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The Dull Miss Archinard
The Dull Miss Archinard

Chapter XIII

Cover illustration for The Dull Miss Archinard
Context Illustration Reading 1/26 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"Well, Hilda, we have some news for you!"
With these words, spoken in the triumphant tone of the news-breaker, the Captain greeted his daughter as she came into the drawing-room at half-past six.
Odd had been paying his respects to his future parents-in-law, and was sitting near Mrs. Archinard's sofa.
He rose to his feet as Hilda entered and looked at her, smiling a trifle nervously.
"Guess what has happened, my dear," said the Captain, whose good humor was apparent, while Mrs. Archinard murmured, "_She_ would never guess.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Dull Miss Archinard

Chapter XIII

Reading 1/26 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"Well, Hilda, we have some news for you!"
Line 2
With these words, spoken in the triumphant tone of the news-breaker, the Captain greeted his daughter as she came into the drawing-room at half-past six.
Line 3
Odd had been paying his respects to his future parents-in-law, and was sitting near Mrs. Archinard's sofa.
Line 4
He rose to his feet as Hilda entered and looked at her, smiling a trifle nervously.
Line 5
"Guess what has happened, my dear," said the Captain, whose good humor was apparent, while Mrs. Archinard murmured, "_She_ would never guess.

Learner Dictionary

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

Been auxiliary verb US /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading “Odd had been paying his respects to his future parents-in-law, and was sitting near Mrs. Archinard's sofa.”

Captain noun US /ˈcaptain/

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

From this reading “With these words, spoken in the triumphant tone of the news-breaker, the Captain greeted his daughter as she came into the drawing-room at half-past six.”

Good noun US /good/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “"Guess what has happened, my dear," said the Captain, whose good humor was apparent, while Mrs. Archinard murmured, "_She_ would never guess.”

Has auxiliary verb US /hæz/

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading “"Guess what has happened, my dear," said the Captain, whose good humor was apparent, while Mrs. Archinard murmured, "_She_ would never guess.”

Have auxiliary verb US /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “"Well, Hilda, we have some news for you!"”

Looked noun US /looked/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “He rose to his feet as Hilda entered and looked at her, smiling a trifle nervously.”

Never noun US /never/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “"Guess what has happened, my dear," said the Captain, whose good humor was apparent, while Mrs. Archinard murmured, "_She_ would never guess.”

These determiner US /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading “With these words, spoken in the triumphant tone of the news-breaker, the Captain greeted his daughter as she came into the drawing-room at half-past six.”

Trifle noun US /ˈtraɪfəl/

something that needs very little effort

From this reading “He rose to his feet as Hilda entered and looked at her, smiling a trifle nervously.”

Well noun US /well/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “"Well, Hilda, we have some news for you!"”

While conjunction US /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading “"Guess what has happened, my dear," said the Captain, whose good humor was apparent, while Mrs. Archinard murmured, "_She_ would never guess.”

Whose determiner US /huːz/

belonging to which person

From this reading “"Guess what has happened, my dear," said the Captain, whose good humor was apparent, while Mrs. Archinard murmured, "_She_ would never guess.”

Would modal verb US /wʊd/

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

From this reading “"Guess what has happened, my dear," said the Captain, whose good humor was apparent, while Mrs. Archinard murmured, "_She_ would never guess.”

All words in this reading · 71

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 He rose to his feet as Hilda entered and looked at her, smiling a trifle nervously.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Odd had been paying his respects to his future parents-in-law, and was sitting near Mrs. Archinard's sofa.

apparent

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

From this reading "Guess what has happened, my dear," said the Captain, whose good humor was apparent, while Mrs. Archinard murmured, "_She_ would never guess.

Archinard

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

From this reading "Guess what has happened, my dear," said the Captain, whose good humor was apparent, while Mrs. Archinard murmured, "_She_ would never guess.

Archinard's

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

From this reading Odd had been paying his respects to his future parents-in-law, and was sitting near Mrs. Archinard's sofa.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading With these words, spoken in the triumphant tone of the news-breaker, the Captain greeted his daughter as she came into the drawing-room at half-past six.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading With these words, spoken in the triumphant tone of the news-breaker, the Captain greeted his daughter as she came into the drawing-room at half-past six.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Odd had been paying his respects to his future parents-in-law, and was sitting near Mrs. Archinard's sofa.

came

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

From this reading With these words, spoken in the triumphant tone of the news-breaker, the Captain greeted his daughter as she came into the drawing-room at half-past six.

CaptainnounUS /ˈcaptain/

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

From this reading With these words, spoken in the triumphant tone of the news-breaker, the Captain greeted his daughter as she came into the drawing-room at half-past six.

daughter

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

From this reading With these words, spoken in the triumphant tone of the news-breaker, the Captain greeted his daughter as she came into the drawing-room at half-past six.

dear

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

From this reading "Guess what has happened, my dear," said the Captain, whose good humor was apparent, while Mrs. Archinard murmured, "_She_ would never guess.

drawing-room

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

From this reading With these words, spoken in the triumphant tone of the news-breaker, the Captain greeted his daughter as she came into the drawing-room at half-past six.

entered

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

From this reading He rose to his feet as Hilda entered and looked at her, smiling a trifle nervously.

feet

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

From this reading He rose to his feet as Hilda entered and looked at her, smiling a trifle nervously.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading "Well, Hilda, we have some news for you!"

future

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

From this reading Odd had been paying his respects to his future parents-in-law, and was sitting near Mrs. Archinard's sofa.

goodnounUS /good/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading "Guess what has happened, my dear," said the Captain, whose good humor was apparent, while Mrs. Archinard murmured, "_She_ would never guess.

greeted

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

From this reading With these words, spoken in the triumphant tone of the news-breaker, the Captain greeted his daughter as she came into the drawing-room at half-past six.

Guess

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

From this reading "Guess what has happened, my dear," said the Captain, whose good humor was apparent, while Mrs. Archinard murmured, "_She_ would never guess.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Odd had been paying his respects to his future parents-in-law, and was sitting near Mrs. Archinard's sofa.

half-past

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

From this reading With these words, spoken in the triumphant tone of the news-breaker, the Captain greeted his daughter as she came into the drawing-room at half-past six.

happened

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

From this reading "Guess what has happened, my dear," said the Captain, whose good humor was apparent, while Mrs. Archinard murmured, "_She_ would never guess.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading "Guess what has happened, my dear," said the Captain, whose good humor was apparent, while Mrs. Archinard murmured, "_She_ would never guess.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading "Well, Hilda, we have some news for you!"

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He rose to his feet as Hilda entered and looked at her, smiling a trifle nervously.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading He rose to his feet as Hilda entered and looked at her, smiling a trifle nervously.

Hilda

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

From this reading "Well, Hilda, we have some news for you!"

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading With these words, spoken in the triumphant tone of the news-breaker, the Captain greeted his daughter as she came into the drawing-room at half-past six.

humor

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

From this reading "Guess what has happened, my dear," said the Captain, whose good humor was apparent, while Mrs. Archinard murmured, "_She_ would never guess.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading With these words, spoken in the triumphant tone of the news-breaker, the Captain greeted his daughter as she came into the drawing-room at half-past six.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading With these words, spoken in the triumphant tone of the news-breaker, the Captain greeted his daughter as she came into the drawing-room at half-past six.

lookednounUS /looked/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading He rose to his feet as Hilda entered and looked at her, smiling a trifle nervously.

Mrs

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

From this reading Odd had been paying his respects to his future parents-in-law, and was sitting near Mrs. Archinard's sofa.

murmured

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

From this reading "Guess what has happened, my dear," said the Captain, whose good humor was apparent, while Mrs. Archinard murmured, "_She_ would never guess.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading "Guess what has happened, my dear," said the Captain, whose good humor was apparent, while Mrs. Archinard murmured, "_She_ would never guess.

near

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

From this reading Odd had been paying his respects to his future parents-in-law, and was sitting near Mrs. Archinard's sofa.

nervously

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

From this reading He rose to his feet as Hilda entered and looked at her, smiling a trifle nervously.

nevernounUS /never/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading "Guess what has happened, my dear," said the Captain, whose good humor was apparent, while Mrs. Archinard murmured, "_She_ would never guess.

news

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

From this reading "Well, Hilda, we have some news for you!"

news-breaker

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

From this reading With these words, spoken in the triumphant tone of the news-breaker, the Captain greeted his daughter as she came into the drawing-room at half-past six.

Odd

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

From this reading Odd had been paying his respects to his future parents-in-law, and was sitting near Mrs. Archinard's sofa.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading With these words, spoken in the triumphant tone of the news-breaker, the Captain greeted his daughter as she came into the drawing-room at half-past six.

parents-in-law

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

From this reading Odd had been paying his respects to his future parents-in-law, and was sitting near Mrs. Archinard's sofa.

paying

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

From this reading Odd had been paying his respects to his future parents-in-law, and was sitting near Mrs. Archinard's sofa.

respects

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

From this reading Odd had been paying his respects to his future parents-in-law, and was sitting near Mrs. Archinard's sofa.

rose

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

From this reading He rose to his feet as Hilda entered and looked at her, smiling a trifle nervously.

said

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

From this reading "Guess what has happened, my dear," said the Captain, whose good humor was apparent, while Mrs. Archinard murmured, "_She_ would never guess.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading With these words, spoken in the triumphant tone of the news-breaker, the Captain greeted his daughter as she came into the drawing-room at half-past six.

sitting

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

From this reading Odd had been paying his respects to his future parents-in-law, and was sitting near Mrs. Archinard's sofa.

six

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

From this reading With these words, spoken in the triumphant tone of the news-breaker, the Captain greeted his daughter as she came into the drawing-room at half-past six.

smiling

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

From this reading He rose to his feet as Hilda entered and looked at her, smiling a trifle nervously.

sofa

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

From this reading Odd had been paying his respects to his future parents-in-law, and was sitting near Mrs. Archinard's sofa.

some

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

From this reading "Well, Hilda, we have some news for you!"

spoken

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

From this reading With these words, spoken in the triumphant tone of the news-breaker, the Captain greeted his daughter as she came into the drawing-room at half-past six.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading With these words, spoken in the triumphant tone of the news-breaker, the Captain greeted his daughter as she came into the drawing-room at half-past six.

thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading With these words, spoken in the triumphant tone of the news-breaker, the Captain greeted his daughter as she came into the drawing-room at half-past six.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Odd had been paying his respects to his future parents-in-law, and was sitting near Mrs. Archinard's sofa.

tone

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

From this reading With these words, spoken in the triumphant tone of the news-breaker, the Captain greeted his daughter as she came into the drawing-room at half-past six.

triflenounUS /ˈtraɪfəl/

something that needs very little effort

From this reading He rose to his feet as Hilda entered and looked at her, smiling a trifle nervously.

triumphant

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

From this reading With these words, spoken in the triumphant tone of the news-breaker, the Captain greeted his daughter as she came into the drawing-room at half-past six.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Odd had been paying his respects to his future parents-in-law, and was sitting near Mrs. Archinard's sofa.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading "Well, Hilda, we have some news for you!"

Well

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

From this reading "Well, Hilda, we have some news for you!"

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading "Guess what has happened, my dear," said the Captain, whose good humor was apparent, while Mrs. Archinard murmured, "_She_ would never guess.

whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading "Guess what has happened, my dear," said the Captain, whose good humor was apparent, while Mrs. Archinard murmured, "_She_ would never guess.

whosedeterminerUS /huːz/

belonging to which person

From this reading "Guess what has happened, my dear," said the Captain, whose good humor was apparent, while Mrs. Archinard murmured, "_She_ would never guess.

WithprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading With these words, spoken in the triumphant tone of the news-breaker, the Captain greeted his daughter as she came into the drawing-room at half-past six.

words

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

From this reading With these words, spoken in the triumphant tone of the news-breaker, the Captain greeted his daughter as she came into the drawing-room at half-past six.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading "Guess what has happened, my dear," said the Captain, whose good humor was apparent, while Mrs. Archinard murmured, "_She_ would never guess.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "Well, Hilda, we have some news for you!"