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The Crimson Thread
The Crimson Thread

Chapter XVIII · The Mystery Lady's New Role

Chapter XVIII of The Crimson Thread, “The Mystery Lady's New Role,” is here in full — 45 sentences across 9 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Crimson Thread
Context Illustration Reading 1/9 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Such a party as it was; that one which was being enjoyed by Lucile and her friends of the juvenile book corner.
Such crisp brown cream biscuits!
Such breast of turkey with cranberry sauce and dressing!
Such pudding!
Even in the days of her childhood at home Lucile had never seen a more sumptuous feast.
0:00 / 0:00
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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 Crimson Thread

Chapter XVIII · The Mystery Lady's New Role

Chapter XVIII of The Crimson Thread, “The Mystery Lady's New Role,” is here in full — 45 sentences across 9 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/9 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Such a party as it was; that one which was being enjoyed by Lucile and her friends of the juvenile book corner.
Line 2
Such crisp brown cream biscuits!
/sʌtʃ krɪsp braʊn kriːm ˈbɪskəts/
Line 3
Such breast of turkey with cranberry sauce and dressing!
/sʌtʃ brest ʌv ˈtɜːrki wɪð ˈkrænberi sɔːs ənd ˈdresɪŋ/
Line 4
Such pudding!
/sʌtʃ ˈpʊdɪŋ/
Line 5
Even in the days of her childhood at home Lucile had never seen a more sumptuous feast.

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.

biscuits noun US /ˈbɪskəts/

plural of “biscuit” — small round bread leavened with baking-powder or soda

From this reading “Such crisp brown cream biscuits!”

cranberry noun US /ˈkrænberi/

any of numerous shrubs of genus Vaccinium bearing cranberries

From this reading “Such breast of turkey with cranberry sauce and dressing!”

crisp adjective US /krɪsp/

(of something seen or heard) clearly defined

From this reading “Such crisp brown cream biscuits!”

juvenile adjective US /ˈdʒuːvənəl/

of or relating to or characteristic of or appropriate for children or young people

From this reading “Such a party as it was; that one which was being enjoyed by Lucile and her friends of the juvenile book corner.”

pudding noun US /ˈpʊdɪŋ/

any of various soft thick unsweetened baked dishes

From this reading “Such pudding!”

sauce noun US /sɔːs/

flavorful relish or dressing or topping served as an accompaniment to food

From this reading “Such breast of turkey with cranberry sauce and dressing!”

sumptuous adjective US /ˈsʌmptʃwəs/

ostentatiously rich and superior in quality

From this reading “Even in the days of her childhood at home Lucile had never seen a more sumptuous feast.”

turkey noun US /ˈtɜːrki/

large gallinaceous bird with fan-shaped tail; widely domesticated for food

From this reading “Such breast of turkey with cranberry sauce and dressing!”

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.

at home preposition + noun

a reception held in your own home

In this reading “Even in the days of her childhood at home Lucile had never seen a more sumptuous feast.”

All words in this reading · 44

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 Such a party as it was; that one which was being enjoyed by Lucile and her friends of the juvenile book corner.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Such a party as it was; that one which was being enjoyed by Lucile and her friends of the juvenile book corner.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Such a party as it was; that one which was being enjoyed by Lucile and her friends of the juvenile book corner.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Even in the days of her childhood at home Lucile had never seen a more sumptuous feast.

beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading Such a party as it was; that one which was being enjoyed by Lucile and her friends of the juvenile book corner.

biscuitsnounUS /ˈbɪskəts/

plural of “biscuit” — small round bread leavened with baking-powder or soda

From this reading Such crisp brown cream biscuits!

booknounUS /bʊk/

a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)

From this reading Such a party as it was; that one which was being enjoyed by Lucile and her friends of the juvenile book corner.

breastnounUS /brest/

the front of the trunk from the neck to the abdomen

From this reading Such breast of turkey with cranberry sauce and dressing!

brownnounUS /braʊn/

an orange of low brightness and saturation

From this reading Such crisp brown cream biscuits!

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Such a party as it was; that one which was being enjoyed by Lucile and her friends of the juvenile book corner.

childhoodnounUS /ˈtʃaɪldhʊd/

the time of person's life when they are a child

From this reading Even in the days of her childhood at home Lucile had never seen a more sumptuous feast.

cornernounUS /ˈkɔːrnər/

a place off to the side of an area

From this reading Such a party as it was; that one which was being enjoyed by Lucile and her friends of the juvenile book corner.

cranberrynounUS /ˈkrænberi/

any of numerous shrubs of genus Vaccinium bearing cranberries

From this reading Such breast of turkey with cranberry sauce and dressing!

creamnounUS /kriːm/

the best people or things in a group

From this reading Such crisp brown cream biscuits!

crispadjectiveUS /krɪsp/

(of something seen or heard) clearly defined

From this reading Such crisp brown cream biscuits!

daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading Even in the days of her childhood at home Lucile had never seen a more sumptuous feast.

dressingnounUS /ˈdresɪŋ/

savory dressings for salads; basically of two kinds: either the thin French or vinaigrette type or the creamy mayonnaise type

From this reading Such breast of turkey with cranberry sauce and dressing!

enjoyedverbUS /ˌenˈdʒɔɪd/

past form of “enjoy” — derive or receive pleasure from; get enjoyment from; take pleasure in

From this reading Such a party as it was; that one which was being enjoyed by Lucile and her friends of the juvenile book corner.

EvenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading Even in the days of her childhood at home Lucile had never seen a more sumptuous feast.

feastnounUS /fiːst/

a ceremonial dinner party for many people

From this reading Even in the days of her childhood at home Lucile had never seen a more sumptuous feast.

friendsnounUS /frendz/

plural of “friend” — a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

From this reading Such a party as it was; that one which was being enjoyed by Lucile and her friends of the juvenile book corner.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Even in the days of her childhood at home Lucile had never seen a more sumptuous feast.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading Such a party as it was; that one which was being enjoyed by Lucile and her friends of the juvenile book corner.

homenounUS /hoʊm/

where you live at a particular time

From this reading Even in the days of her childhood at home Lucile had never seen a more sumptuous feast.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Even in the days of her childhood at home Lucile had never seen a more sumptuous feast.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Such a party as it was; that one which was being enjoyed by Lucile and her friends of the juvenile book corner.

juvenileadjectiveUS /ˈdʒuːvənəl/

of or relating to or characteristic of or appropriate for children or young people

From this reading Such a party as it was; that one which was being enjoyed by Lucile and her friends of the juvenile book corner.

Lucile

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

From this reading Such a party as it was; that one which was being enjoyed by Lucile and her friends of the juvenile book corner.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading Even in the days of her childhood at home Lucile had never seen a more sumptuous feast.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading Even in the days of her childhood at home Lucile had never seen a more sumptuous feast.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Such a party as it was; that one which was being enjoyed by Lucile and her friends of the juvenile book corner.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Such a party as it was; that one which was being enjoyed by Lucile and her friends of the juvenile book corner.

partynounUS /ˈpɑːrti/

an organization to gain political power

From this reading Such a party as it was; that one which was being enjoyed by Lucile and her friends of the juvenile book corner.

puddingnounUS /ˈpʊdɪŋ/

any of various soft thick unsweetened baked dishes

From this reading Such pudding!

saucenounUS /sɔːs/

flavorful relish or dressing or topping served as an accompaniment to food

From this reading Such breast of turkey with cranberry sauce and dressing!

seenverbUS /siːn/

inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading Even in the days of her childhood at home Lucile had never seen a more sumptuous feast.

SuchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading Such a party as it was; that one which was being enjoyed by Lucile and her friends of the juvenile book corner.

sumptuousadjectiveUS /ˈsʌmptʃwəs/

ostentatiously rich and superior in quality

From this reading Even in the days of her childhood at home Lucile had never seen a more sumptuous feast.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Such a party as it was; that one which was being enjoyed by Lucile and her friends of the juvenile book corner.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Such a party as it was; that one which was being enjoyed by Lucile and her friends of the juvenile book corner.

turkeynounUS /ˈtɜːrki/

large gallinaceous bird with fan-shaped tail; widely domesticated for food

From this reading Such breast of turkey with cranberry sauce and dressing!

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Such a party as it was; that one which was being enjoyed by Lucile and her friends of the juvenile book corner.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading Such a party as it was; that one which was being enjoyed by Lucile and her friends of the juvenile book corner.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Such breast of turkey with cranberry sauce and dressing!

Chapter 18 of The Crimson Thread by Roy J. (Roy Judson) Snell holds 45 sentences, grouped into 9 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 18 of The Crimson Thread contain?

Chapter 18 holds 45 sentences of The Crimson Thread, unabridged, divided into 9 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 18 of The Crimson Thread by Roy J. (Roy Judson) Snell exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 45 sentences, grouped into 9 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 18 of The Crimson Thread?

Work through the 9 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 9 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 18 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 18 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 Crimson Thread

Common questions about reading The Crimson Thread by Roy J. (Roy Judson) Snell on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Crimson Thread?

Yes. All 3947 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #41909 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Crimson Thread is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #41909, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Crimson Thread take to read?

About 328 minutes of reading across 790 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Crimson Thread section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 25 chapters of The Crimson Thread 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 Crimson Thread

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

Reilly
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Crimson Thread; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Chicago
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Crimson Thread; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Starting
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Crimson Thread; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Suppressed
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Crimson Thread; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.