Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
The Evil Genius: A Domestic Story
The Evil Genius: A Domestic Story

Chapter LII · Chapter 52

Chapter 52 of The Evil Genius: A Domestic Story is here in full — 110 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Evil Genius: A Domestic Story
Context Illustration Reading 1/22 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Brisk and smiling, Mrs. Presty presented herself in the waiting-room.
We have got rid of our enemy!” she announced, I looked out of the window and saw him leaving the hotel.”
She paused, struck with the deep dejection expressed in her daughter’s attitude.
Catherine!” she exclaimed, I tell you Herbert has gone, and you look as if you regretted it!
Is there anything wrong?
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
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 Evil Genius: A Domestic Story

Chapter LII · Chapter 52

Chapter 52 of The Evil Genius: A Domestic Story is here in full — 110 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/22 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Brisk and smiling, Mrs. Presty presented herself in the waiting-room.
Line 2
We have got rid of our enemy!” she announced, “I looked out of the window and saw him leaving the hotel.”
/wiː hæv ɡɑːt rɪd ʌv ˈaʊər ˈenəmi ʃiː əˈnaʊnst aɪ lʊkt aʊt ʌv ðə ˈwɪndoʊ ənd sɔː hɪm ˈliːvɪŋ ðə hoʊˈtel/
Line 3
She paused, struck with the deep dejection expressed in her daughter’s attitude.
Line 4
Catherine!” she exclaimed, “I tell you Herbert has gone, and you look as if you regretted it!
/ˈkæθərən ʃiː ɪkˈskleɪmd aɪ tel juː ˈhɜːrbərt hæz ɡɔːn ənd juː lʊk æz ɪf juː rɪˈɡretɪd ɪt/
Line 5
Is there anything wrong?
/ɪz ðer ˈeniθɪŋ rɔːŋ/

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.

announced adjective US /əˈnaʊnst/

declared publicly; made widely known

From this reading ““We have got rid of our enemy!” she announced, “I looked out of the window and saw him leaving the hotel.””

attitude noun US /ˈætətuːd/

a complex mental state involving beliefs and feelings and values and dispositions to act in certain ways

From this reading “She paused, struck with the deep dejection expressed in her daughter’s attitude.”

Brisk adjective US /brɪsk/

quick and energetic

From this reading “Brisk and smiling, Mrs. Presty presented herself in the waiting-room.”

Catherine noun US /ˈkæθərən/

first wife of Henry VIII; Henry VIII's divorce from her was the initial step of the Reformation in England (1485-1536)

From this reading ““Catherine!” she exclaimed, “I tell you Herbert has gone, and you look as if you regretted it!”

daughter's noun US /ˈdɔːtərz/

possessive form of “daughter” — a female human offspring

Herbert noun US /ˈhɜːrbərt/

United States musician and composer and conductor noted for his comic operas (1859-1924)

From this reading ““Catherine!” she exclaimed, “I tell you Herbert has gone, and you look as if you regretted it!”

regretted verb US /rɪˈɡretɪd/

inflected form of “regret” — feel remorse for; feel sorry for; be contrite about

From this reading ““Catherine!” she exclaimed, “I tell you Herbert has gone, and you look as if you regretted it!”

rid verb US /rɪd/

relieve from

From this reading ““We have got rid of our enemy!” she announced, “I looked out of the window and saw him leaving the hotel.””

All words in this reading · 52

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.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Brisk and smiling, Mrs. Presty presented herself in the waiting-room.

announcedadjectiveUS /əˈnaʊnst/

declared publicly; made widely known

From this reading “We have got rid of our enemy!” she announced, “I looked out of the window and saw him leaving the hotel.”

anythingpronounUS /ˈeniθɪŋ/

any thing at all

From this reading Is there anything wrong?

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading “Catherine!” she exclaimed, “I tell you Herbert has gone, and you look as if you regretted it!

attitudenounUS /ˈætətuːd/

a complex mental state involving beliefs and feelings and values and dispositions to act in certain ways

From this reading She paused, struck with the deep dejection expressed in her daughter’s attitude.

BriskadjectiveUS /brɪsk/

quick and energetic

From this reading Brisk and smiling, Mrs. Presty presented herself in the waiting-room.

CatherinenounUS /ˈkæθərən/

first wife of Henry VIII; Henry VIII's divorce from her was the initial step of the Reformation in England (1485-1536)

From this reading “Catherine!” she exclaimed, “I tell you Herbert has gone, and you look as if you regretted it!

daughter'snounUS /ˈdɔːtərz/

possessive form of “daughter” — a female human offspring

From this reading She paused, struck with the deep dejection expressed in her daughter’s attitude.

deepadjectiveUS /diːp/

relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply

From this reading She paused, struck with the deep dejection expressed in her daughter’s attitude.

dejectionnoun

a state of melancholy depression

From this reading She paused, struck with the deep dejection expressed in her daughter’s attitude.

enemynounUS /ˈenəmi/

an opposing military force

From this reading “We have got rid of our enemy!” she announced, “I looked out of the window and saw him leaving the hotel.”

exclaimedverbUS /ɪkˈskleɪmd/

past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy

From this reading “Catherine!” she exclaimed, “I tell you Herbert has gone, and you look as if you regretted it!

expressedadjectiveUS /ɪkˈsprest/

communicated in words

From this reading She paused, struck with the deep dejection expressed in her daughter’s attitude.

goneadjectiveUS /ɡɔːn/

destroyed or killed

From this reading “Catherine!” she exclaimed, “I tell you Herbert has gone, and you look as if you regretted it!

gotverbUS /ɡɑːt/

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

From this reading “We have got rid of our enemy!” she announced, “I looked out of the window and saw him leaving the hotel.”

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading “Catherine!” she exclaimed, “I tell you Herbert has gone, and you look as if you regretted it!

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “We have got rid of our enemy!” she announced, “I looked out of the window and saw him leaving the hotel.”

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading She paused, struck with the deep dejection expressed in her daughter’s attitude.

HerbertnounUS /ˈhɜːrbərt/

United States musician and composer and conductor noted for his comic operas (1859-1924)

From this reading “Catherine!” she exclaimed, “I tell you Herbert has gone, and you look as if you regretted it!

herselfpronounUS /hərˈself/

used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object

From this reading Brisk and smiling, Mrs. Presty presented herself in the waiting-room.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading “We have got rid of our enemy!” she announced, “I looked out of the window and saw him leaving the hotel.”

hotelnounUS /hoʊˈtel/

a building where travelers can pay for lodging and meals and other services

From this reading “We have got rid of our enemy!” she announced, “I looked out of the window and saw him leaving the hotel.”

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading “We have got rid of our enemy!” she announced, “I looked out of the window and saw him leaving the hotel.”

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading “Catherine!” she exclaimed, “I tell you Herbert has gone, and you look as if you regretted it!

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Brisk and smiling, Mrs. Presty presented herself in the waiting-room.

Isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading Is there anything wrong?

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading “Catherine!” she exclaimed, “I tell you Herbert has gone, and you look as if you regretted it!

leavingnounUS /ˈliːvɪŋ/

the act of departing

From this reading “We have got rid of our enemy!” she announced, “I looked out of the window and saw him leaving the hotel.”

lookverbUS /lʊk/

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading “Catherine!” she exclaimed, “I tell you Herbert has gone, and you look as if you regretted it!

lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

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

From this reading “We have got rid of our enemy!” she announced, “I looked out of the window and saw him leaving the hotel.”

MrsnounUS /ˈmɪsɪz/

a form of address for a married woman

From this reading Brisk and smiling, Mrs. Presty presented herself in the waiting-room.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading “We have got rid of our enemy!” she announced, “I looked out of the window and saw him leaving the hotel.”

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading “We have got rid of our enemy!” she announced, “I looked out of the window and saw him leaving the hotel.”

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading “We have got rid of our enemy!” she announced, “I looked out of the window and saw him leaving the hotel.”

pausedverbUS /pɔːzd/

past form of “pause” — interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing

From this reading She paused, struck with the deep dejection expressed in her daughter’s attitude.

presentedverbUS /priˈzentɪd/

past form of “present” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience

From this reading Brisk and smiling, Mrs. Presty presented herself in the waiting-room.

Presty

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

From this reading Brisk and smiling, Mrs. Presty presented herself in the waiting-room.

regrettedverbUS /rɪˈɡretɪd/

inflected form of “regret” — feel remorse for; feel sorry for; be contrite about

From this reading “Catherine!” she exclaimed, “I tell you Herbert has gone, and you look as if you regretted it!

ridverbUS /rɪd/

relieve from

From this reading “We have got rid of our enemy!” she announced, “I looked out of the window and saw him leaving the hotel.”

sawverbUS /sɔː/

cut with a saw

From this reading “We have got rid of our enemy!” she announced, “I looked out of the window and saw him leaving the hotel.”

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

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

From this reading “We have got rid of our enemy!” she announced, “I looked out of the window and saw him leaving the hotel.”

smilingnounUS /ˈsmaɪlɪŋ/

a facial expression characterized by turning up the corners of the mouth; usually shows pleasure or amusement

From this reading Brisk and smiling, Mrs. Presty presented herself in the waiting-room.

struckadjectiveUS /strʌk/

(used in combination) affected by something overwhelming

From this reading She paused, struck with the deep dejection expressed in her daughter’s attitude.

tellverbUS /tel/

express in words

From this reading “Catherine!” she exclaimed, “I tell you Herbert has gone, and you look as if you regretted it!

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Brisk and smiling, Mrs. Presty presented herself in the waiting-room.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading Is there anything wrong?

waiting-room

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

From this reading Brisk and smiling, Mrs. Presty presented herself in the waiting-room.

WepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading “We have got rid of our enemy!” she announced, “I looked out of the window and saw him leaving the hotel.”

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 “We have got rid of our enemy!” she announced, “I looked out of the window and saw him leaving the hotel.”

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading She paused, struck with the deep dejection expressed in her daughter’s attitude.

wrongadjectiveUS /rɔːŋ/

not correct; not in conformity with fact or truth

From this reading Is there anything wrong?

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “Catherine!” she exclaimed, “I tell you Herbert has gone, and you look as if you regretted it!

Chapter 52 of The Evil Genius: A Domestic Story by Wilkie Collins holds 110 sentences, grouped into 22 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 52 of The Evil Genius: A Domestic Story contain?

Chapter 52 holds 110 sentences of The Evil Genius: A Domestic Story, unabridged, divided into 22 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 52 of The Evil Genius: A Domestic Story by Wilkie Collins exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 110 sentences, grouped into 22 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 52 of The Evil Genius: A Domestic Story?

Work through the 22 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 22 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 52 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 52 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 Evil Genius: A Domestic Story

Common questions about reading The Evil Genius: A Domestic Story by Wilkie Collins on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Evil Genius: A Domestic Story?

Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Evil Genius: A Domestic Story is used?

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

How long does The Evil Genius: A Domestic Story take to read?

About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Evil Genius: A Domestic Story section by section

How to work through The Evil Genius: A Domestic Story section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 0 chapters of The Evil Genius: A Domestic Story 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 Evil Genius: A Domestic Story

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Evil Genius: A Domestic Story, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Chapter 1
One of the 0 chapters of The Evil Genius: A Domestic Story, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 2
One of the 0 chapters of The Evil Genius: A Domestic Story, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 3
One of the 0 chapters of The Evil Genius: A Domestic Story, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.