wife had never seen him since their ill-fated marriage.”

Soon noun US /soon/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Norbert waited until the domestics had completed their duty and retired, and as soon as he was alone with his wife he took her hand and kissed it with an air of gallantry.”

Sudden noun US /sudden/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The Duchess could not understand this sudden change in her husband; it terrified and alarmed her, for she felt that it was the forerunner of some serious event, which would change the current of her life entirely.”

Terrified adjective US /ˈterəfaɪd/

extremely frightened

From this reading “The Duchess could not understand this sudden change in her husband; it terrified and alarmed her, for she felt that it was the forerunner of some serious event, which would change the current of her life entirely.”

Took noun US /took/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “It was on a Wednesday morning that the Duke de Champdoce, instead of, as usual, going to his own or one of his friends’ clubs to breakfast, took his seat at the table where his wife was partaking of her morning meal.”

Understand noun US /understand/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The Duchess could not understand this sudden change in her husband; it terrified and alarmed her, for she felt that it was the forerunner of some serious event, which would change the current of her life entirely.”

Until preposition US /ənˈtɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading “Norbert waited until the domestics had completed their duty and retired, and as soon as he was alone with his wife he took her hand and kissed it with an air of gallantry.”

Would modal verb US /wʊd/

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

From this reading “The Duchess could not understand this sudden change in her husband; it terrified and alarmed her, for she felt that it was the forerunner of some serious event, which would change the current of her life entirely.”

All words in this reading · 92

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 It was on a Wednesday morning that the Duke de Champdoce, instead of, as usual, going to his own or one of his friends’ clubs to breakfast, took his seat at the table where his wife was partaking of her morning meal.

air

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

From this reading Norbert waited until the domestics had completed their duty and retired, and as soon as he was alone with his wife he took her hand and kissed it with an air of gallantry.

alarmed

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

From this reading The Duchess could not understand this sudden change in her husband; it terrified and alarmed her, for she felt that it was the forerunner of some serious event, which would change the current of her life entirely.

alonenounUS /alone/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Norbert waited until the domestics had completed their duty and retired, and as soon as he was alone with his wife he took her hand and kissed it with an air of gallantry.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading Norbert waited until the domestics had completed their duty and retired, and as soon as he was alone with his wife he took her hand and kissed it with an air of gallantry.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading He was in excellent spirits, gay, and full of pleasant talk, a mood in which his wife had never seen him since their ill-fated marriage.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading It was on a Wednesday morning that the Duke de Champdoce, instead of, as usual, going to his own or one of his friends’ clubs to breakfast, took his seat at the table where his wife was partaking of her morning meal.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading It was on a Wednesday morning that the Duke de Champdoce, instead of, as usual, going to his own or one of his friends’ clubs to breakfast, took his seat at the table where his wife was partaking of her morning meal.

breakfast

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

From this reading It was on a Wednesday morning that the Duke de Champdoce, instead of, as usual, going to his own or one of his friends’ clubs to breakfast, took his seat at the table where his wife was partaking of her morning meal.

Champdoce

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

From this reading It was on a Wednesday morning that the Duke de Champdoce, instead of, as usual, going to his own or one of his friends’ clubs to breakfast, took his seat at the table where his wife was partaking of her morning meal.

change

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

From this reading The Duchess could not understand this sudden change in her husband; it terrified and alarmed her, for she felt that it was the forerunner of some serious event, which would change the current of her life entirely.

clubs

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

From this reading It was on a Wednesday morning that the Duke de Champdoce, instead of, as usual, going to his own or one of his friends’ clubs to breakfast, took his seat at the table where his wife was partaking of her morning meal.

completed

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

From this reading Norbert waited until the domestics had completed their duty and retired, and as soon as he was alone with his wife he took her hand and kissed it with an air of gallantry.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

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

From this reading The Duchess could not understand this sudden change in her husband; it terrified and alarmed her, for she felt that it was the forerunner of some serious event, which would change the current of her life entirely.

currentnounUS /ˈcurrent/

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

From this reading The Duchess could not understand this sudden change in her husband; it terrified and alarmed her, for she felt that it was the forerunner of some serious event, which would change the current of her life entirely.

de

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

From this reading It was on a Wednesday morning that the Duke de Champdoce, instead of, as usual, going to his own or one of his friends’ clubs to breakfast, took his seat at the table where his wife was partaking of her morning meal.

domestics

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

From this reading Norbert waited until the domestics had completed their duty and retired, and as soon as he was alone with his wife he took her hand and kissed it with an air of gallantry.

Duchess

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

From this reading The Duchess could not understand this sudden change in her husband; it terrified and alarmed her, for she felt that it was the forerunner of some serious event, which would change the current of her life entirely.

Duke

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

From this reading It was on a Wednesday morning that the Duke de Champdoce, instead of, as usual, going to his own or one of his friends’ clubs to breakfast, took his seat at the table where his wife was partaking of her morning meal.

dutynounUS /ˈduːti/

a responsibility that must be carried out

From this reading Norbert waited until the domestics had completed their duty and retired, and as soon as he was alone with his wife he took her hand and kissed it with an air of gallantry.

entirelynounUS /ˈentirely/

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

From this reading The Duchess could not understand this sudden change in her husband; it terrified and alarmed her, for she felt that it was the forerunner of some serious event, which would change the current of her life entirely.

event

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

From this reading The Duchess could not understand this sudden change in her husband; it terrified and alarmed her, for she felt that it was the forerunner of some serious event, which would change the current of her life entirely.

excellent

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

From this reading He was in excellent spirits, gay, and full of pleasant talk, a mood in which his wife had never seen him since their ill-fated marriage.

FALSE

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

From this reading FALSE FRIEND, OLD LOVER.

felt

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

From this reading The Duchess could not understand this sudden change in her husband; it terrified and alarmed her, for she felt that it was the forerunner of some serious event, which would change the current of her life entirely.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading The Duchess could not understand this sudden change in her husband; it terrified and alarmed her, for she felt that it was the forerunner of some serious event, which would change the current of her life entirely.

forerunner

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

From this reading The Duchess could not understand this sudden change in her husband; it terrified and alarmed her, for she felt that it was the forerunner of some serious event, which would change the current of her life entirely.

FRIEND

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

From this reading FALSE FRIEND, OLD LOVER.

friends

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

From this reading It was on a Wednesday morning that the Duke de Champdoce, instead of, as usual, going to his own or one of his friends’ clubs to breakfast, took his seat at the table where his wife was partaking of her morning meal.

full

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

From this reading He was in excellent spirits, gay, and full of pleasant talk, a mood in which his wife had never seen him since their ill-fated marriage.

gallantry

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

From this reading Norbert waited until the domestics had completed their duty and retired, and as soon as he was alone with his wife he took her hand and kissed it with an air of gallantry.

gay

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

From this reading He was in excellent spirits, gay, and full of pleasant talk, a mood in which his wife had never seen him since their ill-fated marriage.

going

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

From this reading It was on a Wednesday morning that the Duke de Champdoce, instead of, as usual, going to his own or one of his friends’ clubs to breakfast, took his seat at the table where his wife was partaking of her morning meal.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading He was in excellent spirits, gay, and full of pleasant talk, a mood in which his wife had never seen him since their ill-fated marriage.

hand

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

From this reading Norbert waited until the domestics had completed their duty and retired, and as soon as he was alone with his wife he took her hand and kissed it with an air of gallantry.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He was in excellent spirits, gay, and full of pleasant talk, a mood in which his wife had never seen him since their ill-fated marriage.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading It was on a Wednesday morning that the Duke de Champdoce, instead of, as usual, going to his own or one of his friends’ clubs to breakfast, took his seat at the table where his wife was partaking of her morning meal.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading He was in excellent spirits, gay, and full of pleasant talk, a mood in which his wife had never seen him since their ill-fated marriage.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading It was on a Wednesday morning that the Duke de Champdoce, instead of, as usual, going to his own or one of his friends’ clubs to breakfast, took his seat at the table where his wife was partaking of her morning meal.

husband

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

From this reading The Duchess could not understand this sudden change in her husband; it terrified and alarmed her, for she felt that it was the forerunner of some serious event, which would change the current of her life entirely.

ill-fated

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

From this reading He was in excellent spirits, gay, and full of pleasant talk, a mood in which his wife had never seen him since their ill-fated marriage.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading He was in excellent spirits, gay, and full of pleasant talk, a mood in which his wife had never seen him since their ill-fated marriage.

instead

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

From this reading It was on a Wednesday morning that the Duke de Champdoce, instead of, as usual, going to his own or one of his friends’ clubs to breakfast, took his seat at the table where his wife was partaking of her morning meal.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was on a Wednesday morning that the Duke de Champdoce, instead of, as usual, going to his own or one of his friends’ clubs to breakfast, took his seat at the table where his wife was partaking of her morning meal.

kissed

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

From this reading Norbert waited until the domestics had completed their duty and retired, and as soon as he was alone with his wife he took her hand and kissed it with an air of gallantry.

lifenounUS /life/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The Duchess could not understand this sudden change in her husband; it terrified and alarmed her, for she felt that it was the forerunner of some serious event, which would change the current of her life entirely.

LOVER

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

From this reading FALSE FRIEND, OLD LOVER.

marriage

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

From this reading He was in excellent spirits, gay, and full of pleasant talk, a mood in which his wife had never seen him since their ill-fated marriage.

meal

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

From this reading It was on a Wednesday morning that the Duke de Champdoce, instead of, as usual, going to his own or one of his friends’ clubs to breakfast, took his seat at the table where his wife was partaking of her morning meal.

mood

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

From this reading He was in excellent spirits, gay, and full of pleasant talk, a mood in which his wife had never seen him since their ill-fated marriage.

morningnounUS /morning/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading It was on a Wednesday morning that the Duke de Champdoce, instead of, as usual, going to his own or one of his friends’ clubs to breakfast, took his seat at the table where his wife was partaking of her morning meal.

nevernounUS /never/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading He was in excellent spirits, gay, and full of pleasant talk, a mood in which his wife had never seen him since their ill-fated marriage.

Norbert

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

From this reading Norbert waited until the domestics had completed their duty and retired, and as soon as he was alone with his wife he took her hand and kissed it with an air of gallantry.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading The Duchess could not understand this sudden change in her husband; it terrified and alarmed her, for she felt that it was the forerunner of some serious event, which would change the current of her life entirely.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading It was on a Wednesday morning that the Duke de Champdoce, instead of, as usual, going to his own or one of his friends’ clubs to breakfast, took his seat at the table where his wife was partaking of her morning meal.

OLD

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

From this reading FALSE FRIEND, OLD LOVER.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading It was on a Wednesday morning that the Duke de Champdoce, instead of, as usual, going to his own or one of his friends’ clubs to breakfast, took his seat at the table where his wife was partaking of her morning meal.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading It was on a Wednesday morning that the Duke de Champdoce, instead of, as usual, going to his own or one of his friends’ clubs to breakfast, took his seat at the table where his wife was partaking of her morning meal.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading It was on a Wednesday morning that the Duke de Champdoce, instead of, as usual, going to his own or one of his friends’ clubs to breakfast, took his seat at the table where his wife was partaking of her morning meal.

own

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

From this reading It was on a Wednesday morning that the Duke de Champdoce, instead of, as usual, going to his own or one of his friends’ clubs to breakfast, took his seat at the table where his wife was partaking of her morning meal.

partaking

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

From this reading It was on a Wednesday morning that the Duke de Champdoce, instead of, as usual, going to his own or one of his friends’ clubs to breakfast, took his seat at the table where his wife was partaking of her morning meal.

pleasantnounUS /pleasant/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading He was in excellent spirits, gay, and full of pleasant talk, a mood in which his wife had never seen him since their ill-fated marriage.

retiredverbUS /rɪˈtaɪərd/

went away to a private place

From this reading Norbert waited until the domestics had completed their duty and retired, and as soon as he was alone with his wife he took her hand and kissed it with an air of gallantry.

seat

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

From this reading It was on a Wednesday morning that the Duke de Champdoce, instead of, as usual, going to his own or one of his friends’ clubs to breakfast, took his seat at the table where his wife was partaking of her morning meal.

seen

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

From this reading He was in excellent spirits, gay, and full of pleasant talk, a mood in which his wife had never seen him since their ill-fated marriage.

serious

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

From this reading The Duchess could not understand this sudden change in her husband; it terrified and alarmed her, for she felt that it was the forerunner of some serious event, which would change the current of her life entirely.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading The Duchess could not understand this sudden change in her husband; it terrified and alarmed her, for she felt that it was the forerunner of some serious event, which would change the current of her life entirely.

sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/

from a time in the past until now

From this reading He was in excellent spirits, gay, and full of pleasant talk, a mood in which his wife had never seen him since their ill-fated marriage.

some

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

From this reading The Duchess could not understand this sudden change in her husband; it terrified and alarmed her, for she felt that it was the forerunner of some serious event, which would change the current of her life entirely.

soon

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

From this reading Norbert waited until the domestics had completed their duty and retired, and as soon as he was alone with his wife he took her hand and kissed it with an air of gallantry.

spirits

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

From this reading He was in excellent spirits, gay, and full of pleasant talk, a mood in which his wife had never seen him since their ill-fated marriage.

suddennounUS /sudden/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The Duchess could not understand this sudden change in her husband; it terrified and alarmed her, for she felt that it was the forerunner of some serious event, which would change the current of her life entirely.

table

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

From this reading It was on a Wednesday morning that the Duke de Champdoce, instead of, as usual, going to his own or one of his friends’ clubs to breakfast, took his seat at the table where his wife was partaking of her morning meal.

talk

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

From this reading He was in excellent spirits, gay, and full of pleasant talk, a mood in which his wife had never seen him since their ill-fated marriage.

terrifiedadjectiveUS /ˈterəfaɪd/

extremely frightened

From this reading The Duchess could not understand this sudden change in her husband; it terrified and alarmed her, for she felt that it was the forerunner of some serious event, which would change the current of her life entirely.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading It was on a Wednesday morning that the Duke de Champdoce, instead of, as usual, going to his own or one of his friends’ clubs to breakfast, took his seat at the table where his wife was partaking of her morning meal.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading It was on a Wednesday morning that the Duke de Champdoce, instead of, as usual, going to his own or one of his friends’ clubs to breakfast, took his seat at the table where his wife was partaking of her morning meal.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading He was in excellent spirits, gay, and full of pleasant talk, a mood in which his wife had never seen him since their ill-fated marriage.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading The Duchess could not understand this sudden change in her husband; it terrified and alarmed her, for she felt that it was the forerunner of some serious event, which would change the current of her life entirely.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading It was on a Wednesday morning that the Duke de Champdoce, instead of, as usual, going to his own or one of his friends’ clubs to breakfast, took his seat at the table where his wife was partaking of her morning meal.

tooknounUS /took/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading It was on a Wednesday morning that the Duke de Champdoce, instead of, as usual, going to his own or one of his friends’ clubs to breakfast, took his seat at the table where his wife was partaking of her morning meal.

understandnounUS /understand/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The Duchess could not understand this sudden change in her husband; it terrified and alarmed her, for she felt that it was the forerunner of some serious event, which would change the current of her life entirely.

untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading Norbert waited until the domestics had completed their duty and retired, and as soon as he was alone with his wife he took her hand and kissed it with an air of gallantry.

usual

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

From this reading It was on a Wednesday morning that the Duke de Champdoce, instead of, as usual, going to his own or one of his friends’ clubs to breakfast, took his seat at the table where his wife was partaking of her morning meal.

waited

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

From this reading Norbert waited until the domestics had completed their duty and retired, and as soon as he was alone with his wife he took her hand and kissed it with an air of gallantry.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading It was on a Wednesday morning that the Duke de Champdoce, instead of, as usual, going to his own or one of his friends’ clubs to breakfast, took his seat at the table where his wife was partaking of her morning meal.

Wednesday

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

From this reading It was on a Wednesday morning that the Duke de Champdoce, instead of, as usual, going to his own or one of his friends’ clubs to breakfast, took his seat at the table where his wife was partaking of her morning meal.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading It was on a Wednesday morning that the Duke de Champdoce, instead of, as usual, going to his own or one of his friends’ clubs to breakfast, took his seat at the table where his wife was partaking of her morning meal.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading He was in excellent spirits, gay, and full of pleasant talk, a mood in which his wife had never seen him since their ill-fated marriage.

wife

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

From this reading It was on a Wednesday morning that the Duke de Champdoce, instead of, as usual, going to his own or one of his friends’ clubs to breakfast, took his seat at the table where his wife was partaking of her morning meal.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Norbert waited until the domestics had completed their duty and retired, and as soon as he was alone with his wife he took her hand and kissed it with an air of gallantry.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading The Duchess could not understand this sudden change in her husband; it terrified and alarmed her, for she felt that it was the forerunner of some serious event, which would change the current of her life entirely.