The City of the Discreet

Chapter XXIV

Chapter 24 of The City of the Discreet is here in full — 258 sentences across 52 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Pío Baroja • Curated US English Learning Edition

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He was very mistrustful of María Lucena, because she was beginning to hate him and was capable of doing him almost any ill turn.

Some two weeks after the nocturnal attack, Quentin went to the Café del Recreo.

As he was learning to be very cautious, before entering he looked through a window and saw María Lucena talking to an elegantly-dressed gentleman.

He waited a moment, and when a waiter went by, he said to him:

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Chapter XXIV Reading 1/51

The City of the Discreet Pío Baroja

Chapter XXIV

Chapter 24 of The City of the Discreet is here in full — 258 sentences across 52 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

PURSUIT AND ESCAPE Quentin was worried, and in spite of his two pistols and the sword-cane that he carried, he feared that the first chance they got, they would set a trap for him and leave him in the same condition as they had left Cornejo. He was very mistrustful of María Lucena, because she was beginning to hate him and was capable of doing him almost any ill turn. Some two weeks after the nocturnal attack, Quentin went to the Café del Recreo. As he was learning to be very cautious, before entering he looked through a window and saw María Lucena talking to an elegantly-dressed gentleman. He waited a moment, and when a waiter went by, he said to him:

The City of the Discreet

Chapter XXIV

Chapter 24 of The City of the Discreet is here in full — 258 sentences across 52 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/51 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

Line 2

He was very mistrustful of María Lucena, because she was beginning to hate him and was capable of doing him almost any ill turn.

Line 3

Some two weeks after the nocturnal attack, Quentin went to the Café del Recreo.

Line 4

As he was learning to be very cautious, before entering he looked through a window and saw María Lucena talking to an elegantly-dressed gentleman.

Line 5

He waited a moment, and when a waiter went by, he said to him:

/hiː ˈweɪtɪd ə ˈmoʊmənt ənd wen ə ˈweɪtər went baɪ hiː sed tuː hɪm/

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.

cautious adjective US /ˈkɔːʃəs/

showing careful forethought

From this reading “As he was learning to be very cautious, before entering he looked through a window and saw María Lucena talking to an elegantly-dressed gentleman.”

mistrustful adjective US /mɪˈstrʌstfəl/

openly distrustful and unwilling to confide

From this reading “He was very mistrustful of María Lucena, because she was beginning to hate him and was capable of doing him almost any ill turn.”

nocturnal adjective US /nɑːkˈtɜːrnəl/

belonging to or active during the night

From this reading “Some two weeks after the nocturnal attack, Quentin went to the Café del Recreo.”

pistols noun US /ˈpɪstəlz/

plural of “pistol” — a firearm that is held and fired with one hand

From this reading “PURSUIT AND ESCAPE Quentin was worried, and in spite of his two pistols and the sword-cane that he carried, he feared that the first chance they got, they would set a trap for him and leave him in the same condition as they had left Cornejo.”

pursuit noun US /pərˈsuːt/

the act of pursuing in an effort to overtake or capture

trap noun US /træp/

a device in which something (usually an animal) can be caught and penned

waiter noun US /ˈweɪtər/

a person whose occupation is to serve at table (as in a restaurant)

From this reading “He waited a moment, and when a waiter went by, he said to him:”

worried adjective US /ˈwɜːrid/

afflicted with or marked by anxious uneasiness or trouble or grief

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.

in spite preposition + noun

In this reading “PURSUIT AND ESCAPE Quentin was worried, and in spite of his two pistols and the sword-cane that he carried, he feared that the first chance they got, they would set a trap for him and leave him in the same condition as they had left Cornejo.”

through a window preposition + article + noun counted as “through … window”

In this reading “As he was learning to be very cautious, before entering he looked through a window and saw María Lucena talking to an elegantly-dressed gentleman.”

set a trap verb + article + noun counted as “set … trap”

two weeks noun + noun counted as “two week”

In this reading “Some two weeks after the nocturnal attack, Quentin went to the Café del Recreo.”

before entering preposition + noun

In this reading “As he was learning to be very cautious, before entering he looked through a window and saw María Lucena talking to an elegantly-dressed gentleman.”

waited a moment verb + article + noun counted as “wait … moment”

In this reading “He waited a moment, and when a waiter went by, he said to him:”

same condition adjective + noun

almost any adverb + adjective

In this reading “He was very mistrustful of María Lucena, because she was beginning to hate him and was capable of doing him almost any ill turn.”

All words in this reading · 78

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 PURSUIT AND ESCAPE Quentin was worried, and in spite of his two pistols and the sword-cane that he carried, he feared that the first chance they got, they would set a trap for him and leave him in the same condition as they had left Cornejo.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading Some two weeks after the nocturnal attack, Quentin went to the Café del Recreo.

almostadverbUS /ˈɔːlmoʊst/

(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but

From this reading He was very mistrustful of María Lucena, because she was beginning to hate him and was capable of doing him almost any ill turn.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading As he was learning to be very cautious, before entering he looked through a window and saw María Lucena talking to an elegantly-dressed gentleman.

ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading He was very mistrustful of María Lucena, because she was beginning to hate him and was capable of doing him almost any ill turn.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

attacknounUS /əˈtæk/

(military) an offensive against an enemy (using weapons)

From this reading Some two weeks after the nocturnal attack, Quentin went to the Café del Recreo.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading As he was learning to be very cautious, before entering he looked through a window and saw María Lucena talking to an elegantly-dressed gentleman.

becauseconjunctionUS /bɪˈkɔːz/

for the reason that

From this reading He was very mistrustful of María Lucena, because she was beginning to hate him and was capable of doing him almost any ill turn.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading As he was learning to be very cautious, before entering he looked through a window and saw María Lucena talking to an elegantly-dressed gentleman.

beginningnounUS /bɪˈɡɪnɪŋ/

the event consisting of the start of something

From this reading He was very mistrustful of María Lucena, because she was beginning to hate him and was capable of doing him almost any ill turn.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading He waited a moment, and when a waiter went by, he said to him:

Café

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

From this reading Some two weeks after the nocturnal attack, Quentin went to the Café del Recreo.

capableadjectiveUS /ˈkeɪpəbəl/

(usually followed by “of”) having capacity or ability

From this reading He was very mistrustful of María Lucena, because she was beginning to hate him and was capable of doing him almost any ill turn.

carriedverbUS /ˈkærid/

inflected form of “carry” — move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body

cautiousadjectiveUS /ˈkɔːʃəs/

showing careful forethought

From this reading As he was learning to be very cautious, before entering he looked through a window and saw María Lucena talking to an elegantly-dressed gentleman.

chancenounUS /tʃæns/

a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances

conditionnounUS /kənˈdɪʃən/

a state at a particular time

Cornejo

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

del

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

From this reading Some two weeks after the nocturnal attack, Quentin went to the Café del Recreo.

doingverbUS /ˈduːɪŋ/

-ing form of “do” — engage in

From this reading He was very mistrustful of María Lucena, because she was beginning to hate him and was capable of doing him almost any ill turn.

elegantly-dressed

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

From this reading As he was learning to be very cautious, before entering he looked through a window and saw María Lucena talking to an elegantly-dressed gentleman.

enteringnounUS /ˈentərɪŋ/

a movement into or inward

From this reading As he was learning to be very cautious, before entering he looked through a window and saw María Lucena talking to an elegantly-dressed gentleman.

ESCAPEnounUS /ɪˈskeɪp/

the act of escaping physically

fearedverbUS /fɪrd/

past form of “fear” — be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

gentlemannounUS /ˈdʒentəlmən/

a man of refinement

From this reading As he was learning to be very cautious, before entering he looked through a window and saw María Lucena talking to an elegantly-dressed gentleman.

gotverbUS /ɡɑːt/

inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

hatenounUS /heɪt/

the emotion of intense dislike; a feeling of dislike so strong that it demands action

From this reading He was very mistrustful of María Lucena, because she was beginning to hate him and was capable of doing him almost any ill turn.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

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

illadjectiveUS /ɪl/

affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function

From this reading He was very mistrustful of María Lucena, because she was beginning to hate him and was capable of doing him almost any ill turn.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

learningnounUS /ˈlɜːrnɪŋ/

the cognitive process of acquiring skill or knowledge

From this reading As he was learning to be very cautious, before entering he looked through a window and saw María Lucena talking to an elegantly-dressed gentleman.

leaveverbUS /liːv/

go away from a place

leftnounUS /left/

location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east

lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

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

From this reading As he was learning to be very cautious, before entering he looked through a window and saw María Lucena talking to an elegantly-dressed gentleman.

Lucena

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

From this reading He was very mistrustful of María Lucena, because she was beginning to hate him and was capable of doing him almost any ill turn.

María

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

From this reading He was very mistrustful of María Lucena, because she was beginning to hate him and was capable of doing him almost any ill turn.

mistrustfuladjectiveUS /mɪˈstrʌstfəl/

openly distrustful and unwilling to confide

From this reading He was very mistrustful of María Lucena, because she was beginning to hate him and was capable of doing him almost any ill turn.

momentnounUS /ˈmoʊmənt/

a particular point in time

From this reading He waited a moment, and when a waiter went by, he said to him:

nocturnaladjectiveUS /nɑːkˈtɜːrnəl/

belonging to or active during the night

From this reading Some two weeks after the nocturnal attack, Quentin went to the Café del Recreo.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

pistolsnounUS /ˈpɪstəlz/

plural of “pistol” — a firearm that is held and fired with one hand

PURSUITnounUS /pərˈsuːt/

the act of pursuing in an effort to overtake or capture

Quentin

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

Recreo

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

From this reading Some two weeks after the nocturnal attack, Quentin went to the Café del Recreo.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading He waited a moment, and when a waiter went by, he said to him:

sameadjectiveUS /seɪm/

Identical; not different.

sawverbUS /sɔː/

cut with a saw

From this reading As he was learning to be very cautious, before entering he looked through a window and saw María Lucena talking to an elegantly-dressed gentleman.

setverbUS /set/

put into a certain place or abstract location

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading He was very mistrustful of María Lucena, because she was beginning to hate him and was capable of doing him almost any ill turn.

SomeadjectiveUS /sʌm/

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

From this reading Some two weeks after the nocturnal attack, Quentin went to the Café del Recreo.

spitenounUS /spaɪt/

feeling a need to see others suffer

sword-cane

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

talkingnounUS /ˈtɔːkɪŋ/

an exchange of ideas via conversation

From this reading As he was learning to be very cautious, before entering he looked through a window and saw María Lucena talking to an elegantly-dressed gentleman.

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

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 As he was learning to be very cautious, before entering he looked through a window and saw María Lucena talking to an elegantly-dressed gentleman.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading He was very mistrustful of María Lucena, because she was beginning to hate him and was capable of doing him almost any ill turn.

trapnounUS /træp/

a device in which something (usually an animal) can be caught and penned

turnverbUS /tɜːrn/

change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense

From this reading He was very mistrustful of María Lucena, because she was beginning to hate him and was capable of doing him almost any ill turn.

twonounUS /tuː/

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

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading He was very mistrustful of María Lucena, because she was beginning to hate him and was capable of doing him almost any ill turn.

waitedverbUS /ˈweɪtɪd/

past form of “wait” — stay in one place and anticipate or expect something

From this reading He waited a moment, and when a waiter went by, he said to him:

waiternounUS /ˈweɪtər/

a person whose occupation is to serve at table (as in a restaurant)

From this reading He waited a moment, and when a waiter went by, he said to him:

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

weeksnounUS /wiːks/

plural of “week” — any period of seven consecutive days

From this reading Some two weeks after the nocturnal attack, Quentin went to the Café del Recreo.

wentverbUS /went/

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading Some two weeks after the nocturnal attack, Quentin went to the Café del Recreo.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading He waited a moment, and when a waiter went by, he said to him:

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 As he was learning to be very cautious, before entering he looked through a window and saw María Lucena talking to an elegantly-dressed gentleman.

worriedadjectiveUS /ˈwɜːrid/

afflicted with or marked by anxious uneasiness or trouble or grief

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

Chapter 24 of The City of the Discreet by Pío Baroja holds 258 sentences, grouped into 52 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 24 of The City of the Discreet contain?

Chapter 24 holds 258 sentences of The City of the Discreet, unabridged, divided into 52 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 24 of The City of the Discreet by Pío Baroja exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 258 sentences, grouped into 52 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 24 of The City of the Discreet?

Work through the 52 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 52 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 24 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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Yes. All 6657 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #56324 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #56324, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 554 minutes of reading across 1332 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Translated: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The City of the Discreet; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
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Chapter XXIV

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