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The Duke's Motto: A Melodrama
The Duke's Motto: A Melodrama

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Duke's Motto: A Melodrama is here in full — 412 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Duke's Motto: A Melodrama
Context Illustration Reading 1/82 · 5 lines
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AUTHOR OF "SERAPHICA" "IF I WERE KING" "THE PROUD PRINCE" ETC.
ETC.
Published August, 1908.
Voila un melodrame que j'ai fait, le dernier de plusieurs melodrames anglais qui ont Lagardere pour heros.
Des mots remplacent l'action, des mots remplacent le decor, les costumes, et les accessoires; mais enfin ce pastiche n'est qu'une piece et non un roman.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Duke's Motto: A Melodrama

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Duke's Motto: A Melodrama is here in full — 412 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/82 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
AUTHOR OF "SERAPHICA" "IF I WERE KING" "THE PROUD PRINCE" ETC.
Line 2
ETC.
Line 3
Published August, 1908.
Line 4
Voila un melodrame que j'ai fait, le dernier de plusieurs melodrames anglais qui ont Lagardere pour heros.
Line 5
Des mots remplacent l'action, des mots remplacent le decor, les costumes, et les accessoires; mais enfin ce pastiche n'est qu'une piece et non un roman.

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.

costumes noun US /kɑːˈstuːmz/

plural of “costume” — the attire worn in a play or at a fancy dress ball

From this reading “Des mots remplacent l'action, des mots remplacent le decor, les costumes, et les accessoires; mais enfin ce pastiche n'est qu'une piece et non un roman.”

decor noun US /dɪˈkɔːr/

decoration consisting of the layout and furnishings of a livable interior

From this reading “Des mots remplacent l'action, des mots remplacent le decor, les costumes, et les accessoires; mais enfin ce pastiche n'est qu'une piece et non un roman.”

heros noun US /ˈhɪroʊz/

plural of “hero” — a man distinguished by exceptional courage and nobility and strength

From this reading “Voila un melodrame que j'ai fait, le dernier de plusieurs melodrames anglais qui ont Lagardere pour heros.”

les noun US /les/

plural of “le” — a chronic inflammatory collagen disease affecting connective tissue (skin or joints)

From this reading “Des mots remplacent l'action, des mots remplacent le decor, les costumes, et les accessoires; mais enfin ce pastiche n'est qu'une piece et non un roman.”

mots noun US /mɑːts/

plural of “mot” — a clever remark

From this reading “Des mots remplacent l'action, des mots remplacent le decor, les costumes, et les accessoires; mais enfin ce pastiche n'est qu'une piece et non un roman.”

non adverb US /nɑːn/

negation of a word or group of words

From this reading “Des mots remplacent l'action, des mots remplacent le decor, les costumes, et les accessoires; mais enfin ce pastiche n'est qu'une piece et non un roman.”

pastiche noun US /ˌpæˈstiːʃ/

a musical composition consisting of a series of songs or other musical pieces from various sources

From this reading “Des mots remplacent l'action, des mots remplacent le decor, les costumes, et les accessoires; mais enfin ce pastiche n'est qu'une piece et non un roman.”

pour verb US /pɔːr/

cause to run

From this reading “Voila un melodrame que j'ai fait, le dernier de plusieurs melodrames anglais qui ont Lagardere pour heros.”

All words in this reading · 49

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.

1908

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

From this reading Published August, 1908.

accessoires

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

From this reading Des mots remplacent l'action, des mots remplacent le decor, les costumes, et les accessoires; mais enfin ce pastiche n'est qu'une piece et non un roman.

anglais

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

From this reading Voila un melodrame que j'ai fait, le dernier de plusieurs melodrames anglais qui ont Lagardere pour heros.

AugustnounUS /ˈɑːɡəst/

the month following July and preceding September

From this reading Published August, 1908.

AUTHORnounUS /ˈɔːθər/

writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)

From this reading AUTHOR OF "SERAPHICA" "IF I WERE KING" "THE PROUD PRINCE" ETC.

cenounUS /ˌsiːˈiː/

a ductile grey metallic element of the lanthanide series; used in lighter flints; the most abundant of the rare-earth group

From this reading Des mots remplacent l'action, des mots remplacent le decor, les costumes, et les accessoires; mais enfin ce pastiche n'est qu'une piece et non un roman.

costumesnounUS /kɑːˈstuːmz/

plural of “costume” — the attire worn in a play or at a fancy dress ball

From this reading Des mots remplacent l'action, des mots remplacent le decor, les costumes, et les accessoires; mais enfin ce pastiche n'est qu'une piece et non un roman.

denounUS /diː/

a Mid-Atlantic state; one of the original 13 colonies

From this reading Voila un melodrame que j'ai fait, le dernier de plusieurs melodrames anglais qui ont Lagardere pour heros.

decornounUS /dɪˈkɔːr/

decoration consisting of the layout and furnishings of a livable interior

From this reading Des mots remplacent l'action, des mots remplacent le decor, les costumes, et les accessoires; mais enfin ce pastiche n'est qu'une piece et non un roman.

dernier

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

From this reading Voila un melodrame que j'ai fait, le dernier de plusieurs melodrames anglais qui ont Lagardere pour heros.

DesnounUS /des/

a potent estrogen used in medicine and in feed for livestock and poultry

From this reading Des mots remplacent l'action, des mots remplacent le decor, les costumes, et les accessoires; mais enfin ce pastiche n'est qu'une piece et non un roman.

enfin

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

From this reading Des mots remplacent l'action, des mots remplacent le decor, les costumes, et les accessoires; mais enfin ce pastiche n'est qu'une piece et non un roman.

et

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

From this reading Des mots remplacent l'action, des mots remplacent le decor, les costumes, et les accessoires; mais enfin ce pastiche n'est qu'une piece et non un roman.

ETC

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

From this reading AUTHOR OF "SERAPHICA" "IF I WERE KING" "THE PROUD PRINCE" ETC.

fait

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

From this reading Voila un melodrame que j'ai fait, le dernier de plusieurs melodrames anglais qui ont Lagardere pour heros.

herosnounUS /ˈhɪroʊz/

plural of “hero” — a man distinguished by exceptional courage and nobility and strength

From this reading Voila un melodrame que j'ai fait, le dernier de plusieurs melodrames anglais qui ont Lagardere pour heros.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading AUTHOR OF "SERAPHICA" "IF I WERE KING" "THE PROUD PRINCE" ETC.

IFconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading AUTHOR OF "SERAPHICA" "IF I WERE KING" "THE PROUD PRINCE" ETC.

j'ai

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

From this reading Voila un melodrame que j'ai fait, le dernier de plusieurs melodrames anglais qui ont Lagardere pour heros.

KINGnounUS /kɪŋ/

a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom

From this reading AUTHOR OF "SERAPHICA" "IF I WERE KING" "THE PROUD PRINCE" ETC.

l'action

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

From this reading Des mots remplacent l'action, des mots remplacent le decor, les costumes, et les accessoires; mais enfin ce pastiche n'est qu'une piece et non un roman.

Lagardere

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

From this reading Voila un melodrame que j'ai fait, le dernier de plusieurs melodrames anglais qui ont Lagardere pour heros.

lenounUS /lə/

a chronic inflammatory collagen disease affecting connective tissue (skin or joints)

From this reading Voila un melodrame que j'ai fait, le dernier de plusieurs melodrames anglais qui ont Lagardere pour heros.

lesnounUS /les/

plural of “le” — a chronic inflammatory collagen disease affecting connective tissue (skin or joints)

From this reading Des mots remplacent l'action, des mots remplacent le decor, les costumes, et les accessoires; mais enfin ce pastiche n'est qu'une piece et non un roman.

mais

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

From this reading Des mots remplacent l'action, des mots remplacent le decor, les costumes, et les accessoires; mais enfin ce pastiche n'est qu'une piece et non un roman.

melodrame

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

From this reading Voila un melodrame que j'ai fait, le dernier de plusieurs melodrames anglais qui ont Lagardere pour heros.

melodrames

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

From this reading Voila un melodrame que j'ai fait, le dernier de plusieurs melodrames anglais qui ont Lagardere pour heros.

motsnounUS /mɑːts/

plural of “mot” — a clever remark

From this reading Des mots remplacent l'action, des mots remplacent le decor, les costumes, et les accessoires; mais enfin ce pastiche n'est qu'une piece et non un roman.

n'est

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

From this reading Des mots remplacent l'action, des mots remplacent le decor, les costumes, et les accessoires; mais enfin ce pastiche n'est qu'une piece et non un roman.

nonadverbUS /nɑːn/

negation of a word or group of words

From this reading Des mots remplacent l'action, des mots remplacent le decor, les costumes, et les accessoires; mais enfin ce pastiche n'est qu'une piece et non un roman.

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading AUTHOR OF "SERAPHICA" "IF I WERE KING" "THE PROUD PRINCE" ETC.

ont

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

From this reading Voila un melodrame que j'ai fait, le dernier de plusieurs melodrames anglais qui ont Lagardere pour heros.

pastichenounUS /ˌpæˈstiːʃ/

a musical composition consisting of a series of songs or other musical pieces from various sources

From this reading Des mots remplacent l'action, des mots remplacent le decor, les costumes, et les accessoires; mais enfin ce pastiche n'est qu'une piece et non un roman.

piecenounUS /piːs/

a separate part of a whole

From this reading Des mots remplacent l'action, des mots remplacent le decor, les costumes, et les accessoires; mais enfin ce pastiche n'est qu'une piece et non un roman.

plusieurs

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

From this reading Voila un melodrame que j'ai fait, le dernier de plusieurs melodrames anglais qui ont Lagardere pour heros.

pourverbUS /pɔːr/

cause to run

From this reading Voila un melodrame que j'ai fait, le dernier de plusieurs melodrames anglais qui ont Lagardere pour heros.

PRINCEnounUS /prɪns/

a male member of a royal family other than the sovereign (especially the son of a sovereign)

From this reading AUTHOR OF "SERAPHICA" "IF I WERE KING" "THE PROUD PRINCE" ETC.

PROUDadjectiveUS /praʊd/

feeling self-respect or pleasure in something by which you measure your self-worth; or being a reason for pride

From this reading AUTHOR OF "SERAPHICA" "IF I WERE KING" "THE PROUD PRINCE" ETC.

PublishedadjectiveUS /ˈpʌblɪʃt/

prepared and printed for distribution and sale

From this reading Published August, 1908.

qu'une

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

From this reading Des mots remplacent l'action, des mots remplacent le decor, les costumes, et les accessoires; mais enfin ce pastiche n'est qu'une piece et non un roman.

que

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

From this reading Voila un melodrame que j'ai fait, le dernier de plusieurs melodrames anglais qui ont Lagardere pour heros.

qui

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

From this reading Voila un melodrame que j'ai fait, le dernier de plusieurs melodrames anglais qui ont Lagardere pour heros.

remplacent

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

From this reading Des mots remplacent l'action, des mots remplacent le decor, les costumes, et les accessoires; mais enfin ce pastiche n'est qu'une piece et non un roman.

romanadjectiveUS /ˈroʊmən/

relating to or characteristic of people of Rome

From this reading Des mots remplacent l'action, des mots remplacent le decor, les costumes, et les accessoires; mais enfin ce pastiche n'est qu'une piece et non un roman.

SERAPHICA

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

From this reading AUTHOR OF "SERAPHICA" "IF I WERE KING" "THE PROUD PRINCE" ETC.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading AUTHOR OF "SERAPHICA" "IF I WERE KING" "THE PROUD PRINCE" ETC.

unnounUS /ʌn/

an organization of independent states formed in 1945 to promote international peace and security

From this reading Voila un melodrame que j'ai fait, le dernier de plusieurs melodrames anglais qui ont Lagardere pour heros.

Voila

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

From this reading Voila un melodrame que j'ai fait, le dernier de plusieurs melodrames anglais qui ont Lagardere pour heros.

WEREauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading AUTHOR OF "SERAPHICA" "IF I WERE KING" "THE PROUD PRINCE" ETC.

Chapter 1 of The Duke's Motto: A Melodrama by Justin H. (Justin Huntly) McCarthy holds 412 sentences, grouped into 83 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 1 of The Duke's Motto: A Melodrama contain?

Chapter 1 holds 412 sentences of The Duke's Motto: A Melodrama, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Duke's Motto: A Melodrama by Justin H. (Justin Huntly) McCarthy exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 412 sentences, grouped into 83 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 1 of The Duke's Motto: A Melodrama?

Work through the 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 83 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 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 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 Duke's Motto: A Melodrama

Common questions about reading The Duke's Motto: A Melodrama by Justin H. (Justin Huntly) McCarthy on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Duke's Motto: A Melodrama?

Yes. All 4122 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #28266 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Duke's Motto: A Melodrama is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #28266, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Duke's Motto: A Melodrama take to read?

About 343 minutes of reading across 825 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Duke's Motto: A Melodrama section by section

How to work through The Duke's Motto: A Melodrama section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 10 chapters of The Duke's Motto: A Melodrama 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 Duke's Motto: A Melodrama

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Duke's Motto: A Melodrama, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Duke's Motto: A Melodrama; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Seraphica
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Duke's Motto: A Melodrama; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Proud
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Duke's Motto: A Melodrama; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Prince
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Duke's Motto: A Melodrama; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.